ATASP-1: Excitement galore as farmers, other beneficiaries plead for extension

It was excitements and praises galore as farmers, processors, local government officials, seed producers, rural dwellers and other stakeholders expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the various interventions provided by the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase-One (ATASP-1).

ATASP-1 project, funded by African Development Bank (AfDB), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and seven participating state governments is meant for the infrastructural development of the 200 rural communities in 33 local government areas across seven states of the Federation. The components of the project are economic empowerment, access road for inputs supply and produce evacuation, provision of health facility centres with good drinkable water through boreholes powered by solar energy and educational support in terms of classrooms building.

Food Farm News’ visit to the host communities of the projects in all the seven states which include, Enugu-Anambra, Kano-Jigawa, Niger, Kebbi-Sokoto revealed that great jobs have been done in every of the communities as there were evidences of increase in productivity and prosperity and this has resulted into beneficiaries asking for the continuity and extension of the project to other crops and livestock.

           Hama'ali Health Clinic, Kware LGA, Sokoto State

A traditional ruler in Niger state, Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu, the Etsu of Agaie, told our correspondent in his palace that the impact of ATASP-1 was something that one could not easily forget in terms of job creations and empowerment of the youths and women, and therefore demanded that the programme be extended to phase 2 so as to accommodate more comparative crops and livestock processing.

As we speak, the impact of training of farmers and processors on the best Global Agricultural Practices (GAP) on rice, sorghum and cassava have added about 255,749 metric tons of food crops to the national food reserve just as the program has been able to create about 331,757 new jobs since inception in February, 2016. And the selection of communities was based on crops comparative advantage, while the provision of social facility also was on the basis of priority of people’s need according to the National Project Coordinator (NPC), Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Arabi.

On cassava value chain, the program has been able to increase revenue to the tune of 862.84 million naira coupled with introduction of improved varieties alongside training of over 12,000 farmers that has resulted to increase yield of 250% which is above the baseline figure of 10 metric tons per hectare to 25MT per hectare.

Overall, 119,733.80MT of rice paddy has been added to the national food basket which translates to estimated revenue of 17.96 billion naira. These interventions have led to yield increases of about 372% from 1.8MT per ha to an average of 6.7MT per ha during the period said the NPC.

In the sorghum value chain, all efforts have resulted in yield increase from 1.0 metric ton per hectare ( MT/ha) at baseline to 2.0 MT/ha representing 75.50% and an estimated 78,850.11MT of sorghum added to the national food basket, while the revenue accruable is 10.25 billion naira

The project component is spelt out as

1.      Component 1: Infrastructure Development

The infrastructure development component accounts for 70% of the total program cost. It finances the construction and/or rehabilitation of social infrastructure, rural feeder roads linking production clusters to markets and, moribund irrigation infrastructure. The program targets for infrastructure projects were said to have been revised downwards due largely to inflation, exchange rate fluctuations leading to significant increases in prices of goods and services coupled the fact that the scope of sub-projects which were not fully defined at appraisal.

Technology Center

Social infrastructure: The social/ancillary infrastructure works such as health clinics, water & sanitation, community markets, technology development centres etc. are being implemented across the four Processing Zone Implementation Units (PZIU)s. A total of 113 social infrastructures already completed out of 173 structures that were awarded representing 65% full completion rate. The low completion rate could be attributed to, (i) inadequate capacity of contractors to handle many structures within the period of 6 months, (ii) poor contract management and (iii) delay in payment of certified work. 

Rural Feeder Roads: The procurement process for the construction of a total of 466.407 km of rural feeder roads is in progress. 13 feeder roads/bridge contracts was advertised, 7 contracts have been given no objection, while 6 are awaiting no objection by the Bank.

Irrigation Infrastructure: The Bank has given 13 no objection out of 17 contracts that was advertised and evaluated, 4 contracts are awaiting no objection by the Bank.

 

1.      Component 2: Commodity Value Chain Development

 

The implementation of the commodity value chain development component was prefaced by identification and sensitization of 200 rural communities from the 7 states of the four Staple Crops Processing Zones (SCPZ)s and networking and profiling of 44,647 farmers (of which 13,357 or 30% were female), representing 127.56% of program target of 35,000. In addition, 1,941 groups comprising farmers/producers from the three value chains have been formed and registered.

To ensure sustainability of program benefits at the community level, 48 innovation platforms (IPs) were established along the different commodity value chains. The IPs amongst others, have been critical in facilitating linkages between the farmers’ organizations (FOs), farm input dealers, extension agents, off-takers and markets in the four SCPZs. A total number of 800 (of which 681 or 85% are female) just as these people have been sensitized on HIV/AIDS and other prevalent diseases to enhance their productivity and wellbeing.

Technology Adaptation and Diffusion

The Outreach Program adopted three strategies to foster technology adaptation and diffusion: (i) varietal selection for various locations, (ii) capacity building of Farmers’ Organizations (FOs) on GAP and, (iii) demonstration of proven production technologies through establishment of demonstration plots on the farmer’s fields. All these have added up to 55,797 beneficiaries (of which 16,536 or 30% are females) in agribusiness and entrepreneurship in each of the commodity value chains across the zones. A total number 414 producers and entrepreneurs have obtained loans (of which 132 or 32% are women) for economic purposes which have resulted in the sum of N45.58 Million of loan obtained. The program has successfully facilitated the linkage of producers to 29 off-takers across the four SCPZ as follows, 

·         Cassava (7): 6 in Adani-Omor and 1 in Kano-Jigawa;

·         Rice (16): 3 each in Kebbi-Sokoto, Kano-Jigawa and Bida-Badeggi ; 7 in Adani-Omor

·     

  Sorghum (6): the six major off-takers (i.e., Honey Well Flour Mills, Derivatives Ltd, Northern Nigeria Flour Mills, Grand Cereals & Oil Mills Ltd, LoryB Ventures and, El Shaddai Foods Nigeria Ltd) service all four SCPZs.

It is worthy of note that ATASP-1 had made some of the off-takers key into providing inputs support to farmers on buy-back arrangements. Within the framework of building the capacities of youth in agribusiness, three youth training centres have been constructed at the IITA-Abuja Station, Kubwa; Minjibir in Kano State and, Onne in Rivers State. The centres have supported in training 40,000 rural youths in different agricultural enterprises.

The implementation arrangement as provided in the program document was modified in line with the policy direction of the present administration in Agriculture as provided for in the Green Alternative document of Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMARD). The policy oversight and guidance role of ATASP-1 is now performed by the National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by the substantive minister, FMARD, Alhaji Sabo Nanono. Also, the Commodity Value Chain Development component of ATASP-1 is being implemented in collaboration with three CGIARs (i.e., IITA, AfricaRice and ICRISAT) through an Outreach agreement signed with IITA. In this regard, IITA provides leadership to the participating CGIAR centres in the implementation of outreach program in addition to their responsibility for the Cassava Value chain while, AfricaRice and ICRISAT have responsibilities for rice and sorghum respectively.

Solar Motorized Bore Hole at Sawashi, Shanga LGA, Kebbi State

Achievements in the Kebbi-Sokoto Staple Crop Processing Zone (SCPZ)

At Gidan Tambari village, in Kware Local Government just outside Sokoto Township even though the community is about 200 years old and not far from the seat of the Caliphate physically, in terms of education, it was far from the city because it had no single school for her over 300 children. That was before the ATASP 1 intervention. The village comparative advantage on sorghum crop has brought the opportunity of the block of classrooms with modern toilet attached as capacity building were organised for the locals. All these have endeared ATASP in the hearts of people of this community. Farmers are more happy due to more economic earnings from improved sorghum varieties namely ICSV III, Samsorg 45 (Deko) and ICSV 400 which are all early maturing that ‘outwits’ the early stoppage of rain experienced in these areas. The village head, Alhaji Bello Tambari said “it was ATASP-1 that built the school for us and this is the first school here since the founding of the community. There is also a toilet attached to the school.” The villagers were already linked to off takers for their sorghum as there is no problem of sharp variations in market prices.

 The project manager, Mr. Yahuza Abubakar had this to say:  “Before we started, we engaged some off takers who tell us the variety they want. We incorporated those varieties into our value chain and we distribute the seed among the farmers. In fact, the first batch of the seeds was given to us by the off takers themselves for us to give to farmers free. At the end of every year, the off takers through their local aggregators will come to the markets to aggregate the produce.”

Around Marbawa village, where there is an agglomeration of villages, Sarkwa Kware market was built to enhance economic activities as farmers can keep their produce for off takers and buyers stall space provided in the market. Also two blocks of classrooms were provided in Bulama where additional work was going on to connect the toilet with water supply based on their comparative advantage on sorghum production. The appreciation for all these was expressed on behalf of the villagers by Malam Usman Mohammed who said that “We are overwhelmed with joy and have nothing more to pray for them’’ while he wanted the program to be extended so as to be able to provide more facilities like irrigation and road for the villages in order to reduce rural- urban migration.

An extension agent trained to transfer new improved technology to farmers, Nasiru Altimi Garkuwa Marbawa, said:”ATASP1 has helped us severally. I have gone for training at Birnin Kebbi, not once, not twice, not three times. I am an extension agent and I have in turn trained other farmers how to plant the seeds; how to transplant; how to take care of their farms and the experience on production yield have quite amazing’’

Food Farm News spoke with two fabricators who received training under the project. Yaro Hussaini and Mohammed Rabiu both young fabricators domiciled in Sokoto. They were both happy to express how positively impactful their training with ATASP has been helpful as their products like planters, threshers, winnowers and hammer mills are selling well in the market. They however expressed their willingness to attend more of such trainings in the future.

In  Kebbi State where seven local governments, namely, Argungu; Bagudo; Birnin-Kebbi; Dandi; Ngaski; Shanga and Suru are participating in rice production, and the impacts have been very impressive as expressed by many beneficiaries.

A female farmer, Zuara Abubakar Baraji from Argungu said that her productivity had improved tremendously from 20 bags of rice per season to over 100 bags, but lamented over the recent flood as she advocated for capital start off.

 

Umar Mohammed Argungu who had 10 years experience as a farmer also said he had really benefitted from ATASP -1 trainings, pointed that “before ATAPS1 intervention, we transplanted anyhow, we applied fertilizer anyhow without taking cognizance of good agronomic practices. Today, after ATAPS-1 intervention, we now transplant in a row, 20 cm apart, we apply fertilizer at the right time; therefore where we used to get 50 bags we now obtain over 100. In addition, I was able to buy a big farmland attached to my own which has increased my farm holding in general.”

 He recounted how in those days they (the farmers) used to wait up till two weeks after planting before applying fertilizer, which was often too late and also not in the right quantity. “But ATAPS-1 taught us that we must not waste time: latest three days after transplanting, we must apply fertilizer at the right quantity.”

At the Alwasa community, Argungu Local Government, ATASP-1 executed a water project that has continued to serve the community and others around flawlessly.  The secretary of the community, Usman Saliu Alwasa said the project was a blessing to the community in terms of portable water and its maintenance had since been taken over by the people.

Suru Market Stalls

A rice processor at Suru, Suru Local Government, Hajia Hauwa Abubakar testified that she had received several trainings under ATASP-1, and that it had really improved her productivity saying that “Formerly I used to process just two or three bags of rice per week, but now I do four bags and more because of the improved way of doing the parboiling which can be rated as foreign rice’’

A seed producer, Kabiru Imam Suru told Food Farm News that he was initially a farmer but became a seed producer, following a training he attended when the ATASP-1 project officials were looking for youths to train for seed production, adding that he was currently producing seed full time. ”My performance has improved as a result of trainings and supports I have received to produce seed for the community. Before now, if you visited any rice farm, you would see that it had different varieties with different heights, but now in all the farms, there is uniformity in rice farms because people now appreciate the importance of improved seeds as people are actually buying seed with their money instead of replanting paddy. It has been a wonderful and impactful experience.”

The seed producer excited to tell us that ATASP-1 project should be replicated throughout the federation based on its effectiveness and its unarguable evidence, saying this is the kind of project every serious state governor should try to incorporate into ensuring food security in the state. ‘’ I cannot be grateful enough to ATASP-1 for what I have benefitted from this project through the training in the seed production’’   

The Zonal Agribusiness Specialist for ATASP-1, Mr. Yahuza Abubakar buttressing the impact of improved seeds on rice production in Kebbi state pointed out that farmers had known the big difference in using improved seeds to planting of paddy, thereby making the use of machine to harvest very difficult as a result of disparity in height.    

Also, the director of agricultural services, Dandi Local Government, Nasiru Abdullahi Kamba, said the project intervention has certainly improved the lots of the farmers and improved productivity in the local government and revenue base of many farmers and processors.

Motorized Bore Hole Kamba, Dandi LGA, Kebbi State

He said because the local government area was a centre of rice production, just like Benin republic and Niger republic, there is competition as “A lot of the people from those neighbouring countries do come to our markets, while people from here also go to those places to trade’’ He however commended ATASP-1 provision of a standard market with stalls in each local government for prevention of farmers’ wastages on rice production. He added that ‘’ Farmers had really suffered great loses before the intervention of ATASP-1’’

On the irrigation system for the local government area, he said: “We had large area of land that we couldn’t cultivate before intervention, but now at Dole Kaina area there is an irrigation system provided by ATASP-1 that doesn’t need pump to operate. No cost of fuel; it operates by gravity. It has improved the income and living standard of the farmers.”

On inputs he had this to say: Before intervention, the farmers had no access to inputs but after intervention they were given sorghum and rice seeds.”

The Zonal Project Coordinator, Dr Aliyu Abubakar said the projects are all community owned and that when a project is completed, “the community is called and told to take over through their project management committee. From there, they are responsible for running the project. And since they know that the hand of the government is no longer there, they will not allow their own projects to fail.”

He said that on training aspect, ATASP-1 normally trains the trainers who in turn would train others on how to handle the project so that it can sustain itself.

Hand Pump at Gidan Tambari, Kware LGA, Sokoto State

He emphasised that ATASP-1 is not only about crop production but that it also delved into processing of produce into different products and that is in addition to linking the farmers to off-takers.