The Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) has assisted 2,000 farmers in Kaduna state, including youth, women and people with disability, with machines and technology to improve their productivity.
The World Bank supported federal government programme, being implemented in six states; Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and Lagos, has also improved farmers’ productivity in the affected states by 38%, according to APPEALS Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr. Abdulwasiu Olayinka Fawole.
Addressing the pre-seventh implementation support mission aimed at reviewing programme implementation in the participating states in Kaduna on Friday, AbdulWasiu said, we are here to prepare ourselves ahead of the main mission coming up between the 6th and 21st of December, which was why we have representative of the national project coordinator in charge of Kaduna here with us.
“Since the beginning of the project, we have been able to support the farmers who are in cooperative groups. About 2,000 of them have been supported in terms of machinery, improved technology to improve their productivity. On average, we have been able to improve their productivity by 38% in the state.
“The women and youth empowerment which is key to the Kaduna state government, we have been able to select 1,715 beneficiaries including 100 people with disabilities and special needs and we have concluded their training and started giving them grants,” he said.