A World Bank assisted project, Kano state COVID-19 Action Recovery Stimulus, Kano CARES, has said it expended about N1billion to support farmers to enhance and boost their farming activities in the state.
The state project coordinator, Rufai Halilu, said the sum was expended on the procurement of solar powered water pumps, farm inputs and rehabilitation of feeder roads among other projects it carried out across the state.
Halilu stated this while inspecting the projects and said the intervention was to provide succour to farmers who are poor and vulnerable in order to uplift them and their livelihood.
He said, “Since inception, some six months ago, we have expended about N1 billion. We are giving the support to the farmers (poor and vulnerable).
“The intervention includes distribution of farm inputs to enhance and boost their farming activities and rehabilitation of feeder roads to ease access and transportation of their farm produce from their farmlands.
“Others were distribution of solar powered water pumps to address and reduce carbon emission, rehabilitation of VIP toilets in markets to address open defecation and sanitation and then rehabilitation of irrigation facilities during dry season.
“On farm inputs, no less than 980 farmers have so far benefited from the project. And we have expended not less than N300 million.
“We have carried out different projects across 38 LGAs in the state and we are planning to extend to the remaining six metropolitan LGAs,” Halilu however, stated.