AFAN Boosts Food Security With Soya Beans Production

The Kwara State Chapter
of Soya Beans Growers Association (SGA) has said that the Agricultural Farmers Association (AFAN) had assisted in boosting soya beans production.
The Chairman of the association, Mr Mukaila Salawudeen, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Ilorin recently.
Soya bean is a luminous vegetable of a pea family that grows in the tropical, subtropical and temperate climates.
Salawudeen said that tractors had been made available to the farmers to boost production of soya beans by the parent body, AFAN.
He said that seminars and trainings had also been introduced by AFAN for new innovations and technology.
“Soya beans growers in the state are happy and appreciate this because in the past soya bean farming was neglected.
“Now that the same farmers are going commercial, one can be sure that both farmers and buyers will continue to stay in business.
“In the past, we were unable to get market for our produce, but with the intervention of AFAN and government, more companies from Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states have started showing interest.
“Getting to sell in bulk, one needs bulk money unlike having to sell in bits to feed millers which was what we were doing in the past.
“I think this is a good development,” he said.
Salawudeen said that poor harvest had reduced drastically because farmers had been sensitised on what to do immediately plant leaves turned yellow.
He also said that farmers were using machines for threshing unlike when it was done manually.
Salawudeen said that the state government had also created enabling environment for the soya bean growers to thrive.
He said that the government had captured the biometrics of soya bean farmers and had mandated them to mass produce to be able to access loans and other benefits.
Salawudeen said that the farmers had been planting a variety of soya beans recommended by the Federal Government known as TGX-1448.
He said that the variety was known to be drought resistant and highly yielding.
He said that members of the association cut across the 16 local government areas of the state and numbered about 5,000.
Salawudeen said that their initial challenge included virus diseases affecting their productivity seasonally.
He, however, said the association had contacted the University of Ilorin agriculturists to help proffer solutions to the problem.