Project Grow has commenced a statewide Training of Trainers program aimed at strengthening soybean production capacity across Cross River State in partnership with Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, who supported the technical sessions on soybean production practices.
The training is being held across the three senatorial districts, beginning in Calabar, with subsequent sessions scheduled for Yakurr and Obanliku Local Government Areas. The program combines both classroom instruction and field demonstration sessions to ensure participants gain practical, hands-on understanding of soybean cultivation techniques. Participants include extension agents, Ministry desk officers, Agric officers, lead farmers, and other key stakeholders who are expected to cascade the knowledge to farmers across communities.
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development Honorable Johnson Ebokpo, affirmed the government’s commitment to transforming agriculture into a commercially viable sector. He emphasized that soybean production under Project Grow will not be limited to commercial farms but will be expanded to smallholder farmers, ensuring inclusive participation. He also highlighted the strategic importance of the project in strengthening food security, creating jobs, and improving the state’s economy through guaranteed market access.
Speaking during the training, the Project Director, Mr. Denis Ikpali, reaffirmed Project Grow’s commitment to developing a sustainable soybean value chain in Cross River State. He disclosed that the project is targeting the cultivation of 1,000 hectares of soybeans during the 2026 wet season farming cycle, a strategic investment aimed at increasing production, creating jobs, improving farmer incomes, and strengthening the state’s agricultural economy.
According to him, the Training of Trainers program is a critical component of the project’s implementation strategy, ensuring that extension agents and lead farmers are equipped with the technical knowledge required to support successful soybean cultivation across participating communities.
He further confirmed that Project Grow has a secured offtake arrangement with Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc for 2,000 tons of soybeans and 20,000 tons of maize, valued at approximately ₦18 billion, providing a guaranteed market that strengthens farmer confidence and investment in production.
Facilitating the training, Mr. Kolawole O. Amonsou, the Regional Value Chain Head of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, delivered practical technical guidance covering the full soybean production cycle from land preparation, planting, crop management, to harvesting. He emphasized key agronomic standards, including planting seeds at a depth of 3 centimeters and placing fertilizer 5 centimeters beside the seed and 2 centimeters deeper to ensure optimal nutrient uptake and yield performance.
The program adopts a stepdown training model where trained participants will extend knowledge to farmers across communities, strengthening productivity and ensuring consistency in quality output.
The initiative aligns with the agricultural transformation agenda of His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, whose administration continues to drive deliberate investments in agriculture, and position it as a key driver of economic growth, food security, job creation, and improving livelihoods across Cross River State.
