The Emir of Katagum, Umar Faruq, has urged farmers in Bauchi State to embrace dry-season farming to boost food production and achieve food security.
The emir made the call on Thursday, during the celebration of World Food Day, organised by the Foundation for Sustainable Smallholder Solutions, which operates across the Bauchi North Senatorial District.
Represented by the Uban Doma of the emirate, Ummaru Lili-Hassan, the traditional ruler said farmers could no longer depend solely on rain-fed agriculture, stressing the need to adopt modern farming technologies and expand cultivation beyond the rainy season.
He said, “Our people are farmers, but I am aware that the training by this group has empowered you with new technologies. So, I call on you to take the training seriously, especially for dry-season farming.
“We can no longer survive only with rainy-season farming. We need our farmers to embrace dry-season farming.”
The emir expressed confidence that the training and technologies provided by the foundation would encourage farmers to improve their agricultural practices and contribute to food security.
Speaking at the event, the Lead Brand and Communication Manager of the foundation, Clinton Inene, said the celebration showcased the achievements of its interventions over the past year across several local government areas in Bauchi North.
He explained that the project, which covers Katagum, Gamawa, Giade, Itas Gadau, Jama’are, Zaki and Shira local government areas, was designed to strengthen farmers’ resilience, improve livelihoods and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
According to him, the celebration provided an opportunity for farmers and other beneficiaries to display products and skills acquired through the intervention.
Inene said, “Today is more like a combination of all the activities that we have been doing for the past one year in Bauchi North.
“What we have been doing in these local governments is building resilience on the farm and strengthening the livelihood resilience of farmers.
“We have brought together farmers and beneficiaries to showcase what we have been able to achieve together and also celebrate World Food Day.”
He added that the foundation organised a farmers’ market where participants displayed agricultural produce and products from skills acquired outside farming.
He noted that some beneficiaries had ventured into activities such as bag production, paint-making, soap production and hairdressing, providing them with additional sources of income.
The Lead Brand and Communication Manager said the foundation had introduced several technologies to help them adapt to changing weather conditions and conserve resources.
He listed agroforestry, water-conservation techniques, irrigation systems, fertilisers and drought-resistant seeds among the interventions provided to farmers.
According to him, agroforestry encourages farmers to grow trees alongside crops, helping to improve soil quality and reduce the effects of adverse weather conditions.
He said the water-conservation techniques would enable farmers to retain water after the rainy season, while irrigation systems would support cultivation during the dry season.
The foundation’s manager also stressed the importance of improving farmers’ nutrition, noting that food security involved not only producing food but also having access to balanced and nutritious meals.
He highlighted that the organisation was promoting backyard gardening, the cultivation of fruit trees and the rearing of small livestock, including goats, rabbits and chickens, to provide households with additional sources of protein and income.
Inene further explained that the interventions were intended to strengthen farmers’ livelihoods while ensuring that they could maintain their health and productivity.
One of the beneficiaries, Umar Abdulraheem, a rice miller from Dogon Jeji in Jama’are Local Government Area, said the intervention had improved his business operations.
He pointed out, “I was empowered with milling machines, and a structure was also built for me, which improved the conduciveness of my business.”
Abdulraheem noted that the support had enabled him to move beyond selling rice like other traders to establishing a registered company with branded packaging.
“Before I met the foundation, I just sold rice like every marketer in the market, but now I have branded my package, and I am a registered company,” he added.
Another beneficiary, Sulaiman Auwal, said the training and market linkages provided by the foundation had improved his access to quality seedlings suitable for cultivation under unstable rainfall conditions.
Similarly, Hauwa Muhammad, a beneficiary involved in the production of local caps, said the foundation’s support had helped her develop her skills and generate income to meet her personal needs.
Arewa PUNCH reports that the World Food Day is observed annually on October 16 to raise awareness of hunger, food security and the need for sustainable food systems.
The theme for the 2026 celebration is “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow.”