The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) has reduced post-harvest losses among smallholder farmers by 51 per cent, thanks to targeted interventions across the state.

Speaking at the Media Field Day for the five-year project on Tuesday, KSADP project coordinator Abdulrasheed Kofarmata stated that the average income of beneficiary farmers has risen to ₦972,462.01 per hectare above baseline levels.

The improvements have been driven by enhanced storage facilities, farmers’ training, and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies across major agricultural clusters in Kano State.

Mr Kofarmata noted that the project has enhanced food security, nutrition, and income generation for thousands of farmers through modern extension services, expanded mechanisation, improved seed systems, and strengthened market linkages.

He revealed that more than 477,284 farmers across 44 local government areas have directly benefited from KSADP interventions, with a particular focus on gender and youth inclusion, climate-smart agriculture, and nutrition-sensitive farming.

The project has trained 854 field personnel, providing them with motorcycles and digital devices, while supporting 5,748 production clusters for grains and vegetables, as well as 1,537 seed system clusters. 

Large-scale mechanisation tools deployed include planters, fertiliser applicators, threshers, power tillers, rice transplanters, modular rice mills, mobile flour mills, and climate-smart irrigation kits.

Mr Kofarmata also said additional mechanisation equipment worth billions of naira is planned, funded by project savings, including 80 tractors, 28 combine harvesters, 1,900 solar pumps, and other equipment.

KSADP has established three Agricultural Mechanisation Centres in Kadawa, Danbatta, and Gaya, alongside 81 agro-processing centres, nine medium-scale parboiling centres, and several vegetable processing and storage facilities.

External evaluations have reported yield increases of 226 per cent for rice, 161 per cent for maize, 166 per cent for sorghum, 152 per cent for millet, as well as substantial gains for tomato, cabbage, and onion.

The project has strengthened the market readiness of 11,228 farmers, trained and linked 1,100 agro-dealers, and facilitated billions of naira in input and output market linkages.

Mr Kofarmata acknowledged the support of Governor Abba Yusuf, the state Ministry of Agriculture, KNARDA, and the KSADP state coordination team for ensuring the smooth implementation of the project.

Source: People Gazette