Kano empowers 1,000 youths with skills to convert rice straw into profitable livestock feed.
The initiative promotes green farming, curbs pollution, and tackles rural unemployment across the state.
The Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) has launched a training program for 1,000 youths on how to utilize rice straw for livestock feeding, as part of efforts to create jobs and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, the initiative targets young people from rice-producing communities across the state. The goal is to turn what is often seen as agricultural waste into a valuable resource while curbing harmful practices like open-field burning.
A statement released by Ameen Yassar, the KSADP Communication Specialist, confirmed the development. He said the training began on Thursday at the Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta.
The State Project Coordinator of KSADP, Ibrahim Muhammad, who declared the training open, noted that the program aims to empower youth through practical knowledge on the alternative uses of rice straw.
“This training is vital for advancing sustainable agriculture and improving the economic conditions of our youth,” Muhammad said. “Instead of burning rice straw a practice that contributes to environmental pollution we are teaching them how to repurpose it for composting and livestock feeding.”
He added that the increased availability of livestock feed sourced locally from rice fields could help reduce nomadic movement, which has been linked to occasional security issues in the region. According to him, the initiative may also help ease tensions between farmers and herders in Kano State.
Muhammad observed that despite the rise in rice production in the state, rice straw continues to be underutilized. Farmers either burn the straw to clear fields for dry season farming or use it for roofing. However, he explained that rice straw treated with urea can serve as nutritious feed for livestock and contribute to healthy weight gain.
As part of the project’s broader goals, KSADP plans to establish 200 production hubs near irrigation schemes. These hubs will be managed by small youth groups who will receive grants or credit support to acquire machines, tools, and transport for producing and selling urea-treated rice straw feed.
“We’ve already secured the necessary machines,” Muhammad said. “Each group, made up of five youths, is expected to produce and sell up to 500 metric tonnes of feed during the harvest season. This will boost the supply of livestock feed within Kano.”
Also speaking at the launch, the Provost of Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Professor Muhammad Wailare, expressed his institution’s readiness to support the program. He said the trainees would be introduced to simple, low-cost technologies that could not only generate income but also foster environmentally friendly farming methods.
