Food Production: ACReSAL, FAO kick start restoration of 350,000 degraded hectares of land

The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL)  in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have kicked start the process of restoration of 350,000 hectares of degraded land for farmers to cultivate so as to improve food production in Northern Nigeria.

SolaceBase reports that ACReSAL is a World Bank-supported project with the Federal Government and the 19 northern states including the FCT with the aim to increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in targeted watersheds in northern Nigeria and strengthen Nigeria’s long-term enabling environment for integrated climate resilient landscape management.

Kano ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Dr. Dahir Muhammad Hashim stated this over the weekend at the end of a 5-day training for drivers of Delfino plough machine on land preparation for restoration held at Kyale community, Gabasawa local government area of Kano State.

Hashim said in 2022 Nigeria expressed commitment to restoring 4 million hectares of degraded land for agriculture development in which ACReSAL promised to support the restoration of 1 million hectares with the technical partnership of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to restore 350,000 hectares of the land.

Read Also: EFCC intercepts 21 food-loaded trucks heading to neighbouring countries

He said the restoration of the degraded land has started with the training of the drivers that will make use of the Delfino plough machine in Kano on the operations that will guide their activities.

According to him, Kano has identified over 10,000 hectares of degraded land that will be restored and handed over to farmers for cultivation.

‘’Apart from allotting the restored lands to farmers for cultivation, we would provide them with seeds and fertilizers with other agricultural inputs to enhance food production, ‘’Hashim said.

‘’Similarly, we would ensure that trees are planted on the lands to address deforestation and climate mitigation among others.’’

On his part, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Focal Person, Precious Agbeso, reiterated the commitment of FAO, an agency under the United Nations, in providing support to countries with the aim of ensuring improved food production and security.

Agbeso said part of such efforts is the collaboration with the Nigerian government in recovering of the 350,000 hectares of degraded land for cultivation in the 19 northern states including FCT.

He noted that the Delphino machine is totally different from the common tractor that are used for ploughing, cultivation and others.

‘’The Delphino machine is specially produced for operations like land restoration very fast and diligently,’’ Agbeso said.

‘’The training for the operators became pertinent because, without the knowledge on how to operate the machine, the goals of the restoration of the degraded lands may become a mirage.’’

‘’The training is to ensure that we have a pool of operators in the country that would be able to drive the machine seamlessly.’’

‘’ So as technical partners training the operators is our responsibility.’’

Also speaking, Jamie Rixton, Delphino training instructor, said the training exercise for the operators does not only educate them on how to drive the machine but also to be able to maintain it.

He noted that there will be a follow-up on the training to ensure that they are very familiar with the operations.

One of the beneficiaries of the training from Bauchi State, Yusuf Yakub who expressed anxiousness to commence the operation with the acquired training received said the training would go a long way in impacting on how to operate the machine.

‘’We were shown and taught how important routine maintenance is and also on the need for us to have a log book to document our daily activity so that the machine will have a long life with fewer mechanical issues.’’