Project on Support to Agricultural Research and Development of Strategic Crops in Africa: CRP Report from Kano in Nigeria for the period of January to June

Abstract

This quarter report covers the period from 1st January to March 31st 2015. Rice-wheat-vegetable rotation trial was carried out at Kadawa and is being harvested. Field days were organized at Kadawa and Alkamawa on 21 and 22 March, 2015, respectively. A total 200 and 150 participant attended the field days at Kadawa and Alkamawa respectively. The number of female participants was 50 at Kadawa and 40 at Alkamawa. Seed System workshop was organized on 23-24 March, 2015. A total of 61 stakeholders in the seed industry attended the workshop. Papers were presented by relevant stakeholders at the workshop. At the end of the workshop, responsibilities were shared to seed stakeholders in order to achieve effective seed system to meet the national wheat seed supply. Farmer field schools were conducted in all the operating platforms at Kadawa, Bagwai and Alkamawa. A total of 2000 farmers were trained. A total of seven scientists attended the East-West SARD-SC Lowland Wheat travelling workshop at Sudan. Seed production farms of SARD-SC farmers were monitored and inspected by seed certification officers of National Seed Council (NASC). Some the problems encountered in the execution of the project are insecurity in some project sites, incidence of aphids on Norman variety which affected its performance at Alkamawa, slow procurement process and lack of vehicle.