Kano cassava farmers raise concerns over ‘daunting’ challenges
Cassava displayed at the village forum organised by Radio Kano in partnership with Enable 2 to discuss ways forward on cassava production in Kano. The event took place at Getso village in Gwarzo LGA of Kano State on Tuesday
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Cassava farmers in most parts of Kano State, on Tuesday, converged on Getso, a village in Gwarzo Local Government Area of the state to speak their minds on the daunting challenges hindering the production of cassava in the state.
They were brought together alongside other stakeholders, including the state government, to discuss the fortune of cassava production in the state at a village forum, organised by the Kano State Radio Corporation in partnership with Enable 2 Project, a United Kingdom government project support for a better business environment in Nigeria.
The forum entitled ‘Cassava Farming & Access to Market in Getso Community,’ afforded the participants to speak frankly on the factors hindering the growth of cassava in Kano rural communities.
The Secretary of the Kano State chapter of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Mallam Umaru Salihu, raised many issues on the growing of cassava in the area, including access to market by the farmers.
He lamented that farmers don’t have access to loan from the relevant financial institutions and that there has been no intervention from the government of recent.
‘’We were asked to register with the Bank of Industry to be able to access loans. More than a year that we had complied now in addition to the payment of 30 per cent as part of the conditions, we are yet to get the loan,’’ he said.
The traditional ruler of Getso community, Alhaji Bello Ibrahim Getso, who spoke on behalf of the farming community, also lamented absence of market for cassava in the area as well as that of parameter fences for the cassava farms, thereby exposing the crops to livestock.
Although, a farmer in the community, Ali Getso, noted that ‘’there is wisdom in cassava farming business because of the economic benefit of cassava marketing,’’
Other farmers in the community decried government’s attitude to the cassava production in the state.
Managing Director of the Radio Kano, the organiser of the event, Hajiya Sa’adatu Babaji, stressed the importance of growing cassava, which she said include its multiple usages and called on the farmers in the area to embrace its cultivation.
Team Leader, Enable 2 Project, Kevin Conroy, said his team is partnering some media houses for better business environment, adding that the forum brought the communities together to do a show on cassava sector and cassava value chain, which would help in their economic growth.
‘’It is a show to bring stakeholders together, from farmers to the agricultural experts and government so that they can discuss how to improve investment in the sector,’’ he said.
Kevin Conroy expressed hope that the problems mentioned and discussed at the forum, would be looked into by the state government, adding that the his team would be accessing its impact on the farmers from time to time.
The state Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, represented by Information Commissioner, Mohammed Garba, assured that all the issues raised at the forum would be looked into.
They were brought together alongside other stakeholders, including the state government, to discuss the fortune of cassava production in the state at a village forum, organised by the Kano State Radio Corporation in partnership with Enable 2 Project, a United Kingdom government project support for a better business environment in Nigeria.
The forum entitled ‘Cassava Farming & Access to Market in Getso Community,’ afforded the participants to speak frankly on the factors hindering the growth of cassava in Kano rural communities.
The Secretary of the Kano State chapter of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Mallam Umaru Salihu, raised many issues on the growing of cassava in the area, including access to market by the farmers.
He lamented that farmers don’t have access to loan from the relevant financial institutions and that there has been no intervention from the government of recent.
‘’We were asked to register with the Bank of Industry to be able to access loans. More than a year that we had complied now in addition to the payment of 30 per cent as part of the conditions, we are yet to get the loan,’’ he said.
The traditional ruler of Getso community, Alhaji Bello Ibrahim Getso, who spoke on behalf of the farming community, also lamented absence of market for cassava in the area as well as that of parameter fences for the cassava farms, thereby exposing the crops to livestock.
Although, a farmer in the community, Ali Getso, noted that ‘’there is wisdom in cassava farming business because of the economic benefit of cassava marketing,’’
Other farmers in the community decried government’s attitude to the cassava production in the state.
Managing Director of the Radio Kano, the organiser of the event, Hajiya Sa’adatu Babaji, stressed the importance of growing cassava, which she said include its multiple usages and called on the farmers in the area to embrace its cultivation.
Team Leader, Enable 2 Project, Kevin Conroy, said his team is partnering some media houses for better business environment, adding that the forum brought the communities together to do a show on cassava sector and cassava value chain, which would help in their economic growth.
‘’It is a show to bring stakeholders together, from farmers to the agricultural experts and government so that they can discuss how to improve investment in the sector,’’ he said.
Kevin Conroy expressed hope that the problems mentioned and discussed at the forum, would be looked into by the state government, adding that the his team would be accessing its impact on the farmers from time to time.
The state Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, represented by Information Commissioner, Mohammed Garba, assured that all the issues raised at the forum would be looked into.
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