Agriculture
KSADP TARGETS 1.8 MILLION LIVESTOCK FOR 2023 VACCINATION
By Admin October 3, 2023
Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project, KSADP, is to vaccinate at least One million cattle and 800,000 goats and sheep in this year’s annual livestock vaccination campaign, in Kano state.
Funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood Funds, the project intends to spend not less than N160 million on the campaign, which aims to enhance livestock health and improve livelihoods of herders and livestock breeders.
The State Project Coordinator, KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, disclosed this during the kick-off of community sensitization on the exercise, held that the palace of the district Head of Kura, in Kura local government area of the state.
“The project is determined to upscale the vaccination because livestock health is tied to your livelihoods, and by extension our economy”, the Coordinator stressed.
“The objective of this interaction is to enhance your understanding of the vaccination and to seek cooperation of all stakeholders so that the exercise succeeds”, he added.
Besides the annual vaccination campaign, Malam Ibrahim said the project had embarked upon several projects including the upgrade and equipping of Kadawa Artificial Insemination Center, construction of milk collection centers, upgrade of cattle markets and crop residue utilization program, among others, to improve the livelihood of the herders.
“We shall soon award contract for demarcation of stock routes in Kano, which is major step towards ending conflict between farmers and herders in Kano”, he further revealed.
The District Head of Kura, Dokajin Rano, represented by Alhaji Balarabe Muhammad disclosed that no outbreak of livestock diseases has been reported in the area in the past three years due to consistent vaccination carried out by the KSADP.
He therefore directed village heads and herders’ community leaders in the domain to fully mobilize for the forthcoming vaccination in view of its importance.
In his comments on behalf of herders’ communities in Kura local government, Malam Zubairu Muhammad said they are familiar with livestock vaccination, having benefitted in the past three years, assuring that there will be no resistance to the exercise.
“We have seen the impact of the vaccination conducted in the past, so we appreciate the Islamic Development Bank and the LLF for their untiring support”, he asserted.
Also speaking, the Zonal Veterinary Director for Rano Zone, Dr. Idris Ibrahim, who underscored the importance of the livestock vaccination, suggested that livestock vaccination campaign should include Rabies vaccination, since the herders also possess livestock guardian dogs.
About The Author
A farmers’ support organisation, Himma Agricultural Support Initiatives (HASI), has trained about 10,000 farmers across Katsina State on improved farming techniques aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and strengthening food security.
The President of the organisation, Prof. Sanusi Jari, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement tagged ‘Knowledge Dissemination Meeting’ held in Katsina on Saturday.
He said the training focused on equipping smallholder farmers with Good Agronomic Practices, covering all stages of crop production from land preparation to harvesting.
According to him, the initiative was designed to bridge the knowledge gap among farmers and ensure increased yields through the adoption of proper farming methods.
“We have trained about 10,000 members on good agronomic practices. These include land preparation, seed selection, planting methods, spacing, and other critical aspects required to grow crops successfully,” Jari said.
He explained that the organisation adopted a “train-the-trainer” approach, where one representative from each ward was trained and tasked with transferring the knowledge to at least 10 other farmers within their communities.
“This method ensures that knowledge spreads faster and reaches more farmers at the grassroots level,” he added.
Jari stated that HASI also works closely with local communities to promote sustainable farming practices, including land restoration techniques such as the construction of zai pits to rehabilitate degraded farmland.
He said communities actively participate by providing labour and identifying degraded lands requiring intervention, thereby ensuring ownership and sustainability of the projects.
The don further explained that the organisation prioritised five major staple crops, maize, guinea corn, millet, and cowpea, based on their importance to the state’s food system and adaptability to local conditions.
He expressed concern that many farmers still plant grains instead of certified seeds, which significantly reduces yield potential.
“Only about 10 per cent of farmers currently use improved seeds. We want to change that by making quality seeds available at the community level so farmers do not have to travel long distances to access them,” he said.
He added that selected farmers were being supported with foundation seeds and trained to produce quality seeds within their localities, ensuring availability of climate-adapted varieties and improving adoption rates.
Jari added that the stakeholders’ engagement was organised to share experiences, review progress, and strengthen collaboration among partners.
He said the initiative was being supported by a United Kingdom-based donor organisation Propcom, an organisation which the state government linked the farmers’ group with.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Aliyu Lawal-Zakari, represented by Shamsudeen Abdul-aziz, acting Director Planning, Research and Agriculture, commended the group for their initiative.
He further assured them of all the necessary support from the ministry, adding that their initiative geared towards the same direction with the state government agricultural agenda in the state.
NAN
About The Author
Farmers participating in the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) groundnut initiative in Bebeji Local Government Area of Kano State have recorded up to 100 per cent increase in yield, following the adoption of improved seeds and modern farming techniques introduced through the programme.
Our correspondent who attended a field day organised by SAPZ in Bebeji on Thursday reports that the initiative has significantly boosted farmers’ productivity and income levels.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with NAN expressed satisfaction with the support received under the SAPZ programme, describing it as “transformative” and a “turning point” for groundnut cultivation in the area.
One of the farmers, Malam Umaru Garba, said he harvested twice the amount of groundnuts compared to the previous farming season.
“Before SAPZ came, I used to get only about 10 bags from my one hectare farm. This year, I got 20 bags. The improved seeds and training on modern planting methods made a big difference,” Garba said.
Another farmer, Hajiya Maryam Dankaka, said the programme had not only improved her yield but also enhanced her financial stability.
“For the first time, I was able to sell enough groundnuts to pay school fees for my children and still have money to reinvest. The programme taught us better planting spacing, pest control, and post-harvest handling,” she said.
Similarly, a young farmer, Aliyu Musa, commended the facilitators and agricultural experts working with SAPZ for their continuous field visits and technical guidance.
“They visit us regularly to monitor progress and advise us. This has really helped us to avoid mistakes and improve our output,” Musa said.
Also speaking, Malam Sani Usman, another beneficiary, appealed to the SAPZ management to provide farmers with groundnut harvesting machines and ensure timely distribution of improved seeds ahead of the next farming season.
“If we can get access to modern harvesters, our work will be faster and cleaner, and we can produce more. We are very grateful for what SAPZ has done so far,” he said.
The SAPZ programme, supported by development partners and the Kano State Government, aims to promote agro-industrial growth by enhancing value chains, improving farmers’ productivity, and supporting the establishment of processing hubs across the state.
Experts at the field day noted that the groundnut initiative in Bebeji has demonstrated the potential of integrated agricultural interventions to transform rural livelihoods and contribute to food security in Nigeria.
About The Author
About The Author
Group demands full implementation of Katsina PWDs discrimination law
Kano SMEs urged to leverage capital market for wealth creation
No girl should miss school over menstruation – Katsina Gov’s wife
JUST IN: FG Declares Sallah Public Holiday
Rahma Saidu Apologizes to Kano Government, Lauds PCACC’s Work
Refinery: NNPC Ltd Targets Sustained Production with New Maintenance & Compliance Measures
-
General2 years ago
JUST IN: FG Declares Sallah Public Holiday
-
General1 year agoRahma Saidu Apologizes to Kano Government, Lauds PCACC’s Work
-
Economy2 years agoRefinery: NNPC Ltd Targets Sustained Production with New Maintenance & Compliance Measures
-
Agriculture1 year agoNew HJRBDA boss outlines ambitious agenda for agricultural growth, youth empowerment
-
News2 years agoChoose dialogue over protest, Kano groups urge youths
-
Agriculture1 year agoFG trains laboratory technicians , technologists on soil health card scheme
-
General2 years agoActionAid urges youths to harness digital technologies for development
-
Entertainment2 years agoPopular actor, Ali Nuhu appointed as MD Film Corporation