From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) and Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) have launched a collaboration for the implementation of an agricultural intervention worth 3.23 million US dollars.
A statement by Ameen K Yassar, Project Communication Specialist, Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, said on Monday that the sum of 2.23 million US dollars is coming from the Islamic Development Bank while Kano State Government will release the sum of 1 million US dollars as its counterpart contribution to the Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA) for its value chain interventions.
He said that the interventions, which are targeted at 100,000 smallholder legumes farmers across the 44 Local Government Areas of the State, would be spread over a period of 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 added.
‘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,’ he stated.
Deputy Governor of Kano State, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who doubles as the Chairman, Project Steering Committee, KSADP, and the Managing Director of KNARDA, Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’isle, all 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,’ Nasiru Gawuna maintained.
‘With the COVID-19 pandemic and it attendant repercussion on food security, taking into consideration our huge population, this MOU could not come at a better time,’ he added.
Managing Director of KNARDA, Ibrahim Sulaiman Dan’Isle assured that the synergy between his agency and KSADP will go a long way in reducing poverty, ensuring food security and minimizing natural resource degradation.