By Rabiu Sanusi
The Propcom+ Team Lead, Dr. Adiya Ode, emphasized the critical need to bolster Nigeria’s rural economy by promoting sustainable agricultural practices to enhance incomes, livelihoods, and resilience among the rural poor.
She made this call during the Propcom+ Learning and Adaptation Programme held on Thursday at Bristol Palace in Kano.
The event witnessed an impressive turnout of over 100 agricultural market actors who shared diverse experiences.
Dr.Ode highlighted that smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs must adopt innovative business models and climate-smart agricultural practices to sustain their livelihoods.
A key focus was on Propcom+’s efforts to scale the last-mile delivery of animal vaccines.
”This initiative is enabling veterinary pharmaceutical companies to expand their distribution networks, thereby reaching smallholder farmers more effectively.
In his re remark the Kano State Commissioner of AgricultureI and Natural Resources, Dr. Danjuma, commended Propcom+ for its impactful initiatives and collaborations with programs supported by organizations like the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Islamic Development Bank.
He noted the program’s critical role in providing small-scale farmers and women with resources to mitigate environmental hazards, access modern farming techniques, and improve irrigation facilities, climate-resilient seeds, and farming equipment.
Several partners, including HarvestPlus, Premier Seeds Limited, SeedCo Nigeria, and Flour Mills Nigeria Limited, explored the current state of the climate-smart and biofortified seed market.
Discussions revealed a significant industrial demand for biofortified grains, which currently outpaces supply.
Dr.Ode further explained that Propcom+ is scaling access to improved climate-smart seed varieties through community seed multiplication (CSM) and rural seed promoter (RSP) models.
These models enable farmers to adapt to climate change, increase yields, and meet the growing demand for biofortified grains from food processors.
The program concluded with Propcom+ expressing gratitude for the participants’ active engagement and a commitment to fostering collaborations with market actors to enhance smallholder farmers’ productivity, incomes, and resilience.
Looking ahead, the organization aims to continue adapting and learning for even greater impact in the agricultural sector.
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