CASCADE Engages Stakeholders On Agro-Inputs Supply Chains
BY KHALID IDRIS DOYA, Bauchi
A three-day Agricultural Inputs Networking workshop organised by Catalyzing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience (CASCADE) with the aim of creating a platform for learning and sharing in technical experiences and services has opened in Bauchi Wednesday.
The workshop has brought together the private sector actors, members of the academia, civil societies, government’s ministries of agriculture and other key principal actors within the act of inputs network across four states of Bauchi, Jigawa, Kebbi and Nasarawa.
Speaking at the workshop opening ceremony, CASCADE Project Manager, Isaac Ishaya Audu, said that products being provided by the various private sector actors with the intention to leverage the workshop to underscore the opportunities that could help in creating access to sustainable services for small holder farmers.
Audu said, “We have key principal actors from Bauchi, Kebbi, Nasarawa and Jigawa ministries of agriculture, and Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) across the four states. We also have members of the academia from federal universities in the four selected states.”
He said however that for the private sector participation, they were drawn from various corners across the country, depending on where they currently have active operations.
The project manager explained that the workshop expectation is to strengthen linkages and market access for inputs for the small holder farmers, as it try to underscore what are those flexible products and services that have strong components to nutrition that could go a long way if access is actually created to access those services without a problem.
Audu further stated, “Our intention is to leverage market-based solutions to engage closely around the demand and supply. The private sector mainly are working at the supply aspect within the agro-inputs supply chains, but our interest is to see from 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 disclosed that Casket across the four states is going into memorandum of understanding with agricultural development programmes mainly to leverage on the government’s existing structures to strengthen the system by providing capacity building, and leverage the extension system within the ADPs to continue to provide support to the small holder farmers.
“The intervention is particularly interesting to leverage on women in agriculture structures across the LGAs in the states whom have responsibilities in working closely with women farmers to provide training around different food based looking facilities, and other nutrition education services for women.
He concluded, “We want to strengthen that unit closely by ensuring the structures are up and doing in providing efficient services. This memorandum of understanding is to usher in working relations between CASCADE as an intervention and the ministries of agriculture across the four states”.