Kano records major gains in agriculture, food security under Yusuf administration – Commissioner

The Kano State Government says it has achieved significant milestones in agricultural development and food security over the last three years through strategic investments in irrigation, mechanisation, farmer support programmes and livestock development.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Danjuma Mahmud, disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Kano while reviewing the ministry’s achievements and preparations for the 2026 wet season farming activities.

Mahmud said the ministry began by establishing a comprehensive database of farmers across the state in line with the development blueprint of Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration.

According to him, the database provides accurate information on farmers, farm locations, sizes and contact details, enabling government and development partners to effectively plan and implement agricultural interventions.

“We generated reliable data from the farm gate level and tested it through direct communication with farmers. We recorded over 82 per cent response rate, giving us confidence in the integrity of the database,” he said.

The commissioner said the database had enhanced collaboration with development partners, including the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, African Development Bank, European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

He said the government had also undertaken extensive measures to improve agricultural infrastructure and productivity across the state.

Mahmud revealed that about 1,300 kilometres of cattle routes had been demarcated to address recurring conflicts between farmers and herders, while irrigation facilities were rehabilitated to restore over 1,230 acres of cultivable and irrigable land.

He added that the state government successfully recovered the Kadawa irrigation facility and returned it to state ownership to boost agricultural production.

The commissioner said the state government had procured and distributed more than 630 trucks of fertiliser over the past three years, with some consignments supplied free of charge to farmers.

He noted that the state also benefited from Federal Government support through the provision of urea, SSP and NPK fertilisers, many of which were distributed freely to farmers.

Mahmud said the ministry facilitated the construction of about 72 kilometres of rural roads to ease the transportation of agricultural produce from farms to markets and storage facilities.

According to him, the government also intensified livestock vaccination programmes and promoted the use of climate-smart, drought-resistant and early-maturing seed varieties to improve crop yields and resilience against climate change.

He disclosed that the government had acquired modern agricultural equipment, including tractors, combine harvesters, transplanters, spraying machines and rice processing facilities, which would soon be deployed across the state.

The commissioner further stated that the government had secured a large number of solar-powered irrigation pumps to reduce farmers’ dependence on costly fossil fuels and enhance dry-season farming activities.

In the livestock sector, Mahmud said the state, in collaboration with development partners, established 20 milk collection centres equipped with storage and solar-powered facilities to improve dairy production and marketing.

He described the initiative as one of the largest dairy support programmes by any state government in the country.

The commissioner also highlighted the construction of a major irrigation dam at Tansosia, describing it as the most ambitious irrigation project currently being undertaken by the state government.

According to him, the two-kilometre-long dam will store up to three billion cubic litres of water and irrigate approximately 1,250 acres of farmland upon completion.

He added that a 14-kilometre access road was being constructed to facilitate the evacuation of agricultural produce from the irrigation site.

Mahmud further disclosed that the government had developed 11 small earth dams across local government areas, including Albasu, Shanono, Gari, Dawakin Kudu, Rogo and Bichi, with a combined irrigation capacity of about 1,200 acres.

He said improved designs being introduced at some of the sites could expand the irrigable land to about 2,000 acres.

Assessing the overall performance of the ministry, Mahmud said an independent evaluation commissioned by the state government rated the ministry’s implementation of the administration’s agricultural development targets at about 80 per cent.

“The assessment was conducted by independent evaluators using the milestones, benchmarks and key performance indicators contained in the administration’s development blueprint.

“We are encouraged by the outcome and remain committed to achieving even greater results in agricultural productivity, food security and poverty reduction,” he said.