Sasakawa Africa Association collaboration with KSADP stimulates incremental agricultural production, value chain in Kano-Official
By Muhammad Muhammad
Sasakawa African Association (SAA), Nigeria collaboration with Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project is already actualizing the agricultural potential and self-sustainability desire of Kano state government in food security.
Project Coordinator, KSADP/SAA, Abdulrasheed Hamisu Kofar-Mata, of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) funded agricultural intervention, highlighted that with success stories emanating from beneficiaries in various values chain, Kano is waxing strong in crops production and improved agro-business development.
Abdulrasheed who gave account of the implementation of the agricultural extension at the end of KSADP/SAA media field, said the intervention in the last two years has successfully engaged about 270,000 beneficiaries out of 450,000 targeted across the 44 local government areas of the state.
According to the project coordinator, 114,719 farmers were trained on agronomic practices and fully reached with interventions to improve their production. Parts of the technicalities impacted include planting patterns focused on commodity value-chains, fertilizer application, transplanting spacing among other techniques.
With swift adaptation of the beneficiaries, Abdulrasheed expressed satisfaction that the record of achievement indicated incremental grains of 839,778 metric tons, representing 99 percent out of the total target of 850 metric tons.
He explained that KSADP and the technical partner SAA Nigeria, are working in collaboration with IITA and ICRISAT and eight partner seed companies to strengthen seed multiplication for farmers. For instance, he noted the injection of 12 metric tons of foundation seeds, eight metric tons of breeder seeds and 1000 metric tons of certified seeds of high quality deployed to ensure diffusion across designated areas of production.
“ A total of 588 contract sprayers were trained and empowered with the starter kits and personal protection. Evidence of their operation can be felt across our farming location. Besides that, we had mass investment on technology both on pre-harvest and post harvest operation, this include the value additions and market linkage.
“ We provided 140 improved seed planters, 97 rice transplanting machines, 244 water pumps, 15 rice mills destoners, 190 parboiling equipment, 15 maize shelters, 15 Hammer mills, 11 power tillers, 201 fertilizer applicators, 5000 returnable plastic crates for tomatos farmers, 94 kiosks and starter packs for agro input stockist, 3 modern onion storage facilities, 440 income generation support equipment to women across 44 local government areas.
In a remark , the acting Country Director, SAA-Nigeria, Dr. Abdulhamid Gambo , said that the five-year project, kick-started last year, is targeted at improving food security, market viability and nutritional security in the country.
Dr. Gambo said that the intervention was to empower 450,000 farmers in three major areas that include regenerating agriculture, micro nutrient fortification and market oriented agriculture, geared towards enhancing life and livelihood in the country.
He said SAA-Nigeria, an international agricultural commodity value chain provider, was engaged to implement the KSADP crop productivity component, which involves Cereal (rice, maize, sorghum, millet) and vegetable (onion and tomatoes).
“The focus of Sasakawa in the KSADP agricultural intervention hinges on ensuring the deployment of technologies to farmers, essentially to improve high yield and sustain production of nutritional food and security,’’ Gambo said.
“We managed the implementation of the project in the area of regeneration of soil health to attain maximum production. The beneficiaries are being equipped with requisite knowledge on how to add value to production in line with global best practices.
“Also, Sasakawa promotes nutrient based crops to enhance consumers’ good health. We introduced micro nutrient technologies, which are bio fortified to produce a balanced diet. Another major area we focus on is market viability. Beneficiaries are educated on what to produce.’’
On his part, Kano State Coordinator of KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba explained that the US$90 million intervention covers agricultural and infrastructure development in the state.
Garba stressed that beyond the crops and vegetable component of the project being anchored by KSADP/SAA, the state agricultural extension agency handles other components.
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