By Mustapha Yauri

The Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project has commenced the distribution of farm inputs to 10,000 farmers in Kaduna State.

Dr Yahaya-Aminu Abdulhadi, the Project Coordinator, made this known during the delivery of the farm inputs to farmers’ cooperatives at Biye, Giwa Local Government on Thursday.

Abdulhadi said that the intervention in Biye Community was for 985 farmers, while the target beneficiaries in the state were 10,000.

He said that the intervention farm inputs were fertilisers, improved seeds and herbicides, among others, adding that the second intervention would be mainly equipment.

He said that beneficiaries would receive thrashers, combine harvesters and tractors, adding that the support was demand-driven.

Abdulhadi said that the two phases of interventions were decided by the farmers themselves with the aim of boosting their farming enterprise.

He said the interventions were to ensure that the farmers were empowered to enable them make judicious use of the support.

He said that the project was a World Bank supported initiative with the mandate of Kaduna State Government to support the farmers from production, processing and marketing.

“We want them to make use of the knowledge and the resources that was avail them under the APPEALS project, so that they can shift from being subsisting farmers to commercial and economically viable farming enterprises.”

The coordinator said the support was an end-to-end intervention, the farmers who are receiving the intervention now had already signed agreement with up-takers before they could go to the farm.

He added that the farmers already had market for the products.

The Kaduna State Deputy Gov., Hajia Hadiza Balarabe, said that the state had done a lot in improving agriculture productivity.

The deputy governor said that the state had also improved agriculture sector toward diversifying the economic base of the state.

Balarabe was represented by Mal. Sabiu Ismaila, the Permanent Secretary, Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture.

She said that the state government was working tirelessly to support the development of agriculture as a business so that farmers would be able to feed themselves and supply the products for the use of industries.

“It is the wish of the state to see tremendous reduction in poverty, massive employment generation for the youths and women and general improvement in the wellbeing of the populace through the agricultural sector,” she said.

The deputy governor said that she was impressed with the turnout of women and youths for the programme.

“It also shows that Kaduna State’s policies and programmes on inclusion were working. A society cannot develop if half of its population was idle and are not included.

“The efforts of the state toward bringing women to be part of economic development by enhancing their skills in various fields of endeavor is a worthy cause.

“ I can see here that the people of this community have accepted it; we are also happy that the men were understanding and cooperating. I pray that this level of commitment will result into improve productivity,’’ she said.

The deputy government said that partners to the project were experts from National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS).

Alhaji Adamu Shika, one of the beneficiaries, who spoke on behalf of others commended government’s efforts on the project and for the timely provision of the inputs.

Shika said that the beneficiaries were earlier trained on new and better farming methods and processing of the farm produce to boost production.

He pledged the commitment of beneficiaries to judiciously use all the farm inputs.

(NAN)

No fewer than 18,000 youths in Ondo State have been selected to partake in the training in various fields of agriculture organised by the state government as part of efforts to create employment through agriculture.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu disclosed this during the presentation of certificates to 40 participants in a training programme on the cassava enterprise project organised by Star Deep-water Petroleum Limited in partnership with Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta and the Ondo State Agricultural Business Empowerment Centre, recently.

The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Agriculture, Mr. Akin Olotu, stated that 1,000 youths from each of the 18 local government areas of the state would participate in the programme, adding that it would start next year.

According to him, the state government will also provide soft loans for graduates who are interested in agriculture.

“This administration is committed to taking the youth out of unemployment through agriculture,” he said.

The governor stressed the need to make agriculture attractive to the youth, urging them to embrace it.

He stated that the state government had commenced moves to lay the foundation for economic development in the state.

Akeredolu also explained that the state government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Oke Luse, Ose Local Government Area of the state on how to develop agriculture.

Also speaking at the event, the Market Development Officer, PIND, Mr. Emmanuel Nwala, said the 40 youths who received the certificates were recruited and commenced training in 2015, with each participant allocated 2.5 hectares of land to cultivate cassava.

According to him, all the participants have planted cassava and are awaiting harvest, adding that PIND and other organisations involved in the training were excited to see “what these farmers do with their businesses and their earnings, and the impact they will make on their communities.”

Nwala expressed optimism that the partnership would go a long way to address the challenges of youth unemployment in the state and would also serve as a model for boosting income.