The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) says it has supported no fewer than 477,284 smallholder farmers across the 44 local government areas of the state under its crop component implemented by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA).

Abdulrasheed Kofar-Mata, the project coordinator, disclosed this during the distribution of agricultural machinery and equipment to beneficiaries in Kano.

He said the intervention had stimulated extensive agricultural transformation, enhancing food and nutrition security in the state and achieving 86 per cent of its annual target.

Mr Kofar-Mata explained that the five-year project funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) and the Kano State Government was designed to reduce poverty and boost food security among vulnerable households.

According to him, SAA, the technical partner implementing the crop component, had exceeded expectations through activities that improved productivity, strengthened the seed system, reduced post-harvest losses, enhanced market access, and promoted climate-smart agriculture.

The coordinator said the project had also increased income generation for thousands of smallholder farmers across the state.

He stated that the project had procured 98 tractors complete with trailers, ploughs and harrows for distribution to beneficiaries.

“No fewer than 10 of the tractors have already been commissioned at the mechanisation centre, while eight were presented at Wednesday’s event.

“The remaining 80 will be deployed to other mechanisation centres and farming communities across the state.

“In addition, the project is distributing 410 mini tractors, 160 multi-crop reapers, 150 maize reapers and 100 rice reapers,” he explained.

The machines, according to the coordinator, were expected to boost productivity, reduce drudgery and promote modernised farming practices among smallholder farmers.

He explained that the solar pumps would significantly reduce farmers’ cost of production during dry-season farming, thereby boosting yields and profitability.

On his part, the Kano State project coordinator, KSADP,  Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, said it was a multi-activity project and the items displayed represent only a fraction of its interventions.

One of the beneficiaries, Umar Hassan, from Minjibir Local Government Area, expressed appreciation to KSADP for the support, saying that the intervention would greatly enhance his farming activities and improve productivity.

Similarly, another beneficiary, Nazifi Ado, from Doguwa Local Government, commended the project for providing life changing assistance to farmers.

Also, a beneficiary, Mairo Inuwa, who received a rice thresher, expressed gratitude, saying the support had provided her family with a reliable means of income.

She explained that as a widow caring for orphans, with an unemployed graduate son, the intervention was timely and transformative.

(NAN)