Food Security: Benue, Thailand, intensify partnership on rice production

Governor Samuel Ortom, on Friday, received a delegation from Thailand, where some Benue youths are undergoing training in modern ways of rice production and processing.
The Thailand delegation visited Ortom, at the Governor’s lodge, Abuja, in company of two of the trainees on exchange programme in the foreign country, to present the report of the course to the Governor.

Governor Ortom appreciated the academic programme and said it would add value to the agricultural development of Benue State.
He said the training of youths on rice farming and processing would go a long way in enhancing food sufficiency.
“The training, when completed, would equip the benefitting youths with innovations on mechanized farming,” Ortom said.

He further charged the trainees to be of good conduct and eschew all forms of indiscipline in order to succeed and make the state proud.
Earlier, Charge’ d’ Affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy who led the delegation, Mr Sakeson Sarobol, explained that the programme is a ‘train-the-trainers’ course as the trainees are expected to return to the state and train other youths on rice farming and processing.
Mr Sarobol said the commitment shown by the Ortom administration in sponsoring youths to acquire the agricultural training was a good beginning for the state.

He assured the Governor that Thailand would not breach the industrialization alliance in order to make Benue the leading state in rice production in Nigeria.