DRY/IRRIGATION FARMING: How Hunkuyi dam boost economy.

DRY/IRRIGATION FARMING: How Hunkuyi dam boost economy.

By Nicholas Dekera
Dams play vital roles in agricultural cum economic growth. In Northern Nigeria where rain water goes off early paving way for dry season, dry

farming is a substitute. This feature, focuses  on the economic,
agricultural and other values of Hunkuyi Dam to Kaduna people also
bringing to bear, the effort of Kaduna State Government to give her
citizens water.
Dry /Irrigation farming in Nigeria remains one of the underdeveloped
or rather untapped virtues of Agriculture in Nigeria as a whole.
Recently, the Federal Government attested to the many opportunities
that comes with it.
The Water Resources minister Mrs Sarah Reng Ochekpe in a vi sit to
Gurara irrigation farm located in Azare Jere local government  in
Kaduna State said “We are right here in the pilot project where 100
hectares of land has been cultivated as a demonstration to show the
potential of irrigation farming in Nigeria.  You have seen the maize
farm, corn farm for animal feed and soya beans farm, all these were
planted in the last three months and they are due for harvesting now.”

The Minister further said that from what has been planted, it is
expected that 10 tons of corn flower would be harvested per hectare
and this is to show that if full scale irrigated farming takes off,
there would be adequate food for Nigerians. “The project under Gurara
Multipurpose Dam has 6000 hectares and has the capacity to feed the
whole of North-Central states when every hectare is put in to use”
Evidently speaking, most of such Dams in Northern Nigeria have
demonstrated aptly their strength in diversifying the economy of the
North. One of such dams is the Hunkuyi dam located in Kudan local
Government area of Kaduna State.
A visit to Hunkuyi capital of Kudan local Government with 138,992
(census 2006) the site of the dam depicts a combination of high level
dry farming, buying cum selling of rare agricultural products like
cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and a host of others.
Interestingly, the dam has attracted a high level of settlement around
the area. Mallam Kabiru Mahmud is a sixty nine years old settler in
the area, he practices dry farming around the environs Hunkuyi dam, he
said ‘’I use to farm maize before, as a maize farmer, I use to make
one hundred thousand naira per annum and sometimes up to one hundred
and fifty, when my friend Yusuf Danlami introduced me to this dry
season farming, at first it looked useless to me but I have realized
that more money is made from this dry season farming because now, I
cultivate not just maize but carrot, cabbage and even  onions. Last
year 2014 I made over two hundred thousand naira from here’’
Also speaking with another settler, Sani Ango alias ‘’Dan Kano’’ he
recapped his experience. According to him ‘’ if you buy a basket of
tomatoes from the farms around, you are sure of making a gain of two
thousand naira per basket especially the one we called ‘’Jos special’’
because it scarce and very good for cooking’’
Hunkuyi dam is a project of Kaduna State Government under the Ministry
of Water Resources, constructed in 2008. The dam and other like the
Galma dam under the Federal Government also facilitate the supply of
water for both economic and domestic purposes.
A part from the water vendors whose major source of supply is the
Hunkuyi dam, the State Government have also utilize the dam and others
for the supply of portable water within Zaria.
Report shows that the success in the Zaria water Expansion project
Construction Of 150mld Water Treatment Plant which as at the time of
filing this report was 80.41% effective completion is possible owing
to the dams.
Progress report from the Honorable Commissioner of Water Resources Ado
Dogo also indicated that Zaria water supply expansion and sanitation
project is ongoing as regards rehabilitation and expansion of
distribution network.
As at the third week of January 2015, progress report from the loan
procured from African Development Bank indicated that;
Bid Evaluation Reports (BER) and Recommendation for Award of
Contracts for Zaria Distribution Network Rehabilitation and Expansion
(Lots 1, 2, 3&4) were been forwarded to the African Development Bank
on 6th November, 2014 for No Objection.

Contracts for Lot 2- Tudun Wada, Wusasa/Kufena Gwargwaji Zones Network
Rehabilitation and Expansion and Lot 3 Sabon Gari Zone Network
Rehabilitation and Distribution were signed with the Contractor CGC
Nigeria Ltd on 23rd December, 2014. No Objection to sign contracts for
Lots 1& 4 is being awaited.
The Contract amount for Lot 2 and Lot 3 are N2, 920,941,028.78 and
N2,331,024,276.35 respectively.

Evaluation Report of Technical and Financial Proposal for Supervision
of Construction for Rehabilitation and Expansion of Distribution
Network Rehabilitation and Expansion has been forwarded to the AfDB
for No Objection to signed contract.

Bids for Procurement of Operational Vehicles are being evaluated.

The shortlist of firms for Design, Preparation of Tender Documents and
Supervision of Construction of Sanitation Facilities has been
forwarded to the AfDB for No Objection to issue Request for Proposal
(RfP).

The shortlist of firms for Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP)
Studies/ Design of Sanitation Promotion Strategy has also been
forwarded to the Bank for No Objection to issue RfP.

The Shortlist of firms for Management and Commercialization/ Customer
Enumeration has been forwarded to the Bank for NO Objection to issue
RfP.

The Short list of firms for Solid Waste Management Study/Pilot Scheme
has been forwarded to the Bank for NO Objection to issue RfP.

Institutional Reform and Capacity Building has commenced with In-House
training and International Workshops and Seminars for Kaduna State
Water Board Staff.

Also in Supply, Installation and Services of Auto -synchronization
Panel and Generators at Zaria 50MLD WTP Auto-synchronisation Panel has
been installed and tested in readiness for commissioning.