BATNF Boosts Farming In Kaduna

pmnews-placeholder

By Daniels Ekugo

In yet another strategic move to consolidate and sustain its agricultural interventions, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) recently launched its Maize Enterprise Development Project which is aimed at reducing poverty and creating wealth among smallholder farmers in Bizara Community, Zaria, Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria.

The 2015 Maize Enterprise Development Project, which is managed by the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), is the second phase of the Foundation’s three-year intervention cycle in the community. The project, originally launched in August 2014, is hoped to be completed before the end of 2016.

In his opening remarks at the recent event where the grains were handed out to the farmers, Alhaji Kabir Ibrahim, Zonal Manager, Maigana Zone, Kaduna State Agricultural Development Programme, expressed his gratitude to the management of the Foundation for coming to the aid of smallholder farmers, stating that several farmers from different communities have benefitted tremendously from the Foundation’s intervention, including Zango-Aya community area of Kaduna State.

Umar Barau, who represented BATN’s Cooperative Farmers Society in Zango-Aya community, said it was difficult for most farmers to make ends meet prior to the advent of the Foundation’s intervention which provided trainings as well as inputs for farmers to boost maize production.

Related News

His words: “Before now, many of us in the Zango-Aya community were local farmers operating at subsistence level, but now due to the intervention of BATNF, our farming business has transformed to a commercial level. I want to urge all the beneficiaries to take full advantage of this opportunity to further upgrade their farming operations.”

In his remarks, Mallam Isa, Chairman of the Bizara Farmers’ Cooperative, said he was grateful for the Foundation’s intervention in the community, stating that the beneficiaries in the community were now happier, healthier and better farmers due to the Foundation’s support.

Abimbola Okoya, General Manager, BATNF, while speaking at the flag-off ceremony restated the Foundation’s commitment to supporting smallholder farmers in rural communities by upgrading their farming from subsistence to commercial level.

She said: “First, I want to thank the Kaduna State ADP for their on-ground support to farmers, especially through the training programmes and procurement of inputs made available to farmers in Bizara. To this end, I urge the State ADP to continue to support us in facilitating market access to the farmers in order to enable them dispose their farm produce for higher financial gain.”

While stating that it is imperative for all stakeholders to work together in sustaining the intervention, Okoya enjoined all the beneficiaries to pay back the financial worth of the inputs given to them into their cooperative account to enable them purchase more inputs at the completion of intervention.
She added that  “we will continue to keep in touch with you through periodic visits to assess the impact of the intervention, as your success and progress in sustaining the project is very paramount to us.”

Load more