Kwara ACReSAL fund helps farmers expand farms, create jobs

Beneficiaries of the Kwara State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (KWACReSAL) Community Revolving Fund (CRF) have expanded their farms and engaged additional workers following the disbursement of funds under the scheme.

The development was reported during a post-disbursement monitoring exercise conducted by the KWACReSAL team across 10 beneficiary communities in the state.

The communities visited were Adewole, Warah, Afon, Oke-Ogun, Iponrin, Tsaragi, Shonga, Lafiagi, Lade and Patigi.

The monitoring exercise was aimed at assessing how beneficiaries were using the funds, documenting early outcomes, identifying challenges and providing guidance on the management and sustainability of the revolving scheme.

The first phase of the intervention targeted 50 Community Interest Groups comprising about 1,000 beneficiaries, particularly women, youths, farmers and other organised community groups.

The funds are provided as a revolving facility, with beneficiaries expected to repay within an agreed period to allow other members of their communities to benefit.

During the visits, the monitoring team inspected farms and other livelihood activities supported by the fund, while also engaging beneficiaries and community leaders on their experiences.

Some farmers said the intervention had enabled them to cultivate larger areas of farmland than they could previously afford, increasing their planting capacity during the current farming season.

The expansion has also created additional employment opportunities, with some beneficiaries reporting that they had hired more labourers to work on their farms.

A beneficiary, Kayode Musa of Agbenise Cooperative Society in Afon, said the support had enabled him to expand his farming activities and venture further into livestock production, including poultry.

Another beneficiary, Isiaka Yakubu of Ounje Lawo Cooperative Farming, Afon, said the increased scale of farming had created opportunities to engage more workers.

Isiaka Sulaiman of Ifesowapo Community, Gbago, said the scheme had encouraged members of his group to work together and plan for the future.

“The intervention has given us hope and encouraged us to work together. We now understand that if we manage the fund properly and repay as required, other people in our community will also have the opportunity to benefit,” he said.

A female farmer, Akinsola Princess of Ifesowapo Cooperative Farming, Oke-Ogun, said the support had allowed the cooperative to expand its farmland and employ more labourers, raising expectations of a better harvest.

The beneficiaries also called for continued monitoring, technical support and capacity building to help them maximise the funds and meet their repayment obligations.

The KWACReSAL monitoring team stressed the need for prudent management of the funds, proper record keeping and timely repayment, noting that the revolving nature of the scheme was essential to extending the intervention to more community members.

The project said the monitoring exercise would also provide first-hand information on the impact of the fund and guide improvements in subsequent phases of the programme.

KWACReSAL said the CRF is designed to strengthen the economic resilience of communities by providing financial support for sustainable livelihood activities.