By Muhammad Nur Tijani

To accelerate paddy production, the SASAKAWA Africa Association, in collaboration with Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project, (KSADP), has established 15 small- scale rice processing centres in Kano State.

Sadik Hamman, KSADP/SAA Programme Officer, Nutrition – Sensitive Agriculture, disclosed this during a media field day visit to Karfi, Kura Local Government Area of the state.

The officer noted that SASAKAWA Africa Association was in partnership with KSADP to implement the crop enhancement component of the project, funded by Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Lives and livelihoods Funds (LLF).

Hamman said the Media Field Day was organised by SAA/KSADP to assess the activities of the project and the impact made so far among the beneficiaries.

He said the interventions seek to enhance cultivation, processing, packaging and marketing opportunities for the rice value chain.

According to him, the processing centres are equipped with rice milling and destoning machines, to ease the difficulties faced by women processors, who have to travel long distances to mill paddy rice.

Hamman said that the programme planned to establish other rice mills Rice mill

A beneficiary, Malam Dan’Asabe Karfi, said the project had improved his business.

“Before the project, it was difficult for me to make any profit and often ran into losses due to the poor output quality.

“With the intervention, I can now produce 20 bags as against five to six,” he said.

Another resident, Musa Ali, commended SAA for lifting the members of his community out of poverty through its intervention.

He said the gesture had also transformed his life by improving his earnings.

While promising to ensure effective utilisation of the machines and Ali expresseed readiness to share knowledge with others. (NAN)(www.nannews.com.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman