The National Programme Coordinator of the Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS), Mohammed Sani-Jobdi, has said the World Bank-assisted project would continue to support farmers to enhance rice, maize and tomato production in Kano State.

APPEALS is also being implemented in Cross Rivers, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and Lagos states.

Mr Sani-Jobdi,during a review and planning meeting in Kano on Saturday, said the project was aimed at enhancing the agricultural production of small and medium scale farmers in the participating states 

He expressed delight over the progress made by the project in Kano state.

In his remarks, the State Programme Coordinator, Hassan Ibrahim, said that many technologies were provided to the farmers to enhance productivity and reduce post harvest losses.

Mr Ibrahim explained that the use of combined harvesters by farmers had reduced production losses by at least 30 per cent.

“Yesterday, a farmer told me that on a field where he used to get 80 bags, he now gets 105 bags of rice because of using the combined harvester brought by this project,” he said.

He said that the farmers contributed 30 per cent for the programme while the project provided the remaining 70 per cent.

“So, the livelihood of farmers has been improved by using the combined harvester.

“If a farmer is to cultivate two hectares, with a combined harvester, he will cultivate five hectares and above,” he said.

The state Deputy Governor, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, said that the project was worth commending in the state.

Mr Gawuna, who is also the Commissioner for Agriculture, called on the programme coordinators in the state to work with all stakeholders for the successful implementation of the project.

“Collaboration is not about competing, let us see how they can be able to replicate what has been done in other states using its own value chain,” he said.

(NAN)