The Federal Government-assisted International Funds for Agricultural Development, through the Value Chain Development Programme; has trained Taraba farmers, processors and market women in the use of standard weight and measures for rice and cassava products.
At a stakeholders’ workshop for leaders, farmers, processors and market women held at the Nurses House in Jalingo, the National Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Dr Ameh Onoja, represented by Mr Kennedy Esinolu, called on participants to apply standard weight and measures in selling their products to get value for their investments.
He said, “It is when you have standard and quality products that people can patronise you.
“You must follow the standards spelt out in the lectures you are going to take. If you use poor processing methods and people eat and die, you are responsible for their death.”
One of the facilitators, Ms Rachel Ogunlana, called on farmers to ensure quality and standard for their products in order to get value for their products and for the health and well-being of the society.
“You must ensure good hygienic condition for your products because if your products are bad, it will affect your business and endanger the health of the society,” she said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Taraba, Dr David Ishaya, called on the state House of Assembly to domesticate the law on standard weight and measures in the state for the benefit of farmers and marketers.
He noted that the workshop was timely and in line with the rescue mission programme of the state government, which he said, if implemented, would help prevent farmers and marketers from being cheated.
The Taraba State Programme Coordinator of IFAD-VCDP, Mr Irimiya Musa, who was represented by the Agric Production Officer of the programme, Mr Jonah Yavala, called on the participants to be attentive and use the knowledge gained at the workshop to improve the quality and standard of their products.
Some of the participants who spoke to our correspondent said the workshop would help them to take stock of how much they put in and the benefits derived.
According to them, the use of standard weight and measures will address the issue of cheating in the market as buyers and sellers will know exactly what they are buying and selling.
By: Justin Tyopuusu,
Punch News
