Kano – The Kano State Government in collaboration with Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) on Wednesday organised one day sensitisation workshop for 250 maize farmers on fighting contamination in maize.
Speaking at the workshop in Kano, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Yusuf Gawuna, said the forum was an important milestone in government’s determination to boost agriculture.
The commissioner said that the workshop was organised to ensure that value chain in maize production played a vital role in food security, poverty alleviation and human development.
“Incidence of aflatoxin in maize with its attendant health hazards is becoming very serious and must be over come if we are to make significant Incidence in International trade of maize.
“Aflatoxin is a poison produced by a fungus called Aspergillus flavus.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560”]
“This fungus resides in soil and dead/ decaying matter in the field and contaminates over 25 per cent of maize and groundnut crops produced in Nigeria,” the commissioner said.
He added that the workshop would provide a unique opportunity for farmers to learn how to produce; process and market aflatoxin free maize that would compare favourably with those produce in other climes.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Hajiya Binta Rabiu, said about 250 farmers, processors and marketers of maize were participating in the workshop.
She charged all participants to utilise the opportunity by paying attention and understand the objectives of the workshop.
NAN reports that the workshop had participants drawn from the 44 Local Government Areas of the state. (NAN)
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