The Kano State Government says it has recovered more than 1,200 acres of farmland through the rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure as part of efforts to boost agricultural production and strengthen food security.
The government also disclosed plans to establish 11 additional mini irrigation dams across 11 local government areas, a move expected to provide about 2,000 additional acres of irrigable farmland.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Danjuma Muhmud, while highlighting the ministry’s achievements, said the government began by establishing a comprehensive farmers’ database to provide reliable information for agricultural planning, budgeting and collaboration with development partners.
He explained that the database would enable the government to determine the number of farmers in the state and identify their needs in crop production, horticulture, livestock and other agricultural activities.
According to him, the ministry also assessed existing irrigation facilities and identified the need to rehabilitate major sites, including Jermambaka, Kadawa and Bunkure A and B.
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Muhmud said the interventions, approved by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, helped recover more than 1,200 acres of farmland for agricultural activities.
The ministry also collaborated with the Federal Government and the African Development Bank-supported Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme (ATASP) to recover an additional 200 acres for irrigation.
On major irrigation projects, he disclosed that the government was developing a large dam at Donsushia, designed to hold about three billion cubic litres of water and support irrigation on approximately 500 hectares, equivalent to 1,250 acres.
He said the construction of a 14-kilometre access road to the project site had been completed, while work on the dam had reached about 40 per cent.
He added that the irrigation channels were also being expanded beyond their initial scope to accommodate more farmland.
He said beneficiaries were provided with bulls, animal feeds and veterinary medicines to support fattening businesses and improve household incomes.
According to him, more than 13,000 beneficiaries had also benefited from goat and sheep distribution programmes, with women mainly targeted under the goat-rearing initiative and youths supported through ram-fattening schemes.
On fertiliser distribution, he said the state government, in collaboration with local governments, had procured nearly 700 truckloads of fertiliser over the last three years for distribution to farmers across the state’s 44 local government areas.
He added that the state also procured more than 54 truckloads from its fertiliser company in 2024, while the Federal Government supplied additional fertilisers, including urea, NPK and SSP.
Muhmud commended the Federal Government for providing farmers with fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides and improved seeds through its agricultural support programmes.
The commissioner further disclosed that the state had completed more than 70 milk collection centres to improve milk preservation, hygiene and marketing among pastoral communities.
He explained that the facilities were equipped with storage buildings, cooling systems and solar power installations, while milk transportation containers were ready for distribution.
The commissioner said the government had also completed several agricultural storage and aggregation facilities across local government areas to enable farmers to preserve their produce and reduce post-harvest losses.
Similarly, several cattle markets, including those at Dambulu, Falgore, Gwarzo, Udil and Lambata, had been upgraded with water facilities, veterinary clinics, solar lighting, drainage systems and loading ramps.
He added that the Dawanau grain market had also received improvements, including road rehabilitation, drainage, a police station, solar facilities and water infrastructure.
On rural access, he said the state government, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, had provided about 72 kilometres of tarred and surface-dressed agricultural roads to facilitate the transportation of farm produce to markets and storage centres.
Muhmud listed some of the benefiting communities as Gora, Modugi, Daning, Garko, Danguziri in Rogo, Wase, Baita in Minjibir and Dugal in Dambatta, among others.
The commissioner also said the government had reclaimed about 480 acres of land at the Agricultural Farm Centre (AFC) and returned it to the control of the state government.
He added that the transfer of the irrigation department from the Ministry of Water Resources to the Ministry of Agriculture had strengthened the state’s capacity to expand irrigation activities at locations including Thomas, Dambatta and Jikaradi.
On farmers-herders conflicts, he said the government had established and demarcated about 1,270 kilometres of cattle routes across the state.
According to him, the intervention had significantly reduced clashes between farmers and herders while improving access to grazing routes and protecting farmlands.
He said the various interventions were part of the state government’s broader strategy to modernise agriculture, increase food production, create rural employment, and achieve sustainable food security in Kano State.
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