Usman Garba
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state has on Thursday flagged off the Agricultural Intervention Program for over 16,000 beneficiaries as well as empowering and commissioning KNARDA Digital Metrological Station and E-Library and website.
KNARDA is Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority.
The Governor, during the intervention, started with the launching and distribution of fertilizer, insecticide, improved seeds and starter kit to 1000 smallholder farmers.
“This is a very good beginning for you because with the input available for you, what we need is your determination. What remain is for you to pass resolution that whatever assistance given to you by the state government and other development partners, you make the best of what is available to you,” he said.
Also, 440 young men and women who were recruited and taught how to spray equipment on commercial basis to provide paid service to farmers.
“Therefore, I expect you to go into action immediately so that you can improve your livelihood and the livelihood of your family,” advised the governor.
For the improvement of climate focus and irrigation activities, the state government commissioned KNARDA Digital Metrological Stations and E-Library for registering farmers, students and stakeholders of Kano state.
Also, 3000 women and youths were empowered for cattle, sheep flattering and also the production of goats under Pastoral Development Project.
“They have been provided with rams and cattle for flattering, and what we are expecting from them is to go into action, so that something will immediately come into their pockets,” said Ganduje.
“We have also seen 1000 small scale commercial fodder producers that have been provided with foundation seeds so that they can go and produce on commercial basis,” he added.
Similarly, 1000 young men and women have also been taught on how to use residue utilization for successful farming were provided with machines that can convert residue into useful items for continuous agricultural production.
The governor hinted that, “We have seen 220 Community Animal Health Extension Workers who have been provided with equipment and I am to recall some two years ago, we sponsored 75 young men and women, the sons and daughters of herdsmen to the Republic of Turkey where they were taught artificial dissemination and these young men and women are qualified extension workers and they are all over the country.”
Some 115 young men and women were given scholarship to study various aspects of agriculture in Kano state which include OND, HND, Msc and PhD respectively.
Farmers groups which comprised 2125 members were also provided with agriculture mechanization equipment for tilting soil, making ridges, planting rice, maize, and even for harvesting crops.
Read also: Kano: IsDB/LLF Financed Project Supports Over 14, 000 Smallholder Farmers
Under APPEALS project, 1700 of young men and women including those with special needs were empowered with the sum of 2 million.
Dr. Ganduje has explained that Kano state government has a resolution in agriculture which is why it provided the necessary inputs to maximize production; he encouraged farmers to stay away from traditional system of farming.
“Apart from production, we encourage mass processing, that is why I invited the rice farmers to produce rice.
“Today, we are the highest producers of rice in Nigeria, and because of that, we provided enabling environment for processing, we provided cheap land and even free land for whoever likes to establish rice processing mill in the state,” he said.
He assured that government would continue to build synergy with developmental partners, and thanked the Islamic Development Bank for assisting the state on Agricultural Pastoral Production.
On his part, the Kano State Commissioner of Agriculture and also deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna commended Ganduje’s efforts on agricultural activities in the state.
