Agricultural stakeholders under International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) interventions projects on Tuesday commenced a review of programs to strengthen challenges and empower smallholder farmers in the northwest states.
The three-day event was tagged ” IFAD’s Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) Design Regional Technical Consultations Workshop for 2024-2029.”
The Facilitator, Mrs. Saudatu Is’mail, said that the gains of the Federal Government (FGN/IFAD) interventions through COSOP (2016-2023) had informed the review and regional consultation for COSOP (2024-2029).
Isma’il said that the interactions would cover all the benefiting states in the six geopolitical zones of the country that had benefited from the FGN/IFAD programs since 2016 till date.
She explained that the goal of the project is to promote a rural economy in which the targeted population can derive prosperity and equal benefit from economic growth.
According to her, the document earlier prepared for 2016 – 2023 which ended had given opportunities for participating states to undertake viable agricultural programs that were profitable for the farming communities and the country at large.
”The event is targeted at scrutinizing the previous project performance, reviewing challenges, and formulating ways to strengthen the coming documents envisaged for 2024-2029.
“The strategic objective is to enhance smallholder farmer, productivity, profitability, and access to the market.
“To foster the economic empowerment of rural youth, women, and people living with disabilities (PWDs) along agricultural value chains among others,” Isma’il said.
She pointed out that participants were from IFAD project states in northwest states taking into account of difference of lands and other climatic conditions affecting farming activities.
A farmer, Malam Muhammadu Saida, the Chairman Community Development Association (CDA) of Tambuwal LGA, said farmers have been educated on various farming schemes and modalities which facilitated robust development and success of the programs.
Saida said farmers’ capacities were enhanced for maximum productivity and streamlined performance with the commodities up-takers who possessed the business’s potentialities for exports and other commercial purposes.
He further explained that women and youths were engaged in farming activities using support schemes.
According to him, they obtained a new variety of millet which is in circulation, and other drought resistance spacie crops along with other farming supports.
He appealed for the timely release of support according to the cropping stages agreed on along with increased awareness of the programs and developments.
The farmer’s leader called for the deployment and use of Information and Communication Technology ICT gadgets as well as other modern tools in farming activities and online information dissemination as obtained in other countries.
He urged the participants to come out with workable solutions to ensure a more impacting COSOP for 2024-2029 going forward for better packages for smallholder farmers in the areas.
The Permanent Secretary Sokoto State Ministry for Local Government, Alhaji Aminu Aliyu-DogonDaji, and former IFAD Programme Coordinator in the state said the state achieved a lot in different aspects and people immensely benefited across the state.
Two permanent secretaries from the Sokoto state ministry of Environment as well as water Resources, Alhaji Ma’azu Suka and Alhaji Mu’azu Garba, have respectively called for considerations of water supply tree planting and erosion control initiatives into farming activities.
Our correspondent reports that the Project Coordinators from Katsina and Kebbi states, Alhaji Musa Hassan and Bala Muhammad, have also presented IFAD projects achievements in their respective states.
The event highlighted insecurity, climate change, and access to finance as some of the challenges confronting farmers.
