Agriculture

SASAKAWA Africa Association (SAA), under the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), has trained and empowered 75 women in tomato processing equipment.

The beneficiaries, who are from Kura and Garunmalam, are trained and empowered as part of efforts to cut post harvest losses in tomato production and enhance rural livelihoods in Kano on Tuesday.

The Country Director of Sassakawa, Dr. Godwin Atserthem, handed over the equipment as part of the Market Oriented Approach (MOA) of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), seeking to create wealth from agricultural value chains.

He handed over the equipment to the three women groups, urging them to make the best use of them, to end post harvest losses in their communities and create wealth for themselves.

He said that the processing equipment would strengthen the tomato value chain in the state and improve the livelihood of farmers in the communities.

The Project Coordinator of KSADP at Sassakawa, Mr. Abdulrasheed Hamisu, said the equipment would strengthen the business of tomato processing in the areas of paste, puree, juice and plum across the state.

According to him, the women are doing the business in a local way, because they lacked the capital to buy the equipment.

“We trained and empowered each group in the processing of tomatoes with the equipment.

They were also empowered with two tarpaulins, gas cylinder and accessories, display box, grinding will, packaging materials, steamer, boiler, washing bowls and branding stickers.

” This is to enable the three groups, comprising 25 members, making a total of 75 women, to continue with their businesses,” he said.

He noted that two of the groups were from Kura Local Government, while the third group came from Garun Malam Local Government Area.

Hamisu further explained that the women were selected based on their history in the business of processing tomato locally.

He said that the 75 beneficiaries were selected out of the 10,800 who were into the tomato value chain, while the remaining members were trained on improved production practices through the farmer field schools established by the project in their various communities.

“This is the third year of the implementation phase of the KSADP  project, which is funded by the Islamic Development Bank, Live and Livelihood Fund (LLF), through the Kano State Government.

He advised the beneficiaries to utilise the items given to them for their purposes.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Rukkaiya Kabir, from Kura Local Government, thanked the government, Sasakawa and Islamic Development Bank for their kind gesture.

She promised that the beneficiaries would train others in the community to amplify the benefits of the project.(NAN)

E.C

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