By Abba Dukawa
The World Bank COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) program has expended about N1 billion to support farmers to enhance and boost their farming activities in the state, especially in the provision of farm inputs. This is just as the beneficiaries Laud the project.
The inputs include solar-powered water pumping machines, power tillers, planters, fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides, sprayers, and improved seeds and rehabilitation of feeder roads across the state to boost productivity.
The State Coordinator, Rufa’i Halilu, made the disclosure during an inspection tour of the projects in some local government Areas by CARES officials and the media to assess progress attained.
Halilu emphasized that the intervention would provide succour to the farmers who are poor and vulnerable.
“Since inception, some six months ago, we have expended about N1 billion. We are giving the support to the farmers (poor and vulnerable).
“The intervention include distribution of farm inputs to enhance and boost their farming activities and rehabilitation of feeder roads to ease access and transportation of their farm produce from their farmlands.
“Others were distribution of solar powered water pumps to address and reduce carbon emission, rehabilitation of VIP toilets in markets to address open defecation and sanitation and then rehabilitation of irrigation facilities during dry season.
“On farm inputs, no less than 980 farmers have so far benefited from the project. And we have expended not less than N300 million.
“We have carried out different projects across 38 LGAs in the state and we are planning to extend to the remaining six metropolitan LGAs,” Halilu however stated.
Earlier, the Project Technical officer, Nasidi Datti said plans were underway to distribute 100 pieces of Solar powered water pumps worth N33 million to the farmers.
Speaking while test running the machine in Makoda LGA, Datti said it pumps 25,000 litres per hour and depends solely on use of sunlight as well as environmental friendly.
“We are giving 100 of these solar powered water pumps to 400 beneficiaries (farmers) across the Local Governments in Kano State. We imported it from China. Each cost N330,000. We are distributing 100 pieces to 400 beneficiaries (4 farmers to one unit of the pump with the panel)
“It has so many advantages over the regular water pumps. It doesn’t use petroleum as it only uses sunshine. Secondly, it is environmental friendly. It doesn’t pollute farms and acquatic life,” Datti said.
On his part, Abdullahi Umar, a beneficiary in the Madobi area, thanked Kano-CARES for giving them improved seeds and other inputs to enhance agricultural productivity.
Such supports, he explained, were timely as farmers faced challenges of the high cost of fertilisers and other farm inputs. He however urged the Kano CARES project to widen the programme’s scope to enable more farmers to benefit from the gesture.
Another beneficiary, Jamila Garba, from Rano local government, lauded the programme, saying they made farming easy and possible for them this time around and that if not because of the intervention, many of them would not plant crops due to high cost of fertilizers.
She thanked the World Bank for the intervention, which they said, had started yielding positive results of improved productivity “As a result of the intervention, we are now predicting a bumper harvest. We really thank the CARES project for the support”.
Meanwhile, the Ward Head of Binoni Community in Gabasawa LGA, Yahuza Madaki who spoke on behalf of his community where a 5km feeder road (Binoni to Jigore) was rehabilitated, said before the intervention they didn’t have an access road as water usually gets to their knees when it rains.