Paramakatoi farmers recently benefited from apiculture training, as the Ministry of Agriculture embarks on a series of training exercises countrywide to boost farmers and vendors knowledge of proper agriculture practices.
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture George Jarvis told the media at the presentation ceremony that over 20 farmers benefited from the sessions. The training included techniques on how to trap wild bees and making and managing hives, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

Farmers in Imbaimadai, Region Seven will also benefit from a similar exercise which is set to start in a few weeks’ time. Jarvis noted that the plan is to include other crops that can withstand harsh weather patterns; allowing farmers to boost production. This is part of government’s efforts to ensure the survival of the agriculture sector, particularly in rural areas with farmers who cultivate non-traditional crops.
Recently, farmers from regions one, four, five, six, eight and nine benefited from training under the Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Development (READ) project. They were exposed to sessions in preparatory planning in the areas of business, marketing, productivity and capacity building. The READ project is part of the ministry’s Diversification Programme.

According to GINA over 476 farmers in regions three, four and ten have benefited from training in pesticides and toxic chemicals. Farmers from the other regions will be trained in these areas shortly. Also, three training courses for pesticide vendors will start in June in all three counties. One hundred and thirty-three vendors will be trained while several schools have also been earmarked to benefit from the second quarter of the year.