The Kano State government has rolled out an agricultural interventions scheme, which target about 100,000 farmers from across the state.
The interventions, worth 3.23 million dollars, will be jointly implemented by the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) and the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA).
A statement made available to PlatinumPost on Monday by Ameen Yassar, Project Communication Specialist, said small holder legumes farmers from the state’s 44 local government areas will benefit from the scheme in a period of five years, beginning from the 2020/2021 planting season.
According to the statement, of the total sum required for the value chain interventions, 2.23 million dollars will come from the Islamic Development Bank while Kano State Government will release 1 million US dollars as counterpart contribution to the KNARDA.
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The focus of the interventions is on equipping small holder farmers, extension agents, agro-processors and post harvest handling service providers with knowledge and skills on improved production, post harvest and agro-processing practices and technologies as well as creating effective input and output market linkages, towards increasing outcomes for beneficiaries, the statement said.
“This is in line with KSADP’S theory of change which is to transform the smallholder farming to commercially viable businesses by developing commodity value chains in order to reduce rural poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.
“Through the agreement, KSADP will finance KNARDA annually, upon submission of its annual work-plan and budget which will be cleared by the State Ministry of Agriculture, the KSADP, and approved by the Islamic Development Bank,” the statement said.
While saying the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KSADP and KNARDA on the implementation of the agric interventions was signed by the state’s deputy governor, Dr Nasiru Gawuna and the Managing Director of KNARDA, Ibrahim Dan’isle, the statement quoted Ganuwa as describing the move as coming at the right time.
“This MoU, coming a few weeks after we signed a similar one with SASAKAWA, is a major step in our drive to ensure agricultural productivity.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic and it attendant repercussion on food security, taking into consideration our huge population, this MoU could not come at a better time,” he said.
On his part, Dan’Isle said the synergy between his agency and KSADP would go a long way in reducing poverty, ensuring food security and minimizing natural resource degradation.
