Timothy Omobude 
As part of its effort to increase the capacity and productivity skills of farmers in Edo State, the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, L-PRES, has trained over seventy farmers on how to cultivate modern crops and livestock .
The training focusing on 60% practical on how to rear livestock and other related animals for optimum productivity and output maximization.
Speaking during the event, a Crop- Livestock Specialist, Centre for Dry land Agriculture in Bayero University, Kano, Dr. Hakeem Ajeigbe, said the capacity building gathering and training is keen to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mandate in making sure that Nigeria becomes one of the leading nations in livestock business.
Dr. Hakeem Ajeigbe who served as Lead Consultant, Synergy Impact Consultants Limited and Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), asserted that, the participants will be train on the importance of climate change.
According to him; we are going to do 60% practical because it is adult class. We will be taking participants through the importance and the impact of climate change. We know the reality and how is affecting the crops production, pastures production and the livestock production.
“Both in terms of productivity of the livestock production. The processes of crops and livestock production , the reproductivity of the livestock and the disease, the nutrition of the livestock and what to do. We are going to take them through these basic rudiments.
“How to prepare for it, preserve and store the pastures. The marketing aspect of it is very important. Processing the livestock products also, if time permits we look at the association and the strategy of the group,” he added.
The participants drawn from the three Senatorial Districts in the State are expected to be trained on poultry, piggery, and Small Ruminants; sheep and goats farming in a 3-day training.
Declaring the training open earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Peter Osagie, said the programme is very strategic.
Osagie stated that the high cost and poor availability of quality pasture has continued to undermine livestock productivity in the country, saying that the challenges have driven up production costs, discouraged youth involvement, and exacerbated insecurity.
“Today’s workshop is designed to change that narrative. It offers us an opportunity to build the capacity of our stakeholders and equip them with practical tools to develop scalable and profitable pasture-based enterprises.
“This workshop aligns fully with the agricultural transformation agenda of His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, “the Apostle of Practical Governance”.
“Under his visionary leadership, the State Government has committed a bold N70 billion to agriculture in the 2025 budget”, he said.
In her remarks, the Edo State Coordinator of Livestock Productivity and resilience Support Project (L-PRES) Ikpikhumi Betsy, said the capacity building would help to increase the farmers productivity and the money they will realise from their farm inputs.
