Katsina State Government has reiterated its commitment to continue to support its agencies that would boost agricultural productivity.
The Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Masari on Agriculture, Dr. Abba Yakubu Abdullahi, made this known on Saturday during the mid-term stakeholders meeting of RAYUWA project, in Katsina.
The project is an initiative of Pyxera Global, an NGO that works to enhance food security in the country in partnership with the federal and state governments.
He commended the project for its impact in improving the lives of the rural populace in Kafur, Malumfashi, Bakori and Danja Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Earlier, the Director of the programme, Dr Lekan Tobi, said the primary aim of the project was also to improve the agricultural practices of farmers.
According to him, it can be achieved by supporting them through the value chain of food production, processing and marketing.
He explained that the RAYUWA project had provided seeds and other farming inputs to farmers and trained them on modern methods of planting and processing of various food crops.
Tobi noted that the project had also encouraged school enrolment by providing teaching and learning equipment and recruiting teachers within the benefiting communities.
The Dan-Galadiman Katsina, and District Head of Kafur, Alhaji AbdurRahman Rabe, lauded the efforts of RAYUWA project in enhancing the agricultural practices of small holder farmers.
He added that the NGO had supported farmers through mechanisation, provision of farming inputs and training on global best practices in crop and livestock agriculture.
In his remarks, an official of the project, Alhaji Auwal Mahmud, said in the course of implementing the project, structures were put in place to ensure its sustainability, particularly by creating community ownership and providing step-down training for beneficiaries.
Some of the beneficiaries, Malam Nasir Usman and Ibrahim Isiyaku, said the project had improved their income and enhanced their farming practices.
Another farmer, Abubakar Usman, said with the seeds donated by the project, he made over N2 million profit from last year’s dry season farming.