Date: 2010-05-26

Following the success story of Shonga Commercial Agriculture Project in Kwara State, a 24- man delegation of agriculture experts was dispatched to the State by the Kano State Government to understudy the project with a view to replicating it in Kano State.

The delegation, which was led by the Coordinator of Kano State Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Alhaji Mohammad Badawi, was in the State on a 3-day fact-finding mission to Shonga, the home of Commercial Agriculture at the instance of the Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

With this development, Kano State Government had signified interest to partner Kwara State in Commercial Agriculture and other mutual benefit between the two States.

Speaking with newsmen at an interactive session shortly after members of the delegation returned from Shonga, the Coordinator described the Commercial Agriculture Project as a long lasting legacy, whose success story had been nurtured by commitment, hard work, determination and sincerity of purpose to make the project work.

Alhaji Badawi, who disclosed that the project is worth replication, urged the Federal Government to take a cue from the Commercial Agriculture initiative of the Kwara State Government in order to address the problem of food security in the country.

According to him, "if the Kwara State Government continues to accord the project the necessary priority attention and support the new Nigerian Farmers in Shonga, in due course, it would go a long way in turning around the State economy and agriculture in the country".

"What we have seen on the farm is so enormous that it represents a replica of what we have been nursing in Kano State over the years".

Also speaking, another member of the delegation and Chairman, Commercial Agriculture Development Association, Kano State, Professor Abdu Salihi, who identified lack of integrated rural development as a militating factor against rural transformation through the agricultural sector, lauded the Kwara State Government for the initiative.

He disclosed that Kano State Government would establish a good working relationship with the new Nigerian Farmers in the areas of soya bean and maize production.

Prof. Salihi expressed satisfaction with the level of cordial relationship between the new Nigerian Farmers and the host communities, adding that no single community was displaced as a result of the project.

He noted the high standard of business atmosphere and acceptable level of agricultural activities during their visit to Shonga, for which he gave kudos to the State Government.

Responding, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Professor Mohammed Gana Yisa congratulated Kano State for sponsoring the delegation to Kwara State, describing it as the largest the State had received in recent time on a visit to Shonga.

He told the delegation that what they saw on the farm was the outcome of Governor Saraki’s commitment to commercial agriculture in the State as a vital sector capable of addressing the problem of poverty and hunger.

Gana, however, advised the Federal Government to identify a few States who have comparative advantage in agriculture and give them support to boost food production in the country.

The Commissioner, who disclosed that the State was capable of raising production of paddy rice to one million metric tones annually by 2015 from its present 340, 000 metric tones, added that the country has no business importing rice.

Gana further told the visiting team that the State was blessed with about two million hectares of arable land out of which just about 30% was presently under cultivation and urged members to take advantage of the situation.

Mas’ud Adebimpe
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
26/05/10