SEEFOR beneficiaries want training in cucumber, water melon farming

Beneficiaries of State Employment and Expenditure For Results (SEEFOR) training on tomatoes farming in Delta had appealed that they also be trained in cucumber and water melon farming.

Some of the beneficiaries who made the appeal in an interview with our correspondent at Songhai, Amukpe, Sapele Local Government Area of the state, commended SEEFOR for initiating the training of youths in hybrid tomatoes farming.

They, however, appealed to SEEFOR to also complement the training by looking into other areas, especially crops like cucumber and water melon, which they said were equally lucrative.

Mrs Stella Tialobi, one of the beneficiaries, said “I must commend SEEFOR for this wonderful initiative, but I will also make an appeal for it to extend the training to crops such as cucumber and water melon.

“I learnt that cucumber and water melon are very easy to cultivate and it takes about 80 days for cucumber to mature, while water melon takes about 75 days to mature.

“Apart from the short period of maturity, the business of cucumber and water melon are very lucrative.

“So, exposing us to the real farming culture for cucumber and water melon will enable us to tap into the opportunities, just like what we have learnt in tomatoes farming.”

Miss Doris Akowe, a beneficiary, also commended SEEFOR, saying that extending the training to other crops would give youths the opportunity to have variety of crops in their farms.

According to her, the training will give many more youths better understanding on other vegetable crops, as well as keep them busy all through the farming season.

SEEFOR, an intervention programme of the World Bank and European Union (EU), in collaboration with Songhai Delta, is currently training 250 youths in tomatoes farming.

The two weeks training programme is focusing on hybrid tomatoes farming.