The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Grappling with certification challenges

    Grappling with certification challenges

    Agro exports businesses are facin

    These are not the best of times for agro exports businesses in Nigeria. The business is currently facing barriers to trade in the United States (U.S), Europe and Asia thus affecting exporters in the processed food and agro-based products sector.

    Exporters face challenges such as standards set by private clients and governments that make it difficult and oftentimes expensive to export their produce. Buyers overseas seek conformity assessment and technical certificates.  These is in addition to other  licenses and permits, excessive fees and charges and packaging and storage requirements.

    While these are some inhibiting factors within the food sector, markets for agro exports are now distinguished by qualities such as their organic, local, heritage, biodynamic, or fair trade nature.

    For example, fair trade certificates are demanded by clients in the European Union (EU), especially for cocoa, coffee and horticulture products. So many   exporters are   feeling the impact.

    Chief  Executive, Anjorin & Atanda Investment Limited, Mr   Sunday Anjorin expressed concern over  the  trend  of  trade  barriers facing  agro exporters. His firm services markets in Europe and Asia.

    While there are  increasing  number of  buyers looking   for  organic  exports (commodities raised naturally), he  has had to  confront importers  interested  in  certified organic exports, a  new strand in  the  agro-export sector, receiving  serious  attention.

    The central features of what is called  certified  organic  exports is  reliance on natural methods of enhancing soil fertility and resisting disease and the rejection of synthetic chemical fertilisers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

    According to him,  there  is  rising  demand for organic agro commodities  especially  those  involved  in  the  production of  herbal  products.  The popularity of organic foods is fueled by mounting concerns over the chemical residues, antibiotics, hormones, and genetically modified organisms found in conventional foods.

    For this reason, new quality standards are emerging for agro exports that take care of issues such as   food safety, taste and health with a range of social and environmental production concerns. As a result, importers expect exporters to buy into any certification system established to ensure adherence to the new production process criteria.

    While organic certification is increasingly necessary for pharmaceutical and food products destined for growing markets in India, The  Nation learnt that these certification are not regulated by state institutions.

    Agro exporters such as Anjorin  have had to involve foreign agencies to monitor, certify, and label their products. In some cases, they use organic certification to differentiate commodities and to ensure access to organic premiums became widespread among exporters.

    Major organic exports include coffee, corn, sesame, vegetables, cocoa, bananas, cotton, soybeans, nuts, spices, apples and cherries.

    Anjorin said there has been a significant growth in certified tropical foods, seasonal fresh produce, and processed fruits and vegetables.

    Fresh mangos, lemons, coconut (oil), coconut (dried), plantains (fresh), peppers (fresh) and pineapples (fresh) have a huge market.

    He said Nigeria is a key supplier to diverse organic produce and processed-foods markets. The major new fresh produce exports are destined for Europe: mangos are sold largely in Belgium, plantains in Italy, and lemons in the United Kingdom.

    One commodity that has attracted certification in recent years to ensure access to price premiums is cocoa.

    According to the Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Mr. Victor  Olowe, chocolate manufacturers are requesting that cocoa exports are certified in accordance with national and international standards. The certification is legally required in destination markets.

    For producers, certification is difficult and expensive. It requires adherence to rigorous production standards, documentation rules, and oversight procedures.

    Olowe said farmers have to keep detailed farm records required for certification.

    The cocoa must similarly meet rigorous quality standards because it is used in the production of expensive chocolate.

    While Olowe sees certified cocoa as one of the most promising niches for peasant producers, this needs to be critically evaluated in the face of changing conditions.

    One is that small scale production is currently most prevalent in cocoa, where some 3000 households’ farms, each cultivating a few hectares, use household and hired labour.  Except the producers are organised into groups, they still face the challenge of having access to  selling directly in international markets.

    FADU has come to bolster the economic viability of small-scale producers by providing production and consumption credit.  Through foreign chocolate companies, the organisation is able to mediate foreign certifier demands by maintaining an internal control system and by coordinating certification.

    Currently, all the most successful producer groups, managed by FADU are strengthened by their engagement in fair trade markets.

    With sales to fair trade markets, Olowe said  the producers receive guaranteed above-market prices.

    Another area of concern is health standards limiting agro exports. As a result, many exporters are losing millions of naira in potential trade earnings yearly.

    Director-General, African Centre for Supply Chain Obiora Madu   said there are domestic technical regulations that permit countries to bar products from entering their markets if the products do not meet certain standards. These obstacles include measures that were ostensibly aimed at protecting citizens from everyday food hazards, known in World Trade Organisation (WTO) language as sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS).

    Globally, sanitary measures are aimed at safeguarding human and animal health, while phytosanitary ones are intended to protect plants.  The SPS agreement requires, for instance, that goods be imported from disease-free areas, inspected prior to export and not exceed maximum levels of pesticide or insecticide use. The concern is that fresh foods and agricultural goods pose health risks, including salmonella poisoning, foot and mouth disease and sugar plant pests.

    According to him, some of the requirements are legitimate with respect to food safety.

    He said however, that many exporters find it difficult to meet the standards because of technical and resource-capacity constraints.

    The WTO, he explained, allows countries to stop food entering their borders if it does not meet certain standards for biological and chemical contaminants.

    One example involves residues of aflatoxins which cause cancer found in processed nuts and dried fruit, among other foods.

    He said EU has demanded that food entering its market meet stricter standards for aflatoxins.

    The bar has been raised so high that even industrialised countries such as the U.S also complain about EU standards for aflatoxins.

    However, he maintained that SPS measures in the EU are not intended to block trade, but to safeguard the region’s health standards.

    He admitted that EU has set very high food-safety standards that are difficult to meet, in particular for developing countries.

    For this reason, he said the  government needs to invest in systems for safe food production, adding that the importers expect food to conform to very high safety standards, irrespective of its origins.

    According to him, numerous issues surrounding food safety today are associated with two major characteristics of modern society. First, scientific and technological advances have brought significant changes to the agriculture and food industries. Today, there are a wide variety of easy-to-prepare frozen foods, also the result of technological progress in food processing and distribution. This progress, however, is not without its share of problems. Pesticides and food additives came into wide use thus giving rise to countries  having the right to protect the lives, physical safety and health of its people.

    He said SPS measures were  introduced to prevent the entry of harmful pests and diseases via the import of foods, animals and plants. He argued that they are a justifiable means to protect life, physical safety and health. Nevertheless, consumers express strong concern that food safety could be jeopardised if appropriate SPS measures become difficult to implement in the face of increasing globalisation.

    g barriers imposed by private clients and governments. This is raising concerns among stakeholders in the industry. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

  • Adesina for exhibition on Nov 18

    AGRICULTUREMinister Dr Akinwumi Adesina has given his nod to attend the Agra Innovative Nigeria exhibition and conference  billed to hold between November 18 and 19 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    He is expected to give the opening keynote address to kick off the two-day ceremony. In a speech during a visit by the officials of the organisers Infomat  in his office in Abuja, the minister was quoted as saying: “The Nigeria Government and, indeed, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan  supports ‘Agra Innovate Nigeria’ and we look forward to seeing Nigeria’s agribusiness represented at the ceremony.’’

    Informat’s Project Director David Ross said his firm is the leader in exhibitions in the West African sub-region, adding that it is also  global keyplayer in the sector. He said the forum would provide an opportunity for stakeholders in the agricultural sector free access to a vibrant exhibition of latest technology. He said leading Nigerian companies, such as Swiss Biostadt, Dizengoff and other firms from Germany, Spain, Canada, Turkey, India, South Africa were being expected at the event.

    He is optimistic that the forum would help to boost the transformation agenda of the Jonathan government in agriculture.

     

  • VC urges govt to increase funding for research, extension services

    THE Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, has  urged the Federal Government to increase funding for agricultural research and extension services, to keep pace with advancement in the sector.

    Mustapha made the call at the ongoing 14th National Irrigation and Drainage Seminar, holding in Minna, Niger State, with the theme, ‘Advancing the Frontiers of Irrigation and Drainage for Agricultural Transformation’.

    He said massive funding of research and extension services would impact positively on agriculture and ensure food security.

    “It is important to let the participants know that our institutes are making great contribution to advancing the frontiers of irrigation in the country.

    “This cannot be achieved without financial support from the Federal Government.

    “In order to keep pace with advancement in technology, it is necessary to increase research and extension funding,’’ he said.

    He said the university was the only institution in the country mandated to conduct research on irrigation, adding that it was collaborating with local and international organisations in meeting its target.

  • Infrastructure deficit hampers investment

    Power outages and  lack of motorable roads, including the absence of  railways, are   stifling  growth and  foreign investment in the  agriculture sector, the  Director Africa, Cassava Adding  Value to Africa(CAVA), Dr Kola  Adebayo,  has said.

    Speaking with The Nation, Adebayo observed that while there was enormous scope for raising the productivity, doubling crop yields and farm incomes, the absence of reliable rural transport and energy infrastructure are making investment in agriculture difficult and less rewarding.

    Infrastructure shortcomings, he explained,   is shown by weak linkages between crop production, processing and marketing.

    Although the  government  is  working  to    achieve significant growth through  the  Agricultural  Transformation  Agenda, he  maintained  that  this  will  not be  achieved     without   upgrading  infrastructure.

    He  stressed it was important  the government  improve  rural  connection  as  it  could   led  to higher productivity,  consequently, increasing   demand for farm and non-farm products and services.

    Farmers’ concern, he   empha-sised, is a ready market for the crops that are produced. He   said they can achieve this, if the  government  is  able to provide infrastructure  to link crop production with huge untapped markets and specific agro-industries.

    Canvassing improved   budgetary allocation towards infrastructure upgrade, he urged the government to make efforts at boosting infrastructure funds.

    He said the farming sector requires a range of government interventions to further growth.

    These include measures to protect the local industries and strengthen   regulations to ensure farmers and investors benefit from trade and investment, among others.

    He explained   that  less attention has been given to strategies for promoting rapid expansion and job creation in the rural sectors.

    The commitment of the   government to address employment generation, he maintained, would require revamping the agric sector to   generate   full employment.

  • More rice from less water

    Despite investments and other initiatives to boost rice production, Nigeria has continued to record low production of the staple food. According to experts, increased  production of rice can solve the food-deficit and save millions of dollars spent on importation. They have called for the promotion of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI ). DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The world record-yield for paddy rice production is not held by an agricultural research station, or by a large-scale farmer from the United States (US), but by an  indian  farmer, Sumant Kumar, who has a farm of only two hectares in Darveshpura Village in the state of Bihar, Northern India.

    His record of 22.4 tonnes from one-acre plot was achieved with  System of Rice Intensification (SRI); a method of planting rice with less water. To put his achievement in perspective, the average paddy yield worldwide is about four tonnes per hectare. Even with fertiliser, average yields are usually not more than eight tonnes.

    Kumar’s success was not a fluke. Four of his neighbours, using SRI methods, all, for the first time, matched or exceeded the previous world record of 19 tonnes per hectare from China.  Moreover, they used only modest amounts of inorganic fertiliser and did not need chemical crop protection.

    Using SRI methods, small-holder- farmers in many countries are getting higher yields and greater productivity from their land, labour, seeds, water and capital, with their crops showing more resilience to the hazards of climate change.

    These productivity gains have been achieved simply by changing the ways farmers manage their plants, soil, water and nutrients. The effect is to get the crop to grow larger, healthier, longer-life root systems, accompanied by increases in the abundance, diversity and activity of soil organisms.

    In  Nigeria, an   accountant, Abdul Ganiu Ojolowo and other farmers,  have  taken part in trials of SRI,  which have been shown to increase rice production by more than double with fewer seeds and fertilisers. Ojolowo is a member of the Lagos State Commercial Agriculture Development Association (CADA), representing the Rice Value Chain.

    He is also the President of Rice for Job Common Interest  Group (CIG). He was cultivating a few   hectares of rice field using mostly manual labour with an average yield of about 0.8 – 1.0 tonne/hectare.

    However, with the intervention of CADP, and  further  training  on the new System of Rice Intensification, sponsored by the United  States Agency  for  International  Development (USAID, Ojolowo  has  seen   improved  rice  production.

    For farmers, like Ojolowo, SRI  has become attractive due to its greater profitability, compared to conventional methods. Conventional rice production, with its high reliance on purchased inputs, is less attractive because of low productivity and high production costs.

    The prices of inputs (improved seed, fuel, fertilisers and pesticides) have increased two to three folds over the last 10 to 15 years, and the increased production costs have eaten into the profit margins of rice cultivation.

    Through SRI methods, Ojolowo  gets three to four times profit than he used to get with the old methods. This is an incentive  for him.

    With water becoming an important cost, and with climate change and soil degradation, the National  Cereals  Research  Institute (NCRI), Niger State and  the  West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) are enthusiastic over SRI trials, which may be the answer to food insecurity.

    To the  Director of  Research, NCRI, Dr  Emmanuel Abo, if  SRI is adopted on a national scale, farmers can improve rice production with fewer seeds, fertilisers and very little water.

    With all the advantages it offers, experts  said SRI is simple, and can be done on local or hybrid varieties. Instead of waiting for the seedlings to mature, experts said  young plants of 8-10 days are transplanted one by one, allowing the roots to spread out further. They are also planted farther apart, at 20 cms, for the  seeds not to compete for food and light and thus reduces the amount of seeds required.

    The  downside of SRI, according  to experts, is that it is labour intensive; requiring more hands for weeding, timely drainage and careful planting. But the benefits in greater harvests, far outweigh the shortcomings. SRI, according to experts,  produces 150 quintaldings of rice per hectare from a land that yielded 20 to 30 quintals with the old method, using 35 per cent less water, 10 per cent of seed and 50 per cent less fertilisers.

    In  about 50 countries where the benefits of SRI have already been demonstrated, there has been a 30-50 per cent decrease in water use compared to growing the same varieties on similar soil under flooded conditions.

    This situation has encouraged experts and farmers to begin testing the SRI method.

    A few people initially took interest in SRI, but today, there is a growing number of farmers  coming forward to promote the method. Farmers’ initiatives in spreading the method are also expanding. The main attraction behind SRI is its suitability for a resource-poor country like Nigeria. Farmers find the SRI approach advantageous because of its greater productivity and higher profits due to lower requirements for seed, fertilisers, pesticides, and irrigation.

    In addition to saving water, SRI experts said, has helped to reduce soil and water pollution and conserve rice biodiversity for sustainable development. “Because  of this,  SRI is becoming seen as the best solution for its food-deficit problems and for enhancing food security in remote areas where modern inputs are costly and difficult to obtain,” they said.

    Farmers, they noted, are  voting  for  SRI  to   play a key role in bringing a green revolution to Nigeria.

    An SRI promoter and Wems Agro Limited, Chief Operating Officer,  Mr  Henry Bagena, whose   organisation is  acquiring 5400 hectares  in Akotogbo, Ondo State  for   rice production, said the beauty of SRI is its ability to be adopted by various countries, adding that his passion is to help Africa to grow crops sustainably with less inputs.

    “Africa has been told for many years that for the continent to grow crops, it has to add lots of inputs. This is a legitimate way to grow crops, but if you can get the same yields with less input, it is a winner for the country because the food is grown at a cheaper rate, and the country will have no reason to import fertilisers,” he said.

    SRI system, according to Bagena , cuts cost of inputs by 25 per cent and increases productivity by 30 per cent.

    “If you multiply those two, the financial benefits are enormous. We are proposing to marry two systems together by growing rice using SRI method and do a crop rotation between rice and legumes,” he said, adding: “The crop rotation will be two seasons of rice and two seasons of legumes. We will be growing legumes as green manure meaning that, we will grow and plough it back to get about 250 kilogrammes of nitrogen per annum from the legume crop.”

    The farm, Bagena said, is going to be  a centre of excellence in sustainable farming practices, which include  soil conservation, power generation and intermediate technology. “Akotogbo will become a focus for sustainability based on the demonstration farm for power generation that will be created within the farm settlement,” he said, noting that, the long-term goal of the company was to impact positively on the livelihoods of rice farmers.

    The Chairman of Wems Agro Companies, Rotimi Wemi-Akinsola, said Nigeria has a vast arable land and lots of water to plant rice.

    But, he regretted that the country does not produce up to 15 per cent of the 22.5 million bags of rice consumed in the country monthly.

    “Rice growing and consumption historically are based in South East Asia, where most of the world’s rice is grown.

    “The fast growing market is Sub – Saharan Africa (SSA) where rice production falls far below consumption and where the FAO forecasts that rice will be the largest staple food by 2030. Nigeria’s per capital consumption is estimated to be 78 kg per capital, giving a total consumption of 6.1m tones for 2014. Half of this, 3 million tones, are imported at N356 billion it is accepted a heavy burden on the Nigerian balance of payments, “ he said.

    Wemi-Akinsola noted that his company is investing in the rice project in Ondo State with the intention of taking advantage of the Nigerian market opportunity and help it become self sufficient and  help develop a profitable agricultural industry in the state.

    “There is no history of rice production in Ondo State. Although the weather and soil conditions are suitable, Wems Agro will be introducing rice production having found suitable available land.

    “This will bring employment and social benefit, introduce a new agricultural technology to the state, act as an economic centre and be profitable to all concerned,” he said.

    He disclosed that rice production will be based on a sustainable SRI methods, together with a two–year rotation, where rice is grown twice in a year and this will be followed by one year of a green manure fertility building crop.

    “Six hundred hectares will be cultivated in 2015, this relatively small area will ensure Wems Agro establish best work practices. A rain fed system will be used in years 2015 – 17 followed by the introduction of irrigation in 2018 to allow for two crops per year,”he said.

    He added that the initial project has a target of 5400 hectares in rice production, cropped twice a year, with a further 5,400 hectares in the fertility – building phase.

    Wemi-Akinsola said the company is committed to producing rice profitably and making it affordable for the man on the street.

    He said: “All rice will be produced sustainably, using the system of rice intensification and other innovative and modern farming practices, while creating over 2500 jobs and providing a range of social benefits for the people of Akotogbo. It is hoped that this project will act as a catalyst for the region to become a hub of sustainability.

    “The project will grow from 600 ha in year one to 5400 hectares (double cropped) in year five, and produces profits from year one.”

    According to him, there are about 25,000 hectares available in Akotogbo and Wems Agro has secured a long-term agreement with the landowners.

    He reiterated  that  the  company  intends to take advantage of the  market opportunity and help Nigeria become self sufficient in rice, and to develop a profitable agricultural industry in Ondo State.

    He  said  greater investment to double rice production is needed to reduce dependence  on  Thailand  rice and  improve livelihoods. He  believed that rice can help move people out of poverty, beyond food insecurity.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Increase budgetary allocation to agric, govt urged

    The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has  called  for   increased budgetary allocation to agriculture to boost food security in the country.

    Its National Vice President, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, who spoke on the sidelines of the National Agricultural Show organised by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), made the call in Tudun Wada, Nasarawa State.

    “The government should increase budgetary allocation to agriculture so that farmers can further get to the root of their entire problems.’’

    He launded the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) of the Federal Government, saying that it had brought a lot of modern ideas and techniques to develop agriculture in the country.

    He said the scheme had made agriculture work perfectly in Kano State, adding that he was proud of the programme.

    Alhaji Bello also lauded the government’s policy of deploying National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to agricultural organisations, saying that it would further attract youths to the profession.

    Bello, who is also the Chairman of AFAN, Kano State branch, said the major challenge confronting farmers in the state was access to funds.

    According to him, government has “pumped money’’ to the banks for farmers, but the banks are not releasing the funds.

    Kwara  State  AFAN Acting chairman, Mr Daniel Ajiboye, who also spoke, decried lack of cassava processing machines in the state, urging the government to provide at least one cassava processing machine in the state.

    He said the machine was necessary to minimise huge post-harvest losses by farmers.

    “As we all know, the state depends mainly on agriculture because we do not have oil like other states, so we put all our available resources into agriculture.

    “We engage in farming activities such as rice, groundnut, cocoa, cashew, kolanut, and cassava. In fact, recently, Kwara was rated as one of the best cassava producing states in Africa.

    “This is because of the fertile soil we are blessed with, but the problem is that there is no single processing centre in the whole state,” he said.

    He explained that farmers in the state transport their cassava tubers to as far as Anambra State for processing, adding that the cost of production was high, considering the bad roads in the country.

  • Institute honours SON, others

    The Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) has condemned the production and patronage of sub-standard products in the food sector.

    The president of the institute, Prof Lateef Sani, who presented the NIFST awards to the Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON, Nobex Technical Ltd and Nestle Nigeria Plc in Lagos at the institutes 38th Conference and AGM, noted that quality cannot be compromised in food processing.

    Sani, urged SON to sustain its fight against substandard products in the country especially, the influx of poorly fabricated food processing equipment, as they could cause great harm to the unsuspecting public, he praised the Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu on his winning campaign against sub-standardisation through the agency’s zero-tolerance campaign.

    He said it was important to sensitise Nigerians on the consequences of a substandard culture, which can lead to the loss of lives especially in the food sector, when corrosive materials are used in the production process.

    He praised Nobex Tech for adopting global best practices in the production of its Cyclone Flash Dryer which has been adjudged by foreign experts to be of the highest standard in the country after recording some innovative improvements.

    “We had some partners from UK and they assessed all the Flash dryer models and found out that we needed to improve on some of the aspects of the flash dryer and so Cassava Adding Value to Africa (CAVA) took over the improvement of the Flash Dryer system from 2008 to date.

    “Nobex Tech was able to fabricate equipment that moved to Malawi in 2013 and it was tested and we found out that it was working, he was then encouraged to produce heat exchangers that could be used to replace existing ones in the country,” he said.

    He noted that from 2010 to 2012 enormous successes had been recorded in the production of the six-cyclone flash dryer by Nobex tech Ltd in some of the components efficiency such as the heat exchanger and the blade because he partnered directly with engineers from the Natural Resources Institute UK.

    “As we were doing that the Federal Government was also pushing cassava through the cassava transformation and that was how today Nobex became a kind of darling of all, at least we are comfortable that we have Flash Dryers that are fuel efficient, and can even be powered by agricultural wastes depending on what the client wants,” he said.

  • Osun to build more facilities

    The Osun State government has promised to    collaborate with the Federal Government to facilitate the building of more facilities in the state.

    Its Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Wale Adedoyin, said in Osogbo, the state capital, that more facilities were needed  to boost food production and achieve national food security.

    “Although we have felt the presence of the Federal Government in the state in the areas of cassava production, provision of storage facilities and provision of modern equipment for food processing from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture,  we want more of them,’’ Adedoyin said.

    He said that Governor Rauf Aregbesola had approved the establishment of more farm settlements in parts of the state to be prepared and be allocated to prospective young farmers to produce food crops and livestock.

    He said the state government had provided facilities in some farm settlements located in Ede, Ife and Ilesha, among others, for use by young farmers.

    The commissioner explained that the farm settlements were designed to provide job opportunities for youths, provide more food for the people and reserve for external consumption.

    He said the government would open up the land, prepare the land and allocate the land to applicants who would also be provided with other inputs, credit facilities and security to farm.

  • Women farmers demand grants, capacity building, others

    Women farmers have   advocated for funds tailored for them for extensive capacity building programmes and resuscitation of dilapidated infrastructure at the grassroots.

    They made the demand at the ongoing Agricultural Show organised by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    The women listed challenges confronting them to include lack of funds, poor market access, inadequate storage facilities and undue processes in accessing credits.

    The National President, Nigerian Women Agro Allied Farmers Association, Mrs Lizzy Igbine, while commenting on the needs of women farmers, said adequate funds were needed for field trials, land preparation, planting and harvest.

    “For women, the budgetary funds cannot be accessed and we have problems with undue procedures in accessing bank loans; many banks don’t even grant loans to rural farmers.

    “Our lands to them have no value; we cannot use them as collateral and especially as women, land papers were not handed over from our forefathers.

    “We, therefore, want President Goodluck Jonathan to give grants, especially to women farmers and  help reduce the bottlenecks associated with securing loans in banks,’’ she said.

    Other women farmers, who listed poor linkages to appropriate markets, urged government agencies to utilise the current farmers’ data through the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme to ensure adequate markets.

    They urged government to buy back farm produce direct from farmers to encourage valuable income for them, while creating definite rural famers markets to decrease glut and wastage.

    Echoing similar views, Chairman, ActionAid Nigeria, Prof. Patricia Donli, while speaking on “Agriculture Investment and Nutrition Security”, noted that the sector’s budget was decreasing annually.

    Donli further disagreed the claim by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that Nigeria had already met the MDG Goal 1of halving the number of poor and hungry people in Nigeria.

    “I think Nigeria has not met the MDG Goal 1. We have a lot of poor and hungry people in Nigeria, although the Agricultural Transformation Agenda is a step in the direction.

    “Nigeria’s budgetary allocation has fallen below the target recommended by the Maputo Declaration; we need at least 10 per cent of the national budget, showing we are not yet serious about investment in agriculture.”

    The chairman said low cultivation of arable land in Nigeria, continuous land grabbing issues and the exclusion of women in agricultural financing, discouraged good income for women farmers.

    She, therefore, called for the resuscitation of extension services, restoration of rural infrastructure, climate change mitigation and adaptation measures for an improved agriculture sector.

  • Unleashing science & technology, innovation to boost food security, job creation

    Unleashing science & technology, innovation to boost food security, job creation

    Tackling the challenges of malnutrition and food security and improving production to create  jobs  require a radical rethinking of how food is produced, distributed and consumed. Experts say science, technology and innovation should  focus  on  researches  that  can   lead  to  increased  food production and  provision of jobs.DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Food and agribusiness nationwide faces a great challenge. Right now, the sector is struggling in an operating environment characterised by slow growth,  poor infrastructure and unstable economic policies, coupled with uncontrolled importation which combine to challenge business confidence. And yet the sector has a bright future.

    But how can food and agribusiness navigate  way through the sluggish operating environment  towards the stronger growth that lies ahead? How can it find new ways to profit through the current uncertainties while positioning and preparing for future opportunities? These questions are relevant for farmers and companies in food and agribusinesses. These questions  were addressed during this year’s  Food Technology Department day  of  the  Federal Institute  of Industrial Research  Oshodi (FIIRO) attended by over 120 dignitaries from the academia, research institutes, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), organised the private sector, and   nutrition partners.

    Addressing the forum, the Acting Director, Food Technology Department, FIIRO, Dr Oluwatoyin Oluwole, said improving  food  processing is critical to feeding the  nation’s growing population.

    This is  because  the  economy presents a  huge opportunity  for   investors  who are  to  provide   solutions  through  high  quality  products, while positioning the sector to ensure food availability.

    The strategy, she emphasised, lies  in providing  nutritious foods to those who need them most.

    While people use markets to access most of their foods, most of the time, she maintained  that lack of affordable nutritious offerings in the market place, compared to the wide availability of food and beverages that have  detrimental effect on nutrition and health, is an indication that customers are not well served by producers.

    To meet this need, she said FIIRO’s Food Technology Department is  adding value to agricultural produce, using simple processing technologies that can be adopted by micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs for production of different convenient foods.

    Dr  Oluwole  said  the  approach has several advantages as it can lead to product innovation, value chain optimisation and the use of locally produced ingredients.

    Some of the developed technologies, she  maintained,  have  taken into consideration the significance of good nutrition toward promoting health and wellness in the society.

    In line  with  this,  Mrs Oluwole  said  the  institute  has  done researches  and employed  improved  technologies  on convenience foods which  can  be  produced locally  using natural nutrients.

    She  listed  the  convenience  food  products  to include plantain flour and chips, tomato paste, ketchup and   puree, fruit juices from orange and  pineapple and  cassava based products, such as fortified gari, macaroni, custard; yam chips, sweet potato chips,tapioca,baked sweet potato and  baked Irish potato.

    She explained that the institute’s processing facilities protect perishable crops and help entrepreneurs using     fruits and vegetables in the production of convenience food products.

    Given  improved  funding, Mrs Oluwole  said the institute has the ability to make more innovations into local food  opportunities, adding  that  its scientists are  working  on   solutions  to post harvest losses as well as storage problems.

    She assured that FIIRO’s technologies comply with hygiene, safety and quality standards and help farmers and producers to supply food products that are reliable, safe and trustworthy to   consumers.

    The Director-General/CEO, FIIRO, DR Gloria Elemo, observed that the   current trend is driving towards increasing patronage of   convenience foods.

    She said workers go for convenience foods and ready-to-eat meals to be able to attend to their duties.

    While the  institute  has been able to achieve  success in this  area through  improved  technologies  for  ready-to eat meals, Mrs  Elemo said  the  institute is also taking  advantage of increasing needs for  ready-to-use-therapeutic foods for malnourished children and high-nutrient-density  food   for  pupils and students.

    As a result, she  said  FIIRO  has  become  more integrated into value chains, with  the aim of empowering  businesses to produce  and sell nutritious products and promote good nutritional practices.

    The  Country Director, Global Alliance for  Improved  Nutrition (GAIN), Mr  Larry Umunna,  noted  that two-in- five   children under  five   are stunted in Nigeria, and that this has remained so in the past 10 years.

    He attributed this  to the  prevalence of malnutrition,which   consequences are shown in the form of stunting and other risks to healthy development. At the current rate, he  said it would take many years to bring malnutrition to the acceptable level of five  per cent.

    The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target, he stated, is   to reduce malnutrition by half, from 43 to 22 per  cent.

    To attain the target, he said there is a need  for  4.6 per cent annual reduction whereas the current rate is 0.4 per year.

    For this  reason, he  urged the  local  processing industry  to take  steps to  ensure that people have access to sufficient amounts of safe, affordable and nutritious food to lead active lives.

    In line  with this, he  said  his  organisation  is  working  to address malnutrition challenges, combating undernourishment and, at the same time, supporting  fortification of  a  wide-range of foods.

    To make nutritious foods more accessible to the people and drive better nutrition, Umunna  reiterated  that  efforts must be intensified at introducing nutrition targets, scaping up  the   national-level fortification programme. Conscious efforts should be made  to help enterprises develop specially-formulated supplementary foods for young children and mothers.

    Apart from this, he said   it is  necessary to encourage  local communities help implement the programmes.

    In an address, the Dean of the College of Food Sciences, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Prof Olugbenga Ogunmoyela,  warned that  the  MDG’s  target of eradicating extreme hunger and poverty by next year, is becoming a dream  with the  report  of  children   dying of hunger and malnutrition every  five  seconds.

    His  fear also  was the  increasing  number of under nourished   people, which  calls  into question the   effectiveness of the food production system, revealing  a serious  national  challenge  that  has been understated.

    As it requires concerted  efforts  to  deal with, Ogunmoyela called  on entrepreneurs  to  explore  agricultural innovation  to  improve  the food and nutrition security.

    While agriculture continues to be promoted as a strategy for addressing the food and nutrition challenge and for contributing to wealth creation, the don noted that  transformation of the sector, as well as the development of related spinoff industries would  not improve  the  situation  unless production and value addition are  encouraged.

    He, therefore, called on the government to support entrepreneurship,  innovation in agriculture and food processing   at all  levels.

    While observing that   many entrepreneurs focus on products which are   found on shelves of super-markets, the  don urged them to focus on  intermediate products where the greatest potential for  industrialisation and export actually lies.

    His  words:  “Opportunities exist for us to tap into the rapid growth in the use of enriched convenience foods in home-prepared meals whether as frozen, canned, dry mixes, powdered, and freeze-dried products.  Consumers familiar with these convenience foods, are becoming aware of their increasing use by fast-food outlets, restaurants, and other food services.”

    According to him,  the  use of convenience foods is expected to increase as a result of new technologies, including the use of disposable packaging, new package coatings and films, and the concept of portion control.

    As  a matter of  importance,  he appealed  to  Nigerians  to  take  advantage  of this  to promote   industrialisation and create jobs, exploring  opportunities in the food and agriculture industry.