Kano Farmers Praise Agricultural Intervention Project Benefits

News in brief:

-Farmers and agripreneurs report significant yield growth, income gains and reduced post-harvest losses under the KSADP.

-The project reached hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries and strengthened crop, livestock and agro-processing systems across Kano State.

Beneficiaries of an agricultural intervention programme in Kano State say the initiative has delivered substantial gains, including higher crop yields, improved incomes and expanded business opportunities for farmers and agripreneurs.

They spoke during a ceremony marking the end of the first phase of the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, also known as KSADP.

Project Scope And Funding

The five-year project was implemented by the Sasakawa Africa Association and designed as a multi-sector intervention to improve food security, reduce poverty, create employment and ease conflict linked to agricultural livelihoods.

KSADP was funded with $95 million by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund. The programme covered livestock, irrigation, infrastructure and crop productivity, with Sasakawa Africa Association leading the crop productivity component.

From Struggle To Enterprise

One of the beneficiaries, Akibu Safiyanu, who lives with a disability, revealed that the project transformed his life and career in agriculture.

He explained that before joining the programme, he struggled to raise capital and lacked a permanent shop to sell agrochemicals in the Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area.

Through the intervention, Mr Safiyanu received technical training, a kiosk and starter stocks of agrochemicals. He said the business enabled him to complete his Higher National Diploma (HND) in Animal Husbandry and become a trusted agricultural service provider in his community.

“If not for this intervention, I might have been forced into begging due to my condition,” he said.

Women Farmers Record Strong Gains

Laraba Muhammad, a farmer from Kura Local Government Area, said the programme helped her avoid financial losses and improve productivity.

She said beneficiaries were trained in modern, climate-smart farming techniques and later became trainers themselves. Mrs Muhammad added that she now runs a business producing nutrient-dense meals for children and received a tricycle to support distribution.

Investment In Women And Youth

The Project Coordinator, Abdulrasheed Hamisu, stated that KSADP placed strong emphasis on crop productivity and the empowerment of women and young people.

According to him, the project supported 370 agro-input stockists and distributed 168 milling machines across Kano State’s 44 local government areas.

He added that other interventions included 397 rice parboiling kits, nine rice parboiling enterprise centres for women, 75 tomato processing enterprises, 107 groundnut oil extractors, and 91 onion storage facilities aimed at reducing spoilage.

Productivity And Income Growth

The Country Director of Sasakawa Africa Association, Godwin Atser, mentioned that the project was launched in 2020 to address low productivity and weak extension services.

He noted that results from the first phase showed crop yield increases ranging from 150% to 226%, while post-harvest losses declined by 51%.

Farmers’ average income rose to about ₦972,462 per hectare, with more than 477,000 farmers benefitting from improved practices. About 100,000 women and youths were also integrated into agribusiness value chains.

Government Pledges Sustainability

As the Sasakawa Africa Association concluded its role in the first phase, Kano State Government officials assured farmers that measures were in place to sustain and expand the gains.

Bashir Sanusi, Permanent Secretary at the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture, declared that the state had developed a comprehensive plan to scale the systems and partnerships established under KSADP.

The overall goal of KSADP is to reduce poverty and strengthen food and nutrition security by developing sustainable agro-pastoral production systems in Kano State.

Sasakawa Africa Association, which has operated in Nigeria for over three decades, partnered with the Kano State Government in 2020 to implement the crop value chain of the project, valued at about $19.3 million. The initiative targeted about 450,000 direct beneficiaries cultivating cereals such as rice, maize, millet and sorghum, alongside vegetables including tomatoes, onions and cabbage.