Kano- The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), through the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), plans to reach out to 3,000 farmers and several seed companies in Kano this year.

The Country Representative of ICRISAT, Dr. Ignatius Angarawai, made this assertion on Tuesday during the opening of a seed and input fair, themed “Connecting farmers to Climate-Smart and Resilient Seeds and Agro-Inputs for improving productivity and Small-Holder farmers,” scheduled for 14th-18th May.

“This is aimed at exposing and sensitizing farmers to access quality improved seeds of market-preferred varieties of crops, and to change from their traditional production practices and embrace research-based scientifically proven production techniques capable of improving and increasing yields, particularly in this era of climate change,” he asserted.

During the occasion held at KNARDA headquarters in Kano metropolis, Dr. Angarawai said this opportunity will, among other things, create opportunities for linkages between researchers, policymakers, seed vendors, agro-chemical dealers, processors, commodity brokers, marketers, financial institutions, crops and livestock producers, and other key stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

While declaring the fair open, the Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, restated his administration’s resolve to focus more on agriculture to overcome the prevailing challenges of global warming and enhance food security.

“By making agriculture a big wealth-creating sector, we will unleash new economic opportunities that will lift millions of people out of poverty. This all begins with access to the right seed and quality inputs,” he emphasized.

Represented by the State Project Coordinator, KSADP, Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, the Governor advised farmers in the state to take advantage of the seed fair, which has in attendance several seed companies and farmers from across the state, to invest wisely in buying the desired seeds as the 2024 rainy season is around the corner.

Representatives from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Center for Dryland Agriculture, Bayero University Kano, seed companies, and the Nigeria Agro Inputs Dealers Association, who attended the event, underscored the need to unveil the potential and opportunities available in the seed systems in the state for maximum benefit.

ICRISAT is partnering with Sasakawa Africa Association and KNARDA to technically backstop the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), funded by the Islamic Development Bank, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, and the government of Kano State.