‘We are reorienting extension workers and farmers to commercial agriculture’

Sir, you are in Katsina for a two-day training for farmers and agric extension workers which is in line with the Sasakawa/federal government new partnership on support for farmers and agriculture extension workers. Can you give us an insight into what this partnership entails?This project is collaboration between the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural […]

Sir, you are in Katsina for a two-day training for farmers and agric extension workers which is in line with the Sasakawa/federal government new partnership on support for farmers and agriculture extension workers. Can you give us an insight into what this partnership entails?
This project is collaboration between the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with Sasakawa Africa Association extension support project, so it is essentially an extension project that was established by the federal government through the Ministry of Agric and specifically under the department of agric extension. Sasakawa is an international NGO that has expertise in agricultural extension. For that reason, the minister of agric invited Sasakawa to partner with the ministry in order to give the development of new policy document by the federal government, on agric extension which the project is formulated, to give tactical meaning to this new policy dimension.
The policy is about reorienting extension to reflect the multi-stakeholder approach that is innovative, ICT driven, and a participatory one. The project is formulated to give meaning to this policy objective. And the federal government selected six states to commence operations – one state per geo-political zone. Katsina was selected for North West, Gombe for North East, Ogun for South West, Anambra South East, Cross River South South and Benue for North Central.
In each state we have engaged the agric extension organisation in the state which is essentially the agric development project, like here in Katsina, we are partnering with  Katsina Agriculture Rural Development Agency (KTARDA) which has the mandate for agric extension in the state, to build capacity of its extension staff, and also mount demonstration plot, particularly management training plot which is about a quarter of a hectare in various nooks and crannies of the state. Presently, this year, we have mounted 100 demonstration plots, 30 for sorghum, which is guinea corn, and 70 for maize.  And through this demo plots we are training farmers, showcasing improved technology for the cultivation of these two crops.
It also provides an avenue for institute training, training on site, and also other capacity building issues through the variety of these crops; improved cultural practices in terms of spacing, plant spacing, plant population per hectare, adequate usage of inputs like fertilizers, agro chemicals and other soil fertility enhancing technologies with the view to reaching a wider adoption by farmers.
What makes Katsina exceptional that it was chosen as one of the six pilot states for the projects?
The choice of Katsina State specifically was made by the federal government. It was based on the potentials of a quick win. Katsina has been hosting development projects for a very long time, and it has some experienced staff and the commitment of the state  government to extension programmes. You can see with minimal support you can see the impact that this project intends to achieve. This extension support programme of the federal government is serving as catalyst to add to what the state is already doing; Katsina has been noted to have invested a lot in terms of agricultural development particularly the extension arm as represented by KTARDA.
What are the benefits expected from this partnership, on agric extension on the farmers in the state?
The multiplier benefits are quite numerous. Firstly, we anticipate increased productivity by farmers which essentially is about increase in yield per unit farmland. We are showcasing technologies that will enhance production of maize and sorghum. Currently there are sorghum varieties particularly the hybrid that are registering about 9 tons in the farmers’ fields per hectare. But most of our farmers, you realise are cultivating the common seed which yields about 1.5 to 2.5 tons per hectare and you know Sasakawa has made a name in Nigeria in terms of maize production.
So we intend to bring improved technologies about maize to Katsina State and we anticipate at least by the end of this programme a minimum increase of about 6 tons per hectare to be registered by farmers in the state.
Secondly, we are redesigning the whole extension programme along a value chain approach. This new  value chain offers extension support and advisory along the whole commodity value chain of the two crops – maize and sorghum – up to harvesting and post harvesting and agro processing levels. We have series of trainings, capacity building activities planned with series of demonstrations on improving the quality and cleanness of produce and also we are going to demonstrate about improved storage mechanism which will reduce wastages that are been experienced by farmers. And lastly, the issue of marketing; we are also going to deal extensively on it as we move under this new partnership on extensions. We are reorienting the perception of both extension workers and farmers in practicing commercial agriculture; seeing farming as business and not just a part of life.
There is the fear of glut as it happened to wheat farmers in Jibia.
They produced the commodity in abundance but had no buyers. What assurance are you giving these farmers as they go into maize and sorghum?
The current approach in development; the moment you hear the word value chain it is that, the market determines production. You have to make an assessment of the market, in terms of what are the requirements of the market, how each commodity is needed, what quality, quantity, when they are needed. We have done this assessment in Katsina State; we have done the market research for the two crops, and most of our production plans are been implemented in about 15 local governments in the state. They are done following this market research output, so the markets are already established, just waiting for harvesting by the farmers.
I assure you the farmers will not be left with a single crop unsold.
What I would say of wheat, even though it’s not our major focus, but Sasakawa will very soon partner with the International Centre for Dry Land Agric in Tunisia, in developing a value chain as well on wheat.
We are part of the federal government’s task force to support the production and marketing of wheat.