From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Farmers in Kano state have been tasked to form cooperative societies, to avail themselves of $95 million provided by the Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project, KSADP.
The project, supported by the Islamic Development Bank, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development.
The State Project Coordinator, KSADP, Ibrahim Garba Muhammad made the assertion while receiving representatives of farmers groups from Zarewa, Rogo Local Government Area ar the weekend.
“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, while it will facilitate support from financial institutions and the government”.
“I want to let you know that the project, through Sasakawa services, will impact on 450,000 farmers of rice and maize selected in 14 LGAs including Rogo, your LGA, providing them with trainings, inputs warehousing and marketing services”.
“On the other hand, we have made funds available to KNARDA, to work with 100,000 farmers providing them starter parks, trainings and marketing services, to produce other targeted commodities other than rice and maize”.
Ibrahim announced that the project intends to reduce deficit of physical facilities in selected areas and enhance linkages between smallholder farmers and value chains actors, in order to enhance storage, processing and marketing of agricultural commodities.
Speaking on behalf of the Zarewa Farmers Associations, Alhaji Yunusa Bello explained that the visit was to seek information on the project activities and to see how associations from his domain can resourcefully key into them. End.