UN Food Security project records successes in Gombe amidst Covid-19 restrictions

The UNDP-Global Environment Facility, GEF Project of building greater community resilience in food production has recorded blessings in Gombe State, despite the twin challenges of the Covid-19 Lockdown and the early cessation of rainfall in the country.

The successes were recorded by the project office in Gombe, during the 2020 review meeting of stakeholders made up of the Project Consultant, Extension workers and officials of the project in Gombe.

Reviewing the year 2020, the Desk Officer of the project, Mr. Maina Jonathan, said despite the challenges of the Covid-19 and its attendant restrictions, the Gombe State Government was the first state among the seven beneficiary states of the UNDP-GEF Project states to release its counterpart funds.

Mr. Jonathan said because of the release of the counterpart funds in the Gombe State, the project had now been scaled up in one more local government area, bringing the number of beneficiary communities to 15.

The project was initially operating in ten communities in Balanga and Kaltungo Local Government Areas, but now the successes of the project is being scaled up in five communities in Akko Local Government area.

The goal of the project is for selected farmers in those communities to be trained on modern farming and the integrated Approach on Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in the Savannah Zones of Northern Nigeria. Mr. Jonathan said the year 2020, despite the challenges, did not stop the project from conducting the usual demonstration farms. “This same year, we have given our farmers, especially the female farmers, livelihood support. We have given them goats, which are expected to be replicated to another member. For

instance, if a goat reproduces, after weaning, the young one will be given to another farmer. So, the programme will continue to be expanded in that way,” Mr. Jonathan said.

Some of the other successful activities of the project in the ten initial beneficiary communities in Gombe State cover the distribution of seedlings to the extension workers, who in turn distributed them to the farmers in their communities to combat desertification.

The farmers were also trained on various methods of erosion control, such as terrace farming, farming in sloppy areas and placing of stones or sandbags across sloppy areas and streams to control water erosion.

Despite the effect of the twin challenges of early cessation of rains and the restriction of movement due to the Covid-19 Lockdown, the project said the crops crop yield this year had not been that bad.

It, however, said it was determined to overcome any shocks next year.

According to the Project Consultant, Mr. Silas Lass, the project was sensitising the Extension Agents on how to mitigate such incidences next year, while expecting them to in turn sensitize farmers on how to overcome the 2020 negative effect of the weather on farms, such as the survival of the trees planted for the control of desertification and crop yield.

“Even at this moment, we are giving them some sensitisation activities that they should do in order to prevent some further mortalities, especially now that we are going into the dry season. We are now advising them, we are now sensitising them on some of the activities that they should do in terms of maintaining their tree in the field so that they can survive even the hard times that are coming up during the dry season. Concerning the annual crops, these are the crops that already have their calendars of planting. For those who planted within the framework of the calendar months that requires the moisture, those plants were able to survive. But those who planted them late had to face the consequences of late planting,” said Mr. Lass.

The project works with various groups in the beneficiary communities in order to pass down the knowledge acquired.

However, during the execution of the projects, the extension workers face various difficulties and challenges.

For the Extension Agents, they said that they are ever prepared for the dry season farming, as well as the rainy season farming, especially in avoiding the effects of early cessation of rain the demonstration farms.

Mr. Marktrust Edwards, the Extension Agent of the beneficiary community of Kun’ye in Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State said he had learned a lot from this year’s challenges and hoped to ensure that the negative effects are not repeated next year.

“One of the areas I need to improve on as an agent is the issue of group dynamism. Stronger ties with the groups in order to ensure synergy for productivity in the groups. This year has been challenging, but there are a lot of positives when it comes to restrategizing in order to achieve better yield next year,” Mr. Edward said.

The project established demonstration farms in rice, Soya Beans and Groundnuts, teaching farmers how best to gain maximum yields from small portions of land.

According to the Desk Officer of the project in Gombe State, the team is now prepared for the dry season farming.