The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), supported by Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), has urged farmers to form cooperative societies to enable them access $95 million support.
The project’s Communication Specialist, Mr Ameen Yassar, in a statement on Saturday, said the Project Coordinator, Ibrahim Garba-Muhammad, gave this advice while playing host to farmers groups from Zarewa, Rogo local government area in Kano.
He said that the support would be accessed under the IsDB’s Lives and Livelihoods Fund and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development.
Garba-Muhammad said that the project focus would be on improving crop production and enhancing livestock productivity in the state.
According to him, the project targets over 1 million farmers, mainly smallholder farmers and pastoralists in the state.
“By forming cooperative societies, your activities will be integrated. It will be easier to access extension and training services, and you can simply get farm inputs.
“I want to let you know that the project, through Sasakawa services, will impact on 450,000 rice and maize farmers selected from 14 local governments, including your local government, Rogo.
“You will be provided with training, inputs warehousing and marketing services,” he said.
The Coordinator said they had provided 100,000 farmers with starter parks, training and marketing services, to enable them produce other targeted commodities other than rice and maize.
He also said that the project intended to enhance linkages between smallholder farmers and value chain actors to enhance storage, processing and marketing of agricultural commodities.
Garba-Muhammad added that KSADP had floated a number of livestock productivity enhancement programmes, in addition to numerous empowerment initiatives focusing on youth.
Speaking on behalf of the Farmers Associations, Yunusa Bello, said the visit was to seek information on the project’s activities.
Bello said that it would enable them see how farmers from his domain could key in and benefit from the incentives of project.
