Jigawa State: ACReSAL Trains 120 Seed Producers
A World Bank-supported Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL, project in Jigawa State, North-West, Nigeria said it has trained 120 seed producers in three Local government Areas of the state.
The project coordinator in the state, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Dutse on Sunday.
Muhammad said the gesture was aimed at empowering local farmers to produce their own seeds with knowledge and skills that played a pivotal role in the production of quality food.
He said “the project would also ensure food security, promoting biodiversity, and promoting local content for communities to have the right to control their own seed systems.”
The coordinator explained that the trainess, drawn from different community farmers’ groups, were equipped with resilience ideas in the face of climate change challenges.
He said the gesture would also improve the use of locally adapted seeds to become increasingly valuable.
According to him, the community seed producers can select and propagate varieties that are more resilient to extreme weather events, helping communities better cope with climate-related challenges.
Muhammad said 20 women and men farmers were trained on the production of maize and wheat seeds in Ringim LGA, with 15 female and 25 male farmers on rice and millet seeds in Hadejia LGA.
He said that 19 women and men farmers were trained on cowpea and sorghum seeds production in Gumel LGA.
“Competent facilitators drawn from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Jigawa Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, JARDA, trained the beneficiaries on the type of quality seeds, the process of seed planting, life span, treatment, and the modalities to follow in rainy and dry seasons planting.
“It was indeed an interactive session as participants shared valuable cultural and local knowledge, as most of them have traditional knowledge about seeds, farming practices, and local ecosystems.
“Training them helps preserve and share this knowledge, which can be critical for maintaining cultural identity and sustainable agricultural practices,” Muhammad said.
NAN/Shakirat Sadiq
