The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • ‘Bumper maize, soybean harvest for Northern farmers’

    Struggling Northern farmers could press their luck with soybeans and maize, as  international organisations move to improve farmers’ capacities to increase   yields  across   acreage  as demand nationwide  offers a potential lifeline.

    Globally and nationally, rising exports demand is providing a path to profitability for farmers pushing increasing soybean plantings.

    To this end, 15,000 maize and soy farmers in Katsina and Kaduna states will benefit from the collaboration between the West African Soy Industries Limited (WASIL) and the Business Innovation Facility (BIF) to enhance maize’s and soy farmers’ productivity.

    In line with this a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between WASIL and BIF on improving the productivity of maize and soy farmers in a replicable manner in Nigeria,

    WASIL, a sister company to WACOT Limited is a member of the TGI Group,  an international investment and holding company with diversified interests and investments in Nigeria, Ghana, Republic of Benin, Morocco, UAE, South Africa, China and several other emerging markets with Mr. Rahul Savara as Group Managing Director. On the other hand, the Business Innovation Facility (BIF) is a five-year (2014 – 2019) DFID-funded market systems development programme that aims to improve the lives of the poor in three countries: Malawi, Myanmar and Nigeria.

    BIF identifies and addresses constraints in selected markets, providing technical assistance (and some grant funding) to businesses and other market players.

    According to the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of TGI Group, Mr. SadiqKassim, “WASIL is currently working with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development and the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Food Security Programme of the Federal Government to improve the productivity of maize and soy farmers in a replicable manner. The company has commenced the setting up of a large oil milling facility in Nigeria which will provide off-take of Soybeans from out-grower farmers while its affiliate company, CHI Farms will procure maize for its feed milling from the out-grower farmers as well”.

    “WASIL is targeting 14,000 farmers in Katsina and 1,000 farmers in Kaduna State in both maize and soy value chains making a total of 15,000 farmers during the current cropping calendar”, Kassim added.

    With the signing of the MOU, BIF will provide WASIL with technical assistance in realizing its objectives.

    Identified areas of collaboration include data capturing and building data base of farmers and cooperatives in Maize and Soy. While WASIL/WACOT is expected to provide its current database of existing cooperatives which had been formed earlier, BIF will support the Group in designing a pre-assessment survey form to assess the farmers’ socio –economic conditions, determine the sample size and assist with getting the same administered on ground.

    BIF will also provide the required Information Technology (IT) support and database software and trained field staff to conduct registration of 15,000 new farmers while also conducting farm mapping and re-validation of database of farmers collected by WASIL staff and provide continuous supportive supervision

    The  Managing Director of WACOT Limited. Mr. Ujwalkanta Senapati disclosed that WASIL and BIF through the collaboration will create new farmers’ associations and cooperatives alongside expansion of existing cooperatives. Facilitate the involvement and support of relevant public agencies and state governments in formation and registration of cooperatives and Self-Help Groups. Ensure inclusion of registered farmers into the National Farmers Database and also conduct a joint exercise to mobilise and strengthen farmer cooperatives in areas such as conflict resolution, group functioning, record keeping, etc.”

    Senapati said the agreement includes training and capacity building for maize and soy farmers. In this area, WASIL will assistBIF in setting up a project office in Funtua, Katsina State. While, BIF will provide soy and maize crops’ experts as resource persons to develop manuals and training resources for the farmers.

  • Farmers grappling with challenges, say FACAN, others

    Farmers’ income will continue to be under pressure as they face challenges, the National President, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr Victor Iyama, has said.

    Iyama, said there was no “short-term fix” to the problems, saying  the outlook was difficult.

    He observed that though there were a few bright spots, the overall impact had been significant with a lot of producers still looking at how to get through the recession.

    For instance, he noted that young farmers faced challenges getting a foot onto the business ladder, adding that it was having an impact on the entire industry.

    He explained that they are an high tech group who hold a realistic picture of farming in their heads and want a career on the land but are seriously constrained in a number of ways.

    Unless these investments are secured, Iyama said it was unlikely that the economic potential of the young people would be unlocked.

    He urged banks, governments, families, and communities to come together to ensure young farmers receive the support they deserve.

    He  described  agriculture as  a shining light in an otherwise challenging economic landscape ,urging  the government  to partner agribusiness companies to  discuss how they could bring even more investment in the country’s agriculture sector.

    Expressing delight that the budget has finally been signed, Country Manager, Harvest Plus Nigeria , Dr Paul Ilona    added  that it  would be the enabler the government needs to propel economic growth.

    He expressed hope that the budget will not only create an economic revival for the betterment of the country but will also pave the way for sustainable growth.

    Ilona expressed the hope that major changes were introduced into the agric sector as the ministry tries to implement the agric policy.

    Food Safety expert, Prof Stephen Fapohunda,      urged the government, among others, to focus on stimulating entrepreneurial development among young people.

    In the face of a weaker economy, Fapohunda of Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State expects the  budget  to  focus  on value-addition  and  creating the enabling environment  for businesses to survive and thrive  through  creation of  products and services.

    He explained that adding value and maximising the agriculture sector’s limited resources through targeted investments will strengthen links in the supply chain for food and develop competitive advantages.

  • Five governors endorse plan for zero hunger by 2025

    Five governors have endorsed a peer advisory mechanism to enable them to monitor the implementation of their state-grown agricultural plans with a view to ending hunger by 2030.

    The peer advisory mechanism is a brainchild of the Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum (NZHF) is aimed at reviewing, monitoring, and advising states on the ways by which the states themselves, using available resources, can achieve zero hunger by 2030.

    The five pilot states, which have given their nod include Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Ogun and Sokoto state.

    “More states will be involved as we make progress,” according to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Goodwill Ambassador, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is chairing the NZHF.

    According to a communique issued at the end of the maiden edition of the NZHF in Makurdi, members of the NZHF, which cut across the private sector, government and development partners agreed to hold its advisory meeting on quarterly across the states.

    The Forum also adopted a template for its future advisory meetings: The first day should be dedicated to a welcome address by the state followed by presentations of what is going on in the host state related to achieving zero hunger (challenges, successes, and lessons learnt). The next day, should be dedicated to field visits to engage with large, medium, and small scale farmer groups; medium and large scale agriculture related industries such as food and feed processors, and fertiliser blending factories, and programs to improve the health and nutrition of infants and children. The day should end with reflections of the day and a communique.

    IITA Deputy Director-General for Partnerships for Delivery, Dr Kenton Dashiell, who also manages the secretariat of the NZHF at IITA, explained that the peer advisory mechanism of the NZHF would encourage states to focus on the commitments they made towards agriculture so they could by themselves achieve their set targets.

    He commended the maiden meeting in Benue state, noting that the state has the capacity to feed the country if its agricultural potential was fully tapped.

    Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom, described the Nigeria Zero Hunger initiative as a tool that would accelerate the agricultural development of states through peer learning.  He noted that through the instrumentality of the Forum the state was able to purchase fertilisers in good time for distribution to farmers.

    “Again from the NZHF meeting, we have been given advice on how to handle certain areas and in some cases the former president personally made contacts through the phone on our behalf to persons who have the answers,” Ortom explained.

    The meeting in Benue, had in attendance Ortom, Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi; Deputy Governor of Borno State, and representatives of the Governors of Ogun and Sokoto states, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), African Development Bank (AfDB), World Food Program (WFP), the private sector, farmer groups, members of Benue State Executive Council, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (NASME), and members of the press.

    The NZHF is supported by IITA, African Development Bank (AfDB), WFP and the OlusegunObasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).

  • ‘Mechanisation a must for Nigeria’

    ‘Mechanisation a must for Nigeria’

    The CEO/Country Manager for Dizengoff Nigeria, Mr. Antti Ritvonen, has said agricultural mechanisation needs to “leapfrog” to boost food production.

    Speaking  during the unveiling of  its various ranges of CASE IH brand of tractors in Abuja, Ritvonen observed that the level of agricultural mechanisation was one of the measures to gauge modernisation of production as well as competitiveness in the sector.

    Ritvonen further explained that “mechanisation plays an important role in addressing the issue of agricultural production as a nation, hence the need to support farmers with the right kinds of equipment that can take care of their farm needs and at different stages of their development”.

    He  said mechanisation would also address a labour shortage in agriculture, improve farmers’ income, and help protect the environment and people’s health.

    Ritvonen said: “A company, we are committed to ensuring that Nigeria as a nation becomes self-sufficient in food production and in the near future, become a major player in the exportation of quality and safe agricultural produces.”

    Business Director, Africa and Middle East (A&ME), CASE International, Mr. Marco Raimondo said innovation remains the centre of his company’s focus.

    “At CASE IH we are consistently renewing and expanding our product offering to meet the growing needs of farmers in Nigeria and the world-over.

    At CASE IH, we have the equipment to meet the farmer’s needs in Nigeria, by helping them raise their efficiency and production. Therefore, we are very excited about this collaboration with Dizengoff Nigeria,” Marco said.

    CASE IH has a wide range of tractors, covering from the 35-75hp JXT and the 80-88hp Farmall JXM at the smaller end, through the 110-140hp Farmall A models and right up to the 112-141hp Maxxum and 142-213hp Puma tractors, as well as up to 650hp.

     

  • Ogun empowers young people

    Ogun empowers young people

    Babatunde Gbenga, mass communications graduate turned farmer  now  gives up his time to participate in the  farmers market  set  up by the  Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture  at the state’s  secretariat, Oke-mosan, Abeokuta.

    He  is  amazed by the sales  he makes  and the support shown by civil servants. The mart holds every Friday. He grows maize and raise chicken. His  farm has an array of agronomic practices that guarantee a year-round supply of produce.

    Though he operates from the state’s model market, he finds it irresistible coming to the market to sell his produce. Gbenga is one of the beneficiaries of the programme. After the very first outing, Gbenga was excited at the level of success.

    Another  farmer  is Oludare Tunde. He plants cassava that is intercropped with maize. Intercropping with maize, poultry and cassava helps him keep that income relatively steady year-round. He is fast on picking up ideas that see him become a better farmer.   He has found the Ogun state civil servants’ mart a veritable income source.

    Across Ogun State, small business entrepreneurs are exploring  market opportunities proving by the  farmers market   for civil servants.

    Spotting a lucrative opportunity, many farmers have agreed to sell their produce using the thriving market platform. It is now a Friday ritual for workers at the Secretariat, to stroll into the mart to buy fresh fruits, eggs and vegetables. Such markets are celebrated for providing fresh produce, such as eggs and fruits. The “foodie bazaar” gives civil servants an opportunity to pick up local produce and support small-time suppliers. Stalls sell everything from fruit and vegetables to   fresh fish. Stallholders are well aware that their livelihood depends on retaining loyal customers and this requires them to deliver great value.The program has empowered young people to become entrepreneurs and create a self-sustaining system linking farmers to markets.The feedback from most of the stalls was how fantastic it was.. But the main aim of the market was to bring something back to the secretariat that workers feel is missing.

    The PermanentSecretary, Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Steve Olusegun Ipinniwa, said the aim of establishing the mart was to provide a community get-together.

    He explained that workerscan do all the shopping at the secretariat at home and head home at the close of work to do the cooking.

    He said the initiative is the government’s way of helping entrepreneurial and talented farmers and small businesses.

    He added that the mart was conceived to stock and sell fresh farm produce as a way of linking up agricultural production to the markets to ensure that farmers receive a fair reward and encouragement to increase production.

    He said “the mart is meant to bring food nearer to the civil servants  at a very reasonable price in a healthy environment.

    He stated that this initiative will not only ensure all year round access to food supply at a wholesome quantity but will also create jobs across the agro-business value chain in collaboration with the private sector.

    Head of Service,Ogun State,Mr  Abayomi Sobande said the state is  committed to further development of  farmers skills so they can stand on their own as small business entrepreneurs. The success of the programme, according to him, would empower farmers, input agents and buyers to expand their networks, increase their overall profits, and rebuild their livelihoods.

  • Agric union adopts name

    Agriculture and Allied Employers Union of Nigeria (AAEUN), has changed its name to Agricultural and Allied Practitioners Union of Nigeria (AAPUN).

    Its National President, Obafemi Oyenubi, who disclosed said there was need to accommodate other stakeholders who according to him have shown the interest to identify with the union hence the need for the change of name.

    Oyenubi told The Nation in Lagos there was a court judgment on the change of name, nevertheless the matter has been resolved by the parties involved, he stated.

    He said: “People that are not happy with the development of things in the union went to the High Court, later the case went to the Court of Appeal, there and then, we all agreed that we should settle out of court and bring it back to the court to make as a judgment of the court. In that consent arrangement, the first thing we agreed was that the name of the union should be change from Agriculture and Allied Employers Union of Nigeria to Agriculture and Allied Union of Nigeria”.

    “After that with full participation every party including the registrar of Trade Union of   Ministry of Labour and Employment. We later wrote to the ministry for a new certificate then the registrar of the union wrote us back that the name is incomplete and advised us on what to do further which we have done and the name we decided to bear is Agriculture and Allied Practitioners Union of Nigeria (AAPUN)”, he continued.

    According to him, the initial problem was that there is politicking because there are some groups of people, that didn’t want the court judgment to be or obeyed adding that law must take it cause.

    “So, now, we are telling you, we have fulfilled the necessary requirements based on what section 22 the trade Union Act stated. We have filled the form for change of name and we have submitted to the ministry, as soon of possible the certificate should be received”.

    He said during the process of the tendency of the judgment, it was found out that the registrar of the trade union of the ministry was not doing the right thing, “we took the registrar to court for disobeying the law order, there and then; she was sentenced to prison on the committal judgment, we felt that she was a civil servant and we were not really bothered on the implementation of the prison service but for her to do the right thing”, he explained.

    The National President, who assumed office recently disclosed there was inherited liabilities, however restated commitment to serve the workers.

  • Transforming lives through nutrition-sensitive agric

    Transforming lives through nutrition-sensitive agric

    Efforts to enhance smallholder farmers’ involvement in profitable food production have led to a variety of nutrition-sensitive farming activities. Following this, a national campaign to promote healthy, attractive and sustainable food options in farming is gathering momentum. It’s success across Nigeria is pushing the campaign to West Africa. DANIEL ESSIET, reports.

    Executive Director, Development Dynamics, Aladimma, Owerri, Imo State, Dr. Jude Ohanele works to increase crop yields for farmers.

    He helps farmers to grow and  expand nationally. Not only is he is determined to empower farmers to   ensure food security. He believes transformation of agriculture to business is one way to get enterprising farmers practice profitable agriculture.

    He helps farmers in bankable project proposal preparation, integrated farming system, low cost production techniques, and as well provides training.

    He said there are opportunities in agriculture, such as processing, value addition, warehousing packaging and producing consumer friendly products.

    He is very happy with the service he is providing to farmers and  is bringing livelihood and improvement in the farming community.

    One area he has recorded success is in promoting bio-fortified maize and cassava.

    Bio fortification is a process by which crops are bred in a way that increase their nutritional value. With Harvest Plus’s support and continued encouragement, he is able to serve farmers in the State.

    Ohanele has been part of Harvest Plus team championing farmers’ change of mind-set to embrace nutrition focused farming.

    As a result, some of his farmers in Imo State have established farms and are producing bio fortified maize and cassava.

    Many of these farmers are growing varieties of maize and potatoes enriched with vitamin A through bio fortification.

    The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a UN food agency, considers malnutrition—caused by a lack of essential micronutrients such as iodine, iron, zinc and vitamin A in diets—a threat to millions of African lives.

    He goes to farmers and do field demonstration, educate them about bio fortified maize and cassava. Though farmers were initially hesitant to go for new practices, educated farmers slowly started adopting it.

    For  Harvest plus Nigeria , the  idea behind bio fortification is to breed nutritious plants, a process which experts consider much cheaper than adding micronutrients to already processed foods.

    It is a smart method to fight malnutrition, say agriculturists and nutritionists. The campaign so far has been successful.

    Buoyed by this, Harvest plus Nigeria has taken the campaign  to the Sub region.

    It is partnersing Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs — individuals with innovative and practical ideas for solving social problems to execute the campaign.

    Ohanele, is among leading social entrepreneurs, who make up Ashoka Nutrient Value Chain network.

    The focus destination  was Ashoka Workshop on Cluster Nutrition in West Africa which held in Ouaga, Burkina Faso.

    The quest for more nutritious foods for Africans was the subject of the conference.

    At that conference, Ashoka fellows   discussed ways to start a sub-regional-wide adoption of bio fortification.

    Introducing the campaign, at the event, the HarvestPlus Nigeria Country  Manager, Dr  Paul Ilona  said reaching a billion people with bio fortified crops is an ambitious target, but the success of bio fortification programmes in target countries proves that it is feasible.

    That success,  according to him, has been built with key actors locally. The partnerships, encompassing public and non-governmental organizations as well as the private sector, are driving the adoption and mainstreaming of bio fortified crops. Ilona said his organisation partnership with Ashoka network fellows across West Africa  was meant to support  social entrepreneurs working on nutrition based farming and food production.

    According to him, the potential for introducing micronutrient and bio fortified foods is immense because smallholder farmers are challenged by micronutrient deficiencies and solicited the support of social entrepreneurs,to help in promoting bio fortification to tackle challenges in food and nutrition security, saying  that the benefits of bio fortification in crops are obvious.

    He explained that  HarvestPlus  plans to develop more varieties of crops that will provide adequate vitamin A, zinc or iron.

    In Nigeria, Harvest Plus has been  able to create an online platform where consumers buy a range of cassava products from various convenient locations.

    This facilitates the efficiency benefits of larger scale for distribution and consumption of biofortified  food  products, the nutritional benefits of eating locally produced foods, and the social and economic benefits of trust-building between buyers and sellers.

    Driven by positive outcomes of the local campaign , Ilona said  extending the enlightenment campaign to the sub region is necessary to boost regional public knowledge of nutrition based farming and food production.

    A total of 10 countries were represented including Gambia, Senegal, Belgium, Benin Republic, Switzerland, France, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and the host country Burkina Faso.

  • Agric: Avalanche of schemes on food production

    Agric: Avalanche of schemes on food production

    Despite enormous challenges, the nation’s agriculture sector has recorded some achievements. However, stakeholders are seeking more interventions to put the sector on the path of sustainable growth, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The revival efforts influenced by the nation’s agricultural policy objectives and the macro economic management framework were reported across the sector.

    However, the efforts were constrained by various factors ranging from socio-economic to institutional and structural. Problems persisting  in the sector, militated against the attainment of its potential. The year, however, also brought several positive developments for the sector, including the launch of several projects across the agric sector of the economy.

    Key among these projects, was the effort to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. This was in line with the demands for rice estimated at six million metric tonnes. The supply of rice was 3.5 million metric tonnes with a gap of 2.5 million metric tonnes.

    So far, the sector is on an upswing. The government has kick-started initiatives to encourage farmers to grow more rice. These  include the Central Bank of  Nigeria anchor borrowers programme to support farmers rice  and allocation of funds to launch training programmes toincrease  the country’s overall rice production. The Federal Government spends N8.5billion on 500 harvesters, threshers to enhance rice production.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who made this known in Abuja, said the machines were procured to reduce the cost and stress of rice farming.

    According to the Minister, “One of the worries of rice farmers is the labour in the harvest and that is why we are bringing these machines. If we have these machines in rice and wheat farms, the cost and stress of rice farming will reduce by 80 per cent”.

    The food security and youth employment goals of the Federal Government  received a  major support with the establishment of a rice processing mill with 120,000 metric tonnes capacity in Argungu, Kebbi State by WACOT Rice Limited, a member of the TGI Group. The rice mill is part of WACOT’s expansion plan, which targets a capacity increase with additional rice plants to overall 500,000 metric tonnes in the next years.

     

    CBN approves N75billion loan for agricultural lending

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approved the disbursement of about N75billion as loan to farmers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

    The loan guarantee scheme is a public-private sector initiative set up to transform the agricultural sector. It was initiated by the apex bank, the Bankers’ Committee and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to guarantee 75 per cent loans provided by Deposit Money Banks (DPB) to farmers as part of efforts to transform the country’s agricultural sector.

     

    Supply of 20m bags of fertiliser

    The Presidential Committee on Fertiliser said it has concluded arrangement to produce one million metric tonnes of fertiliser, amounting to 20 million bags to farmers. This is just as the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) said the project has in the last six months saved Nigeria N260 billion hitherto spent on subsidy and foreign exchange to import the product. The Presidential Fertiliser Initiative said that the era of hoarding fertiliser is gone, as people who engage in such act would be losers, because 11 fertiliser blending companies were producing across the country at a rate that the market will be saturated with the products.

     

    Lagos govt to upscale Imota Rice Milling Plant

    As part of plans to ensure food self-sufficiency, especially through rice production, the Lagos State government says it is up-scaling the Imota Rice Milling Plant from 2.5 metric tonnes to 16 metric tonnes.The Commissioner for Agriculture, Toyin Suarau, who made the disclosure at a ministerial press briefing to mark Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s second year in office, said the plant would be delivered within one year. Suarau said that the plant would be the biggest in Nigeria when delivered and also drive the state’s major goal to scale up food sufficiency from 12 per cent to 25 per cent in three years. ”The ministry is mandated to facilitate sustainable food production, poverty reduction and job creation through several agriculture projects and programmes.

    ”The major goal of the ministry is to make the state food secured and scale up food self-sufficiency from the current 12 per cent to 25 per cent within the next three years. ”It is part of plans to ensure that the production of Lake Rice and to stop milling rice paddy in other states like Kebbi, Jigawa and Kano states. ”We have begun plans to up Imota rice milling plant from 2.5 metric tonnes per hour to 16 metric tonnes per hour within the next one year,” he said.

     

    Dry season farming

    The Federal Government spent more than N9.5 billion for the distribution of farm inputs to farmers during the dry season farming. Director, Farm Input Support Services Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, OhiareJatto said the inputs were distributed to no fewer than 458,498 farmers across 30 states of the federation between last December and this February, dry season farming. Mr. Jatto said the input were provided under the governments’ Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme to guarantee improved food production and security. According to him, some of the inputs provided to the farmers include two bags of Nitrogen Potassium Phosphate, one bag of urea, one bag of organic fertiliser each, 25 kilogramme rice seeds and 20 kilogramme maize seeds depending on the crop value chain.The director said that the government under the GES usually paid 75 per cent worth of seeds and 50 per cent for fertilisers and pesticides while farmers settled the remaining percentage of the money. He said the scheme attained 92 per cent success during the planting season. ”The dry season farming was very successful. We targeted 500,000 farmers and we were able to reach 458,498 farmers in 30 states.”All the northern states and many southern states benefited.  We only reached out to farmers that our funds were able to accommodate,’’ he said.

     

    AFDB approves $280m to support youths

    The President of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said the $280 million approved by the bank would be used to encourage Nigerian youths to go into agro-business. He stated this in Ibadan at the African Youth Agripreneurs (AYA) Forum organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.

    Adesina, represented by Dr Chiji Ojukwu, a Director in AFDB,  said the  forum was convened to attract youths across Africa into agribusiness as well as mentor them to invest in agriculture.

    Adesina said with IITA training initiative and the financial support from AFDB, more youths would be interested to go into agribusiness. He said that AFDB was working with 33 countries to give assistance to youths in agriculture. Adesina said Zambia, Sudan, DR Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria had already been given necessary assistance in 2016.

    He said the bank was targeting 37,000 youths in Nigeria who would be given $50,000 each as support in agriculture business. ”The $280m that we have approved for Nigeria cannot be enough; we need $1.8 billion to accommodate the 37,000 youth.

     

    NYSC set to post corps members to farms

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director-General, Brig-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, said the scheme would soon commence the posting of corps members to farms.

    Kazaure, who made this known during an interactive session with reporters at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State, expressed that the initiative was in line with the scheme’s agricultural development programme.

    “It should interest you to know that the NYSC will soon begin its agricultural development scheme where corps members will be posted to farms for their primary assignments. Already the NYSC has acquired active farmlands across the nation’s geo-political zones with four already fully operational in Kwali, Bauchi, Oyo and Kebbi”, he said.

    He also said the NYSC has concluded preparations to begin the posting at the conclusion of the three-week orientation exercise.

    “After this orientation programme for the Batch ‘A’ corps members, we will begin posting some of them to these farms as a pilot phase. Though we are starting with four states for now, we will integrate the other states as time goes on, the project is ongoing,” Kazaure said.

    He urged the corps members to maximise the benefits of the scheme’s Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) Programme, as they begin their journey towards financial independence, adding that they could be employers of labour rather than being job seekers if they were innovative and creative.

    “The NYSC has provided all the tools and support you need to develop your capacity to the fullest, it now depends on you, and there is no short cut to success but by hard work. Of all the programmes outlined for you during the orientation, there is none more important that you must fully participate in than the SAED programme.

    “I want you to create your own jobs by being creative and innovative, you must strive to be labour employers rather than labour seekers. Please don’t look for white-collar jobs, your skills and potentials can serve you better in the way of realising your dreams,” he said.

    Speaking at the event, the Ogun State Co-ordinator of the NYSC, Mrs. Gladys Mbachi, thanked the director general for the visit and praised his emphasis on the skill acquisition programme.

    She also encouraged the corps members to harness the benefits of the SAED programme as it would expose their talents to where they fit in, so that they can build on whatever foundation the programme has created for them.

     

    Staple crop processing zones

    In a bid  to curb post-harvest losses, the Federal Government has devised plans to set up staple crop processing zones across states of the federation.

    The Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, who made this known during a stakeholders conference organised by Akassa Development Foundation zones (ADF), expressed that the plan was one of the multiple approaches outlined under the nine billion dollars fund, set aside to tackle issues of productivity in the agric sector.

    The minister added that the staple crops processing zones would be set up in areas of high food production, and the government will utilise fiscal and infrastructure incentives to attract private food manufacturing companies to add value to agricultural produce.

    Lokpobiri challenged the people of the Niger Delta region to engage in agriculture as the region has the largest wetlands with arable land for agriculture.

     

    Stakeholders’ reactions

    Despite this,participants of the Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on 2018 Agriculture Budget have urged the Federal Government to allocate 10 per cent of the nation’s annual budgets to finance the agricultural sector. They made the call in a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Kaduna.

     

    MAN

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) charged the government at all levels to increase investment in agriculture to scale up food production and sufficiency in the country.

    MAN Director-General, Mr. Segun Kadiri, made the call while reviewing the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in Lagos.

    Kadiri noted that the government should focus on aggressive food production through mechanised farming to enable food availability for human consumption as well as raw materials for industrial use.

    According to him, “It is important that people get food to eat; it is also important that industries get raw materials to use for production. Both are priorities. We, as a nation of more than 180 million people, should plan big and operate big such that there will be no shortage anywhere.

    “Nigeria is too big and blessed to complain about scarcity of food. We have 36 states in the country and you can grow virtually anything in the states. The onus lies with our leaders to ensure that we utilise our natural resources well.”

    The MAN boss said the rising of cost of foods could not be blamed on manufacturers using some of the produce as raw materials, noting that local consumption and industrial uses were both crucial.

    He called on the government to design realistic food production schemes that would subsidise financing, inputs and machinery for farmers, while increasing access to foods by the citizens.

    Kadiri added that promoting food production would avert crisis, end food scarcity, advance industrial capacity utilisation, and create employment and inclusive growth for citizens.

  • Hard times hit cocoa farmers

    Hard times hit cocoa farmers

    These are not the best of times for the cocoa industry. Hit by falling prices, oversupply and debts, cocoa farmers and processors are in dire straits. This may lead to a cut in supply, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

    Cocoa is important to the consuming and producing countries. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, more than three million tonnes of cocoa beans are consumed worldwide annually. Globally, at least five million smallholder farmers work on cocoa plantations, providing jobs for roughly 40 to 50 million people. The overall chocolate market, which main raw material is cocoa is worth $101 billion.

    But all is not well with the industry. A key indicator is the fall in price, which has affected cocoa farmers since last year. Indeed, prices have suffered their sharpest fall in years, piling pressure on hard-pressed farmers.  Since last year, prices have plunged on expectations of the bumper crop.   For instance, the price dropped to $1,780 per tonne. This year  for instance, cocoa has traded at £1,562 per tonne, its lowest level since 2013.  New York futures slumped to $1,869 a tonne on March 2, the weakest price in 9-1/2 years. Between July 2016 and March 2017, global cocoa price fell by more than a third. According to experts, the cocoa market has been on a wild ride over the past year.

    Giving the reason for the drop, Euromonitor, a market research firm, noted  that the market has stagnated in Western Europe, in part due to increasing health concerns about sugar — which is present in high volumes in most chocolate confectionery.  Also, there is a forecast that  prices will continue  to drop  till 2019, as supply grows faster than demand. The International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) forecast  a global surplus of 264,000 tonnes in the current 2016/17 season, but  some players   forecast surplus substantially above the ICCO – more like 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes.

    At the receiving end of this negative development are farmers and exporters from West Africa, who are losing billions in export earnings due to the fall in prices. Incidentally, supply of cocoa is extremely concentrated in the sub region. Roughly, three quarters of global production is grown in West Africa with Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria.  While a certain degree of volatility is expected, the price plunge revealed serious pain points in the cocoa value chain.

    Caused by massive oversupply, the global glut, according to President, Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) Sayina Riman is detrimental to the production of cocoa with high price fluctuation.

    The significant cut in the export price, he noted,   hurts production, and affects cocoa production. Riman’s worry is that the price volatility will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of many farmers and processors.

    Instead of exporting to face a price backlash at the international market, CAN President, advised local  farmers to apply the brakes and produce  for local consumption by supplying local processors.

    Already, to encourage local consumption, Riman said his organisation is running programmes to help increase productivity, competitiveness and quality.

    For experts, high price volatility has had a considerable impact on the livelihood of farmers and made it very difficult for all market participants to decide whether to invest in the value chain or not. Besides price, other factors, such as weather patterns, pests and diseases, cost of land tenure, transportation and input influence the income of a farmer.

    This is not enough. Right now, also, the   cocoa processing segment has been choked by a N50 billion debt it owed commercial bank operators in the country.

    This has led to a decline in the country’s value addition in recent years and resulting to a $2 billion annual loss, industry sources said. Key players in the industry said unless there was a well-defined policy for processing of agricultural commodities, the country would continue to export and lose revenue it would have generated through value addition.

    “Most of the indigenous cocoa processors are really under the heavy weight of debt and that is why none is operating at full capacity today. The total debt in the industry today is not less that N50billion among six processors,” said Chairman, Cocoa Processors Association of Nigeria (COPAN), Akin Olusuyi, during a press briefing in Lagos recently.

    He continued:”We have a total of eight cocoa processing firms in the country with only 2 functional. The two that are functional now are foreigner owned. There is no indigenous processor that is functioning now as we speak,” said Olusuyi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Ile Oluji Nigeria Limited.

    Total installed capacity of cocoa processing plants in the country, according to him, is 270,000 metric tonnes, but cumulatively, the industry is operating below 15 per cent capacity. Nigeria, the world’s fourth largest cocoa producer and supplier, saw the value of its global supply decline by 23.4 per cent from 248,000 metric tonnes in 2014 to 190,000 tonnes in 2015, according to the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) in its latest data on global production.

    According to COPAN, the debt incurred by the industry was as a result of the harsh operating environment in the country and the inability to secure loans at single digit interest rate. “An average borrowing cost to any cocoa processors by any bank in the country is 25 per cent interest rate, when processors in Ivory Coast and Ghana obtain loans at single digit. How can we be competitive?” asked Executive Director, FTN Cocoa Processors PLC, Akin Laoye. Adding:”We are yet to access the EEG that was designed to cushion structural misalignment in our economy since 2013. Since last year we have been given approval by NEXIM and our banks, but we are yet to get it.”

    According to Olusuyi, the government has failed to provide a clear cut policy direction as to what it intends to do in terms of industrialising the economy through processing of agro commodities.”This why our agriculture has remained at the rudimentary stage because the active players that take the commodity from the farmers do not add any value by processing it,”he added.

    He noted that Nigeria cannot develop without developing agriculture to include processing. “The direction to economic growth is industrialisation and not the exporting of raw agric commodities,” he further stated.

    Similarly, another challenge facing the sector is the crisis rocking the 65,000 capacity Multritrex Integrated, the country’s largest cocoa processor, which has cut industry production by over 26 per cent, according to calculations. Multritrex was shut down by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMNCON) over N5 billion debt.The company officials said though firm had been handed over to a new receivership, production was at the peripheral level. “Since AMCON took over Multitrex Foods, nothing meaningful has been achieved. The best option is to work out a plan so that the business can continue,” Olusuyi said.

  • Fish: Firm trains 620 to strengthen aqua culture

    Nigeria’s plan of achieving self-sufficiency in fish production has received a boost. Aller Aqua Limited  trained over 1000 catfish and tilapia farmers on proper feed management. This is to boost local production and reduce the country’s yearly import bill of N238 billion

    Aller Aqua Nigeria  Limited, a subsidiary of Denmark-based fish feed producer, Aller Aqua Group, is  working with the government  to empower  fishermen to learn profitable aquaculture.

    Its Regional Sales Manager, Mr Foluso Dada, said the agro firm has  trained 620 fish farmers this year, in its ongoing “free training’’ to further drive the Federal Government’s plan to strengthen aqua culture.

    He said the  figure included trainings in Asaba, Warri, Benin and Port Harcourt. “The training is focused on increasing efficiency and production of fish farmers, using efficient fish conversion,” said Dada, adding: “With this, a catfish farmer with 1,200 pieces of fish can make 24.7 per cent profit margins, having three production cycles of four months each and a tilapia farmer with same pieces of fish will have 37.5 percent profits.”

    According to him, the outcome of the training since it commenced in 2016, has propelled the firm to extend its activities to the South-West cities such as Lagos and Ibadan. “The training is going to be in three parts, to bridge the gap in the aquaculture sub-sector deficit in optimum profitability. The first part of the training will be for those, who own fish farms on managing practices, to build farmers’ capacity and opportunities for making profits.

    “The second phase, which is a technical part, will be on Economics of Feeding and Feeds Efficiency for farm owners and managers. The third is on Tilapia production, focusing on feasibility studies of how to set up tilapia farms and how to make profits,’’ Dada said.

    Managing Director, Amolese Aquaculture Nigeria Limited, Tiamiyu Nurudeen  underscored the need for organisations to help  small fish farmers overcome various problems  they  face.

    Tiamiyu, who is also the national npresident of the Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria, believed the sector’s performance was crucial to income generation and poverty alleviation, calling for an enabling pro-growth policy environment for the sector.

    Nurudeen said the fisheries and aquaculture sector has been making an important contribution to the country’s economic growth. In the workshop, presentations highlighted key prerequisites for success in fish farming business using feed. The presentations also identified concrete managerial issues which should be addressed to ensure the sustainability of  fish farms.