In a bid to reduce post-harvest losses and boost farmers’ income, the Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project (KSADP) has constructed 61 Artificially Aerated Onion Storage Technology (AOST) facilities across the state.
The project, funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Lives and Livelihood Funds (LLF), aims to address the perennial problem of onion storage, which has been a major challenge for farmers in the state.
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According to the Project Coordinator, KSADP/SAA, Malam Abdurrashid Hamisu Kofar Mata, the AOST facilities will enable farmers to store onions for up to six months, reducing losses and increasing their income.
“The traditional storage methods used by farmers in the state result in losses of up to 50 percent,” Malam Kofar Mata explained. “But with the AOST facilities, farmers can reduce losses to as low as 5 percent.”
One of the beneficiary farmers, Bala Ibrahim, told our correspondent that the AOST facilities have been a game-changer for him and his fellow farmers.
“We can now store our onions for longer periods, and this has increased our income significantly,” Ibrahim said. “We are grateful to the KSADP and the funding partners for this initiative.”
The State Project Coordinator, Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project, Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, said the project is part of the state government’s efforts to boost agricultural production and reduce poverty among farmers.
“We are committed to supporting our farmers with innovative solutions that will improve their productivity and income,” Muhammad said.
The AOST facilities are environmentally friendly, using solar power to circulate air around the onions and keep them dry.
The KSADP is a state-led project aimed at promoting agricultural development and improving the livelihoods of farmers in Kano State.