The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Rising transportation costs hurt farmers, food processors

    Rising transportation costs hurt farmers, food processors

     Agriculture, like other sectors of the economy, is dependent on transportation to move people and produce from one point to another.Transportation is also needed to receive supplies and materials for use on the farm. But, high freighting cost is having a significant impact on farmers, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Farmers and food producers are raising the alarm that the cost of moving produce is   getting higher.

    The increase in trucking costs is being blamed on some factors such as unavailability of trucks, bad roads  and  high  fuel costs.

    For instance, in Iseyin, Oyo State, a cassava production belt, the cost of moving 30 tons of cassava has moved to N15,000, from N10,000 two years ago.

    It was learnt the situation is of major concern for consumers and produce growers.

    This has pushed up operating costs for farmers, who would then pass the additional costs  to consumers.

    Expressing concern, the  country coordinator, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-processing Project (CAMAP), Mr. Ayodele Omowunmi, said farmers in Igunrin Village, Iseyin, are finding it costly to  move their  cassava to The Allied Atlantic Distilleries Ltd (AADL) at Igbesa in Ogun State where their  tubers can be processed to ethanol.

    AATF is an international  programme working with smallholder and commercial farmers from Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Kogi states, to deploy machines to assist them in improving the cassava value chain.

    AADL is the first and largest cassava-based ethanol producing plant in Africa. It has an installed capacity of  10 million litres  of ethanol per year and requires 240 tons of cassava daily at an average of 10 tons per hour.

    He  said CAMAP facilitated the partnership between the farmers and the company to ensure steady daily supply of cassava to meet up with the requirement.

    He urged the government to assist farmers through the provision of adequate vehicles to transport cassava from the farm to promote the growth of the business.

    The Chief  Executive, Natural Nutrient Limited, Sola Adeniyi,  said  rising freight costs as a reason for lower profit margins with more pain as  vehicles break and higher diesel prices make it even more expensive to transport farm produce to the market .

    Adeniyi  said high transportation costs hurt profits, preventing them from taking advantage of lower commodity prices.

    According to him, the benefits that should trickle down to the farmers are locked down by high cost of transportation, which eats into their profits.

    The National Publicity Secretary, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN),Anga Sotonye, said most of the agro commodities containers coming into the ports are not attended to in time thereby affecting timely shipments.

    According to him, it is one thing to aggregate agro exports for onward movement to the ports, but moving goods through the road to the port is the bigger challenge.

    He urged the government to tackle the situation on Apapa port access road, adding that its conditions are an obstacle.

    Sotonye complained that the ports have recorded slow turn around times.

    He said the road users were fed up with delays that have stretched for several  days.

    The  Group Managing Director,  Niji Group, Kola Adeniji, said there are  challenges facing food supply chain.

    According to him, things are becoming stretched across food supply chain and current logistics thinking is no longer fit for purpose.

    He explained that the transport infrastructure that are dilapidating is bringing challenges to food manufacturers and logistics companies.

    Meanwhile, the  Oyo State Executive Council said it has approved the rehabilitation of the 65km Moniya-Ojutaye-Iseyin Road for the sum  N6,952,565,074.97.It said the project is expected to be completed in 18 months.

    The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said the 65km road had been awarded to M/S Oladiran Engineering and Trade Nigeria Limited, explaining that the contractor was picked after careful evaluation of both technical and financial responsiveness by the state Consultants on Road Projects under the leadership of Reyog International Nigeria Limited.

    He pointed out that 30 per cent of the contract sum will be paid to the contractor as advance payment subject to the provision of an open-ended advance payment guarantee from a reputable bank.

    Arulogun maintained that the road will boost both intra and intercity transport links, improve trade, drastically reduce intercity transport connection, encourage trade and investment as well as to generally bring about better socio-economic development to the citizenry.

    He noted that this is in line with the Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s philosophy to decongest traffic at all entrances and exits to the state as part of the massive infrastructural development going on in the state.

  • Fadama builds N42m centres to prevent loss

    The Niger State Fadama Project Coordinator, Aliyu UsmanKutigi, an engineer, said the state coordination office has constructed six aggregation centres to prevent post food harvest loss for N42 million.

    Speaking in Minna during a workshop on Probity and Accountability for Desk Officers and Facilitators of Fadama in the state, Kutigi said the aggregation centres which were constructed at Badeggi, Katcha, Kutigi, Izom, Sabon Ramu and Sabon Ushe  will enable farmers store farm produce with minimal farm produce getting spoilt.

    The Fadama Project Coordinator said the workshop would enable the participants contribute their quota to the state and Federal Government crusade against corruption.

    “Fadama 111 AF aims to train its staff so that it will in no small measure eradicate or reduce corruption in agricultural sector which is the backbone of the nation’s economy,” he said.

    He stressed the need to imbibe the culture of attitudinal change in all administrations.

    The Lead Resource Person,  Hon Danladi Umar Abdulhameed in his presentation, said corruption cuts across all sectors as everybody or group in the society is to blame.

    He recommended reward for the hardworking and honesty and punishment of perpetrators of corrupt practices.

    He added that government needed to strenghten agriculture, education, health and other critical sectors in order to chase poverty, hunger, ignorance and diseases out of the country.

  • AFAN decries non-supply of farm input

    The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Kaduna State chapter has raised the alarm over the non-supply of farm input for dry season farming.

    Speaking in Zaria, its Chairman, Alhaji Nuhu Aminu appealed to the Federal Government to intervene.

    He said the call became imperative because dry season farming under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) had not started.

    “The GES dry season farming programme ought to have started in October last year, but up to now, nothing had been done

    “We are already in January and we are still waiting for its commencement. I want to use this medium to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Agriculture to launch the 2017 GES dry season farming so as to enable farmers across the country to access farm input.

    “The fertiliser and seeds under GES are genuine inputs; they are supplied at subsidised rates to boost the morale of farmers and increase agricultural production.

    “We usually get discounts on the prices of the inputs and this assistance has been beneficial to many smallholder farmers,’’ he said.

    Aminu said farmers across the country had complied with the directive of President Buhari to return to farm.

    He said the directive had yielded positive results as many Nigerians had now embraced farming as their livelihood.

    “As farmers, we have listened and complied with the President’s instruction; we went back to our farmlands and produced enough food last year.

    “However, we are already in the dry season farming period, which started since October, but up to this time, neither fertilisers nor seeds nor chemicals had been released to farmers,’’ he said.

    He stressed the need for the government to do something urgently to sustain the support of farmers for government policies and programmes.

    “Things are not moving well as far as dry season farming is concerned; therefore, government needs to do something urgently to improve agricultural activities and keep the farmers’ faith in it,’’ he said.

    Aminu, however, called on the citizens to support the government in its efforts to execute its agricultural policies and programmes.

    “Failure to supply fertilisers, chemicals and seeds will not augur well for the next farming season because we don’t have enough seeds to plant.

    “Apart from that, the assistance from government has been helpful in encouraging people, especially the youth at the grassroots, to embrace farming,’’ he said.

  • ARMTI trains farmers

    ARMTI trains farmers

    Concerned about national production and eradicating hunger, the Executive Director, Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni,  has said the  research institute is determined to support sustainable food  production to improve food security and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.

    According to Oladunni, the organisation will work to help farmers participate in “viable, safe and dignified” entrepreneurial opportunities in the value chain.

    Addressing a training on Agribusiness for Women and Youths in River State, and the National Training of Extension Managers in Value Chain Development, held at the institute’s headquarters in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, Oladunni said the institute was engaged in sharing technologies and best practices to increase production and productivity, including reduction of post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.

    o enable more women and youths participate in profitable farming and food production, Oladunni stressed the need to strengthen capacities of participants in agribusiness through its capacity development activities, including promotion of resource efficiency, production and supply chains in the agriculture sector.

    His words: “ARMTI has been playing leading roles in this mission of the diversification of the Nigerian economy through the strengthening of the agriculture and rural development (ARD) sector. Two basic strategies are critical to the achievement of this mission- the development of the capacity of the actors in the agricultural sector, and the perfection of the agricultural practices being deployed nationwide. This two-pronged strategy is what ARMTI is strongly positioned to execute and we have been on a steady march through the nooks and crannies of this country, carrying out these critical interventions.”

    Speaking on the two programmes, Oladunni said the they have capacity to transform not only the lives of the participants, but the entire community and region.

    He said: “For the national training of extension managers in value chain development (VCD); it is borne out of the understanding that constant training and re-training is the only way to achieve sustainable development. Extension managers drawn from all over the nation are the best positioned to ensure the proper spread of the VCD message.”

  • Ogun partners Fed Govt on irrigation dams

    Ogun State government  is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, for the establishment of two irrigation dams, to boost farming in the state.

    Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo, who disclosed this, while receiving the management of Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, in her office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said preliminary work was underway for the irrigation projects, sited at the Ikenne and Ijebu-Idode Farm Settlements.

    Her words: ‘’The Ikenne irrigation dam will be 2,500 hectares of farm land, while that of Ijebu Idode will cover 1,000 hectares. Aside from this, the dam will also assist the state government intervention programme in the area,’’ she said.

    Mrs Adebayo added that the projects which are expected to be completed by the end of the year, would benefit the host communities and the farmers.

    Earlier, the Managing Director, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, Otunba Olufemi Odumosu, commended the state government for its readiness at all times, to accommodate Federal Government’s interventions. She  said this has made the state a destination of choice, not only for Federal projects, but other industrial and international interventions.

    Odumosun said the project would improve on the existing infrastructures at the two farm settlements, as well as internal road network, leading to the settlements.

  • Hydroponics vegetables production made easy

    Hydroponics vegetables production made easy

    Growing plants in water or some substance other than soil is called hydroponics. The plants are pesticide free, high quality in all seasons and have relatively long shelf lives. An Associate Pastor with Winners’ Chapel in Ogun State, Debo Onafowora, is promoting vegetables production through soilless agriculture, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The intensive production of vegetables has become extremely successful due to advanced of technology. One way technology has achieved this is enabling farmers to grow plants in water or some substance which is called hydroponics.

    Through it, one can grow vegetables at home or market using soilless greenhouses. The crops include tomatoes, melons and watermelons.

    Speaking on it, Chief Executive, B.I.C Farms Concepts, Pastor Debo Onafowora, said hydroponics is one way to solve the nation’s business’ problems.

    He added that with hydroponics technology, 90 per cent of farm produce gets harvested, fresh and timely, and turn over time greatly reduces. Some of the vegetables produced by the company include: celery, pumpkin (ugu), tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, melons, aromatic, and medicinal plants, even as the CEO explained that he is setting up hydroponics systems for vegetables farmers who don’t have large space of farmland and also helping those who want to do farming and does not have access to agricultural land.

    He called on those living in Lagos and Abuja not to allow the scarcity of land as well as its exorbitant cost deter them from big-time farming as they can take advantage of the hydroponics technology to grow economically-viable plants in their balcony or a small garden in their compound. His hydroponics technology offers farmers year-round supply of nutritious green fodder. It takes between seven and 30 days depending on animals one is feeding. The technology has the ability to grow fodder and other crops without soil. Onafowora said hydroponically home grown plants are pesticide free, high quality in all seasons and have relatively long shelf lives.He  said the system is a big step for farmers as it takes away the burden of depending on rain-fed agriculture and thus, a solution to food insecurity.

    He was recently at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State to make a presentation.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Olayanju reiterated the commitment of the university to revolutionising agriculture and the attainment of food security for the African Continent. He stated that hydroponics is a major way the university can actualise her agrarian mandate.

    Appreciating Onafowora for making out time to be at Landmark University, Olayanju said his “presentation has captured the mind of the Chancellor who is passionate about food security for the African Continent. We must hit the ground running, we must walk the talk.”

    He further pointed out that with the increased interest of the university in the agrarian mandate, “hydroponics can work for Landmark University”. He, however, requested for a pilot of the project in the university, in partnership with BIC Farms Concept, which he said would metamorphose into large scale.

    Onafowora is a consultant to many top organisations, including   AfeBabalolaUniversity(ABUAD),  where he is instrumental to setting up the university’s massive phase II Fish Farm, and the largest moringa processing factory in West Africa, processing over seven products from the moringa tree.

     

  • Firm to use mobile money to boost food production

    A firm, Fortis Mobile Money Limited, has  taken steps to enhance agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers  through increased financing. Fortis Mobile Money is one of the leading mobile money operators licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2010.

    Its Managing Director, Samuel Oladimeji, said in Lagos that agriculture was key to long-term economic growth and diversification; and that the organisation was  ready to support the country ‘s policy thrust on food security, local production, job creation and economic diversification.

    According to him, Fortis Mobile Money Limited has designed  programmes that will benefit  small businesses and farmers  exploring opportunities across the sector.

    These products include mobile microfinance; cash transfer package and recently DiFRAD”.

    The organisation, he said, was determined to use mobile money mechanism to tackle the key constraints of the agriculture sector, adding that mobile money has emerged as an obvious solution to the risk of carrying cash. He added that while access to banks is limited for rural agricultural communities, access to mobile phones is not.

    He regretted, however, that Nigeria was not maximising the huge benefits in mobile money transactions, adding that the country would benefit more if it unlocks opportunities in mobile money.

    “The significance of mobile money to the economy is that it will help deepen financial inclusion because it will achieve more access to financial inclusion,” he said.

    Speaking further on DiFRAD, Oladimeji said: “DiFRAD is an acronym for Digital Finance for Rural Agricultural Development. It is a product we developed last year for Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) segment. Particularly, this product was developed for smallholder farmers, especially those ones in the rural and peri-urban communities in the Northcentral, Northeast and The Northwest. This is digital agricultural initiative. The product was inspired by a first-hand encounter with some farming communities in Niger and Cross River states during some of our Cash Transfer Programmes.

    “We discovered that most of our beneficiaries are actually farmers, who are constrained by the lack of financial services and sometimes know-how. We immediately started toying with the idea of filling their gap by bringing the banks to them and linking them with agricultural developers. To achieve this, we had to partner micro finance banks, agricultural developers and insurance companies as we worked on a suite of products that will cater for the extensive needs of the farmers.”

    According to Oladimeji, Fortis Money has negotiated a most clement interest rate for the small holder farmers and have sought partnership with reputable insurance companies. “This suite offering also includes exposing the farmers to competitive buyers for their products and trying the best to shield them from exploitation. The idea is to provide competitive alternatives for the farmers throughout the value chain.”

    The product, Oladimeji said, is unique because it focuses on the value chain instead of isolated financing. “We in partnership with the microfinance banks and insurance companies finance the entire value chain starting from provision of farm land through its clearing to its harvesting, processing and selling. It is our passion to end the marginalisation of small holder farmers by buyers and nature by providing knowledge and guidance as they journey through the digital finance value chain,” Oladimeji said.

  • Dam’s closure clouds tomato farming’s future

    Dam’s closure clouds tomato farming’s future

    Tomato growers in Kano State have lost over N1billion this dry season, following the closure of Tiga Dam by the Hadeja-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority. This is raising concerns because of the possibility of a nationwide tomato shortage. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    In the heart of Kawada Valley, one of Nigeria’s most productive agricultural regions in Kano State, farmers are finding it difficult to get water to irrigate their farms.  This followed the closure of Tiga Dam by the Hadeja-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority.

    This has made the farmers to start counting losses. Water from Tiga Dam irrigates over 10,000 tomato farms in Kadawa community.

    Tomato Growers Association of Nigeria Secretary-General Alhaji Sani Danladi-Yadakwari said the closure of the dam, which is the main source of water for irrigation in the state, had negatively affected tomato production by 60 per cent.

    “Kano State produces over 400, 000 metric tonnes of tomatoes every dry season because farmers cultivate over 2,000 hectares of irrigable land.

    “So the recent closure of the dam by Hadeja-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) has affected  our production due to water,” he said.

    According to him, tomato growers in the state has lost 250,000 tonnes of the produce, which represents 60 per cent of their total production.

    He said the dam was closed for over 40 days.

    “Many of our members had planted the tomatoes when suddenly the HJRBDA closed the dam and the closure had affected our farms,” he said.

    He, therefore, advised the authority to always notify critical holders whenever they wanted to conduct maintenance of facilities at the dam site to avoid a repeat of the problem.

    “The authority should have given us and all other irrigation farmers three weeks’ notice before the commencement of the maintenance of the dam.

    “But they did not tell us until after they had started the work and the closure had affected many tomato farms at Kura, Garunmalam, Bunkure and some  other parts of Rano irrigation sites,” he said.

    According to him, the unplanned and ill-timed closure of the dam has destroyed over 60 per cent of tomatoes planted by farmers in four local government areas of the state.

    “They usually notify us before they shut the dam for routine maintenance so we can plan our planting season or make alternative plans, but this time around it was done arbitrarily without notifica-tion,” he said.

    Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) President Sani Dangote expressed concern about the closure of Tiga Dam, saying it would adversely affect the production of tomatoes.

    He said the closure of the dam would affect the nation’s quest to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of the commodity.

    Also, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) President, Dr. Victor Iyama, observed that the dam closure would affect small-scale tomato farmers in the North, noting that the shut dam could cause a lot of problems for tomato farmers.

    Consultant to the World Bank, Prof Abel Ogunwale, said the dam has been a major source of water supply to irrigation sites in Kano State and major farming communities around Kaduna State and its continued shut down  has put the irrigation system in jeopardy.

    Ogunwale, an agricultural extension specialist, said the suspension of water supply to farmers from the dam would, no doubt, negatively affect farming during the dry season, adding that the continuous closure of the dam will affect rice, onion and tomato production.

    Ogunwale explained that farmers, who would be operating during the dry season farming, would  face serious threat.

    He warned that if the authorities failed to quickly address the issue, the aftermath would affect farm produce output, especially tomatoes.

    Ogunwale has urged the government to rehabilitate dams across the country to boost food production and job creation.

    Before now, shortage of water posed serious threat to irrigation farmers in Dantankari, Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State. The tomato farmers rely on local wells dug on their farms as the source of watering the farmlands after their 40-year-old dam stopped reserving water.

    Leader of the farmers, Alhaji Nasiru Barau, said tomato farmers  were in a dilemma as many of the farm wells are drying up also on the eve of irrigation activities in the village. “Our farming activities run from the months of November to April, but this year seems to be different as our wells have dried up as early as this January.

    “There is every likelihood that some of our farmers will record losses this year due to water shortage. The government should come to our aid and dredge our dam so that it can supply us with enough water for irrigation farming. This will touch the lives of every Dantankari man as there is at least, an irrigation farmer in every household, not to talk of the towns and cities we supply tomatoes yearly,” Alhaji Nasiru said.

    He added that but for the water problem, tomato farmers in the village have good prospect this year as they are yet to encounter any pest attack compared to last year when tuta absoluta ravaged their tomato farms.

    Tiga Dam was built in 1974 and supervised by Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority with the aim of improving food security through irrigation projects for farmers.

  • Revenue from cashew nuts will surpass crude oil – Kogi

    Revenue from cashew nuts will surpass crude oil – Kogi

    The Logistics State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kehinde Oloruntoba has described the state as the highest producer of cashew nuts worldwide, producing over 100,000 metric tonnes out of the about 200,000 metric tonnes exported last year.

    He disclosed this on Friday during an agriculture exhibition organised to mark the second year anniversary of governor Yahaya Bello.

    He said cashew nuts from Kogi State has become a hot cake and highly valued on the international market and would soon sell more than crude oil, currently the mainstay of  Nigeria’s economy. 

    The commissioner encouraged all to go back to the farm, adding that Vietnam, which is the major buyer of the cashew nuts from Nigeria, made over $3 billion from the produce last year.

    He said that the state has no business being poor, being also the highest producer of cassava and coffee, but that previous administrations refused to harness the resources for the overall development of the state.

    According to him, when Bello became governor two years ago, the agric ministry had no functional equipment, while the staff and farmers’ morale of staff and farmers’ morale were at the lowest ebb. 

    He said that the governor changed the story with the purchase of over 40 new tractors, establishment of 50-ton capacity rice mill at Omi dam and provision of  incentives to farmers.

  • Empowering farmers through digital platforms

    Empowering farmers through digital platforms

    Start-ups are using digital platforms to change the face of agriculture and help the farming community. DANIEL ESSIET reports. 

    The Group Managing Director of Ogunmod Farms located in Ile-Ogbo, Osun State and in Ibadan, Oyo State,Mr. Pelumi Salas Aribisala is a successful young farmer.

    The BSc. Microbiology graduate from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Aribisala, farms cassava  and  other  crops.

    Aribisala’s income is huge and certain. This is because he  discovered  the secret to a prosperous  agro business. He belongs to  online  platforms including Agroshop  that connects farmers  to the agricultural supply and value chain and provides them with critical information on weather, market prices and incoming opportunities via text messages.

    His strategy is to  explore innovative ways to improve food production. If you walk past the fields, sometimes, you will find him   using his  smartphone to get market information. This helps him grow and sell his crops and it’s revolutionising  his  farming and marketing skills. With real-time information that the platform provides, he is able to make better decisions to adapt to climate variability by adjusting the planting time and making better use of fertiliser. The platforms significantly enhance his knowledge and productivity, ultimately leading to higher output and prosperity.

    Sometimes, cassava prices shot up and  Aribisala taps into the situation  by exploring the market through his smart phone to get better prices.

    According to analysts, the greatest impact digital agriculture will have is on democratisation of market pricing and compressing transaction costs so that farmers capture a higher portion of the produce marketable value.

    For  Aribisala,  there is much in value at stake with inspiring innovations driving agricultural productivity and increasing participation.

    Through data devices and online platforms, Aribisala gets crucial information on disease outbreak,  improved seeds, fertiliser, and pesticides, weather changes, and the current market prices for produce. This, not  only helps farmers like him turn out greater yields, but also cuts off the exploitation of farmers by middlemen via making them to be aware of fair market prices.

    For watchers, a big wave of transformation is coming to the agric industry from data science. This is helping farmers get the best from farming. Updates and reliable information sent to individual farmers’ mobile phones supported many farmers to increase their productivity.

    In the last three years, a slew of big-data startups are empowering farmers to plan operations, from sowing to predicting crop yields. One of the companies is  Probityfarms. The company  has  developed an App that will connect farmers and broaden knowledge base of stakeholders in the sector.

    Co-founder and CEO of Probityfarms, Mr. Olushola Ogunniyi, explained that the new technology is a simple-to-use farm management app to help farmers manage both the day-to-day activities of the farm and even the business-side of their operations. Farmers, he said, can use the application throughout the value chain of all farming activities.

    Ogunniyi said: “We understand that there are two sides to running successful farming; the business side and the technical side. However, many farmers today lack the professional and business skills needed to manage these two farm operations successfully.

    “With Probity Farms, our pilot farmers depended on our simple dashboard to solve these important needs. After creating their farm profiles, they can easily capture all activities on the farm, from crop production, livestock production and farm economics.

    “The tools enable them to measure and track every activity in the farm, thereby enabling the farmer to plan better and make sound decision and not just guess work or native intelligence. They also utilise the platform to communicate, learn, share knowledge, and build their relationship with other farmers.”

    Giving further insight into the App, he said the solution was divided into seven core offerings based on an assessment of the needs of small holder farmers.

    Also, he said the App has the ability to help determine test and analysis, saying a very affordable hardware is being currently developed with their partners to evaluate the soil condition for the 13 nutrients required for plant growth, water, sunlight, among others, and analyses the data in order to understand the appropriate nutrient to apply to improve farm yields.

    From precision farming to an efficient food supply chain, technology is bringing tremendous economic benefits to the sector.  An application changing the face of Nigerian agriculture is Zenvus.  Zenvus application was  developed by  Prof   Ndubuisi Ekekwe, international  scholar and  founder of African Institution of Technology.   The application measures and analyses soil data such as  temperature, nutrients, and vegetative health. It helps  farmers apply the right fertiliser and optimally irrigate their farms. The process improves farm productivity and reduces input waste by using analytics to facilitate data-driven farming practices for small-scale farmers.

    Describing the  technology, Ekekwe said: “Our product , Zenvus, is an intelligent solution for farms that use proprietary electronics sensors to collect soil data like moisture, nutrients, pH, among others, and send them to a cloud server via GSM, satellite or Wifi. Algorithms in the server analyse the data and advise farmers on their farming processes like when to apply fertiliser, the type of fertiliser required or when to irrigate the farm.

    As the crops grow, the system deploys special cameras to build vegetative health of crops which is then used to detect drought stress, pest and diseases on crops. “Another  innovator is  Farmcrowdy.    Farmcrowdy, an agric tech company,unveiled a digital application that is empowering farmers across the country.  The Chief Executive Officer Farmcrowdy, Onyeka Akumah, said the organisation decided to create a digital platform to get many people on the programme to understand agriculture and its benefits.

    Akumah disclosed that the application connects small scale farmers and sponsors investors’ who are ready to produce more food for the country.  The platform focuses on assisting them with the latest farming techniques and funds to make their lives more meaningful.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Executive Director, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute(ARMTI),  Dr  Olufemi  Oladunni, said  agriculture in Nigeria  has many gaps that can be filled by the new wave of agri-tech startups. From improving seed quality to enabling accurate information, he said the sector needs technology  to  change the face of Nigerian  agriculture. He noted that using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) helps  farmers to get timely information on agricultural advisories, agricultural marketing and improve their capacity and mitigate risks. According to him, the government realised the enormous potential that technology has to boost the agricultural sector with  the   inauguration of the Growth Enhancement  Scheme(GES). He said there should be digital solutions to help experts and farmers in the rural areas take numbers, analyse them with soil structures, crop patterns and provide the government with accurate data. Oladunni believes  agriculture is a data-intense enterprise when one considers soil variability, moisture and nutrient levels, rainfall variability, timing of key operations like planting and harvesting, and market price volatility.Oladunni believes technology will be key to increasing agricultural productivity by delivering tailored recommendations to farmers based on crop, planting date,variety sown, real-time, localised observed weather and projected market prices.

    The challenge, however, is that the sector lacks rural  infrastructure  to support the implementation of digital agriculture in areas  where farmers live. Digital agriculture, experts said,  is  sustained  by  Spatial and Data Infrastructure (SDI) and low-cost smart phones and tablets to support the bi-directional flow of data and information to rural consumers