The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Grappling with tomato shortage

    Grappling with tomato shortage

    Tomatoes, a vegetable consumed in most households, is scarce and very costly. Many have attributed the shortage to the Mile 12, Ketu, Lagos crisis. Some blame diseases, the high cost of transportation and insecurity in the North. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Why are tomatoes, a must vegetable for households, scarce and very expensive?

    This is the question all are seeking answers to. Across the country, there has been an outcry over the high cost of the crop. The cost has forced restaurants, grocers, households and other consumers to cut down the quantities they buy. Four pieces of tomatoes cost as much as N200; that is N50 per one. Since the end of March, when tomatoes became scarce, comsumers have been bearing the brunt as traders pass the hike in prices to them.

    About 75 per cent of vegetables, such as tomatoes, consumed in the country, come from the Northeast and Northwest parts of the country. In recent weeks, vegetable shipments from the North  have dropped, while prices have soared by as much as 100 per cent.

    Some weeks back in Lagos, a basket of tomatoes sold for between N4,000 and N6,000. But now, it costs between N20,000 and N25,000.

    Factors for the shortage, many traders said, include the fuel crisis; insurgency; the recent Mile 12, Lagos crisis and viral attacks on the crop.

    Reacting to the situation, the Programme Co-ordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Elder  Victor Olowe, who co-ordinates a massive number of farmers across the Southwest, told The Nation that the  fuel scarcity made it expensive for farmers to move tomatoes from the North to the South.

    The scarcity not only made transporters to spend many hours on long queues at petrol stations, it also added to the delay in the movement of the produce. According to him, many farmers, who bring tomatoes to the South, now sell their produce in neighbouring states’ markets. This has caused a hike in prices in the southern part of the country.

    Olowe added that the recent Mile 12 crisis might have worsened the scarcity. According to him, producers who bring the produce to the South no longer come because of fear.

    Olowe said the situation has had a huge impact on the Southwest because farmers in the region did not envisage it.

    To buttress his point, he  said farmers in the Southwest were  just starting to prepare the ground for the planting season. Consequently, according to him, the prices of tomatoes will still be on the high side.

    “This is because farmers are still a couple of weeks from harvesting, since they just started planting. It’s likely that the high prices will hold for a while,” he said, adding: “If the weather holds out, supplies from the southwest will improve.”

    However, he said supplies were expected to remain tight until mid-July or August, when some farmers would have  harvested their crops. While buyers still expect supplies from the North to improve, President, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama, observed that insurgency has affected hundreds of small-scale tomato farmers in the North.

    “In most cases, their livelihoods have been threatened while markets have become inaccessible. As a result, tomatoes are rottening in the fields, because the roads to many markets are not safe,” he said.

    Also speaking on the issue, a Senior Intervention Manager, Tomatoes, Growth and Employment in States (GEMS4 Nigeria), Mr Richard Ogundele, described the shortage as a regular occurence. To him, it normally happens between the months of April and September. He said production of tomatoes usually drops during the period as a result of low rainfall in the North.

    This year’s shortage, according to him, is remarkable because farmers had to share the little quantity produced with processing companies before sending the remaining ones to the South.

    The Nation learnt that some plantations in the North have been very difficult to access, especially remote communities of the Northeast, where insecurity has been a serious issue. In some parts of Southern Kaduna, where inhabitants are predominantly farmers, security challenges seem to be threatening farming activities. Cultivation of other crops such as guinea corn, rice, wheat, groundnut, sugar cane, yam, cassava, soya beans, okra, beans and vegetables for local consumption and commercial purposes have been affected.

    Acknowledging the efforts by Dangote Group and others in tomato processing to mop up local harvests, Iyama said the quantity being processed was still too low to cause the  shortage. For instance, Dangote Tomato Processing Factory in Kadawa, Kano State has the capacity to process 120 tonnes of tomatoes daily at full capacity. This is still small compared to the number of wastes farmers record in the Northeast which has no large processing plants.

    According to Iyama, food security has been undermined in the North, with production of crops falling by varying degrees due to the impact of insurgency on fertilisers; and the disruption of market routes. Before the insurgency, the area recorded higher yields due to improvements in land and crop management practices that helped capture major markets even in the neighbouring countries.

    The North’s farming sector received a sizeable investment in modern farming techniques and infrastructure. The authorities were even beginning to invest in irrigation in many projects, as was the case with some large private investors. Today, much of this infrastructure is either damaged or lying waste and idle.

    One of those affected, the Vegefresh Company Limited, was closed down in Bauchi as a result of insurgency.

    For agro entrepreneurs, the longer the crisis endures, the more costly it will be for the agricultural sector to recover. Although there are signs that the sector has, at least, adapted, in some areas, the lack of fertiliser and cheap fuel has had a detrimental impact that it will require years for the country’s agriculture to recover.

    According to experts and agricultural economists, up to 70 per cent of livelihoods in the North  are connected to agriculture in one way or the other. Reduced areas of cultivation have lowered the living standards of rural farming communities that once depended on agriculture.

    Speaking with The Nation, Crop protection specialist Prof Daniel Gwary, who works extensively with farmers in the Northeastern part of the country, said insecurity has posed a big challenge to local farmers in the area, adding that since it began, many people do not want to go to the farms. Reports said local farmers in the area now go to farm in groups because of fear of being attacked.

    They claimed that they were scared and would spend lesser time on their farms for fear of attacks, urging security operatives to stop the wave of insecurity to protect the crucial sector.

    Gwary noted that insecurity has caused a lot of problems, especially in the Northeast and that tomato farmers are affected. Early in the year, some farm wells dried up in Katsina, giving concern to tomato irrigation farmers. Tomato farmers had to rely on wells dug on their farms to water their farmlands.

    Sadly also, tomato production has been severely hit by the outbreak of Tuta absoluta, a disease which left farms devastated across the producing states. For instance, farms at the Kadawa Irrigation Valley, which is the major producing area and demonstration farms to feed the Dangote’s Dansa Tomato Company in Kano State, were damaged by the disease.

    Reports from other states showed that the disease was responsible for the huge economic loss to farmers.

    Katsina was also affected by the disease with many tomato farmers devastated by the destruction of their farms.

    Farmers are worried about Tuta absoluta, a grey-brown moth that is 7mm long, which can wipe out a farm within days. Once it attacks a farm, there is no remedy. The pest attacks fruits in the open farm and in greenhouses. It is lethal; and a female pest can produce up to 260 eggs in 21 days. Experts say Tuta absoluta is a very dangerous pest.

    All these factors are responsible  for high cost of tomatoes in Lagos and other southern markets.

    To watchers, tomato shortage is dire. But stakeholders and local farmers wouldn’t want the government to rely on imports. Since tomato is a vital crop, they want the government to support tomatoes farms to increase production rate. They want the government to provide facilities and create appropriate conditions for the re-planting of crops and to tackle water shortages nationwide.

    Observers believe that, despite some cases of corruption, the Federal Government’s transformation  agenda should have a significant impact in stimulating agriculture. According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigeria is the 13th largest producer of tomato in the world and the second after Egypt in Africa. Nigeria has a domestic demand for tomatoes put at 2.3 million tons, while it produces only 1.8 million tons annually. However, due to the dysfunctional agricultural value chain system, about 50 per cent of the tomato produced is wasted.

    The situation has resulted in tomato waste of over 750,000 tonnes and an import bill of N16 billion annually.

    According to experts, the panacea to tomato waste is processing.

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development puts the annual local demand for tomato paste at 900,000 tonnes. Sadly, Nigeria is forced to rely on import of tomato puree, mostly from China because of lack of adequate processing plants. Currently, most processing plants in Nigeria are not functional

    To ensure that wastage is curtailed during glut, indigenous companies have risen to the challenge by reviving one of the moribund processing plants and investing in the industry. Notably, the Ikara Food Processing Plant in Kaduna, which had been moribund for over two decades, was resuscitated in 2014 through a public-private partnership between the state and Springfield Agro Ltd.

    Following the trail of Ikara Food Company is Erisco Foods Ltd.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods, Chief Eric Umeofia, said the plant has an installed production capacity of 450,000 metric tonnes per annum at its Lagos factory, making it the biggest in Africa and fourth largest in the world. Also, Dangote Industries has a tomato factory in Kano State.

    The plant has a production capacity of 430,000 metric tonnes of paste per annum. It requires 40 trailers of fresh tomatoes (1, 200mt) daily to run at full capacity. To strengthen the supply chain needed to improve tomato processing, the factory is collaborating with GEMS4 and the Tomato Growers Association in Kano. Ogundele said linking tomato farmers to processing plants initiative creates increased business choices for farmers by facilitating business linkages between small scale tomato farmers and tomato processing plants. It enables them to serve each other on a commercial basis.

  • Making profitable use of greenhouse

    Making profitable use of greenhouse

    There is a growing interest in greenhouse farming. Experts say with a little effort, one can start a greenhouse that will enhance the environment and bring in profits. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    To manage the challenges of  rainfall, degraded land and decreasing land sizes, farmers have been urged to go for greenhouse.

    Making the call, Dizengoff Nigeria’s  Integrated Project Manager, Sustainable Livelihoods, Mr. Oscar Walumbe, said acquiring a greenhouse is a most satisfying endeavour.

    He spoke to reporters at the company’s media field day in Lagos.

    Walumbe said a greenhouse, a protected space for growing vegetables, plants and crops,  is a prime real estate, so one should choose crops  to maximise profits and produce crops that don’t do well outside .

    He said one advantage of using greenhouse is that farmers can grow vegetables and crops at any time of the year – when they can’t be grown outdoors. This is because it allows them to extend the seasons and produce  a wide range of vegetables.

    Greenhouse cultivation, he said, enables farmers to grow their crops under optimised and standardised conditions, which protects the plants from pests and bad weather.

    He advised farmers using greenhouse to grow out-of-season crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, basil, and other vegetables where they can command high prices in the market.

    In choosing what type of plants to grow for profit, Walumbe advised that one must figure out the right combination of profitable plant varieties, sizes, and quantities.

    Walumbe said:  “Our greenhouse is essentially a controlled environment limiting the devastating effects of insect pests and diseases that ravage vegetables including tomatoes. It is not rain-fedbut brain-fed, as it comes complete with a customised drip irrigation system. With little amount of land space and water, you are sure to get a yield far higher than your traditional open field production.”

    Oscar continued: “Nigeria consumes over 2.3 million tonnes of tomatoes annually, while it produces about 1.8 million tonnes locally. However, only 50 percent (0.9 million tonnes) of the produce makes it from farm to fork, thereby creating an immediate gap of 1.4 million tonnes to filled. This gap in essentially filled via importation, a scenario which puts more pressure on the demand for the already scarce US dollars. Nigerians can now leverage on the immense opportunity offered by the Dizengoff Farmers’ Kit so we can limit the foreign exchange spent on importing tomatoes annually while also providing employment for our teeming but unemployed youths”.

    Though people think greenhouse farming is too expensive, he believes  it seems  so because of the initial investment in buying the materials for the structure which could run up to N1.5 million.

    He explained, however, that the expenses are easily offset by the high yields that a farmer makes from the investment. The  Marketing Communications Manager, Dizengoff Nigeria, Humphrey Otalor, said:  “As a company, we see the huge employment opportunity the greenhouse has created for Nigerians, both directly and indirectly and we believe that with participation from both the private and public sectors, the DFK will create about 1000 jobs directly and indirectly in the next 2 years”.

    He added: “Our strategy in bridging the gap in tomatoes production is to ensure that farming is made attractive even among our youths, through modern technology with the greenhouse farming concept and access to quality inputs and technical support. We know that there are readily available markets for the quality of tomatoes produces in our greenhouses.”

  • Fish farmer wins in Astymin Promo

    Fish farmer, Mr Oladipo Ojeyinka, is the March Star Winner in the ongoing Astymin Get Alert Promo.

    His number was selected from participating entries.

    Ojeyinka was elated at the news of his winning.

    He is the second star winner in the promo, which produced a Microfinance Banker, Mr Michael Irabor, as the first star winner in February.

    Recounting his experience, Ojeyinka said he prayed for God’s favour before sending the entry code because he  needed the cash to take care of some urgent family needs.

    “When I wanted to send the entry code, I prayed and told God that if the promo is true, He should please let me be the winner because I really needed the money to pay for my children’s schools fees. Business has not really been too smooth this period because of the situation of the country and it’s about that time I pay their school fees. So the money came at the very right time,” he said.

    He expressed gratitude to Astymin for the reward, saying the brand has delivered beyond expectations on his family’s health and wellbeing.

    “In fact, this is a double blessing for my family because, while we are still enjoying the benefits of the product on our health, the company decided to put smiles on our faces with this N100, 000. I am so grateful to Astymin for this reward”, he expressed.

    The promo, which is billed to run until December, has rewarded over 730 daily winners since inception  last month and will continue to reward more Nigerians for their loyalty and support, in celebration of 15 years of the brand’s existence in Nigeria.

    Earlier, General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Ola Ijimakin said during the launch of the campaign that part of the brand’s promises was to touch the lives of Nigerians and put smiles on their faces, through the delivery of quality product for good health.This the brand has been committed to achieving in the last fifteen years.

    He, therefore, urged Nigerians to prioritise their health and ensure they lead a healthy lifestyle daily. He said Astymin is committed to supporting healthy living among Nigerians, as the health of the people is the health of the nation.

  • Rebuild Northeast, farmers urged

    Rebuild Northeast, farmers urged

    •AgroNigeria berths in Zaria

    Farmers and agro-allied practitioners have been urged to channel  their energies towards  reviving the dwindling fortunes of agriculture in the North.

    A Professor of Agricultural Extension, Emmanuel Ikani, made  the call in Zaria while talking to  farmers and research experts at the opening of the Northwest branch of AgroNigeria in Kaduna State.

    As the special guest, Ikani lamented the impact of the insurgency across the region, noting that  it has taken a toll on the output of crops.

    He said: ”We have watched helplessly as farms turn battlefields, farmers chased away and produce destroyed. This is due to the terror acts then prevalent in the north. Thankfully, the military has recorded commendable progress in terms of addressing this scourge. As stakeholders, we cannot fold our hands and wait until everything is done for us by the government. We need to rise and strive to start all over again. The government is ready to support farmers with loans and incentives to go into production of crops and rearing of animals. Researchers here present, I urge you to please join hands with farmers in introducing new and profit oriented ideas that would help the sector grow.”

    He continued: “The farmers here represent the national farm community and so whatever we collectively come up in research with a feedback from the farmers will help the sector grow. The presence of AgroNigeria in Zaria is to bridge the information gap while bringing interpretation of policies to the tables of the farmers. Let us join our hands together with AgroNigeria as a veritable media platform to preach the agriculture story,” the university don further enjoined.

    A crop protection expert, Prof Isa Onu of  the Institute of Agriculture Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria urged AgroNigeria not to relent in the pursuit of the growth of the sector while applauding the editorial depth of the magazine and quality of production.

    “I have held magazines and flipped through many of them. I can proudly tell you that there are no magazines now on the stands with the quality of AgroNigeria both in print and content,’’ Ikani said.

    The  Chief Executive Officer and Editor-In-Chief, AgroNigeria, Mr. Richard-Mark Mbaram, reiterated the dream of the company in ensuring that the agricultural sector gets the desired media mileage necessary for its continued recovery and viability. “We are committed to ensuring that no effort by anyone in achieving the agricultural dream goes unnoticed,”he said.

  • How rural development can transform economy, by don

    For Nigeria to attain national development, it should prioritise rural development because the rural people are a reservoir of untapped talents, Prof Kolawole Adebayo of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abe-okuta (FUNAAB) has said.

    He spoke at the 52nd Inaugural Lecture of the institution titled: Mercenaries and merchants: The dialectics of rural development in Nigeria, where he was lecturer.

    The professor of Rural Development Communication at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), described a mercenary as a soldier, who traverses the earth in search of its treasures and greedily accumulates as much as possible through whatever means.

    He added that in doing so, and if there were any unexpected good, the mercenary usually claims the glory for providing that; but cares less and would do anything to amass wealth.

    Adebayo pointed out that while the mercenaries, who enabled rural development many centuries ago could claim glory for the unintended or accidental results of their efforts, the shape and notion of rural development that followed  was intentional and for selfish motives.

    Defining a merchant as a business person who trades in commodities produced by others to earn a profit, the don said, a ‘merchant’is some one with a profit motive.

    He listed the merchants in this context to include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), also known as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as small regional development banks, such as African Development Bank (AfDB), Asia Development Bank (ASDB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

    To improve productivity and living standards of the  rural people, Adebayo urged the government  to boost the availability of  credit and banking facilities to enable rural dwellers embark on productive ventures  and  employ more labour. This, he added, would  take a lot of Nigerians out of the strangle-hold of poverty.

    While the economy has witnessed the emergence of rural development merchants in the mode of commercial banks and specialised agricultural banks, Adebayo  also called on  microfinance banks to  take advantage of the enormous market potential.

    Acknowledging the efforts to build the capacities of microfi-nance practitioners undertaken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the don, however, implored the institutions  to  extended it  to the Board of Directors of the banks.

  • Fresh boost for sugar cane farmers

    Fresh boost for sugar cane farmers

    In an era where there is a need for inclusive growth, sugar cane farming is among the few that have contributed to the success of the rural economy. Against this backdrop, efforts are being made to revamp the sugar cane belt in Niger State with the establishment of a refinery. The aim is to boost productivity, increase farmers’ income and create jobs, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Sugar cane is an important crop in the North. It also remains one of the major contributors to its economy while  creating jobs for the rural youth.

       In the last three years, farmers in Niger State have been experiencing a boom in sugar cane production. This is due to the billions of naira investment in seeds, inputs and equipment for sugar cane farmers to increase production by the Federal Government and the private sector. The farmers are taking advantage of the measures.

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) funding initiatives to boost the capacity of farmers to raise cane production volumes is an example of the government’s support. The CBN has financed Sunti Sugar Golden Estate, a project consisting of 16,000 hectares sugar farm and a sugar refinery. It is owned by Flour Mills of Nigeria.

    The mill is key to the future growth of the industry as it has fulfilled the dreams of farmers and millers.

    The cane farmers can sell their produce to the mill thereby forestalling post-harvest losses while making more money. Beyond this, it will safeguard the livelihood of a large number of sugar farming households. Also the 16,000 hectares farm will create jobs.

    Such projects, stakeholders say, give farmers hope that their income will improve. One of those who see a prospect in the project is the Managing Director, Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA), Baba Kutigi.

    Kutigi said Sunti Golden Sugar Company offers farmers a ready market for their products, and in turn the company secures the raw materials needed to meet market demand.

    The arrangement, he believes, will help raise the living standards of small-scale farmers and reduce transportation costs. Besides, Kutigi said the project was supporting a small-scale out grower scheme for the community. For him, the out grower scheme is a sustainable farming model that strengthens the capabilities of the farmers.

    This is because it enhances sugar-cane out-grower farmers’ well-being by providing more opportunities to grow the product.

    The project will also increase economic activities associated with sugarcane cultivation and production and generate a vast number of jobs in support industries while enhancing commerce.

    After inspecting the project, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said the apex bank had invested N26 billion in the factory. He reiterated the bank’s readiness to support efforts aimed at self-sufficiency in local production of goods.

    Emefiele said the CBN invested in the project to encourage import substitution and the backward integration strategy. According to him, such investments are geared towards self-sufficiency, employment and wealth creation. He noted that one of the difficulties faced by sugar cane growers is market and a processing centre to uptake harvests from farms.

    He said the estate would address that. With the challenges currently faced by the industry, the deal could not have come at a better time, Emefiele stated.

    He urged smallholder sugar cane farmers in the area to leverage on the actory to boost production, as the company would now buy their produce. He assured genuine investors of cooperation and support toward inline with the economic diversification drive of the government.

     Niger State Governor Sani Bello said the economy has been affected by the fall in oil prices, prompting the need to explore opportunities in the non-oil sector.

    One way to address this is to help farmers focus on productivity and efficiency by supporting them to build some sort of economic resilience.

    According to him, investment in sugar cane farming is vital, if the government wants to make agriculture sustainable and attractive to the next generation. The governor said the sector has a number of transformational opportunities which have remained largely untapped.

    Therefore, he said his government’s policies would support the sugar cane industry, considering its massive impact on the agro economy and associated social objectives encompassing a large percentage of the masses. This is because a wide range of industries use sugar as raw material.

    In addition to the company’s effort, Bello said the state has acquired 5,000 hectares for sugar cane farming.

    He urged the management of Sunti Farm to support the farmers to improve on farming practices and ensure better delivery processes. Bello praised the management of the CBN for providing the needed fund for the project and Flour Mills for working hard to fulfill its obligations to the host community by providing access roads, boreholes, electricity and a health facility, in addition to the engagement of over 800 construction workers.

    The Chairman, Flour Mill of Nigeria Group, Mr. John Couman-taros, expressed appreciation to the CBN for the support given to company, without which the project wouldn’t have been completed on schedule. He noted that the N45 billion sugar-refining project is expected to create over 15,000 jobs including 3,500 direct jobs, 3,000 small-scale out-grower farmers and save over $50 million in foreign exchange annually.

    Coumantaros  said Nigeria produces 1.7 million metric tons of raw sugar which is just about two per cent of her needs whereas countries, such as  Benin Republic, Senegal and Mali, produce 26 per cent, 48 per cent and 28 per cent of their sugar needs.

    As such, the planned 100,000  metric tonnes of raw sugar to be produced by the company would close the supply gap to an extent. This is in addition to the generation of 10 megawatts (mw) of electricity, animal feeds and fertiliser from sugar cane residue.

    The Group Managing Director, Flour Mills Plc, Paul Gbedebo, assured that farmers in Niger State, in particular, would no longer face the problem of searching for markets for their produce as the company would buy off everything, going forward. He said the company has significantly invested in food and agro-allied value chains to align with the government’s agricultural initiatives.

    The key areas include sugar cane, livestock feed, cassava, edible oil and rice.

  • Agro-forestry project to create mass employment in Ogun

    Agro-forestry project to create mass employment in Ogun

    An agro-forestry and forest landscape restoration project will soon take-off in Ogun, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

     

    The state Commissioner for Forestry, Mr Kolawole Lawal, told newsmen in Abeokuta on Friday, that the project was aimed at creating employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.

     

    NAN reports that the commissioner had earlier held a parley with the Project Consultant, Mr Pierre Decroix, in his office.

     

    He said that the state government would sensitise the occupants of the proposed communities where the projects would be situated on the benefits accruable to them.

     

    “The project will be beneficial to settlers of the affected communities, as it will provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths.

     

    “Besides, the project will reduce climate change and enhance food security in the state,’’ the commissioner said.

     

    NAN recalls that Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, had last December, led a delegation from the state to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris, France.

     

    The delegation had also seized the opportunity afforded it then to hold multilateral talks with officials of Lafarge Holcim and other investors on forest landscape restoration project.

     

    Decroix commended the state government on the initiative, which he said, would be the envy of all, when completed.

     

    He stressed the need for the sensitisation of the occupants of the affected communities in line with global best practices.

     

    According to him, there is also the need for satellite mapping which will supply information on the environment and soil.

  • Fashola to discuss infrastructure plan at agric fair

    Fashola to discuss infrastructure plan at agric fair

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), will discuss how the government‘s infrastructure development plan will help Nigerians make the best of agricultural opportunities.

    The event is Agritech Fair, an international exhibition designed to support the changing operational needs and growth objectives of Nigeria’s dynamic agribusiness. It is  scheduled for between June 15 and 16 at The Old Parade Ground, Garki, Area 10, Abuja.

    Fashola is one of the key resource persons.

    According to the Executive Director, Remick Promotions, organisers of the fair, Mrs Remi Agbowu, the event is designed to help Nigerians secure a more prosperous future by increasing household incomes and employment, nurturing competitive small and medium enterprises and promoting a vibrant agricultural sector.

    She   said the fair would attract Nigerian and international professionals from the agricultural food production, fishing and aquacul-ture and food processing industries.

    Attendees, according to her, will have the opportunity to source and buy the latest products, equipment and services to enhance their production productivity from the field to the processing plant.She said: “They will have the chance to interact with both domestic and international investors, understand the market appetite for their products and understand the best channels for delivery to market.”

    According to her, delegates at the conference will benefit from a mix of seminars and interactive workshops providing unparalleled, highly valuable face-to-face learning opportunities.

    A premium line-up of national speakers will present their knowledge, experiences and solutions on all aspects of farm management – productivity, food quality, nutrition and R&D, strategy, animal care, livestock management and agricultural investment. She listed them to include the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu; Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof. Biyi Daramola; Director–General West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Prof Akpan Ekpo, the Harvest Plus Nigeria Country Manager, Paul Ilona, among others.

    She said:  “The launch of Agritech fair follows extensive industry research and consultation, which clearly demonstrated the market need for a premium quality, comprehensive agribusiness event for the full ‘farm to fork’ agricultural/agri-food value chain.”

    She added: “Remick Promotions is delighted to be working with Nigeria’s dynamic agribusi-ness industry and offering a platform to support its growth. We will be working closely with our strategic partners and other industry stakeholders to ensure that the content and direction of Agritech fair stays firmly aligned with the industry’s needs, objectives and culture. We urge companies and individuals interested in participation at the programme, whether as an event partner, exhibitor, sponsor, trade visitor, conference delegate or speaker, to contact us as soon as possible to get on board and help us to help you support the future growth of your industry.”

    The fair is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the peak industry body, Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG).

    Meanwhile, Agritech Fair Beauty pageant will take place at Milverton Hotel Lokoja on June 11, 2016.

  • Union Bank pledges support for rural farmers

    Union Bank pledges support for rural farmers

    THE Chief Executive of Union Bank, Emeka Enuwa yesterday said Union Bank will keep providing agricultural finance to rural farmers adding that as a member of African Rural Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA), the Bank remains committed to providing rural finance in Nigeria.

    “At Union Bank, we shall continue to provide credit to the agricultural sector and we encourage the other banks to do the same. We remain committed to driving investment in the agricultural sector as an active member of AFRACA and we urge all participants to align with AFRACA’s vision of a rural Africa, where people have access to sustainable financial services for economic development”.

    Enuwa went further to say that Agriculture remains the vital tools that can get the country out of the current depleted foreign exchange stressing that agricultural financing and infractions development must remain an unbroken chain for economic development.

    The Union Bank boss stated this in Abuja at a two day workshop on Catalysing the Diversification of the Nigerian Economy Through Effective Agricultural Finance organised by African Rural Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA.)

    He recounted that Nigeria was a major exporter of Palm oil, cotton and rubber in the 80s but the oil boom drifted the nation to focus on oil which has now become a commodity with a value that cannot drive the economy, saying that most African countries like Angola that are dependent on oil are also going through the same economic challenge, while urging government to increase funding to agriculture to enable more farmers have access to credits.

    Enuwa pledged the continuous support of Union Bank to rural farmers through a revolving micro credit.

    He said, “Nigeria we all know is an oil producing nation as a number of other member nations, and over the last year or so, we find ourselves in a situation where oil revenue has declined approximately to 43% year to year, 2014 to 2015. And when your foreign currency earnings declines, it has a direct impact on the economy.

    “There has been a shortage in foreign currency and this has affected sectors like manufacturing and others. It has led to a disparity in the exchange rate. We have also started seeing inflation through our indices.

    “Every country needs to diversify its revenue base. Revenue base is production base and that is why agriculture is very important again.

    “In the case of Nigeria, we have history. We used to be the highest producer of palm oil, likewise rubber, cocoa, all and we have to get back to such glory even if it is not the same produce, perhaps different ones.

    “As it stands, we are the largest producer of cassava in the world and this is an opportunity to do more of that. We have to move away from being a net food importer to a net food exporter.

    “One of the challenges facing agriculture sector today is lack of effective agriculture finance. In Nigeria, the banking sector has made some progress. Over the last few years from 2014 to 2015 there has been 36% growth in loan to the real sector, agriculture did not get up to 4% of the total lending in Nigeria.

    “In addition to finance, farmers also face infrastructure impediment, roads, power, transport and storage. Those are things that are important to farmers and which remain a challenge.

    “What has to happen to elevate agriculture to a top level generating sector is what we are seeing, that is the government is saying that agriculture is the key pillar for our economic development and it is being reflected in the budget. If you look at the capital investment required to further enable agriculture whether it is in infrastructure, transport, roads, those are the things we expect to see more investment within the course of this year and going forward. Across Africa the same thing is being done” he said.

    He called on Nigerians to usurp the competitive advantage we have in cassava production to ensure the country become a force in cassava farming and processing.

  • 9.2m poor Nigerians benefit from IFAD support projects

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development said yesterday that about 9.2 million out of the 14. 2 million Nigerians targeted have benefited from its development projects across the county in the last six  years.

    The agency said that over $317. 6 million has been spent in financing 10 projects in Nigeria.

    The Director of IFAD’s West and Central Africa Division, Ides de Willebois, said this in Abuja on Thursday at the presentations of its findings by the Independent Office of Evaluation of the agency.

    Willebois, said the projects have improved the livelihoods of rural poor people and strengthened their food production systems in a number of impoverished, remote communities.

    He said that the evaluation was carried out to assess the results and performance of the IFAD-Government partnership in reducing rural poverty and to generate findings and recommendations for the future partnership between IFAD and Nigeria.

    Willebois said: “The evaluation found that the programme targeted poverty reasonably well. During the period covered by the evaluation, 2009-2015, IFAD-funded operations focused on the poorest states in the country, and have effectively provided support to poorer northern states.

    “The evaluation has allowed us to reflect on the impact of our work in areas such as community-driven development. IFAD’s support in community-driven development activities has been particularly successful, especially with community development associations, linked to local government authorities and that continue to function after the project completion.

    “Notable achievements were recorded with regard to access to financial services, community capacity-building and job creation. The benefits derived, in terms of building assets and disseminating technology, were visible and, according to a field survey conducted by the evaluation team, are well sustained. Local governments continued funding community activities beyond the lifetime of IFAD’s support.”

    Earlier, Director of the Independent Office of Evaluation, Oscar Garcia, noted that the scale of the impact of the projects on Nigerians remained limited.

    He blamed it on the size of the country, adding that overall statistics on poverty showed an increasing divide between the urban and rural areas and wealthy and poor people.

    Garcia said: “In particular, the evaluation highlighted the need for a more strategic approach to partnership-building at federal and state levels and that IFAD expand its existing partnerships as well as develop new ones.

    “A missing partner, particularly in the earlier IFAD-supported operations, has been the private sector. Its involvement is crucial given the move towards markets and processing across the portfolio.

    “It is necessary to mobilize a range of public-private partnerships around fertilizer, seeds and processing in line with the approach stipulated by Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).”