DAILY TRUST
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Star Feature Kila is a village in Gwaram Local Government area of Jigawa state. Like any other village, the community is made up of farmers. However, these are unique farmers because apart from the cultivation of grains such as millet and corn for their domestic use, all men in the village are cassava growers. From Yusha'u AIbrahim, Dulse HENEVER a visitor approaches Kila village, the first thing that will welcome him/her is cassava. It could be seen spread on both sides of the highway (Kano-Birnin-Kudu highway) that passes through the village. Farmers spread it along the road for drying, before packing it in bags. A recent visit to the village by Daily Trust Correspopdent indicated that it has become a tradition that an average Kila man residing in the village must, in one way or the other, be involved in cassava farming. Both old and young men in the community are committed to cassava growing for income generation. Daily Trust observed that yhr cultivation of cassava has become a major job in Kila village. An average man can cultivate ten and above cassava farms per annum. It was also observed that academicians. civil servants, politicians and Islamic scholars are growers of cassava in Kila village. Although some people in the community do cultivate Mango, however cassava farming is the major occupation oflhe people in the village. • Investigations by Daily Trust revealed that 80 per cent of the
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Kila community are cassava growers. Alhaji Nura Abdullahi is a politician; and indeed a Kil. ward------~'--'.." Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Despite his political activities, Nura is a cassava farmer. He told Daily Trust that he is presently cultivating thirteen different cassava farms this year. He pointed out that this year alone, he bought cassava seedlings worth over N80,OOO. He said initially, farmers sold a bag of cassava at the cost of N2,SOO and N2,700, but with the adoption of a drying system, a bag of cassava is being sold at the rate ofN4,OOO to NS,OOO .. "Last year I cultivated three farms and I sold the commodity before harvesting at the cost of N130,OOO, NSO,OOO and N40,OOO respectively. This year I want to harvest it, and I am sure I will gain a lot of money at the end of the season;' he said. He explained that out of every five farms in Kila village four were for cassava, adding that, "80 per cent of our people are cassava growers, and findings have indicated that the remaining 20 were not in the business will also join out of the business owing to lack the trend for profit. of suitable market." Abdullahi said had it been allam Usman Saleh is there is market where-the farmanother cassava farmer ers can take their commodity to in Abena village in Kila for onward sale, those that were area. He told Daily Trust that he •
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and NS,OOO. But for this year I don't know how it will be sold." "It is a helpful business because it ~as been assisting me in han-
has six cassava farms. saying "I am harvesting up to lOa bags of cassava every year. Last year I sold a bag of cassava between N 4,500
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