Benue Farmers Laud Sasakawa’s Impact on Food Production, Agribusiness

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Smallholder farmers and agricultural groups in Benue State have commended the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) for its interventions aimed at improving food production, agricultural mechanisation and agribusiness development across rural communities.

The beneficiaries, including extension agents, Community-Based Facilitators, Community Association Traders and Trainers, women and youth groups, said the interventions had strengthened their knowledge of climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture while improving crop yields and access to markets.

They spoke during a two-day media field tour of SAA-supported projects in Gwer, Gboko and Buruku Local Government Areas of the state.

At Chedu community in Gwer LGA, journalists inspected soybean and maize demonstration plots, intercropping initiatives and provitamin demonstration farms established under the programme.

Chairperson of the Women Farmers Cooperative Group, Mrs Patience Kwaghba, said improved seeds introduced through the programme had performed well despite challenging weather conditions associated with climate change.

Kwaghba said farmers had also received training in modern farming techniques, fertiliser and pesticide application, as well as methods for improving the nutritional quality and market value of their produce.

“We have learnt a lot from Sasakawa. They provided cassava stems and soybean seeds and taught us better farming methods, including how to apply organic and inorganic fertilisers and control pests,” she said.

According to her, the training and support have contributed to improved yields and better market opportunities for participating farmers.

SAA’s Head of Safe, Adequate and Nutritious Food Production and Utilisation, Moshood Suleiman, said the association also supported the establishment of a cassava-processing enterprise following an assessment of challenges facing farmers in the community.

Suleiman explained that although the community produced significant quantities of cassava and garri, the absence of adequate processing facilities limited opportunities for value addition.

He said SAA consequently provided a cassava grating machine with a processing capacity of five tonnes per hour, two fryers and a solar-powered borehole to support processing activities and improve access to water.

“We did this to promote value addition and create employment opportunities,” he said.

At Luga community in Gboko LGA, a farmers’ group leader, Mr Roland Aondoaver Mbatiav, said members had been introduced to improved soybean cultivation methods that had enhanced productivity.

The media team also visited Mbatie community in Buruku LGA, where SAA’s Head of Programme, Inclusive Markets and Agribusiness Development, Dr Jonathan Yassah, highlighted the organisation’s support for farmers.

Yassah said the intervention included demonstration plots for Cassava Basic 2, the provision of 3,000 cassava stems and agricultural equipment, including a mini tractor and an 18-horsepower power tiller.

He put the value of the support at more than N13 million, adding that the equipment was intended to reduce manual labour and improve productivity.

Leader of the Divine Open Door and Women Multipurpose Cooperative, Mrs Blessing Chichi, said SAA’s intervention in the community began in 2020 and included financial assistance, farm machinery and training.

According to her, members received training in weed control, record keeping and improved agricultural practices.

“We cultivated 58 hectares of cassava and soybean. With what we have achieved, we can compete across Benue, Nigeria and even Africa,” Chichi said.

She added that the cooperative had expanded its market opportunities and paid annual dividends to members.

Speaking on the purpose of the tour, SAA Nigeria Country Director, Dr Godwin Atser, said it was designed to give journalists firsthand exposure to beneficiaries, project sites, agricultural technologies and results from the organisation’s interventions.

Atser, represented by the Programme Manager, Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems, Nathaniel Otene, said SAA had implemented integrated agricultural extension programmes in collaboration with the Benue State Ministry of Agriculture and the state’s agricultural development authorities.

He said the interventions focused on supporting smallholder farmers across soybean, maize, rice and horticultural value chains, with the goal of moving households from subsistence farming towards commercially viable, market-oriented agriculture under the organisation’s “Grow to Sell” approach.

According to him, the interventions cover eight LGAs — Gwer East, Gboko, Tarka, Guma, Ushongo, Vandeikya, Buruku and Konshisha.

Atser said SAA had also established community-based seed multiplication plots on 1.5 hectares, involving 75 smallholder seed producers as part of efforts to strengthen local access to quality seeds.

He added that a maize demonstration starter pack had been provided to a farmer group, comprising fertiliser, herbicides and insecticide, to demonstrate Good Agronomic Practices and improve productivity.

The beneficiaries said continued access to improved seeds, agricultural machinery, technical knowledge and markets would further strengthen food production and rural livelihoods in Benue State.