33 Kano communities to benefit from FG’s agric transformation agenda support programme
By Abdullahi Yusuf
No fewer than 33 communities in Kano State are to benefit from the Federal Government’s
Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme-Phase One (ATASP-1).
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf disclosed this while flagging off the programme at Bunkure town in the state on Monday.
ATASP-1 is a programme of the Federal Government that is funded by the African Development Bank(AfDB) whose objective is improving food and nutrition security and attracting private sector investment in agriculture.
The rest are reducing post-harvest losses,adding value to local agricultural produce and enhancing access by farmers and other value chain actors to financial services, among others.
The Governor,who was represented by his Deputy, Comr. Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, said the benefiting communities are from Bunkure, Rano, Bagwai, Dawakin Kudu, Bebeji and Garun Malam Local Government Areas of the state.
He said major implements and other farming inputs such as fertiliser, seeds and agrochemicals would be given to the beneficiaries.
He said the inputs would be distributed to the beneficiaries through ICT-Based delivery platform,which he said would immensely increase productivity and household incomes, as well as contribute towards bridging the national food gaps.
The redemption areas in the state, he said, were the headquarters of the six participating Local Government Areas,and that the farm inputs would be distributed to the beneficiaries at 80 per cent subsidy.
Earlier,the Permanent Secretary of the Federal of Agriculture and Rural Development(FMARD),Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, said the flag-off ceremony marked the commencement of this year’s delivery of subsidised inputs to about 60,000 farmers in the participating states.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the ministry’s Director, Planning and Policy Coordination, Mallam Tanimu Ibrahim,listed the participating states as Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto and Niger,
Dr Umakhihe said that the programme was structured into three key deliverables – Infrastructural Development, Commodity Value Chain Development and Programme Management and Coordination.
“The event is very important for us as a ministry because we recognize that the drive for improved agricultural production cannot be attained without a guaranteed access to quality agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds and pesticides whose distribution in the ATASP-1 project is being launched today,”he said.
