Sasakawa Africa Association said the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) has impacted the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kano.
By Muhammad Nur Tijani
Sasakawa Africa Association said the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) has impacted the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kano.
Dr Godwin Atser, Country Director, Sasakawa Africa Association, disclosed this at a two-day agri-workshop themed: “Agricultural Transformation and What Works”, on Tuesday in Kano.
Atser said that KSADP is a 5-year project funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), Kano State Government, and implemented by Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Nigeria.
According to him, the project has made significant strides in enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of cereals and vegetables.
This, he said, was done under the crops value chain component, thereby positively impacting on the agricultural sector.
He said that the project also recorded spectacular Yield Increases of over 100 per cent on all the targeted commodities of rice, maize, sorghum and millet.
The country director further said that about 854 front-line extension personnel had received training on various aspects of the value chain.
Atser said that they were also equipped with 220 motorcycles and 380 tablets for data collection, and they were being given monthly stipends.
“The project had established and supported 5,348 clusters with capacity building and inputs for grains/vegetables production enhancement, and 1,237 clusters to strengthen the seed system.
“It has also established 54 agro-processing centres, 3 parabolic vegetable solar drying centres, and 23 onion solar drying facilities; trained and empowered the benefiting communities with starter-packs.
“The project has enhanced linkages between primary producers and input/output market actors across value chains,” he explained.
Atser stated that the high-level meeting would give them the opportunity to reflect and meaningfully engage with the partners to provide a foundation for scaling and replication.
He stressed that the meeting would also showcase the achievements and impact of the KSADP’s value chain interventions.
In a remark, Gov. Abba Yusuf said that the successful implementation of the IsDB0 assisted project had significantly mitigated conflicts between the farmers and herders in the state.
Represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Aminu AbdulSalam, he said that project had resolved herder-farmer conflicts through the development of Dansoshiya grazing reserve, which aims to be a model in the country.
He said the reserve boasts of a 20 km asphalted road, earth dam and solar-powered boreholes with overhead tanks for use.
Yusuf explained that, the project ensured the development of 3,000 hectares of pastoral lands, a veterinary clinic, livestock marketing facilities, a Mosque and a nomadic school.(NAN)
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