AgricultureBusinessNewsNigeriaSasakawa : Women Farmers Commend NGO for Provision of Seedlings, Training

Women farmers in Maiganga Community in Gombe state, have commended Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), a Non Governmental Organisation for providing them with improved soybeans seedlings while also training them on soybean processing.

Speaking  in Maiganga community, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe state, the farmers were appreciative for the gesture.

Magdalene Isiaku, a soybeans farmer said “ I am very happy today because I am now richer after harvest compared to the time that I used to farm without any knowledge of how to make more from farming.

“Some six months ago, Sasakawa came to us and gave us training and improved soybeans seedlings which I decided to try but today I am happy I made that decision. My yield from that improved seedlings is way better than what I got before with the old seeds.

Isiaku stated that her income from her soybeans farming had risen from N20, 000 to nearly N50, 000 while she also made food from the processed soybeans to feed her children.

“ My children since I started feeding them with the processed product from soybeans, they are now stronger and healthier and this makes me very happy because my income and children are doing very well,’’ the excited mother of three said.

Mrs. Agnes Samaila, another farmer trained by Sasakawa confirmed to our correspondent that she received improved soybeans seedlings, adding that the seedlings given to them by Sasakawa were more than twice better than the old seeds they were used to.

Samaila, a graduate of College of Education, Billiri said the impact of the training and the use of the improved seedlings “has given me more money. Though I don’t have a job but with this training, they have created additional vocations for me besides just farming.

“After farming and harvesting, another job starts which is processing to get more from the soybeans unlike before that we just harvest and sell them out,’’ she said.

Samaila appreciated Sasakawa and the GSADP for coming to their community to render this assistance which according to her has empowered all the women in the group that were trained.

Mrs. Yelwa Jonathan, a grandmother who has been farming for over 30 years said “Sasakawa has taken me out of poverty. I no longer depend on anyone for money because I make my money from processing soybeans which gives me more money.

“ I have been farming for years and I can tell you that I have never been given this kind of training; so I am grateful to Sasakawa and GSADP for their efforts,’’ Jonathan said.

They, however, appealed to Sasakawa, GSADP to give them more training and assistance in the area of packaging so that they can make more money and empower more women in their community.

On his part, Uba Garba, the village head of Maiganga community said he was grateful to Sasakawa for their effort in assisting women farmers to make more money while alleviating poverty in their households.

“We are poor people here and farming is our vocation. What you have done is helping us out of poverty and we are grateful,’’ he said.

Highlights of the visit by officials of Sasakawa and GSADP include a demonstration by the women group on how they processed their soya products, cultural display as well as the question and answer session to further clarify areas that the farmers had difficulties.