The All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) on Tuesday warned the Federal Government against importation of maize into the country.
“As farmers, we want to contribute our quota towards our country’s food security, while creating job opportunities for our youth,” he said.
The Yam Growers Association of Nigeria (YAGAN) has accused the Federal Government of neglecting the country’s yam farmers in its nascent yam export drive.
Alhaji Shuaibu Idris, the President of the association, expressed the viewpoint on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said that the government had failed to carry the association along in its yam export initiative.
He underscored the need to involve YAGAN in all the processes of the yam export programme, saying that its contribution to the success of the initiative should not be underestimated.
“We are the growers and the producers, we know where it pinches and what to do to fill the gaps; everything is not about research alone, we should be considered relevant to the project,’’ he said.
Idris noted that the Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme (TCNYEP), in its assignment, liaised with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and other relevant stakeholders.
He then wondered why the committee failed to obtain the input of YAGAN in working out a framework.
He described the yam export drive as a laudable policy which should be embraced as the yam exportation would boost the country’s economy.
He, nonetheless, stressed that the association ought to have been contacted for its input and support to ensure adequate yam supplies for both exports and local consumption.
“YAGAN is not against the government’s policy but since we are the yam producers; it is, therefore, not out of place for the government to call us for discussions on the processes of yam production and exports.
“Does government farm? We are the farmers and our contribution will go a long way to sustain the venture,’’ he said.
Idris, however, said that the venture would be successful if the government could support the development of commercial yam farms across the country.
He said that government’s intervention was somewhat imperative, considering the huge investments involved in initiating successful commercial farming ventures.
“Nigerian farmers are ageing, they are not strong enough to feed the nation; what they produce now is in small quantity, which is not enough to facilitate the development of commercial agriculture in the country and sustain produce exports.’’
Idris noted that the country farmers were facing myriad challenges, even in producing the food for domestic consumption and particularly now when the food export was involved.
He called on the government to provide the necessary incentives to attract more young men and women into agriculture, saying that farming should be considered as a means of livelihood.
“The challenges cannot be shouldered by farmers or farmers’ associations alone; there is a need for government intervention; government should provide basic infrastructure such as irrigation systems and electricity to boost food security and internal security.
“Government ought to develop access roads to farms, reduce tariffs on imported farm machinery, provide competitive agro-financial loans, while awakening Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Company to its responsibilities against disasters,’’ he said.
Idris, however, said that even though farmers associations were striving to shoulder many responsibilities in order to contribute to the nation’s food security and development; yet the huge costs involved was weighing down their efforts.
Also, Prince Uke Ubaka, a farmer and top official of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), described the yam export initiative as a worthwhile policy that would boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings but warned about its sustainability.
He said that that this was not the first time that Nigeria would be exporting yam to UK.
“The first time was in 2003 when AFAN, in conjunction with the Nasarawa State Government, exported some tubers of yam to Britain after understudying Ghana.
“The export led to the promotion of so many Nigerian foods at the farmers’ markets in UK and the Americas,’’ he said.
Ubaka stressed that now that the programme had been revived, government should carry out market feasibility studies so as to ascertain the requirements of the consumers and ensure steady supply.
He, however, warned against undue bureaucracy, insisting that the government should not drive the programme.
“It is okay for the government to champion the programme but I suggest that government should refrain from driving it so that bureaucracy will not kill the laudable programme.
“It is left for government to sustain the creation of markets internationally and adequately monitor the transactions so as to earn more revenue via tariffs,’’ he said.
Ubaka also advised government to sanitise and improve the markets, so that they would not be saturated to become open markets and dumping grounds for all sorts of produce.
NAN recalls that in fulfilment of the economic diversification policy of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Nigeria officially kick-started the yam export initiative by exporting 72 tonnes of yam to Europe on June 29.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, launched the yam export at Lillypond Container Terminal in Ijora, Lagos.
Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has advised critics of the Federal Government yam export policy to grow the commodity.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Ogbeh dismissed the criticisms of the policy, saying that the effort was in the best interest of the nation’s economy.
He said the energies being dissipated by critics in condemning the initiative could be better used to produce yam, a staple in most parts of the country.
The minister allayed the fears of some Nigerians who believed that the policy would lead to shortage of yam in the country.
According to him, there is currently a glut in yam production in the domestic market.
“I have seen attacks on the social media. There are questions all over as to why we are exporting yam when Nigerians are said to be hungry.
“With all due respect, Nigeria accounts for 61 per cent of the world output of yam. We have 60 varieties of yam in this country.
“In fact, 30 per cent of the yams we produce get rotten because we don’t have facilities to preserve them.
“Ghana is a famous country for exportation of the commodity, but most of the yam they export is from us.
“There has never been shortage of yam in the country. Prices might be high toward the end of the season, but new yam is already in the market.
“Why are you so cowardice, Why lay back by not trying anything because of some sentimental reasons that might be raised.’’
Critics of the policy believe that investment in local processing of yams into finished products is of more economic benefit to the country than exporting the commodity.
But the minister dismissed this suggestion, arguing that export made more economic sense than processing.
“Analysts are saying that we are supposed to add more value to yam production in order to earn more money, fantastic view.
“But they forget to tell us how much a tuber of yam costs in the USA. Three kilogrammes cost 15 dollars, which is equivalent to about N5, 000.
“In London, a cartoon of yam, this contains three tubers, costs 30 pounds, bringing the average cost per tuber to 10 pounds.
“At that price, it is more sensible to export to earn more money for our economy.
“Economy is 90 per cent common sense. You can’t keep on buying until you are broke. What are you selling?”
To further buttress his point, the minister said foreign trade partners came to complain when Nigeria limited its food imports.
“They complained that we were not buying stock fish from them. I asked them if they were buying anything from us. Let us do some selling as well too.
“Nigerians should stop the sarcasm and negativity in trying to rubbish every government policy. If Ghana can export yam, Nigeria too can.”
The minister commended the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for setting guidelines for yam exporting, promising that the standards would be adhered to.
Ogbeh urged the commissioners of agriculture in states to keep on educating farmers to use the right yam seedlings to increase their output.
Collaborative effort between OLAM Nigeria Ltd and Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP) has helped boost sesame production in Bauchi state by about 300 per cent.
Regional Manager of OLAM Nig.Ltd, Kano Regional Office, Mr Ronsha Tated, stated this in Ningi, Bauchi state, on Friday at the launching of OLAM Community Resource Services for farmers.
Tated stated that the collaborative relationship, which started in 2008, had raised the production per hectare in the state, from 264kg/ha in 2008, to 850kg/ha in 2016.
He said that last year, the company purchased over 11,000 metric tons of sesame worth N3.3b from farmers in the state.
He said that this year, 650 sesame farmers in the state would benefit from the OLAM intervention programme, which entailed provision of quality seeds and fertilizer.
In his remarks at the occasion, Bauchi state Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Yakubu Kirfi, commended OLAM for assisting farmers in the state.
He assured that the state government would continue to collaborate with the company by providing enabling environment.
According to him, it is only through such collaboration that OLAM will continue to enhance the fortunes of farmers, thereby providing avenues for revenue generation for individuals and government to conduct business.
The commissioner then called on beneficiaries of the company’s gesture to make good use of the opportunity provided them.
Kirfi also called on OLAM to establish Sesame Value Addition Centre in the state.
Speaking on behalf of sesame farmers in the state, state chairman of Sesame Farmers Association, Alhaji Aliyu Salihu, commended OLAM and Bauchi State Government for their intervention.
Aliyu called on sesame farmers that had not registered with his association, to do so to enable them benefit from the interventions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OLAM Nigeria Limited is into export of commodities like sesame, rice cocoa, soya-beans and sorghum, in addition to other agro allied business activities
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and others are accelerating farms’ growth and agri start-ups through incubation facilities. They do this through training and support to aspiring agri- entrepreneurs, DANIEL ESSIET reports.
With the agriculture in the spotlight, the innovation and skills to help the industry make strides in food security and sustainability are lacking. Added to this, the industry’s workforce is ageing fast: the average Nigerian farmer is about 60 years old. To keep the industry going, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and other organisations have begun to train a new generation of farmers that will sustain grow the sector.
The Deputy Director-General, Partnership for Delivery, IITA, Dr. Kenton Dashiell, said through its incubation programme for young graduates, many people have embraced a change in farming.
Consequently, he said young people trained under its IITA Youth Agripreneurs programme now consider agriculture as a viable career and farming as a real economic opportunity.
Participants of the programme, he explained, are taken through a process which focuses on building agro businesses deemed crucial to agricultural growth.
According to him, the young farmers learn new ways of doing things, scaling up small-scale ventures, managing finances and marketing products. In addition, they are connected to a mentoring programme with more established business runners. The institute boasts of renowned experts that can talk about the fundamentals needed to grow seeds, including seed biology, harvesting, storage and how to conduct variety trials.
Director, Systems and Site Integration, IITA, Dr Kwesi Atta-Krah said the institute’s entrepreneurship programme has been recognised for its engagement and innovation.
According to him, the programme teaches young graduates how to turn ideas into food products that create value in society.
He said the institute has opened up a business incubation facility to help both new and up-and-running agric and farm businesses achieve their goals more quickly by providing guidance and advice on any topic when needed.
To boost the project, the organisation has provided demonstration farms where farmers can be taught various agricultural techniques and technologies, showcase new or improved crops.
In the demonstration farm, the farmers are taught everything they need to know about agriculture. This includes steps to improve crop productivity, increase yields as well as profits and food security.
He said the institute provides opportunities for farmers to participate in its programmes to access varieties that are best adapted to their production system, and yield produce with high nutritional quality and flavour.
He stressed that young farmers, have a huge range of things that they have to be really good at if they want to be successful, adding that the institute is providing young and existing ones the support needed to grow in the businesses.
Atta-Krah emphasised that steady growth in agriculture, which is critical for tackling poverty and inequality, as well as supporting domestic demand, also ultimately depends on productivity growth.
In light of the significance of alleviating poverty, creating decent employment and reducing inequality, he emphasised the importance of creating an enabling environment for agric entrepreneurship, which could be a potent catalyst for change.
Chief Executive, Business Incubation Platform, Frederick Schreurs said the business incubator plays a vital role in injecting commercial business growth into agric business as they work with researchers to bring new products to the market.
Schreurs said IITA’s Business Incubation Platform (BIP) supports the institute’s strategic goals and accelerates the commercial development of its proven and profitable R4D technologies, ensuring close alignment with R4D, the institute’s research arm. He said BIP focuses on two avenues of commercial development: the creation of innovative and commercially viable products by IITA scientists, and the initiation and building of a network of public and private-sector partners that will support the activities of small to medium scale agribusiness entrepreneurs.
Agric incubators have played a vital role in boosting innovation and agric growth. However, many business people are still unaware of the benefits that they can bring to the economy. Founder, Agrihub Nigeria, Aderonke Aderinoye is also in the vanguard of enabling young and inspiring farmers grow their businesses.
She has created an agri incubator space for inspiring farmers.
The piece of heart-warming news that our own Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development under President Goodluck Jonathan has been named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate could not have come at a better time. With Nigeria experiencing a turbulent econo-political period the award comes as a breath of fresh air. What makes it more cheering is the fact that it is a well deserved laurel for a distinguished Nigerian. Adesina epitomises a bright beacon of hope in our long, dark tunnel of ignorance, poverty, apathy and self-inflicted woes.
As one of his consistent admirers over the years, the focus is on the lasting lessons we all could glean from him on professionalism, pragmatic leadership, selfless service, patriotism and can-do it spirit. It would be recalled that back in 2008 when yours truly was the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Strata Media Organisation, Adesina granted our rich and colourfulFoodbusiness International Magazine, a two-page, pull-out interview. It was through the Assistant Editor, Lanre Agboola. The then editor, ZebAgomuo was thrilled. In fact, that incisive interview not only sold out the Vol.1,No7 Edition but got the members of staff academically enriched and thoroughly inspired. Adesina was then the Vice President (Policy and Partnerships), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
He used that opportunity to canvass subsidy for African farmers. Said he: “ When I say smart subsidies, I mean the private sector has to distribute the inputs, the government supports the farmers together. We also have to make sure it is a targeted subsidy” that would benefit the poor farmers. “The government has to make sure that the farmers are provided with proper extension services, to be very efficient.” What made him sad was when “ I see so many graduates of agriculture all across Africa roaming the streets, looking for jobs. It is a bizarre thing”.
Good enough, he walked the talk when he eventually became the Minister of agriculture. As aptly captured by Kenneth Quinn, the President, the World Food Prize, the Hall of Laureates, described Adesina as “someone who grew out of poverty, but whose life mission is to lift up millions of people out of poverty’’. Inspiring, is it not? Of course, it is.
These are reflected in his breakthrough achievements all through his career. The list is long but let us have a taste of the pudding. For instance, as the Vice President of AGRA he introduced initiatives to exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent. Not done, he galvanised the political will to transform African agriculture. Back in 2006, as the Associate Director for Food Security at the Rockefeller Foundation, Adesina played a critical leadership role in organising the Africa Fertiliser Summit in Abuja. That summit was described as absolutely essential in igniting the campaign to spread a new Green Revolution across Africa, which led to the creation of AGRA.
Furthermore, as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria, from 2011 to 2015 he successfully transformed the country’s agriculture sector through bold reforms. He it was who introduced the E-Wallet system which broke the back of the corrupt elements that had controlled the fertiliser distribution system for 40 years. In addition, was the creation of programmes to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production, as well as to make cassava become a major cash crop. The related value chain he clamoured for saw the input of 20 per cent cassava flour to 80 per cent wheat flour in the making of composite bread. Also, the ‘Nagroprenuers’ scheme he introduced made way for the training of 750,000 young graduates in commercial farming.
As Quinn rightly noted the reforms he implemented increased food production by 21 million metric tonnes and attracted 5.6 billion dollars in private sector investments. This earned him the reputation as the ‘Farmer’s Minister’.” Incidentally, Adesina has become the first person from the agriculture sector to ever lead a regional development bank. His receiving the World Food Nobel Laureate Prize “would give impetus in the coming decade to his profound vision”. Adesina is also the 46th person and the sixth African to win the World Food Prize. Are we not immensely proud of him? Yes, we are!
That explains the presence of the former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Nigeria’s Acting Ambassador to the U.S. and Chargé d ‘ Affaires, Ambassador Hakeem Balogun to savour the momentous occasion. Note that they were not there as Igbo, Yoruba or whatever but as proud Nigerians to identify with a son of the soil, holding the green-white-flag of unity and progress, peace and prosperity for the whole world to see. That is another lesson for us all.
In retrospect, Adesina’s sterling achievements as the Minister of Agriculture was one issue that stood former President Jonathan in good stead. Adesina won the prestigious Forbes Magazine Africa Man–of- the-Year Award. And in 2015 the country won an award from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for achieving one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on halving the number of hungry people in the country by 2015. That was during the two-day summit by Rockefeller Foundation with the theme: ‘Realising the potential of African agriculture’.
Unfortunately, the bitter truth is that Nigerians are hungrier now than they were in 2015. The lesson here is for us to stop politicising sensitive and critical issues on good governance. What would have happened if Adesina’s vibrant and virile vision for the agriculture sector had been sustained till now? Your answer is as good as mine.
The Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), says Nigeria can save N2 trillion from the importation of wheat, if appropriate measures are put in place to boost cassava cultivation.
The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria says it has secured approval for the release of three new high-yielding nutrient maize varieties for planting in Nigeria.
The Institute made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
The institute said the approval was granted by the National Varietal Release Committee at the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Ibadan.
It said that the maize was developed by IAR in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
The institute said that the maize varieties tagged: SAMMAZ 52, SAMMAZ 53 and SAMMAZ 54 were offshoots of extensive “on-station, multi-locational and on-farm’’ evaluations with strong farmer participation.
It said that the varieties were desirable to many maize farmers, seed companies, and food processing entrepreneurs, agro-allied industries as well as consumers across Nigeria.
“SAMMAZ 52 is an improvement over previously released varieties as a result of bio- fortification with pro Vitamin A.
“This Vitamin A bio-fortified maize variety has yield potential of 6.0 ton/ha, about 24 per cent higher than earlier release varieties in the same category.
“It has medium maturing of between 110 and 120 days, tolerant to maize streak virus, rust, leaf blight and curvularia leaf spot.
“The SAMMAZ 53 and SAMMAZ 54 varieties are bred for high grain yields up to 7.6 t/ha and 7.2 t/ha. Both varieties are extra early maturity (80-85 days) and resistant to maize streak virus, rust, leaf blight andcurvularia leaf spot.
“They perform very well in northern Guinea and Sudan savanna environments where climate changes are manifesting in the form of droughts, dry spells and in ecologies where parasitic Striga hermonthica attacks are severe owing to declining soil nitrogen.”
The institute added that the varieties were produced to strengthen farmers’ resilience in coping with the changing production environments in which irrigation water and rainfall had become increasingly scarce.
It said that the commercialisation and adoption of the varieties was expected to significantly improve food and nutrition security as well as the livelihood of actors along the maize value chain.
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have expressed mixed reactions on Nigeria’s new policy to export yams to UK and the U.S., saying Nigeria has yet to attain self-sufficiency in yam production.
The stakeholders told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that the hardship, which most citizens were facing in purchasing yams in the market, ought to be addressed first.
They said that the export policy could be counter-productive if no tangible efforts were made to boost yam production across the country.
Dr Tunde Arosanyin, National Coordinator for Zero Hunger Commodities, who commended the Federal Government for the new initiative, however, said that a lot needed to be done to increase food production in the country.
“Ordinarily, the exportation of food items to Europe or America is a welcome development but there are mixed feelings on the policy in the sense that people are presently hungry in Nigeria.
“We do not have enough food to eat; the government and citizens must look inwards to see how they can embark on more integrated farming to produce enough yam.
“The focus should not only be on how to improve yam production alone but it should also be on other crops like cassava, rice, maize, millet and sorghum and so on.
“When we are able to produce surplus food and feed ourselves; we can then think of selling these commodities to earn the much-needed foreign exchange.
“Earlier in the year, neighbouring African countries came here and bought produce such as maize and sorghum. This resulted in the scarcity of these products and jacked up their prices beyond the reach of an average Nigerian.
“Some people made money from selling these crops but the masses were worse off for it. So, we have to first improve on our food production, both in terms of quantity and quality.
“To begin with, let us see how we can feed our citizens before exporting the surplus foods to earn foreign exchange,” he said.
Arosanyin, however, noted that Nigeria was still the largest producer of yam in the world, accounting for over 70 per cent of the world production.
“But the consumption level of the citizens is quite high and there are still some gaps that ought to be filled in yam production.
“Notwithstanding, it is a good thing as we are exploring the international market for yam but we should also give the enabling environment to the farmer, to first and foremost, improve production.
“There is this good yam seedling known as mini-set. It is a technology produced by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), which was used in the 80s, and this was impressive.
“I want the Federal Government to negotiate with relevant research institutes like the IITA to bring back the yam mini-set to farmers in states that produce yam in large quantities.
“Besides, agricultural extension officers have to be brought back in order to encourage farmers to make use of this improved yam seedling to increase yield.
“If we improve on the quality of our yam seeds, then we are good to go to the international market,’’ he added.
Mr Yusuf Adams, National President, Sorghum and Millet Farmers Association of Nigeria, said that the new initiative, which would be a plus to the country’s economy, could be a minus to its food security.
He, however, called for pragmatic strategies to scale up yam production so as to get a balanced result, which would be a plus to both the economy and food security.
He noted that only Benue and Niger states were currently producing yam in large quantities, adding that this notwithstanding, the average price of a tuber of yam in the market was between N400 and N500.
Adams particularly advised the Federal Government to involve yam farmers in the new initiative, adding that it should buy yams directly from farmers and process them for export in order to boost the farmers’ income and standard of living.
He said that the Federal Government should also consider plans for the exportation of produce like sorghum and millet because of their abundance and export potential.
The Anambra Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Afam Mbanefo, has advised youths to take advantage of the best training in agronomy practices offered by the ministry to boost food production.
Mbanefo made the call on Wednesday in Awka while briefing representatives of the Gov. Willie Obiano media team on the achievements of the administration in agriculture so far.
“With good agronomy practice, vegetable farming can easily net a farmer between N300,000 to N350,000 in six weeks.
“We are targeting youths for increased food production in 2017; that is why these programmes are organised periodically to sensitise and encourage youth farming, to boost yield in their farms.”
Mbanefo attributed the launch of the programme to the governor’s desire to alleviate farmers’ low standard of living.
“Community Farm Development Programme was launched by Gov. Obiano to boost the living standard of farmers in the hinterland and bring development to the grassroots.
“This will attract youths into agriculture, thereby giving them a source of income which will make youth restiveness and the prevailing poverty in the society a thing of the past,” the commissioner said.