Kano, Sasakawa 2000 sign MOU for best agric practices along value chains

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance standard agricultural practices towards productivity along the value chains has been signed by the Kano State Government and Sasakawa Africa/SG2000.

This was made known in statement signed by the project communication specialist, KSADP, Ameen K. Yassar.

The statement said that the Deputy Governor of Kano state, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who doubles as the chair, Project Steering Committee, KSADP and the Vice chairman of Sasakawa Africa, Mr. Amit Roy signed the pact on behalf of their organizations.

It was stated that the MOU is estimated to positively impact best agronomics practices on about 450,000 small scale farmers in the state agro pastoral project the agreement intervention has made provision for seeds, fertilizers, post harvest handling, value addition and agricbusiness services.

The statement said further that the intervention entails the design and execution of value chain extension training to raise the skill of 18,000 farmer facilitators, 440 processors, 220 fabricators,1,000 community based extension staff and 220 frontline extension staff as well as core staff of the KSADP.  

It is a five year programme in which KSADP will finance Sasakwa 2000 yearly upon submission of its annual work-plan and budget, effective from the 2020 planting season. The statement added that the technical cooperation aims to enhance food security, alleviate poverty and create jobs, among other things, in rural communities of the state.

Speaking after the signing formality, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna described the occasion as a memorable milestone in the agricultural development of Kano state saying that “KSADP is our flagship project and its aim is to attain food security, increase production and productivity as well as generate employment and more income for our people especially the rural poor”.

“Because of our huge population and the fact that majority of our people are farmers, we are determined to take advantage of the technical expertise of Sasakawa to make agriculture a more sustainable and rewarding venture by assisting our farmers with facilities and inputs, and building the capacity of our agricultural extension workers”.