YHISDAV, Vol. 16, No. 0014, Pag. 31
Tuuday, October 11, 2011
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® USl.l-,S WORLD agnc Commercial Agric: World Bamk Project Empowers Kano Famaers - -- --- -- ----------- -
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Ibrahim Shuaibu traces the importance and benefits derived btJ local farmers in Kana state under the World Bank-assisted Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP), and the impact on the rural areas ano SI:lIC Commen::inl AgriOJhure Dcvdopmenl Pmjca
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1}.tn'As<;be Yilhaya, he suid the road l'OnstnlClion was C1.I.CIattly ongoing Ill: Zaria road to Tass in [)aJ.'ilkin Kudu, Shaoono to
(CADP) is a oomprehensive five ye:x \\brid Bani: Assisted projea Slated in July. 2009, aimed III assisting pMicip;f:mg small (IIld medium scale mmmen:ial farmers 10 ~s inlpro\'t.d lech~o&y. infi-aslruaure., finance. and
Leni in Shanono LGA, Kadilto Ya;,labu Iii: Thdun Wada local gOvc:rnmtJlt, Tangaji to 8akabai in MaKoda LGA of the stale. Dan'Asabe explancd tluillhe aim of the road OOilstruction was to reduae If1lrISportation probl~ &nd reduce Ir..nspon cos;l of farm outpUl in the aff<:aed 81'&" lII.'bile the projcas hai established six numba- mall.::ct info.malion kioski at. Tudun \¥.Ida 10ClI governmenl. Gar\;o, Kwa mui Danballa, Sundu in Rogo locuJ g()\'enment and )hI.'SllliU in Daw-..kin Tofol 10CiII
markee . The basic Slrollegy of the projea is
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10 improve the business Clvironmall for agricullun: 10 become more s~ ful by groduaJly shifting the pt;roeplion. gool and nlOtive oHood pro-duaion away I'rom sl.IbsiS(en(»e 10 ma>men::ial rows that is driven and susltlintd by prolil. In Kano, lhe projea: has providtd support 10 nXly-5CVaI <XJIluuodily interest groups (CIGs) in the SUIt 10 undertake Y.lrious I~ of agrirulturnl produaion and processing aaivilies . The gr.llll suppon is providocl to the <bcrving I'armm, proc:esSOIS und marlo;ecm to promote profitable agriwlturaJ commdciaiisalion through reduaion of produaion Iproo::ssion ooSI and cushioning lhe df<:a of deldenous market fuilure..
governmenl. He said the establishment of these kiosks will facilitaleeasy to tdeYlll( mill'keting dal.a iftJ 10 dissemiruote the same in II timely OlatlneT among oommo.cilli finners . It lII.ill also inaease lheir awareness about opponWliti~ IIvai lrble fOT ffillfkding their produce iY lhe domeslic as well as III the in[tmalional market levels .
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Acconiing to him , the«: is wso t:aj..acily wilding to cnI\a1\O! their undeIslanding and adopt the new improVed ted1oology padr.:agC'S being demonstrated under t1 ~ mm~aI Agriwllure developmen t projeca . He said under the extemjed proglimme, hOWCYCi, about 67 oommodi ty groups benefi lled with the gmnt and focused on agricult~ Il5 lhe mainstay of the local o;:QClomy. lluough the eJltomsion, CADP and the govcmmer.t hope to improve. agrialhural prodUdion as II W'oIy 10 fwthcr boost employment and incomes of Ihe peoJ,le arulthus reduce poverIy among them. "We lilt; refocusi ng on agriculture p;toliclilarly, oliding our ·support on impl'Oved seed processing an.::! distribution 10 fannm, providing tEdlnica\ SUppaR for i"igalic.., forming and supply of funning inpulS. .~ ;n also sU(lpolling livestoo..k protiuaion, providing stor.lge and pa:kaging f.rilitics as \Yell as other agriClItttrerel3led SUppaR. The o~'(f2]1 goal is i O CfISI.IIe thai f.illnas are able 10 get higher yields and betteT l:tums fOT tllciT produce·', ne i!ddcd.
ProJed .'. lIou l AI D:u1balla locuJ govemment area of the SUde. the benefitti ng fWTlletS group told 1lUSDAY that befcxe the emagenc:e of the 'Abrld Bank- assisted pmjea on oommeroal agriwilu~ the oommunity wen: not f'l/llling mai7e wxI other finn inpul due 10 the coodition of their land; which oould not w lth'a1e the
prod"",. " howt\'O'" noted that , wi th the guide and suppon provided to them after fu lfilling al l the required procedures, the: oom-. munity W<IS ROW the latgcst produa:r of maize in the SI:Ile. A forty- live year-old farrneT, Maillm Alto Labaran, infonnc:d nUSD..\Y that there W3S maiz ; .don: in Danballa (own afieT the inuoduaion of the OOl'lmaoal ligriruh ~ progmmme in the area. He IIOI~ that with the produaion of mniz in lage quantity now in theW'Q, his farm pnxluca9vcronehundJcd bags of nuU7t un l i~ before whereby only fi w: bags were pnxluald in the funn due to poor fmility of the soil, lad.: of fertiliser- and guidanoe from agrirulturoll experts. "\\~ have now so:n the potential of this initiative and we want to take ilto the 1)Cl(l levd. It is a pmmisiflg business veIltun: set to provide foods and creale j obs for our people," Malam Alto said According to him, "lail)'t::Jl' I beocliucd with 20 bags off0"-. riliser, twO bulls :tnd plough, ridgeT, 0)( card. chemjOJ.l and Stleds". Tv.'O yClCS afta, Alto te/1eacd, he had 00en able [0 multiply the se/'ds, while C!ngaging in the sule of the plWlt's leaves . whidt is in high demand by rustOIllCll'l who usc them to wrap foods. Chaimltl'l of Inda Nnka Mai1)! Produo::rs Association, D:u1balla Iocni Council, Malam l..a1o I~, apteSSeJ ·delight with the " 'arid Bank c:ommcn:ial IIgriwlture programme, adding thai ihe oommuniiies now have pleasant Iales to tdl ~ing improvements in their lives, countSy of the \\brld Bank through the progranul1CS. Load Beneficiaries For membets of the oommunilieii, who are bgdy pc:&ml f.oners , thetr agrirultura! skills ha>.'C improYl!d, whHe funning inpulS such as £cnilisas, among others, have been provided for them 10 improve produaioo aut harvesl aid mnsequcntly boost their inoomes. 1he benefitting oommunities, through theiT village committttS, cxetciscd their privilege to choose ~)eas thai v.uuld dulge their social stat us and improve thei r hving roodi tions. This, they forwarded to the progranmc. martagas for IIf>PlOvai . ''CADP intervention wts a::ros.s all aspects of social life, things (hal could make positive dilfcrcnoc in lbe lives of tbe under- privilegoo and the vulnernble groups," !sa said. Kana stille CADP slllXlCSSfully tmined agrorilll1 oommunities in diffdl!flt skills Sudl as the processing of locuJ livestocL: foodS , fi sh funning , livesloct SUppDfl produaion atld tbe culti vurio n of economic trees. TIl(: m~mbcr.; of panicipldinS communitiao iKquirai slti lls in cultivation of olchards, just as the programme faci lil31ed the provision of ugtiwltwal inputs such as ·improved seeds, fatilisers, chemicals and Several other things thai tnh~ coonomic growth. Conununily Im·olvemcnl ~ , nonetheless, are paniwlarly f.tscinar:ed by the fao thai: CADP- DSSisted programm.!S In mmmunity driven; a char..c:teristic thai de:viy distingui.d ws it from the usual gov·
cmmc:nt-finanocd projects in axnmunities, whim hardly achieved lheir Sd objc:aives: Under CADP's prognwnmes for instance, benefiting communities, aside &om identifying whal they ne£ded in thciTown pcculi:r tflvironments, ~ tr.uncd and mobiliSdl. 10 mainlain and sustwn the projeas as lasting utilities. For instance, III Diggol to Unguwar fuJsa which i~3 .5 kilomeu11::i and is an isolOllod community in D:mbatta L.oroI GoYO"T1lTlCf\t AlCil, projcas wen as a focdcr ro;d is unda coostruaion so as 10 m ist the m mmunity through Ihe \\brld B llnl.; initiative to assist the oommunity bring out [heir f;Jml produa to mwi;d , having the area produce a hundrai. tonncs of furm products in the $Ill1e. ~ are lllso m:utd stili Is, fish ponds nod live:;[od; prodU<.1ion facility for women , which were eJ(ttutcd through CADP's intervention and they have n:mained nmaional and yielding incomes to the aptT.Il<n IlCJtl5S the state. A1hllE Tanimu of Dausa village. in a reflCl1ive mood, said thut the oollimunity had never known the imp;a of govanm until CAOP's intervention in the affolirs of the village. Tanimu, nonethdess, called on CADP to now shift ilS focus of developmem 10 feeder- road oonsrruaion, so as to e1Iible Ii.mJCB to tr.wpoi1 their furm prqcIuoe 10 otha locuJ marl.::ds for beueT pricing and mhanoed profits. '1 am SUte you expctiencaJ the effect of b;;d road yowsdf ~ lC3:hing Ihis village which is just a dismnce of aboul 5 kilometre& £rom Danbaua. our IOCBI go\'emment headquarters. "To anss this place from !bIballa town, il lakes a minimum oftiuee hours and this dots limit a lot of things for us,"
he""""""". SkUJs EmpowertDBll A widow, Hadiza Garba, said that she was assisted with skills on livc:stocic managemtnt whim has tflilblcd her to mise livestock as well as: produae fcr:ds. "1 benefilled £rom the CADP's livestod:: suppon last -yC3l'li aJJd I ",,-as tlained on how 10 raise livestod: efficiently. My Q)W5 have now increa<lCd in numbo" and the ecOooffiic '~is doiV'otble £rom their sales have improved mv liuni ly's life," she said. '·1 now operate II smail company which W\Chors ils lEtivities on my produce. Wi th the profits I made over [he last 2 years, I ha\'e wilt a house, undertaken pilgrimage to Mea:a and now do one or two things with some firuncial h\dq:lendo1ce. I an filii of gralilude to God and 1 thank CADP fot its support lind tlisistlillCe. which has made me whlll I am today," she said
Roods Upd a~ lin interview with CommuniCDlion offim of the: Kana Commercial Agrirultu~ DevdoPOlel1t Projea . Mal3Ill
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Alblalian cail Is IIDW oCIDWt '13th, 201'