The Atyap Multi-purpose Cooperative Union in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has entered into partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to mechanise agricultural production and processing in the area.
The Chairman of the Union, Mr Nuhu Ayuba, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zangon Kataf on Thursday.
Ayuba said that the move was part of efforts to boost agricultural production being the major source of livelihood of the Atyap people.
He explained that the partnership covered procurement of tractors, machinery and implements, as well as widows and youth empowerment.
He added that the union would also procure ginger processing machines for the processing of ginger to meet global standard, saying that the move was to cut off middlemen in the ginger value chain.
The chairman also said that the union in partnership with Nation Builders Cooperative Multipurpose Network, had also introduced agro-forestry in the area with focus on palm trees and economic trees plantation.
According to him, the goal is to ensure that all available lands are put to economic use all year round instead of the current rainy season-based farming which allows lands to waste away during dry season.
“This agro-forestry will enable farmers make the best use of their lands by cultivation of crops along with economic trees on the same piece of land for maximum benefits,” Ayuba said.
He said one hectare of palm trees would produce 3,500 litres of palm oil and fetch the farmer between N1.6 million and 1.7 million annually.
He said that the union planned to develop more than 1,000 millionaires in the land in the next four to five years.
Ayuba explained that the union, made up of various agro-based cooperative societies in the area was registered in April 2019 to among other things improve farming processes and reduce cost of production.
He said that the main goal was to reduce risk in agricultural production and ensure good returns on investment.
“Part of our services to members and other famers are provision of farm machinery and implements, acquisition of industrial machines and equipment for processing as well as skill acquisition trainings,” Ayuba said. (NAN)