The Project Coordinator of the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project, Comrade Abdulrasheed Hamisu Kofarmata, says the five-year agricultural intervention has recorded remarkable achievements across the state, transforming the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers.
Comrade Kofarmata stated this while addressing journalists at the final Media Field Day of the project in Kano.
He expressed gratitude to Allah for the success of the initiative, noting that the support of the Islamic Development Bank, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, and the Kano State Government was central to the project’s achievements across crops, livestock, agribusiness, and rural development.
According to him, the KSADP project—implemented in partnership with the Sasakawa Africa Association—was designed to reduce poverty, strengthen food and nutrition security, and modernize agricultural systems across all the 44 local government areas of Kano State.
He revealed that the project reached 477,284 direct beneficiaries, with interventions covering rice, maize, sorghum, millet, tomato, onion, and cabbage.
He said youths and women formed a significant part of the beneficiaries, especially in value chain development, mechanization, agribusiness, and climate-smart agriculture.
Extension and Mechanization
The Project Coordinator explained that 854 extension personnel were trained, while 220 motorcycles and 380 tablets were provided to strengthen digital extension services.
He announced the establishment of 5,748 production clusters and 1,337 seed system clusters, reaching more than 477,000 farmers.
On mechanization, Comrade Kofarmata disclosed that the project supplied:
540 planters
401 fertilizer applicators
1,600 climate-smart water pumps
471 threshers and 210 hermetic drums
7,500 PICS bags
1,000 mobile flour mills
40 power tillers, 97 rice transplanters
18 tractors and 20 combine harvesters
9 modular rice mills
7,000 vegetable crates
And empowerment of 397 rice parboiling groups, involving more than 1,000 women.
He added that several mechanization items are already in the pipeline for mass deployment across the state, including 80 tractors, 28 combine harvesters, 1,900 solar pumps, 220 multi-crop threshers, 107 groundnut oil extraction machines, and additional modular rice mills.
Centres and Infrastructure
Comrade Kofarmata announced the establishment of three large Agricultural Mechanization Centres at Kadawa, Danbatta, and Gaya, noting that the centres will provide affordable mechanization services statewide.
He further stated that 81 agro-processing centres, 9 parboiling centres, 3 tomato processing units, 3 vegetable drying centres, and 61 onion storage facilities have been completed.
Yield Improvement and Market Access
The KSADP Coordinator described the improvements in crop yields as unprecedented, citing external evaluation reports showing:
Rice production increased by 226%,
Maize by 161%,
Sorghum by 166%,
Millet by 152%,
Tomato by 50%,
Cabbage by 75%,
And onion by 11.5%.
He said the project achieved 732,624 metric tonnes of incremental grains—representing 86% of its annual target.
To strengthen market access, the project:
Supported 11,228 farmers in market readiness,
Trained and linked 1,100 agro-dealers,
Empowered 1,465 contract sprayers,
And connected thousands of farmers to profitable markets, unlocking billions of naira in input and output transactions.
Comrade Kofarmata noted that beneficiary farmers now earn an average of ₦972,462 per hectare, significantly above previous income levels.
Communication and Awareness
He highlighted the role of media and public engagement in the project’s success, noting that weekly radio programmes, newsletters, success stories, and annual media field days helped keep the public informed.
The Project Coordinator commended the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund for their sustained support.
He also acknowledged the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Commissioner for Agriculture Dr. Danjuma Mahmood, the Managing Director of KNARDA Dr. Farouk Kurawa, and the State KSADP Project Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad.
He thanked the media for amplifying the achievements of the project and reaffirmed the commitment of partners to supporting farmers and rural communities beyond the project’s lifecycle.
