CASCADE Nigeria Project Commences Agricultural Input Supply Workshop
Mr Isaac Ishaya Audu, the Care International, CASCADE Nigeria Project Manager for Bauchi State, giving an overview of the project. Photo: Murtala Muhammad
By Murtala Muhammad
A three-day Agricultural Input Supply Workshop has commenced in Bauchi with participants from four implementing states of Bauchi, Jigawa, Kebbi and Nassarawa.
The workshop is organized by Care International, CAtalising Strengthened poliCy action for heAlthy Diets and resiliencE (CASCADE) Nigeria project implementing
The CARE International, CASCADE Project Manager Mr Isaac Ishaya Audu said the workshop is aimed at identifying ways to provide opportunities for small holder farmers to accept agricultural inputs and make market linkages with agriculture product firms.
Mr Isaac Audu said it is intended to create a platform for learning and share technical experiences and services of products being produced by the various private sector actors.
This according to him, would provide the project to underscore the opportunities that would help in creating access to sustainable services for small holder farmers.
The Project Manager said CASCADE is supporting women in agriculture to explore agric related opportunities, especially nutrition, with a view to identifying models and leverage on nutrition-based services being produced by private sector.
Mr Isaac Audu said “our interest is to engage market based solutions, to engage closely around the Demand and Supply. The private sector is mainly looking at the supply aspect within the Agro Input Supply Chain, we’re also interested in the demand side where the small holder farmers fit in, how convenient are those products and services to them and how convenient can they be able to access the service”.
He said CASCADE as a project implementing in the four northern states would sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Agricultural Development Programmes to leverage on the governments’ existing structures to strengthen the system through capacity building.
The workshop is expected to at the end of the day strengthen linkages and supply networks for sustainable access to agricultural inputs for small holder farmers in Nigeria.
Our Correspondent reports that the participants were drawn from the four operating states’ ministries of Agriculture and Agricultural Development Programmes, Civil Society Organisations, implementing partners and the academia.
