Food security: Kaduna to establish 3 agric centres

The World Bank Commercial Agriculture Development Programme has granted the request of  Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state to allow the state  establish three agricultural aggregate  centres being the first of its kind in the country.

This was disclosed by the state Project Coordinator of Kaduna state Commercial Agriculture Development Programme, Alhaji Dalhatu Mustapha, during the signing of contracts agreement  his office.

Mustapha explained that out of the five CADP states in the country, only Kaduna was singled out for the aggregation centres.

He said that the centres would be gathering the products and converting them into value chains,pointing out that each of the three centres would store about 75,000 tonnes of assorted grains.

Also speaking, the acting National Coordinator CADP warned the contractors that if they failed to complete their contracts before the end of the CADP programme by May 31, the World Bank would not be able to pay them.

He said that but for the intervention of the Kaduna State Governor, no state  in the country would have benefitted from the project.

The acting National Coordinator further explained that aggregation centres are very important to agriculture because it provides opportunity to provide bulk products at a single centre.

In his remarks, the Task Team Leader (TTL), CADP, World Bank, Dr, Salau Shehu, said that he was happy to be present at the historic signing of contract ceremony.

“Let me remind the contractors that the opportunity comes with high expectations, charging the contractors to maintain high standards.

Responding on behalf of the contractors, Architect Ahmad Sani of Design Aid said that without waste of time, his company which has its head office in Abuja would swing into action to meet the deadline.

“We are mobilising to site immediately without wasting time,” he assured.

The three centres are located at Saminaka in Lere Local Government Area, Kachia Local Government Area and Giwa in Giwa Local Government Area.

They were chosen because they produce more maize, which is one of the products Kaduna was chosen for value chain improvement.