ibironkeeniola 
Small and medium-scale farmers in Kano state are set to receive four improved varieties of rice seeds, under the World Bank’s Agro-processing, Productivity Enhancement, and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) project.
In collaboration with the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), during the Farmers’ Field Day in Kadawa village, Garin Malam Local Government Area of Kano State, the coordinator of APPEALS, Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim stated that deploying the right seed is incumbent to achieving success in farming.
He said the distribution of the seeds was to curb excess spending by the farmers and target more yields after harvesting. He noted that in this regard, applying insecticide will not be necessary to combat pest infestations using appropriate seeds.
Ibrahim urged the farmers to adopt the improved seeds in order to complement the efforts of the Federal Government in advancing the agricultural sector.
On value addition, he disclosed that APPEALS would soon start the training of selected 1,700 farmers to benefit from the programme, adding that the beneficiaries would be given free capital to establish their selected value chain, especially in rice, wheat and tomatoes farming and processing as well as other Agric businesses.
“Arrangements are ongoing to assist rice millers in Kwanar Dawaki with some facilities to enhance their productivity and compete favorably with foreign rice”, he stressed.
On his part, Officer in charge of IAR Irrigation Research Station, Kadawa, Dr. Yusuf Usaini, urged the farmers to embrace the new seeds adding that it would enable them to get more yield at the end of the farming season.
Usaini however assured the farmers of a boom in their yield provided the right procedure is followed.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA