The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), on Tuesday launched a three-year agricultural project to support 100,000 small scale farmers increase productivity and competitiveness of maize and soybean in Kaduna and Niger states.
The project, titled ‘Enhancing the Productivity and Competitiveness of Maize and Soybean Value Chains in Niger and Kaduna States’, is funded by AGRA.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project begun with an inception meeting in Kaduna State between partners,extension agents, farmers and other relevant stakeholders from the two states.
SAA Country Director, Dr Godwin Atser, said half of the targeted beneficiaries were women, with 40 per cent youths and five per cent People With Disability (PWD).
According to him, the project seeks to boost food security and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through sustainable practices and stronger market linkages.
“Over the years, we have increased productivity in crops like maize and soybean, but many interventions were not sustainable after project withdrawal.
“This time, we are adopting a market systems approach that involves the private sector, so that farmers can access improved seeds, adopt better practices, and have guaranteed markets for their produce,” he said.
While speaking, AGRA Programme Officer, Esther Ibrahim, said poor soil fertility, low yielding varieties of soybean and maize, inadequate access to finance as well as weak supply chain were challenges faced by smallholder farmers.
She explained that the project would strengthen extension and input system, facilitate certified seed multiplication and distribution as well as strengthen farmers’ cooperatives.
According to Ibrahim, the project aims to increase maize and soybean
productivity by at least 35 per cent and increase production and distribution of improved seed.
“Farmers have always been producing but we are here to see how we can strengthen that, and ensure they make more money from this venture which is no longer just farming as usual but a business.
”We are not working alone; we are working with Kaduna State, the Ministry of Agriculture is involved, Kaduna Agricultural Development Agency (KADA,) we all plug in together.
“The states has a bigger picture of what we are doing, so whatever is the programme of Kaduna and Niger states, we work to ensure it is achieved,” she said.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture, Murtala Mohammed, emphasised the need to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of Nigeria farmers to ensure sustainable gains for both producers and consumers.
Represented by the Deputy Director at the ministry, Vasty Shamaki, he said improving farmers’ output would not only benefit them but also have a positive effect on the wider economy.
Some farmers at the event expressed their readiness for the project, hoping to learn better ways of farming maize and soybeans.
Muhammad Ali from Niger said he expected to learn how to handle matters around climate change so that his productivity would improve and how to add value to the produce for gain.
Idris Gambo, a Kaduna-based farmer, said his expectations were to learn innovative techniques in boosting farming so as to implement and step down training to other farmers.
NAN reports that the project is co-implemented by AFEX, Premier Seeds and Da All Green Seeds.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
