By Francis Ogwo
About 100,000 farmers are to benefit from a $3.33m US Dollars grant towards boosting agricultural productivity in the state.
This was from a collaboration launched by the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) and the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) for the implementation of agricultural interventions.
This was disclosed by the Director-General Media and Publicity, Kano state government, Mal Ameen Yassar, during a chat with the media on the activities of the Agro Pastoral Development Project.
“The interventions target 100,000 smallholder legumes farmers across the 44 local government areas of the state, over five years, beginning from the 2020/2021 planting season.
“The focus of the interventions is on equipping smallholder 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,” he stated.
Speaking further, Yassar explained that “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 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.”
According to reports, 2.23 million US dollars is made available by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), while Kano State Government will release 1 million US dollars as counterpart contribution to the KNARDA for its value chain interventions.
The Deputy Governor of Kano state, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who is also the chairman, Project Steering Committee, KSADP, and the Managing Director of KNARDA, Alh. Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’isle, signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
“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,” Dr Nasiru Gawuna maintained.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant repercussion on food security, taking into consideration our huge population, this MOU could not come at a better time,” he stated.
The Managing Director of KNARDA, Alh. Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’Isle, was of the view that synergy between his agency and KSADP will go a long way in reducing poverty, ensuring food security and maximising of natural resources.
