Post-harvest losses among small holder farmers in Kano State have dropped by 51%t following targeted interventions under the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP).
The Project Coordinator, Abdulrasheed Kofarmata, disclosed this on Tuesday during the Media Field Day of the five-year initiative, jointly funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), and the Kano State Government.
According to him, improved storage infrastructure, extensive farmer training, and the deployment of climate-smart technologies were central to the significant reduction in losses.
Kofarmata noted that the average income of beneficiary farmers has risen to ₦972,462.01 per hectare, surpassing baseline earnings. He added that more than 477,284 farmers across all 44 local government areas have directly benefitted from KSADP interventions.
The project, he said, has enhanced food security, nutrition, and income generation through modern extension services, increased access to mechanisation, improved seed systems, and stronger market linkages. It has also strengthened gender and youth inclusion and promoted climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
So far, KSADP has trained 854 field personnel, equipped them with motorcycles and digital tools, and supported 5,748 grain and vegetable production clusters as well as 1,537 seed system clusters.
The project has deployed a range of mechanisation tools—including planters, fertiliser applicators, threshers, power tillers, rice transplanters, modular rice mills, mobile flour mills, and climate-smart irrigation kits.
Kofarmata revealed that additional mechanisation equipment worth billions of naira is underway, financed from Project Management Unit (PMU) savings. These include 80 tractors, 28 combine harvesters, 1,900 solar pumps, and other tools to boost productivity.
He also highlighted the establishment of three Agricultural Mechanisation Centres in Kadawa, Danbatta, and Gaya, alongside 81 agro-processing centres, nine medium-scale parboiling centres, and multiple vegetable processing and storage facilities.
External evaluations, he said, show substantial yield increases—226% in rice, 161% in maize, 166% in sorghum, 152% in millet, and notable improvements in tomato, cabbage, and onion production.
Additionally, KSADP has supported 11,228 farmers in market readiness, trained and linked 1,100 agro-dealers, and facilitated billions of naira in both input and output market transactions.
Kofarmata commended Governor Abba Yusuf, the state Ministry of Agriculture, KNARDA, and the KSADP coordination team for their support, reaffirming the project’s commitment to sustaining its achievements and advancing the transformation of Kano’s agricultural sector.(NAN)