Kano agro project targets mechanization under KSADP-SAA intervention
Sasakawa Africa Association has been tasked to focus more on mechanization under the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project-Sasakawa Africa Association (KSADP-SAA) grains value chain intervention.
KSADP project communication specialist, Ameen K. Yassar, in a press release issued on Thursday, quoted project coordinator KSADP, Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, to have made the call while receiving the Director for Strategic Partnership, SAA, Dr. Mel Olouch, who visited him at the KSADP office in Kano.
He said the essence is to improve the production efficiency of small holder farmers, enhance food security and generally promote sustainability of the agricultural system.
He further underscored the need for SAA to encourage private and financial sector involvement in the intervention to enable the farmers access credit facilities and other forms of support.
“We want a situation whereby our farmers will be doing farming as a business and not just to feed themselves. This cannot be achieved without the support of financial institutions”, he said.
He expressed happiness that the partnership between KSADP and SAA was delivering positive outcomes in many areas such as capacity building of extension agents and regenerative agriculture, hoping the trend will be maintained.
“Very soon, we will have our mid-term review for the project and we hope that during that time, we be able to look at areas where we need to make improvements so that the goal of this project can be achieved”, he maintained.
In his remarks, Dr. Mel Olouch noted that the KSADP has been internationally acknowledged as an impactful project, pointing out the need for Kano state government to ride on the achievements recorded by the project, to access more development support from the Islamic Development Bank and other donors.
“KSADP will fold up in the next two years, so we need to start thinking two years in advance. There is a lot of money set aside by international donors to support agricultural development in Africa, and the government can leverage the goodwill created by KSADP, to attract more funds to the state
He proposed a strategic meeting between his organization and KSADP, to see which areas need to be prioritized, to scale up the achievement recorded under the technical cooperation.
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