Introduction
Like many other parts of Nigeria, farmers in Kano State have been very far from access to important extension service information particularly those into dry season crop production such as rice farmers. Smallholder farmers in Tokin of Warawa LGA, Kano state where not an exception. They lacked access to reliable Agricultural extension support and information; such as understanding better package of practice, input access, Market and other general information. Their crop yields were low because improved seeds were lacking. Village farmers were only exposed to unreliable suppliers of expensive and fake inputs dealers. The most topical problem was that the few reliable sources of extension information such as ADPs were located long distances
Farmer’s experience
Mallam Mukhtar Garba is42 years old farmer. He is a rice seed multiplication farmer from Tokin community of Warawa LGA of Kano State, he is blessed with 5 children from 2 wives, farming has been his business for close to25years. He is one of the 45,000 farmers networked, trained and supported with inputs to manage and showcased improved rice seed multiplication technology by KSADP – crop value chain development component under Sasakawa in year 2021 dry season intervention.
Mukhtar is second by the right in the picture Mukhtar standing besides his fertilizer bags
Testimony and Impact
I benefited a lot from my partnership with KSADP Dry-season Program and can now look at agriculture as a business. Before I used to harvest a maximum of 50 bags (3.7 metric tons) of paddy rice from the same one hectare of land, but now with the right production technology and quality inputs I received from Sasakawa last dry season, I harvested 102 bags (7.7 metric tons) of Faro 44 rice fromone hectare of land. I gave out 5 bags of 75kg each to farmers in the community as Zakkat for them to apply the certified seed in their respective farms, 12 bags for my family consumption and sold out 85 bags to the seed company at N16,500 each totalling N1, 402,500 (One Million Four Hundred and Two Thousand Five Hundred Naira Only). with the proceeds of that bumper harvest, I now open a shop at my community selling fertilizer and chemicals while expanding my rice seed multiplication to 1.5 hectare this wet season. I also used some portion of the profit to pay bills of my children school fees.
Lessons learned and actions to be taken.
Farms that received proper agronomic attention like mine is always attractive to bad persons. Last dry season even with the yield I realized, thieves stole 1.5 rows from my farm. Now I intend to fence my farm and hire a guard at the point of harvest to stop thieves from breaking into it.
