By Dayo Johnson

The National Directorate of Employment, NDE, has commenced a three-month intensive training in Sustainable Agriculture Development Training Scheme, SADTS, for 100 persons in Ondo State.

NDE Director-General, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, who was represented by the Ondo State Coordinator, Mr Bode Ogunyankinnu, said the programme includes the orientation of the 2021 40% REP loans scheme.

According to the DG, the training was in line with the Federal Government’s policy on agriculture for employment, wealth creation and food sufficiency.

He said: “The NDE has come up with this scheme which refers to an agricultural production and distribution system that will help to provide more profitable farm income, promote environmental stewardship and enhance the quality of life for farm families and communities.

“The 100 carefully selected trainees will undergo training in skill proficiencies in crop production ( vegetable\horticulture) and livestock production ( poultry, animal husbandry) and another 38 in Sustainable Agriculture Empowerment Development Scheme, Graduate Agriculture Empowerment Scheme, Agriculture Enhancement Scheme and Community Based Agriculture Empowerment, who are already profiled for a loan package of N100,000 each.”

Fikpo noted that the training of SADTS was expected to last till June 2022, adding that the training would be done in two phases comprising two weeks of theoretical training and ten weeks of in-depth practicals.

READ ALSO:

The DG pointed out that at the end of the training, “a stipend will be paid to the trainees to ease the cost of transportation and orientation on agriprenuel training will be given. The trainees will also be linked with financial institutions and other sources of funds for resettlement.”