A farmers’ support organization, Himma Agricultural Support Initiatives (HASI), has trained about 10,000 farmers across Katsina State on improved farming techniques to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.
The President of the organisation, Prof. Sanusi Jari, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement tagged “Knowledge Dissemination Meeting,” held in Katsina on Saturday.
He said the training focused on equipping smallholder farmers with Good Agronomic Practices, covering all stages of crop production from land preparation to harvesting.
According to him, the initiative was designed to bridge the knowledge gap among farmers and ensure increased yields through the adoption of proper farming methods.
“We have trained about 10,000 members on good agronomic practices. These include land preparation, seed selection, planting methods, spacing, and other critical aspects required to grow crops successfully,” Jari said.
He explained that the organization adopted a “train-the-trainer” approach, where one representative from each ward was trained and tasked with transferring the knowledge to at least 10 other farmers in their communities.
“This method ensures that knowledge spreads faster and reaches more farmers at the grassroots level,” he added.
Jari stated that HASI also works closely with local communities to promote sustainable farming practices, including land restoration techniques such as the construction of zai pits to rehabilitate degraded farmland.
He said communities actively participate by providing labor and identifying degraded lands requiring intervention, thereby ensuring ownership and sustainability of the projects.
The don further explained that the organization prioritized five major staple crops — maize, guinea corn, millet, cowpea, and sorghum — based on their importance to the state’s food system and adaptability to local conditions.
He expressed concern that many farmers still plant grains instead of certified seeds, which significantly reduces yield potential.
“Only about 10 per cent of farmers currently use improved seeds. We want to change that by making quality seeds available at the community level so farmers do not have to travel long distances to access them,” he said.
He added that selected farmers were being supported with foundation seeds and trained to produce quality seeds within their localities, ensuring the availability of climate-adapted varieties and improving adoption rates.
Jari noted that the stakeholders’ engagement was organized to share experiences, review progress, and strengthen collaboration among partners.
He said the initiative was being supported by a United Kingdom-based donor organization, Propcom+, which the state government linked with the farmers’ group.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Aliyu Lawal-Zakari, represented by Shamsudeen Abdul-aziz, Acting Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, commended the group for their initiative.
He further assured them of all necessary support from the ministry, adding that their efforts align with the state government’s agricultural agenda.
