The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Fish demands hits 260,000 tonnes yearly in Lagos

    The  consumption of fish has risen in Lagos,hitting 260,000 tonnes. Of this, the industry  provides  159,000 tonnes.

    Director of Fisheries in the Ministry  of  Agriculture and  Cooperatives Mrs Olatokunbo  Emokpae said  aquaculture contributes 36,000 tonnes of the consumed fish.

    She spoke at a workshop on fish cage culture techniques, organised by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme  (WAAPP), Green Agriculture West  Africa Limited (GAWAL)  and the  Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority(LASADA), in Lagos.

    With the captured  fishery resources dwindling, she said  the  industry needs to take measures to  ensure continuous supply of fish.

    She said aquaculture—or fish farming—would  help satisfy the growing appetite for fish and seafood.

    Mrs Emokpae said Lagos is bestowed many natural resources for developing marine, brackish water and inland fisheries. Presently, she  said  aquaculture holds importance, since enhanced fish production is the key for ensuring food security and poverty alleviation.

    She   lamented the low level of   investment in aquaculture, calling  for more  Nigerians to invest in better fisheries management and environmentally sustainable aquaculture.

    According to her,  cage culture – a type of fish production where the fish is held captive by net  in some big water area, is an essential part of the solution to global food security.

    The Programme Manager, LASADA, Mr  Kayode  Ashafa,  said   fish production needs to increase   to meet that demand.

    Represented by  the Head of Technical Services, Mr Abayomi  Babalola, Ashafa  said Lagos is characterised by a maze of lagoon and watersways which constitutes about 22 per cent of the state’s territory.

    This water bodies, he said, provide empowerment and food to Nigerians but that there is a  major gap in fish demand and supply.

    He noted, however, that the  state’s  rivers have been fished to their limit, as such it should encourage sustainable growth of aquaculture or fish farms.

    Ashafa reiterated that the state  had embarked on many agricultural development projects towards addressing and reducing poverty.

    The National Project Coordinator, WAAPP, Prof Damian Chikwendu  said  Nigeria needs to farm more fish to meet growing demand for animal products.

    Chikwendu, who  spoke through Fisheries Specialist, Charity  Obetta  said the programme is exploring aquaculture to meet the growing demand for fish  products, adding  that  cape  culture  is  a pragmatic response to the precipitous decline in fish stocks.

    By committing to improved aquaculture practices, he said farmers countries can deliver nutritious fish to more Nigerians.

    To improve the industry, Chikwendu  said the  programme  is  collaborating  with  LASADA  to  train  farmers  on cage culture  as it  has enormous potential to enhance   fish production in an environmentally sound and sustainable way .

    He said  the  objective of WAAPP is to increase agricultural productivity and promote sub-regional cooperation.

    Since Nigeria has comparative  advantage in aquaculture, he said  WAAPP  has  chosen  the  country  as a centre  of  excellence .

    The  Deputy General Manager, GAWAL, Prof Xu Yuanfang,said  fish farming is the answer to increasing meat demand.

    He  said GAWAL was established  by CGC Nigeria Limited in 2006 to enhance the productivity of grain production through local research ,development, cooperation and partnerships.

    Since its inception, he said the  company has introduced hybrid millet, groundnet, sorghum seeds, which have boosted yields in its 2025-hectare farm in Kebbi State.

    Based on the past trends of aquaculture, he noted that the method was going to make a major contribution to meet increased  demand for fish through  aquaculture.

     

  • Boost for tomato industry

    To boost food  production, the  Department  For  International  Development(DFID) has partnerede  farmers to improve  tomato cultivation and post-harvest losses.

    The Intervention Manager, GEMS4, a United Kingdom backed  Project , Mr. Richard Ogundele, announced  this  at a workshop for farmers in Kaduna.

    He noted that the issue of post-harvest losses, which range from 30 to 40 percent in the case of tomato, has been a source of worry to most farmers.

    He  said  farmers   produce large quantities of tomatoes annually but suffer huge post-harvest losses especially during the major harvesting season.

    Ogundele added  that  the  adoption of the proposed solutions of the project by the stakeholders will reduce the loss of produce from 40  per cent  to five per cent , as well as drive capacity building in good handling practices(GHP) and improve supply chain operations.

    The  other issue  is  to   enable farmers  to have a ready market for their produce to spare them the ordeal they normally go through after harvesting the produce.

    He was optimistic that the project when completed will provide jobs for the youth and also reduce poverty.

    Akin to the ones earlier held, the workshop was developed to enlighten stakeholders on the potential economic benefits of  tackling the existing challenges faced by the perishable produce sector which currently results in 40% loss of produce in transit. Key features of the workshop include the proposal of business solutions, exposure to Good Handling Practices (GHP), capacity building opportunities, discussion on the use of multi-purpose crates to curtail loss and the inclusion of women to drive empowerment through the provision of supply-support services.The cross section of stakeholders which included representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (Horticulture unit), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), CBN/NIRSAL, Jaiz Bank, Dizengoff, as well as tomato and other perishable produce dealers and dealer associations expressed satisfaction at the quality information made available by the resource persons.

  • ‘Farming is key to solving youth unemployment’

    ABUAD founder Aare Afe Babalola speaks on how the institution is making its enterprise farm to get students to embrace agriculture.

    Why  did  you  establish  ABUAD Enterprise Farm?

    Let me tell you why I started ABUAD Commercial Farm. I believe that the mistake of the economy of this country is agriculture because Nigeria is blessed with all that it takes to produce all types of crops. You recall that Nigeria was once self sufficient in agriculture before independence and even up to 1966 when the first military coup broke. It was the discovery of oil that caused us what we have in Nigeria today.

    (cuts) And what has this led Nigeria to?

    Unemployment! There is so much unemployment in the country because there is palpable apathy for agriculture. I obtained approval from NUC (National Universities Commission) to start Agriculture alongside other disciplines like Law, Engineering, Banking, Accounting, etc. Unfortunately, while other courses were oversubscribed, nobody applied for Agriculture. Despite that, I did not lose hope because ABUAD was established mainly to change people’s attitude to functional education and where students will graduate as employers of labour. I therefore decided to embark on commercial agriculture the success of which I know would change the attitude of students and Nigerians towards agriculture.

    What is ABUAD doing to entrench the culture of agriculture in her students?

    We make it compulsory for our students to engage in one form of agricultural practice or the other. Therefore we embarked on fishery, hatchery and we sell fresh and dried fish. Not only that, we decided to have a feed mill so we don’t have to buy from outside and we also teach our students how to produce it. Then, we decided to engage in other areas of agriculture. First the annual crops like maize, cassava, and yam, which can provide food and cash within three to six months. Later we embarked on permanent crops like teak trees, moringa, orange trees, which of course will take many years before one can reap from it. At different stages, we have about one and a half million teak trees. We have over 500 orange trees and 1 million 200 mango trees.

    But don’t you think there is a need to consolidate on this?

    Yes! To add values to what we produce, we established factories to produce mango, mango juice, and plantain chips. In the case of moringa, you can harvest it within three to four months; hence we decided to build a moringa factory with over 500,000 trees.  We now have seven products from its derivatives. In order to preserve perishable fruits which is another problem in this country, we ordered for a protection house. When we found out that the heat in Nigeria is so much, then we decided to build a green house.

    To encourage students and make them realise that they can as well be comfortable in animal production, we embarked on production of turkey, guinea fowl, pigs, quail, mushroom and others. As from next year January, students must register in different clubs named after cash or food crops. We have the plantain club, fish club, moringa club and so on.  They can register in one or two of these clubs and get a certificate for it at the end of each year. ABUAD is of the strong view that we cannot continue to produce students that will continue to roam the streets about. One of my greatest fulfillments is that we now have students coming into ABUAD to study agriculture.

  • From farm to table

    From farm to table

    The Afe Babalola University through its agro venture is helping the food industry to grow report  DANIEL ESSIET and ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, who visited the facility.

    Ask some locals in a university town what the ivory tower has done for their economy lately, and they might point to a secondary school, a hospital,  or a book shop. But a growing number of universities are working to foster local agro entrepreneurial spirit that will develop the economy and encourage business-savvy students to stick around.

    From community mentoring to innovative technology transfer departments, higher institutions are collaborating with their communities to improve food production.

    For example, the agro venture of Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), is a pragmatic green revolution  project, capable of supplying the needs of Nigerians from the farm gate to the table.  Crops and vegetables are grown, harvested and packaged within a farming space that allows students, faculty and staff members to learn about sustainable agriculture.

    Merchants also visit the institution  regularly to collect and deliver huge quantities of mushrooms, moringa, smoked  fish and other food products  for  sale to consumers in Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo and Lagos states.  The products are packed and branded with Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti.

    For watchers, ABUAD Agro  Venture is an example of an institution  leveraging its knowledge and expertise to help pave the way for better standards of living within its catchment area.

    This  also aligns  with  the dream of  the Founder, Chief Afe Babalola, who desires agricultural practices and new technologies generated by the  university to help create a food system that benefits everyone, from those who work the land, down to the consumer.

    On a large  expanse of land adjacent to the university campus, the university has established an integrated farm holding consisting of livestock, poultry, fishery poultry, pigs, snails, turkeys, guinea fowls, quails and mushrooms, vegetable, several hectares of cassava, maize, soya, groundnuts, all with significant youth participation.

    Babalola told The Nation that the  university has invested more than  N4 billion in its farms, also named Agricultural Enterprise Centre. This consists the land in ABUAD and the one in Ajebandele, including the deposits on the land.

    At Ajebandele, Babalola said the  institution has over 600 fish ponds, each having a minimum of 5,000 fishes, and massive artificial lakes scattered all over the farms. There are over 110,000 mango trees producing several thousands of fruits yearly. Among other  assets are 310,000 gmelina trees. The teek plantation has over 500,000 trees. The university is also home to a greenhouse, which provides ample research opportunities to agric  majors.

    The greenhouse allow for  “highly controlled environments for a diversity of research projects, including food crop breeding, sustainable plant nutrition and development, biological pest control, bioremediation, extensive studies of plant genetic diversity.

    Going by the amount of investment in infrastructure, the  university is set to create an impressive legacy of new crop varieties, cultivation techniques, pest-control practices, harvesting technologies, postharvest handling and storage, and improved animal health and nutrition. Right now, students, faculty and staff members are adding a flavour to the farm-to-table concept. Crops are grown, harvested and packaged under its agriculture project, a hands-on farming space that allows students, faculty and staff members to learn about sustainable agriculture.

    With this development, farmers markets are popping up in some  places near  the  university.  The University has grown into a regular weekend fixture. There are   stallholders selling fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers, as well as rice and a variety of other foodstuffs, most of it grown the university. In economically hard-hit Nigeria, there’s at least one thing going right: the university is pulling no punches in an effort to create and incubate new local business ventures.

    At  the  Moringa Factory which  The Nation visited, an official said several   products, serving nutritional and therapeutic needs, which include  Moringa oil, body cream, soap and other cosmetics contain an anti-ageing compound, zeatin are produced  there.

    Mushrooms is one area attracting attention. Right now, the centre breeds two varieties of oyster mushrooms – white and brown. As an official explained, the mushroom is made from a mixture of farm waste, cotton waste, cassava peels and rice straw which were pasteurised to get bacteria out. The spun seed is then inoculated and kept in a dark room for about four weeks and later taken to fruiting room. Thereafter, they harvest it. To add value, the produce is sent to the processing plant. So far, sales have been impressive with  market  in Ado, Ikere and Ondo State.  The founder said  the  university  has  invested  in a maize plantation.  Part of harvest is ploughed into the feed mill on the farm to produce feeds for livestock, such as pigs, goats, guinea fowls, turkeys, broilers, cockerels, ducks, quails and fishes.

    There is snailery, with more than  500 snails, a piggery with 33 sows (matured female) three boars and 124 piglets; a turkey pen with 30 birds, Guinea fowls – 200 birds and over a thousand quails.

    The university fish section is a thriving one.

    An official said the farm sells harvested fish, pond by pond and restock immediately, so that the first set would be already matured by the time it was their turn to be harvested again. The fishes, mainly catfishes, are sold fresh and the surplus smoked and packaged for sale as dried fish. There is a hatchery and incubator that produces fingerlings with which the ponds are supplied. Besides this, there is a cowpea farm, and honey production unit. Mechanised farming equipment including tractors, plowers, harvesters and trailers are constantly serviced under a shed by technicians and mechanics in the maintenance unit.

    Explaining why he set up the farm, Babalola, said it was to make education relevant by inculcating the values and skills of entrepreneurship in students, most of whom graduate without finding jobs today.

    According  to him,  educating the next generation of farmers and up-skilling the present generation will be critically important to achieve the required transformation in food production. To  this end, he is  using  technology  to   reinvigorate students’ interest in agriculture and related fields.

    Babalola regretted that the oil boom in the country had destroyed the agricultural legacy as a business and foreign exchange earner for the country. He recalled the pre-oil era in Nigeria when there was abundance of food, gainful employment and reduced rate of criminality:

    “In the pre-oil era in Nigeria, there was abundance of food items. No one lacked food. Many people were gainfully employed. But with the advent of oil, which some people cynically dubbed oil doom, scarcity of food, poverty and unemployment as well as inclination towards crime crept into the fabrics of the Nigerian nation to the disadvantage and consternation of all.”

     

  • ‘Food priority is part of national interest’

    ‘Food priority is part of national interest’

    Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources  Abdul Oroh speaks with  Femi Macaulay on a wide range of issues on agricultural development.

    What are the major issues in the sector, particularly concerning Edo State?

    We believe in Edo State that Nigeria’s system is better secured if we are able to feed our population. But if we are dependent on foreign imports, as we have now, especially as it affects those major crops that we can grow conveniently and cheaper in the country, we believe the present situation of dependence on foreign imports is not sustainable. We have a huge population, but we are also blessed with abundant fertile land, arable land all over the country, with a lot of river bodies, good vegetation, good weather and good ecological landscape that there is definitely no excuse for us to spend one trillion annually importing foods. If you talk about rice, we spend one billion naira daily importing rice; Nigeria is the second largest importer of wheat next to China.

    What is your ministry’s role, and how much has been achieved, in creating and sustaining an enabling environment for agricultural production and investment?

    We realised that Edo State is well-endowed in terms of good climatic conditions with various ecological conditions that are favourable. We have almost nine months of rainfall in the southern part of the state and we can grow virtually any crop. So, we felt we are in a very good position to focus on agriculture as the main driver of the economy. We also realised that if the federal government is dependent on import and a policy has been adopted in Abuja which we think is designed to change all that fundamentally and create the environment for agriculture to become a major for the purpose of growing the economy, then surely we have to focus on agriculture, working with the federal government.

    Our strategic plan is to ensure that we meet 25 percent of our local needs in some of the key areas where we have comparative advantage; we talk about rice, about cassava, talk about oil palm produce and then cocoa and rubber. And then, of course, we also look at fruits and vegetables, horticulture, grains; maize, soya beans and others. Edo State has three types of ecological zones; in the south we have the rain forest, in the central a little rain forest and savannah, and in the north savannah and rain forest but more of savannah.

    In the past, Edo State was directly and heavily involved in agriculture; we owned farm reserves, farm settlements, communal farms, and so on. But now we decided that we don’t want to be involved on such a scale, that the best approach is to create an environment for the private sector, even the small holders to improve on their holdings, set it up to produce more, earn more income and also to work towards developing the value chain of what they produce. For instance, if you are producing cassava and all you get out of it is garri, then you are only getting a fraction of what you could get out of it. And then also you grow rice, for instance, and you are unable to process and a quarter of it is lost through harvest inadequacy; then you are not getting the best from your investment. So, we looked at all that and then we are working with the Federal Government through the Group Enhancement Support to register our farmers.

    How many farmers have been registered?

    So far, Edo State has registered about 245,000 farmers. And we are giving them inputs like seeds free of charge, and then fertiliser and other chemicals for tree crops like cocoa and others subsidised at 50 per cent with the other half borne by the Federal Government. We are also working with the federal government to apply new technology, new seedling, new varieties that are disease-resistant, high-yielding and water-resistant. Even if you are a small holder and you apply it well and use the best method, definitely you will get a good result. All that we are looking at, while we are trying to bring in new investors, which we believe will have a multiplier effect.  If we give you 10,000 acres of land and you are able develop it efficiently using the best technology, using modern equipment and working with the local population, then the population will be inspired to develop agriculture along these new best practices.

    What are the major challenges?

    We realised that the main problem of doing that is availability of land; so we had to do a land bank by going round the whole state and identified lands that were lying fallow in various communities. We tried to study the soil to know what is good in a particular area which will put us in a position to advise an investor that is coming for land and also to make the land available quickly on short notice. As we are doing all these, we also follow the process of what we call free, prior and informed consent of the community. We try to get the people to be at the heart of the process; to be part owners of the process ab initio. We don’t want another ‘Niger Delta’ in our hands, so, now we say, if you desire this project, bring the people in who will  work with you. They will voice their opinions, give suggestions and share their experiences and then you know how to take it from there.

    Once you have an agreement and understanding of the people, you can now with their consent and the government with their consent acquire the land and leave it to the investor, thus creating an Edo State government-investor relationship. Now we are looking at the possibility of giving out about 200,000 to 300,000 hectares of land in the next two years. And we believe if we are able to open up new crop production to that level, it will be a major achievement.  It will be something that has never been done or seen in Nigeria before. So, we are preparing for that in Edo State and we hope that some of these investors that have approached us will deliver on their promises. Even if it’s 20 percent of the investment plan that we think can materialise in the next two years that materialises, we will still be happy that something and something important has happened.

    What is the picture like now?

    It’s not easy to raise the money, to convince your bankers and some financiers that you want to go into agro business. And some of the federal government policies in respect of lending, this free lending by the central bank and commercial banks, have not worked in a way that has met my expectation. We are confident that if we are able to do all these we have set out to do, Edo State, five or six years down the road, will be one of the richest states in Nigeria.

    Comparatively, how would you rate Edo State on agricultural development?

    We have done our home work; we have a good strategy, we have a good plan. We have a conducive, peaceful environment. We have a population that is open to investors, that is ready to embrace investment. We have a fairly well-educated population, fairly well-developed people; we have all the advantages you can think of. As I said, we have a good weather and good environment. But we also realised that Nigeria is a huge market and if you come in to invest in agriculture you cannot lose. This was said recently by Dangote; that he is not going into it because of charity, but he is going into it because he’s going to be bigger than cement and it will bring self-confidence to our people. Just removing rice alone from our import list or reducing it to like five percent will be substantial, and Edo State is ready to be part of that process. That is why it’s not so difficult for a person like Adams Oshiomole, out of the 150,000 hectares that is required to develop nationally in six states, it was easy for him to put Edo State first and also to give 50,000 out of that 150,000 as stake in Edo State agriculture.  So, you can see that we have an advantage and we believe that’s the way to go; Edo State is the place to come to.

    What more do you think could be done towards the realisation of the so-called Green Revolution?

    Let’s focus on growing those things that we need most as a people. Let’s us satisfy the internal market, because if we keep importing all the rice that we need, we are killing our farmers; we are killing our economy. So, let’s focus on rice as a priority because every day our people eat rice and every day we spend a lot importing it. So, why can’t we produce it locally?  If we are not serious as a people, if you cannot produce enough for your population, then you are not a secured nation. But if you can provide enough food for your population, even in times of war there will be food for soldiers, there will be food for civilians, there will be food for internally displaced persons; so, there will be food for everybody. Food priority is part of national interest.

    What about the areas of innovation and research?

    Clearly, we cannot continue to work the old way. Right now, there are nine varieties of cocoa beans developed by experts at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and Nigerian scientists. What is going to be the yield is unbelievable; they are more disease-resistant, they can produce more and they can last more, and they have higher content for industrial processing. If you want to process it to cocoa powder, starch and other variables that you use cocoa for, they are all available.

    Could you elaborate on the state’s natural resources and their socio-economic value?

    We have oil and gas, which is an advantage. We have good vegetation and our land is fertile; we can grow almost anything in Edo State and the population is about four million. If we were to look inwards, I think we can feed our population reasonably well. But we have to look at the broad picture – Nigeria. We have to look at the overall economy; that’s the situation.

    Is it wishful thinking to imagine that one day agriculture may become a major revenue earner for the country?

    No, it’s not wishful thinking; I think it’s a reality. We are heading towards that direction. As I said, it’s no longer sustainable for us to keep importing food on the scale that we are doing now, because the money we are using to import food will finish, it’s depleting. So, we have to face agriculture.

  • Delta pineapple farmers plead for extension services

    The Umediunor Pineapple Farmers Co-operative Society in Umunede, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, has appealed to the government to provide extension services to its members.

    Its Chairman, Mr Fred Uwajeh, said they needed urgent education on modern techniques of farming for improved productivity.

    He said lack of education on modern farming innovations and practices was hampering their productivity.

    “Over the years, our members have relied on traditional farming methods to cultivate pineapple and this has contributed to the poor output of the farmers.

    “We want more knowledge to enhance our farming methods and improve productivity, most especially now that pineapple is on high demand.

    “If we can get better education on modern farming methods and have access to improved species of pineapple suckers, it will help us increase our productivity,” Uwajeh said.

    According to him, the society has been a major supplier of pineapples to consumers in Onitsha, Port-Harcourt, Benin and Warri.

    He said many of the farmers started pineapple farming on a small-scale, but had over the years, expanded their farms.

    “This cooperative society is a major supplier of pineapple to some major cities in the country. Many of us have between three and five pineapple farms.

    “After harvesting, we pull our resources together to transport the product to markets in Onitsha, Benin, Warri, PortHarcourt and other cities.

    “Pineapple farming is a major income earner and I believe that with better education and improved farming incentives, we can increase production and our market outreach,” he said.

    Uwajeh listed  some of the challenges facing commercial pineapple farming to include: pest attack and disease; bush burning; cost of transportation; preservation and lack of incentives.

  • Sourcing energy from sugar cane

    Sourcing energy from sugar cane

    Despite the Federal Government’s efforts to increase power generation, the impact has not been felt by rural farmers. To address the challenge,  private firms are exploring the possibility of converting sugar cane into electricity , DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The  agricultural sector is undergoing a rebirth, courtesy of public-private partnership and cutting-edge technology. But, despite the government’s initiatives to develop the sector, many farmers are yet to feel the impact.The search for cheap power has prompted experts to look towards  sugar cane as a source of electricity.

    To this end, many private sector firms have begun the cultivation of sugar cane on a largescale.

    One of such outfits is Sunti Farm which is 30 kilometres west of Mokwa in Niger State. It is owned by the Golden Sugar Company Limited. The farm has a 10,000-hectare sugar cane estate which will feed its renewable energy project.

    If all goes according to plan, the company will kick-start a rebirth in the sugar industry with the conversion of sugar cane into the much-needed electricity for domestic and industrial consumers.

    The major challenge to most rural farmers in Nigeria is how to generate electricity at farm mills. Not helping the issue is the  fact that a large number of farmers are not connected  to the  national grid.

    Minister of Agriculture and  Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said increased  agricultural productivity, is vital for stimulating growth in other parts of the economy.

    But achieving accelerated growth requires effective power support to the millions of small farmers, many of whom are in remote areas. For this reason, he said the government would focus on pragmatic ways to  promote high-value agriculture linked to a dynamic rural farm sector.

    Ultimately, to experts, success will also depend on concerted action to confront the challenges of power supply at the farms, as  well  as technologies for  food staples production.

    To this end, experts have identified various agricultural residues within the country which can be used for electricity generation.  One is sugar cane.

    One of the promoters, is the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc. Mr. Paul Gbededo, who  is  convinced about the country becoming the future  hub for sugar generated electricity on farms.

    Although the sugarcane-based power industry is booming, only a handful of companies are developing plants.

    But the crop’s real potential will rely upon the sugar processing. This is what Gbededo said  his company is set to achieve through its  subsidiary, Golden Sugar Company Limited, owners of Sunti Golden Sugar Estate Limited.

    He said the company has a 17,000 hectare Sunti farm estate.

    He said the company is developing 10,000 hectares of that into sugar cane.

    In the next two or three years, he said the company is planting the whole sugar cane segment of the farm. According to him, it would be producing about 100,000 metric tonnes of raw sugar.

    He said while the farm will produce 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually, it will generate 10 mega watts of electricity.

    He explained that the production  of its sugar-cane electricity, will enable the development of small and medium enterprises to support the new town of  Sunti and its burgeoning population.

    To boost the prospect of its  project, Gbadebo, said a great deal of research and development is dedicated to developing new varieties of the crops with increased sugar yields, adding that within the estate farm, the company will produce raw sugar from the farm, and then refine it  for table and industrial use.

    So far, the  company has   invested $250 million in Golden Sugar Company Limited.

    Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga describes the project as having “significant potential.

    He said the company‘s efforts to improve infrastructure to boost  production has enhanced agricultural output, with sugar cane production growing faster than the regional average.

    Aganga said the government is encouraging local production of sugar cane to meet the nation’s sugar need and create jobs, and refocus the economy that still relies on imports.

    To achieve this, he said the government intends on implementing a full scale sugar programme to enable the nation produce over 5 million metric tonnes of sugarcane, which will far exceed the current domestic production of about 1.3 million metric per year.

    With the economic crisis occasioned by the fall in oil prices, Aganga said agriculture is one of priority sectors to sustain the economy that is why the government is pushing ahead with efforts to revive sugarcane crop to tap demand for molasses, biofuel and other derivatives.

    While reiterating the commitment of the government to reduce sugar importation, the minister said his organisation is pleased with the efforts of private sector organisations such as Flour Mills of Nigeria to establish large scale sugar farms such as Sunti, adding that the government is determined to implement the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), since it is a core component of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan to create jobs, generate wealth and enhance economic growth.

    The minister noted that developing the sugar sector is clear, and the sugar master plan is the roadmap. In a bid to address the energy shortage affecting the country, he said the government will support projects designed to use sugarcane for bio-electricity plant and ethanol for export. According to him, the project will make a huge difference to the Sunti communities, as well as creating stable income for farmers involved in the sugar cane supply chain.

    Aganga said: “The project is in tandem with government’s efforts to revive sugarcane crop for sugar production and generate other derivatives such as  molasses, biofuel and other by-products.”

    Impressed by the investment in the farm and the construction work on the multi-billion naira sugar mill, Aganga said it was the most advanced mill in the country, evidence of government’s industrial revolution plan. The sugar mill is expected to run at full capacity on completion in the 2015/2016 cropping season.

    While reaffirming government’s commitment to reducing sugar importation, the minister said he was pleased with the efforts of the private sector organisations such as Flour Mills of Nigeria to establish large-scale sugar farms, such as Sunti. Aganga also said that the Federal Government is determined to implement the National Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), since it is a component of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, to create jobs, wealth and enhance economic growth.

    The commercial farm project, of which N16billion of the total N45billion target has been expended, covers a 16,500ha land area, expected to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of sugar annually.

    Chairman, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, John Coumantaros, said the need for the company, through its agro-allied division, to optimise local content food and feed production as well as support government’s Transformation Agenda led to the establishment of the estate in Niger State.

    Estate Manager, Mr. John Beverley, said various factors make Sunti unique to sugarcane production.

    The area has an established  local sugarcane industry and land suitable to grow the crop.

    According to Beverley,  the project is in the permitting stage and is expanding the amount of sugarcane being cultivated. He  expects to the  project  to take-off by 2016.

    The sugar plant would have the capacity to process  4,500 tonnes  of  cane daily and 10 megawatts of electricity. A portion of that electricity will be used to power the plant and the remaining power will be used  for  the community.

    The plant will require approximately 10,000 acres of sugarcane.  The development of additional plants is scheduled to begin as soon as the first plant is operational.

    He said his company is working closely with farmers to develop sugarcane plots to support  production. The project, according to him,   will bring a sustainable, profitable crop to the area  and produce consistent streams of revenue for the farmers. The project, Beverley, said, will  create numerous job opportunities in the region.

    Employment will  be created for  15,000 people, of  which  3,500 will  be direct employees and a further 3,000  will  be  small scale out growers.

    The sugar cane farm will provide  animal feed and fertiliser as by  products, saving the nation over $50 million yearly in foreign exchange .

    For watchers, the government is looking to sugarcane farmers to boost the country’s power generating capacity as shortages persist.

    A lot of farmers who buy into the project as they face problems disposing sugar cane waste.

    This mammoth project is a prime example of the private  sector   plan to open up the state ’s interior to economic activity, increase agricultural production, promote alternative exports to wean itself off the almost total reliance on extractive industries for foreign exchange and create employment.

    Experts said Niger  State has an excellent chance at meeting all those goals, due to several important factors including the state’ s natural attributes and its history as a major agricultural producer.

     

  • Non-endorsement of protocol hinders cocoa exports to EU

    Cocoa processing companies said the cost of exporting their products to Europe has been inflated by 30 per cent  because of the stalemate in agreeing to new trade terms with the European Union (EU).

    Cocoa butter and cake exports, they said, are charged from 4.2 to 6.1 per  cent   of freight-on-board values as taxes at EU ports without an agreement.

    Nigeria is yet to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement protocol on free trade by the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

    The  Federal Government  in May rejected the proposed trade agreement with the EU because it requires abolition of import duties for manufactured goods from Europe, saying it would lead to dumping of goods and loss of jobs.

    The move, according  to  the  government, makes cocoa butter and cake less competitive.

    The  processing companies in the   southwest cocoa-growing region have a combined installed capacity of 155,000 MT a year. Since 2011 they’ve run at 25-27 per cent  capacity. Nigeria, the fourth-biggest producer, produced 350,000 tons of cocoa in the 2013-2014 season.  The  government’s incentive to encourage exporters of agricultural items with subsidies, ranging from five to 15 per cent, has not come into effect. A backlog of applications, since 2011, is still awaiting approval at the Finance Ministry.

  • Ebola fears slow rice shipments

    The fear of Ebola has slowed rice shipments from Asia to Africa with shipping crews either refusing to travel to affected regions or demanding higher freight charges. This has aggravated food crisis in one of the most malnourished parts of the world.

    The difficulties in shipments are compounding worries about food supplies as many African farmers have abandoned crop fields in the wake of the disease. Schools offering meal programmes have also shut down, worsening widespread food shortages and hunger.

    “The cost of rice has increased by nearly a third since the disease spread throughout Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone with many ships unwilling to dock at those country’s ports,” Shenggen Fan, director-general of the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute told The Wall Street Journal.

    “If this situation continues, we fear a lot of people will suffer from malnutrition,” he said.

    According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation, (FAO), 24 per cent of the population in Africa south of the Sahara is undernourished, with the recent crisis exacerbating a shortage of food staples.

    “I export rice to Nigeria and I know that it’s getting more difficult to find a cargo ship,” said Vichai Sriprasert, head of Thai rice exporter, Riceland International. Before the outbreak, Thai rice exports to Africa had been picking up.

    “The shipowners tend to have no problem, but they told us that captains and crew refused to go. They fear that they would be infected with Ebola when they land at the port and have contacts with the local people there. So that’s a problem,” Mr Sriprasert said.

    Crew members aboard a freighter docked in the port of Liberian capital Monrovia on a scalding afternoon recently donned cotton masks and surgical gloves before allowing dockworkers to come aboard and unload thousands of tons of rice.

     

  • Poultry producers urged to remain vigilant

    Poultry producers urged to remain vigilant

    Poultry producers have been urged to remain vigilant following a case of bird flu recorded in most parts  of the  world.

    The call came as poultry farmers worldwide work with governments and the wider industry to minimise the impacts of bird flu strain, which poses a low risk to humans.

    Speaking  with  The Nation,  the  Dean, Faculty  of Agriculture, University  of Ilorin, Prof  Abiodun  Adeloye,  said  the  sector  needs a   robust action  to prevent the spread of potential infection, and it  should   be carried out in a safe and humane manner by fully trained staff.

    In case, the sector  records any  epidemic,  Adeloye  said   dead livestock  should  be  sent for rendering as  well  as  an  exclusion zone put in place around the affected farm.

    In addition to this, he  said movements of all poultry products and wastes within the restriction zone are banned while poultry has to be housed or isolated within the zone.

    He urged poultry producers to remain vigilant and continue with on-farm hygiene and biosecurity measures, adding that anyone who suspects that their birds might be ill should inform their local veterinary officers as soon as possible.

    According to him, consumers need to be aware that it is a bird health issue and that eating poultry products is safe.

    Deputy  Director, Department of General Administration, Agricultural and Rural Management Training  Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin,Dr  Ademola Adeyemo,  called  on  poultry owners to  improve  surveillance  and monitoring  of their  farms  to prevent the  spread  of diseases.

    According to him,  poultry diseases can  find a fertile  ground  to grow  where  there are   mycotoxins to   decrease resistance.

    He  said   immunity acquired through vaccination can be impaired by ingestion of mycotoxins.

    He  said  mycotoxins may alter animals’ susceptibility to infectious diseases by affecting intestinal health and the innate and adaptive immune systems.