SAPZ Sensitise Farmers on Effective Program Implementation in Kano State

The Kano State office of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) has organized community sensitization and awareness training for the remaining 8 SAPZ Local Governments catchment areas in the state for effective implementation of the program.

The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) is a comprehensive agro-industrialization program designed as a tool for creating integrated, agricultural-focused platforms that will accelerate private sector investment in value added agro- processing to unlock opportunities for improved food security, job creation, import substitution, rural poverty reduction and increased contribution of agriculture to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product GDP.

Addressing the farmers in Dawakin Kudu and Kumbotso LGA’s, the Kano State SAPZ Project Coordinator Aminu Iliyasu, the initiative targets smallholder farmers, small agro – processors and traders as well as community-based service providers including women and youths from the catchment areas.

He said, the farmers will be supported by SAPZ to learn modern farming techniques, storage processes to reduce waist, farming implements as well as storage facilities.

He noted that, SAPZ will provide access roads, culverts and bridges to facilitate access to markets for the farmers among others.

He said, “SAPZ Programme has been piloted in Kura and Bagwai LGAs in kano state where a total of 1,000 farmers in Kano State, divided equally between 500 rice farmers and 500 tomato farmers as part of an initial pilot phase. Following the successful implementation of the pilot, the program has been upscaled to cover all sixteen Local Government Areas (LGAs) within the state.”

Speaking on the essence of the sensitization engagements, the project Coordinator further said, the aim was to educate Tomato, Rice, Sesame and Groundnuts farmers as well as women, Youths and people with special needs on the priority value chain and effective practices.

“The specific objective is to identify, mobilize and engage all relevant stakeholders to support and SAPZ initiatives and to also disseminate the program Information Education and Communication Materials (IECs).”

He encouraged farmers to maximize the opportunity and improve their income and Nigeria’s economy.

Mr. Iliyasu informed the farmers that, the overall Program development objective was to support the development of SAPZ in high food production areas to supply the domestic food market and create exportable surpluses.

It is also, “to improve the capacities of smallholder farmers, small agro – processors and traders and community-based service providers including women and youth, to take advantage of the market demand created by the SAPZ to sustainably enhance their income, household food security and resilience to climate change.”

Some of the farmers and local governments officials in Dawakin Kudu and Kumbotso LGA’s who spoke expressed satisfaction with the engagements and support to farmers.

They said if supported, they will contribute their quota to the development of the economy.