The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Stakeholders to Buhari: Be committed to agric

    Stakeholders have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to avoid policy somersault on the agricultural sector.

    They spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital during a town hall meeting on agriculture.

    They urged the government to ensure more commitment to agricultural development, noting that policy inconsistency by successive governments had affected reduced foreign direct investments.

    Kwara State Chairman, Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN), Mr. David Ehindero, said the government must not pay lip service to agriculture.

    He noted that agriculture is a strategic sector that can transform the  economy and create massive jobs, urging for greater commitment from the government to agricultural development.

    He said farmers are not well- funded, adding that past funding intervention of the government did not really reach farmers who are the target for the funding.

    “The government should not make agriculture a political jamboree. Government should focus in areas that Nigeria has comparative advantage which is agriculture.

    Ehindero added that “the government should ensure that the good policies of the past administration should be continued. Agricultural personnel should be well taken care of in terms of tax relief, loans and incentives.”

    The Chief Executive Officer, AgroNigeria, Mr. Richard-Mark Mbaram appealed to Buhari to appoint as a matter of urgency a minister for agriculture.

    His words: “There should be no policy somersault. We have the Agricultural Transformation Agenda which is a well-thought out strategy for reforms in agriculture.

    “It has worked for the past four years and it is the basis for which we feel that the new government should build its agriculture. Implementation of it should be strictly in accordance with what is captured.

    “We do need an agriculture minister like yesterday. Agriculture is a different ministry from others.  You could afford not have other ministers but you cannot function effectively with a permanent secretary as the leader for the agric ministry.

    “The need for government to apportion sufficient resources to the agricultural sector in terms of budgetary funding cannot be over-emphasised.

    “We insist that minimum of 10 per cent of the entire budget of Nigeria should be allocated to the agricultural sector. We must start from the next budget. We have signed to the Maputo declaration.

    “For all we know, we have been implementing that position in the bridge.  Nigeria has at no point allocated up to five per cent of its entire budget to agriculture.  The sector is in dire need for funding.”

    He also called for adequate funding of agriculture, saying the Federal Government should make available at least 10 per cent of the national budget for the agriculture sector.

  • Investment drive: Ugwuanyi’s kinsmen donate land for agriculture

    In a bid to support Govenor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s investment drive for Enugu State, his kinsmen have donated a large expanse of land, covering 680 hectares to the state government for commercial agriculture.

    The representatives of five autonomous communities in Udenu Local Government Area of the state comprising Ohom Orba, Agu Orba, Imilike Etiti, Imilike Agu and Ezimo, made the donation during a courtesy visit on the governor at the Government House, Enugu. The governor hails from Orba in Udenu Local Government Area.

    Presenting the offer, the leader of the delegation, Albert Edoga, a lawyer, said the gesture was borne out of their collective desire to assist the government in actualising its lofty dream of boosting the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through investment promotion in agriculture and other viable options within the state.

    He disclosed that the land, which is surrounded by five streams, has the natural potentials to produce cash crops such as pepper, rice, cassava, ose-nsukka, maize, yam and other agro-products, adding that they have decided as a people to engage the government constructively for mutual benefits.

    In his response, the governor thanked them for their collective and individual efforts and willingness to assist the government in  commercial agriculture, adding that the gesture speaks volume and is typical of what the people of the area can do.

    “Since it has pleased you to willingly assist the government of Enugu State in this all important commercial agriculture, I appreciate your kind gesture. 680 hectares of land with natural endowment like streams is massive and attractive for commercial agriculture. I believe we are now better positioned to take agriculture to the next level in the state,” said Ugwuanyi.

    Other prominent members of the delegation included: the Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area, Hon. Amechi Nwodo, Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Hon. Solomon Izu-chukwu Onah, the former PDP governorship aspirant in Enugu State, Hon. Chinedu Onuh, former Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Godson Nnadi, Ifeanyi Ossai, a lawyer, traditional rulers and representatives of the youths, among others.

  • FADAMA III: Boosting rice, generating employment

    First, it was the immediate past Minister for Agriculture, who is the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji  Adesina, who declared at the National Assembly that about $30 billion has been lost by Nigeria due to abuse and lack of transparency in waivers on rice importation during the era of Goodluck Jonathan.

    A few weeks ago, the National Assembly directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that the said $30 billion is recovered and returned to the Federation Account by ensuring that importers of rice, who manipulated the process and evaded payment of importation duty, are made to pay the sum in full.

    However, the above scenario is like scratching the problem of rice production and food sufficiency in Nigeria on the surface, just like treating leprosy with medicated soap.

    What led to the waiver scandal or Ricegate was the inability of Nigerian rice farmers to meet local demand for the staple food. Rice could be said to be the most consumed staple food in Nigeria today. It is estimated that about N1 billion worth of rice is consumed daily in Nigeria.

    There is no doubt that such huge level of demand provides immense opportunities for the production of rice and other activities along its value chain. This was the opportunities that foreign countries producing rice have seen and which informed the off-loading of rice from their stores into the country, which Adesina described as “rice that has spent decades in the strategic grain reserve of these countries and that is not even fit for animal consumption”.

    Adesina has been vociferous in his campaign that locally produced rice are more nutritious.

    It was, therefore, a pleasant step in the right and realistic direction when the World Bank, through FADAMA, identified rice as a priority staple food  for support under the $200 million FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF), which is aimed, among others, at ramping up production and increasing income of farmers operating within the catchment of the selected states and other production areas engaged in priority staple foods, namely: rice, cassava, sorghum, and horticulture in Kogi, Kano, Lagos, Niger, Enugu and Anambra states.

    The details of the implementation arrangement are outlined in the amended Subsidiary Agreement of the Parent Project satisfactory in form and substance to the Association. The amended subsidiary agreement has to be executed on behalf of the recipient and the participating state concerned, as a condition of disbursement of additional finance in respect of activities taking place in that state.

    Lagos State has been selected for rice production under the current project because of the success stories of FADAMA parent projects in the “State of aquatic splendour”,  the cooperation of the state government in prompt payment of its counterpart funding of the projects, and the establishment of Eko Rice Mills by the state government at Imota-Ikorodu, with a capacity of 20, 000 metric tons per annum.

    About 400 farmers are being prepared for the rice planting season in Lagos State under the FADAMA III Additional Finance Project for which the Federal and Lagos State governments recently signed a $25 million agreement.

    Lagos State has a huge market, not only because of its daily increasing population, but because the states of Southwest rely mainly on the Lagos market for the sales and purchase of agricultural produce. It is, therefore, a commendable foresight for the World Bank and the Federal Government to have picked Lagos State for this special support.

    A visit of the Imota factory of Eko Rice Mills, which is producing unpolished rice, revealed state-of-the-art equipment, in a hygiene and safety-conscious environment. The rice being produced is very nutritious and packed in bags of five, 25 and 50 killogrammes. The mill is  sourcing materials/paddy from two farm sites in Toga, Badagry and Itokin, all in Lagos State.

    The AF, apart from boosting production and raising income of farmers, is also creating employment in Lagos and neighbouring states. For example, a 10,000 hectares of land has been acquired in Ogun State for rice farming to feed the Eko Rice Mills.

    Lagos State government has also introduced Rice-for-Job Programme, which is a sort of empowerment programmes for youths, who are encouraged to go into rice farming. Every year, according to the Management Information System Officer for state FADAMA office in Lagos, Mr. Oladipo Azeez, the youth are trained in rice production and at the end of the training; they are supported by FADAMA with technical and financial aids, and advisory services to go into rice production and start their farms. About 3,000 youths participate in the programme, while rice plantations have been established in Itokin, Egua, Imota and Badagry on the basis of one hectare of land per farmer.

    The Eko Rice Mills, manned by indigenous Engineers, has been enjoying the yearly patronage of the Lagos State government, especially during festive periods. The patronages from other individuals and organisations have increased tremendously, as the people have been educated and informed that locally produced rice are more nutritious, better and even cheaper than the imported ones.

    Mr. Azeez said: “We don’t even know how many years the imported rice has spent in their stores and how many months on the sea before getting to our markets and finally the consumers. Our rice here is farm-fresh. This is last year’s harvest.”

    For example, a pack 500g of imported rice bought from one of the stores, when tested, the quality was below that of Eko Rice Mills, and worse still, it was sold for N1,500, whereas the 5kg pack of Eko Rice goes for N1,000.

    So, it does make a lot of economic sense to grow, patronise and consume local rice, just as FADAMA III Additional Financing for Lagos rice farmers makes a lot of development sense.

  • ‘Sector needs more support from banks’

    The agriculture sector needs more support from banks to promote sustainable farming, experts have said.

    The Director of Studies, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni, said banks should be encouraged to create more capital for agriculture sector for economic growth.

    This would also increase productivity in the sector and ensure food security in future, he said.

    Oladunni said the government should encourage the banks to support farmers and traders but also gives banks confidence to lend.

    He urged the government to provide more stability to farmers by setting up government-subsidised financing programmes, and that such products should funds to farmers.

    He said banks would shy away if there’s no certainty in terms of guarantees to protect  their  lending, adding that  the  banks is still not responding to the call to support farmers citing  difficulties to get their money back.

    President, Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Dr Femi Egbesola, said the government has a huge responsibility to support agriculture

    He urged the government to empower Bank of Agriculture and other financial institutions to support agricultural industries and stimulate bank lending.

    He called on the government to implement a loan discounting mechanism would encourage banks to provide short-term, self-liquidating, secured loans to finance agricultural commodities.

    He said there was a need to create financial literacy in rural areas and banks were making their efforts.

    Meanwhile, the Managing Director, BoA, Prof. Danbala Danju, has called for the repositioning and funding of the agriculture sector to boost food production in the country.

    He said the Federal Government should inject more funds into the BoA for farmers to access.”We hope that President Muhammadu Buhari would strongly support the agriculture sector, especially by injecting more funds into the Bank of Agriculture (BoA),’’ he added.

  • Commodity exchange’ll limit risks, says expert

    Strengthening the nation’s commodity exchange will provide the much-needed financial assistance to small-holder farmers and limit risks in the agric sector, Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union(FADU), Elder Victor Olowe has said.

    He said commodity exchanges could help farmers manage cropping decisions which is likely to improve their access to finance.

    He called on the government to empower the Abuja Commodity exchange so it cans become a platform to attract agricultural investments, aside from the provision of a ready market and formalisation of commercial activities.

    One of the features of the system, according to him is the warehouse receipt system, whereby farmers will be provided with receipts based on the food crops that they deposit

    With the warehouse receipt system working, he said farmers can make cropping decisions when the right demand is reflected in price signals, thus reducing inter-seasonal volatility characterising agricultural production, and smoothing producers’ incomes over time.

    He noted, however, that commodity prices are quoted in distant places and as such Nigerian farmers who are price-takers are often deprived of higher profit margin by foreign buyers using exchanges.

    To make it work, however, he said the sector needs infrastructure to improve grading and certification of commodities traded on the exchange to help streamline quality of produce to gain value for international markets.

    A Consultant to German International Co-operation (GIZ) Sustainable Cocoa Business programme, Mr Dayo Mejabi Ekundayo, said the commodity is a key part of modernisng the whole agricultural marketing system.

    According to him, improving warehousing, storage, logistics, crop quality and farmer financing are all critical to the success of the venture.

    He said promoting the commodity exchange would create an orderly, transparent and efficient marketing system for the nation’s agricultural commodities and encourage market access and fair returns for smallholder farmers.

    He said it would facilitate the formalisation of informal agricultural trading activities.

  • Biogas: Cow dung power for farmers

    Biogas: Cow dung power for farmers

    A new technology known as biogas, which generates methane gas from cow dung and transfers it into cooking fuel, is exciting farmers, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Mr Adewole  Zacheus, a small scale farmer in Ibulesoro community in Ondo State has every reason to smile.

    Two years, he would simply plant his farm, harvest and wait for better market prices that would give his good returns. With what he got, he bought farm input and sort out other needs.

    He had no access to light because the village is not connected to the national grid. But the story is different. He is able to use cow manure to generate a renewable supply of electricity.

    He has the Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Akure, Ondo State and The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) to thank. While FCA, Akure, used her place to demonstrate how to use cow dung to generate power with a modest biogas plant, WAAPP funded the project. So now, thanks to cow manure and biogas technology, he and his family not only have free, sustainable power all year round. Ibulesoro community now uses animal waste for electricity generation and cooking gas-courtesy, FCA, Akure and WAAPP.

    However, the cow dung comes various farms close by. One cow can produce over 30 gallons of manure a day. The place houses an anaerobic digester, built to hold waste for days. The   biogas plant collects cow dung, mix it with water and channel it into fermentation pits. The resulting gas is fed directly to the farmer’s household to provide energy for cooking.

    The process begins when cow dung and poultry waste is put into a sealed tank. A biogas digester is an air-tight chamber or compartment containing bacteria that turn organic waste into biogas and a high quality organic fertiliser. As the biomass digests, it releases methane gas which can be used to generate renewable heat and power. The biogas fuels the engine, which in turn spins an electric generator to create electricity. Waste heat from the engine is used to keep the digester warm and offsets fuel purchase on the farm.

    One cow’s waste can produce enough electricity to light two 100-watt light bulbs for 24 hours daily.

    Traditionally, cow dung is used as a fertiliser, though today dung is collected and used to produce biogas.

    Zacheus is happy he can enjoy electricity, courtesy of FCA and WAAPP Nigeria.

    Each day, Mrs Zacheus spent several hours collecting wood for cooking and heating water.

    The construction of a biogas plant at their home has transformed their lives. She freed from the daily drudgery of firewood collection, now has more time to spend on activities that generate income for the family.

    Her husband has become skilled at installing and maintaining the biogas plant, making him crucial for the development of other plants in the area.

    For farmers like Mr Zacheus,  this reliance on biomass fuels could have made a hard life even more difficult. The fuel wood he and his family relied on was becoming increasingly scarce. This was mainly due to the destruction of the forests as a result of the intensive farming practices being employed to meet the demand for food. He was in need of an alternative, appropriate energy source to replace his costly one. The alternative energy source in question was Biogas and it relied on nothing more than cow dung for its operation. The biogas technology he requires to do this is wonderfully simple.

    In Africa, biomass has become an important energy source for farmers worldwide.

    Yet, the potential of using biogas has so far been unexploited, especially in the form of livestock manure in the agriculture system.

    Provost, FCA, Akure, Dr Samson Odedina said sustainable energy is needed for agricultural transformation.

    According to him, energy efficiency is also a critical area for improvement of the water-food-energy nexus for sustainable development.

    By implementing the cow dung energy project for farmers, the school envisages a transformed agricultural industry that meets the needs of the rural and urban poor, small holder farmers and provides transition to modernising agriculture.

    To revamp the industry, Odedina said energy is needed in all aspects of agricultural and food production, processing, service provision and livelihoods improvement, adding that such sutainable solutions, provide the key to improving energy poverty among the rural poor.

    According to him, the college trains farmers and students to use biogas technology to generate methane gas from cow dung and transfers it into cooking fuel.

    In this regards, Mr Zacheus, a beneficiary, is able to collect cow manure to power his home.

    He said it’s an efficient green solution for areas that are off the grid and that the college trains farmers and students to install, to repair and maintain it.

    With support from WAAPP Nigeria, he said FCA is researching biomass solutions for small holder farmers and communities.

    This is because biogas from cattle waste makes a lot of sense with farmers using firewood for cooking. With increasing activities of people cutting wood from the forest, fetching firewood is now tedious, time-consuming and risky activity that engages the entire household, including the children.

    Therefore switching to biogas provides a cheap and reliable source of energy for rural households.

    With biogas, he said farmers who own livestock such as cattle and chickens can collect the waste and load it daily into a biogas system to generate biogas. However, the choice of system is determined by the available resources. Once set up, he said   the system does not need any maintenance apart from regularly adding waste material.

    On the whole, he said producing biogas, could also create jobs in the farming communities where it is produced, while youths could be trained to set up and maintain biogas systems in their communities. It reduces waste that would otherwise pollute the environment.

    According to him, FCA, Akure is privileged to be in partnership with WAAPP Nigeria, CAVA and other international organisations in developing solutions for agricultural transformation.

    He said the college would be ready to receive more partnership with organisations and experts within the renewable energy industry, donors and development partners to bring sustainable energy solutions to the agricultural industry, adding that it will use the knowledge developed to train experts for the renewable energy industry across the country.

    So far, farmers are partnering with organisations to implements projects to provide sustainable energy solutions for the agricultural industry. The projects include solar photovoltaic (PV), biomass energy, clean cookstoves, biogas, small hydro energy solutions for irrigation, food processing, agro-processing, food production.

    The Coordinator, WAAPP-Nigeria, FCA, Akure, Dr Adeyemo Abiodun, extolled the virtues of biogas as a very attractive option for both the economy and for households in terms of renewable energy. The biogas plants, he said, could serve a household for 20 years. There are plants; he disclosed that can last for 100 years. Abiodun said operators of the gas plants can use either cow dung or poultry droppings. The droppings would be put into a sealed tank called a digester, where they are heated and agitated. In the absence of oxygen, anaerobic bacteria consume the organic matter to multiply and produce gas that can fuel a generator. For Abiodun, it is a win-win situation. While allowing homes to generate power, it helps farmers to monetise waste. On the whole, biogas programmes are profitable even when the overall cost of the programme is taken into account.

    According to him, the use of biogas plants to power local households would open up opportunities for rural entrepreneurs. “Many rural households that do not have access to electricity are going to team up to purchase biogas” he said. “With the efforts made by WAAPP, and FCA, there are possibilities of entrepreneurs exploring the range of possible value-added bio-based products, among which are bio-fuel and bio-plastics” he added.

    For this reason, many entrepreneurs will experimenting with biogas plants to produce electricity and power for small business units.

    Meanwhile, WAAPP-Nigeria has adopted Oriendu Village, a rural Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State for establishing Biogas Digester.

    This step, in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, is meant to demonstrate to the adopted community alternative cheap source of energy for cooking and lighting in the rural areas; creation of employment opportunities by training some persons in this respect; and discouraging deforestation, among others.

    At the training, the NRCRI Director of Extension Services/WAAPP, Dr. Godwin Asumugha, said the technology is an alternative and cheap source of energy in rural areas, adding that already, more than 10 youths were undergoing training on how to establish the technology.

    According to NRCRI Executive Director, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, the organisation, has since 2011, been collaborating with WAAPP to facilitate the dissemination of improved agricultural technologies, stating that the Adopted Village Concept which was first introduced to the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) in 1996 under the World Bank-assisted programs of the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) was re-activated and consolidated by the WAAPP.

    According to him, the concept was introduced for developing, disseminating and evaluating technologies emanating from Research Institutes. The institures are to conduct their demonstrations in the identified and adopted villages for adoption and impact, and impress on intending farmers and end users on the viability of technologies being promoted.

  • Osun moves to prevent Bird Flu

    Osun moves to prevent Bird Flu

    The Osun government is doing everything possible to case of Avian Influenza (otherwise known as bird flu) in the state, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy Olusegun Aduroja has said.

    He spoke at a workshop for poultry farmers, farm attendants, agricultural extension workers, agricultural science lecturers.

    He said the government was taking preventive measures through the workshops to prepare stakeholders in the poultry farm sub sector to against possible outbreak of the disease in the state. .

    The state government partnered with a private poultry giant, Tuns Farm Limited. Its Managing Director, Olalekan Badmus, said the sensitisation was also intended to equip the public with the basic tips on the prevention and control of the disease. However, he allayed the fear about the epidemic, assuring that it had not occurred in Osun.

    Badmus said only 15 cases of the disease had been traced to small farms in the affected states.

    He said preventive measures had since been taken by the government and experts by destroying the affected birds in the affected farms.

    He assured of the government’s efforts to ensure effective management of the control posts to check indiscriminate entry of poultry products into Osun, especially from states where cases of the epidemic had been reported.

    Badmus also said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had since assured the public that the situation was under control.

    On the level of the awareness programmes so far, Badmus said  Tuns Farms had sponsored a handbook on prevention and control of the disease, adding that the book had since been in circulation in all the parts of the state.

    Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Osun State Chapter, Chief Oluyemi Olukiran, said: “There are 36 states in the country with hundreds of farms in each state, if AI only affects three farms in Lagos, Rivers and Kano states, the situation can’t be said to be epidemic and should not be blown out of proportion. The signal from where it occurred is a warning to other farms from those states and the remaining 33 states to take preventive measure against the onslaught of the disease. Our farmers are advised to immunise their birds properly, the farm attendants and visitors should make use of disinfectants, the access to the birds by the visitors should be controlled and also exchange of farm implements should be avoided.”

    The Deputy Director, Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Abosede Olatokun, stressed that the key to adequate bio-security is the maintenance of good hygiene both within and around their poultry farms.

    She urged the poultry farmers to always watch and control the entry of people and other animals from other farms into their farms, adding that they should try as much as possible to avoid borrowing materials to be used in their own farms from other farms.

    Another speaker, Dr. O. Tanimowo enlightened the participants on early detection and prevention of the disease so as not to allow it spread to other places.

    They advised the participants to adhere to the instructions of the lectures so that the presence of the disease will not find way into the state.

    Also delivering a lecture on proper medication for poultry birds, Dr. Adisa Adaramola, urged farmers to urgently seek help from experts if a particular drug fails to give the desired results after administering it on birds. While advising the farmers against self-medication on their birds, the poultry health expert charged the farmers to take precautionary measures at all times.

    In another lecture, while the participants were advised to report signs of the disease to the state office, they were also urged to endeavour to keep records and statistics of activities on their farms very well so that it can be easy to deal with the cases.

    Mr. Nurudeen Ibrahim of Adeen Farms, Ede and Mr. Oladepo Lawal of Labake Farms, praised the state government for organising the  workshops.

    On behalf of other participants, they said they have been equipped to guide against the deadly scourge.

    The Coordinating Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwabukola Aluko, who expressed appreciation to the administration Governor Rauf Arebgesola for the workshops, called on the farmers and other stakeholders to protect themselves and the state from contracting the disease.

    Aluko urged the participants to be vigilant and report any strange disease affecting birds to the appropriate quarters for the necessary action. She gave out telephone numbers to the participants in case of emergencies.

    Bird flu was first recorded in Sambawa Farm in Kaduna, Kaduna State  in August 2006.

    It re-emerged in January, last year in Kano and Lagos states. Early this year, about 322 farms in 18 states were affected.

  • Toyota, Amatheon invest $10m in Zambian project

    German firm Amatheon Agri group entered into a joint venture with Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, to finance agribusiness projects in Africa.

    According to a statement, the two companies will invest $10 million (or approximately Shs 36 billion) into commercial farming of cereals, such as maize, wheat and soya in Zambia.

    The international trading company, Toyota Tsusho, a subsidiary of the Toyota group, is already active in 53 countries in Africa while Amatheon Agri is a German agribusiness and food company that operates sustainable agricultural projects in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

    The group also invests in the food processing sector.

    Already, Amatheon has opened up large-scale farms, and is growing maize and sunflower in Nwoya district. The firm recently embarked on plans to start similar farms in the eastern parts of the country.

    The founder/Chief executive officer/ founder of Amatheon group, Carl Heinrich Bruhn, explained in the statement that the joint venture between them and Toyota highlights the increasing importance of the agricultural sector across Africa.

    The partnership will culminate into the building of a large-scale agro-project of 2,700 hectares of land for growing maize, wheat and soya, Bruhn said.

    The collaboration of the two companies is part of the overall development of Amatheon’s already 40,000 hectares titled farm block and the Amatheon Agri group will act as the majority stakeholder and operating partner of the company.

    Bruhn adds that the project represents both companies’ shared understanding of responsible and profitable investment in the growing agricultural sector of Africa.

  • FADAMA III: Lagos signs $25m rice pact with Fed Govt

    THE Federal and Lagos State governments have signed a $25 million agreement on  the  FADAMA III  Additional Finance Project.

    The agreement was signed by the state Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative with the Federal Government.

    Under the project, no fewer than 400 farmers are being prepared for the rice planting season in Lagos.

    The state FADAMA Coordinator, Mr. Foluso Ajijola, said the FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) is aimed at increasing production and farmers’ income in the selected states and other production areas engaged in priority staple foods, namely rice, cassava, sorghum, and horticulture.

    The states, he said, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, Niger, Enugu and Anambra.

    Lagos was selected because of the success stories of the FADAMA parent projects, the cooperation of the state government in the prompt payment of its counterpart funding of the projects, and the establishment of Eko Rice Mills by the government at Imota-Ikorodu, with a capacity of  20, 000 metric tons yearly.

    According to Ajijola, FADAMA Task Team Leader, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, and the National FADAMA Coordinator, Mr. Tayo Akinwunmi, and their teams, have   visited Lagos.

    The farmers, who are in about 15 production clusters and 35 production groups, have been sensitised at various fora by FADAMA officials.

    At present, the rice farmers are involved in land preparation preparatory to planting, though some local governments have passed the stage. The rice produced by the farmers will be milled by the state-owned rice mills at Imota, with its 20-ton capacity to serve Lagos and environs.

    On the success of FADAMA III, the state coordinator said many projects had been completed. “Farmers were supported in the acquisition of productive assets and in their production lines. Equipment for fisheries, livestock and crops were purchased to increase farmers’ activities and income.

    “Furthermore, fishing equipment, boats and engines were provided for fish farmers to be able to go to high sea fir fishing, while many of the groups acquired cold rooms to store and preserve their fishes. One of them is the five-ton cold room of Agbelere FCA in Eti Osa LG. We also have in Epe and other parts, while butchers have also been assisted with cold rooms and market reconstruction,’’ Ajijola added.

  • Wanted: National survey on food, poverty

    THE Federal Government has been urged to examine the nation’s food rquirement to know the number of people with no access to good food.

    Deputy Director, Directorate of General Management, Agricultural and Rural Management Institute (ARMTI), Dr Ademola Adeyemo, made the call in an interview.

    Poverty and food survey, he said, would address the relationship between poverty and food needs in every state and provide data on  participation in food and programmes, and other food-related and economic measures.

    He said the survey would show  indicators of food insecurity in each state.

    He said leaders, decision-makers and non-profit organisations could use the information to address local food insecurity issues.

    Calling for a “step up” to improve productivity, sustainability and projects to train, finance and engage small farmers to increase sustainable production and farmer incomes, Adeyemo said food insecurity is a big challenge facing the nation.

    He added that many Nigerians  are living below society’s minimum standard of living and that many children and adults aren’t properly fed.

    As the population increases, he said food insecurity would present a serious challenge.

    The effect of food inflation, he noted, would not undermine the efforts to fight poverty but would   create macroeconomic imbalance.

    He said the government’s reliance on food imports to meet the demand, reflected the inability of the domestic food value chains to meet the evolving consumer demand in terms of quality, volumes, prices and consistency of supply.

    Achieving gains in efficiency and productivity, he noted, would require refocusing investments to build on the critical infrastructure along the value chains for sustainable growth.

    While increasing agricultural yields is essential, he stressed that more attention should be placed on the downstream segment of the agrifood system. These include assembly, storage, processing, wholesaling and retail.

    The impact of food insecurity, he added, could not be overstated with declining harvests and increased imports, calling for a continuum of multi-level approaches to address the situation.

    To understand food security challenges, he said consideration must be given to the nation’s  vast geography, remote and diverse communities, climate, and economic and social environments.

    He added that interventions and policies to improve food security must be holistic, adding that support for the local food systems is essential.

    Calling for efforts to realise its anti-poverty targets, Adeyemo stressed that there was no room for complacency as Nigerians were seeking the right to food.

    He added that meeting the other targets is possible, only if the government do not waiver from its commitment to make agriculture a priority.

    He urged the government to take appropriate steps to deal with rising food prices by providing incentives to domestic producers.

    He wants the government to examine food safety and quality standards, to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in food trade.

    He urged the government to also extend social safety nets to a wider range of vulnerable groups and to provide every citizen, a minimum monthly income.