The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Group decries smuggling

    Government’s failure to curb smuggling is hurting legitimate businesses in the agric sector, the National President, Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr Victor Inyama, has said.

    Citing rice, which he claimed, is one of the most commonly smuggled products, Inyama said the government should be more serious with its anti-smuggling policy, as smuggling is compounding the problems of the sector. He added that the sector is facing challenges such as lack of technology and facilities.

    Inyama said the smuggling of rice, vegetables, meat and other products is slowing growth in the sector, which employs a good percentage of the country’s workforce. He said initiatives that would boost productivity and employment in the sector should be pursued, adding that development initiatives for the sector should go with strict measures against smuggling.

    Besides, Inyama advised youths to change the notion that they cannot build a career in agriculture, pointing out that the sector is embedded with opportunities that could help promote youth entrepreneurship and employment. While noting that most young people believe that they cannot build a career in agriculture, he said groups needed to educate the young ones that agriculture is not just farming, but involves other aspects such as food production, processing, marketing and advertisements.

    He said many young people would not take the risk of establishing their own mid-sized farms, rather they would opt for a combination of part-time farming and supplying services to their neighbors such as machinery service, transport, simple veterinary services, and equipment repairs. Others may choose from an even wider range of wage-based work, from unskilled labour to highly skilled ones on large commercial farms or in food processing. All of these options, he said, represent opportunities for young people.

    Inyama emphasised that farming could be the key to solving growing youth unemployment. He explained that youths are seeking to establish farms that are different from those of their parents and grandparents, but they are facing hurdles. According to him, youths want to move into high-value forms of production that earn higher incomes, but such farming requires skills and capital. Young people entering farming, he said, do so by renting land. But the poor development of rental markets is a major barrier to such opportunities.

    FACAN, he added, would work with government to make lands available to farmers. Those who can obtain land, he added, would need advice and mentoring to manage it well and access to grants or affordable loans to use as start-up capital. To take advantage of the opportunity, he said young farmers need skills to handle tasks and equipment, adding that FACAN is ready to assist. He said if effort is not made to encourage youths to take to farming, the nation will not produce cash crops.

  • ‘Erosion threatening food production’

    Safeguarding the soil is critical to food production to increase in Nigeria, the Soil Science Society of Nigeria has said.

    The group warned that more topsoil from farms and forests are being washed away by wind and rain yearly, jeopardising efforts to increase food production.

    Arising from its 38th Annual Conference in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the society said soil erosion is reducing the quantity of food grown and increasing the risk of flooding. With the loss of soil, approximately 24 billion tones of food is lost yearly by wind and water erosion. The society said appropriate legislation is required for the regulation of land use and planning, proper land utilisation and soil management and exploitation. The society said the adverse effect of wind and water erosion is being felt in all agro-ecologies of the country.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, the society said farmlands are being lost at an accelerating rate, adding that agricultural land has become less fertile. If these problems are addressed, the society noted that food production would be boosted. The society therefore, called on government to pay more attention to the soil and learn from how soil restoration measures have helped to increase crop yields.

    The society maintained that soil and land resources are vital to the achievement of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, food security and job creation initiatives, but lamented the non-involvement of soil scientists in erosion control programmes, as well as poor use of soil information among farmers in the farms visited.

    The society urged the government to address the absence of a land use policy to guide utilisation and management of lands/soils as well as enact appropriate legislation to regulate land use planning, utilisation and soil management and their exploitation.

    The society urged the National Assembly to consider the approval of the Nigerian Soil Science Institute Bill to address the soil resources management problems of the country, advance the education, science, technology and art of soil science to promote soil quality management, enhance agricultural production and environmental integrity.

     

  • FAO wants more budgetary allocations to agric

    The Food and Agriculture (FAO) representative in Nigeria, Ms. Louise Sethswaelo, has urged African Heads of State and Governments to increase their budgetary allocations to agriculture to achieve set goals. She made the call in an interview in Abuja.

    According to her, this has become necessary in view of the declaration of the year as the ‘Year of Agriculture‘ by the Heads of State and Governments at a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January.

    “It is for the governments to increase their budgets on agriculture to have a facilitative role in promoting agriculture in the agriculture transformation in the African region. The private sector will then come in; but when they see us just talking, there is no demonstration in terms of providing resources, in terms of making sure that all the instruments that need to be put in place are there, then it just becomes talk with no action and very little result on the ground, “ Sethswaelo said.

    She commended African leaders for demonstrating the political will by the various declarations on agriculture, thereby increasing the sector’s visibility. She however, regretted that African leaders failed to backed the declarations with resources to facilitate agricultural development on the continent.

    “We have had so many summits by the African Heads of States and Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). I think that what we need more is to make sure we implement the programmes because the declarations have been made. Whether I should call it the political will, maybe it is, but it needs to be backed up by resources to facilitate agricultural development in the African region. This is something that is still lagging behind,” she argued.

    Continuing, Sethswaelo said: “That is why for so many years after signing the CAADP and approving it, we are still lagging behind in terms of implementing the CAADP programme that was developed then and approved by the Heads of States and Governments.”

  • ‘How high-yielding seeds can boost productivity’

    ‘How high-yielding seeds can boost productivity’

    For farmers in rural areas, the use of high-yielding crop varieties holds the key to bountiful harvest. DANIEL ESSIET writes that unless urgent and deliberate efforts are made to encourage rural farmers to embrace the use of high-yielding varieties, hope of boosting the productivity and yield of rural farmers would remain a mirage. 

    Hajia Asabe Musa (not real name) is luckier than most farmers in the Northern part of the country. She heads a women farmers group in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State, a position that allows her access to tolerant varieties to help farmers in her group to overcome the negative effects of climate change in the region. The varieties, which are either early-maturing or drought-tolerant, have more than doubled her yield and those of farmers under her group. She has since been tapping into the opportunities presented by the use of improved seeds and agronomic practices to better her life. Other farmers in the state have also seen their yields double, using improved varieties and agronomic practices on the same plot of land.

    However, the beneficiaries are few. Most of the farmers have been witnessing crop failure in their farms in the north in particular and the country generally. This is because in most cases, the farmers do not have access to improved seeds, which makes their situation critical because of climate change and decreased rainfall. Experts attribute this largely to farmers’ lack of adoption of improved varieties, which is responsible for the low yields. Although, huge resources have been invested in breeding better crop varieties, the adoption rate of the improved varieties is still considered very low by agric experts.

    Addressing a workshop on ‘Seed Production Planning’ organised by West Africa Productivity Programme (WAAPP) Nigeria in Minna, its National Project Coordinator, Prof. Damian Chikwendu said production of high-yielding varieties of crops gives communities easy access to improved seeds. He said efforts are underway at a number of universities, institutes and organisations to make agriculture and farming practices more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly. The ultimate goal, he said, is to increase crop yields, which will result in a greater quantity of food being produced per area of farm land.

    Chikwendu noted that as farmers get improved commercial opportunities for their crops and processed products, chances of accessing and purchasing improved seeds and other input increase. Sadly, however, he said the percentage of farmers with access to improved seeds in the country is about five per cent, compared to 25 per cent for East Africa and 60 per cent for Asia. This gives concern when agric machinery use is about 10 tractors /1000 hectares compared to 241/1000 hectares in Indonesia, for instance.

    By targeting small farmers, he said the programme intends to change the situation in line with the vision of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda aimed at achieving a hungry-free Nigeria through the agric sector. One approach the programme is taking, he said, is to get community-based seed producers move in to fill the gap. Through this means, the programme will help to increase the availability of improved and quality seed varieties to small scale farmers.

    It will also support the government to open seed markets to private enterprises. Last year, he said WAAPP-Nigeria inaugurated seven private seed firms to provide various quantities of certified maize, rice and sorghum seeds. The firms produced 432.5 Metric Tons (MT) of different improved varieties of maize seeds, 434 MT of various varieties of rice seeds, and 150 MT of improved varieties of sorghum seeds. Out of these, 150.986 MT of maize, 172.25 MT of rice and 15.603 MT of sorghum seeds have been distributed to some farmers in the adopted villages of National Agricultural Institutes (NARIs), universities and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs).

    WAAPP Nigeria has been funding National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi to produce improved rice breeder and foundational seeds; Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, to produce maize breeder and foundational seeds; Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, to produce maize and sorgum breeder and foundational seeds. He said the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike is producing improved cassava stems and seed yams. Besides, WAAPP, he said, is working with some universities in seed multiplication. The seeds will be introduced by local extension agents to farmers through farmer-managed demonstration plots.

    The Deputy Director, Seeds, Katsina Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Yusuf Abubakar, said improved varieties have become popular among farmers who are impressed by the performance of the improved seedlings hence, they accepted them. He said deployment of improved seeds, backed by the dissemination of innovative agricultural practices, have improved the lot of farmers. For instance, when the programme introduced improved maize, the farmers got over 15 bags for a quarter of an hectare.

    Abubakar said rebuilding rural supply networks and marketing systems is critical to encouraging farmers who have the means and incentives to produce more. The difficulties of transportation mean that out­lying areas are often not covered by private buyers, a problem faced by suppliers of fertilisers, seeds, and other farm inputs as well. For him, expanding private sector involvement in rural marketing and supply activities is a long-term solution.

    Programme Manager, Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme, Mr. Onyema Nwodo said the adoption of improved varieties by farmers has brought relief to those who face poor harvest. He said the fortunes of farmers have improved in terms of increased crop productivity as a result of using new maize varieties. So, an increase in yields can have effects on livelihoods. Nwodo said the challenge, however, is lack of proper storage drums to eliminate losses to weevils and vermin. He said the government needs to train groups to store their improved seed varieties. He noted that “seed production is a serious business, which needs proper planning to make good quality seeds available to farmers at affordable prices”.

    WAAPP is also working with scientists and agronomists to develop high yielding seeds that are also more nutritious and drought and climate resilient. The Head, Rice Research, NCRI, Dr. Myimaorga Abo, said the institute has achieved success in producing rice, soyabeans, beni-seeds and sesame seeds with higher yields. He said the institute is working with high-yield varieties that are suitable to the country’s climate.

    Abo added that the sector should apply science and technology to agricultural problems to get solutions quickly. For him, good seeds are not just the driving force behind good harvests to eliminate poverty and hunger, it’s the foundation for rapid economic growth. For farmers to improve their livelihoods and increase their income, he said the sector needs to ensure simple science such as improved seeds is available to people. “If we do not get our acts together, the continent will be left behind,” he warned.

    He said the programme has supported the development of new seed varieties and the commercialisation of over 200 firms. The challenge however, is how to address the gap between the released varieties and the commercialised ones.

    Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu thanked WAAPP for hosting the meeting. Aliyu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, said the state has 10 per cent of the arable land in the country, adding that it has water bodies that would add aqua culture. The governor stressed the need for mechanisation, saying that less than one per cent of fish farmers has access to facilities to dry their fish. He therefore, solicited the support of the private sector for the programme, saying that the state had allocated 50,000 hectares to Dangote Group to cultivate rice in the state. He assured WAAPP of government’s support to make the programme a success.

    The meeting was attended by chief executives of some Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs). Others are the Agricultural Research Institutes and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).

  • Govt trains rural farmers on fabrication, blacksmithing

    Govt trains rural farmers on fabrication, blacksmithing

    The Federal Government has begun training young rural dwellers in tool fabrication and blacksmithing, according to Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

    The aim, he said, was to diversify means of livelihood, reduce poverty and promote development of rural areas.

    Adesina, represented by his Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, spoke at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Idofian in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State at the commencement of training for states in the Southwest.

    He added that the trainees would be exposed to means of deriving their incomes from a diverse portfolio of activities in rural non-farm sector of the economy.

    The ministry in collaboration with NCAM has organised the five-day programme.

    Adesina said the training would help “in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty when sudden shock occur in sole food production efforts within the rural economy”.

    He added: “It is obvious that when the non-farm sector is encourged and supported, it is likely to boost employment opportunity in rural settings (other than food production alone)”

    The minister also described the training as a programme that would enhance the agricultural transformation agenda of the government saying this is so becuase “The rural youths are trained in skills to fabricate domestic/industrial parts for rural economy in the production of farm tools to support our dominant rural scale farmers in their food production efforts.”

    He disclosed that the ministry would put in place a monitoring mechanism to ensure sustainability of the programme through evaluation performance of those trained.

    Adesina, who said some people would also benefit from the training in future, tasked the participant to take the training serious.

    “I specially appeal to the trainees to take the training, particularly, the practical aspect of this workshop with all seriouness and commitment as it will definately expose you to designs, drawings, foreging and fabrications that will be useful to you in this vocation for the needed transformation of our rural areas,” he stated.

    Director of Department of Rural Development of the ministry, M. O. Azeez said reliance on food production aspect of agriculture is key to rural development. He expressed the hope that the training would make the approach more functional.

    He said each of the trainees would be presented with a starter package to enable him to practise what he has learnt.

  • UN gets report on broken food systems

    The United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur, Olivier De Schutter has warned that food systems are efficient only from the point of view of maximising agribusiness profits and must be radically and democratically redesigned.

    He spoke at the presentation of his final report to the UN after a six-year term.

    He said: “At the local, national and international levels, the policy environment must urgently accommodate alternative, democratically-mandated visions.

    “Objectives such as supplying diverse, culturally-acceptable foods to communities, supporting smallholders, sustaining soil and water resources, and raising food security within particularly vulnerable areas, must not be crowded out by the one-dimensional quest to produce more food,” De Schutter said.

    “Of course, significant progress has been achieved in boosting agricultural production. But this has hardly reduced the number of hungry people,” he said.

    The report highlights the importance of demand-side issues. It suggests mitigating the negative impacts of industrial production by discouraging the increase in demand for meat, encouraging methods such as rethinking taxes and subsidies to “discourage the most polluting modes of production and to encourage the shift from ruminants to poutry for a more efficient conversion of cereals into meat protein” or improving land and manure management.

    It also stresses the need to improve the efficiency of food systems by reducing waste and loss, which has been estimated at about one third of the total produced for human consumption.

     

     

     

    “In low income countries, losses occur primarily as a result of inadequate storage and packaging and processing facilities, and a poor connection of farmers to markets, resulting in economic losses for food producers. In contrast, the levels of per capita food waste are much higher in rich countries than in developing countries: while a consumer in subSaharan Africa or South and South-East Asia wastes from 6 to 11 kg per year, this amount is between 95 and 115 kg per year in Europe and North America. These inefficiencies result in food production exerting a much higher pressure on natural resources than would otherwise occur.”

    To combat this issue, measures such as improved storage facilities, assistance to farmers to help them organize in a way that avoids overproduction, avoiding reliance of foods that meet a certain quality of appearance, and developing direct farmer-to-consumer marketing.

    With regards to seeds, the report states, “”Guaranteeing food security in the future requires that we support crop genetic diversity, including agrobiodiversity (…) States should : Not allow patents on plants and establish research exemptions in legislation protecting plant breeders’ rights; ensure that their seed regulations (seed certification schemes) do not lead to an exclusion of farmers’ varieties; and support and scale up local seed exchange systems such as community seed banks and seed fairs, and community registers of peasant varieties.”

    The expert argued that food democracy should “start from the bottom-up, at the level of villages, regions, cities, and municipalities” and that a system that secures smallholder farmers ability to thrive is required for food security. “Respect for their access to productive resources is key in this regard.”

    Mr. De Schutter emphasized the need for reforms tailored to local and regional needs. “By 2050 more than 6 billion people – more than two in three – will live in cities. It is vital that these cities identify logistical challenges and pressure points in their food supply chains, and develop a variety of channels to procure their food, in line with the wishes, needs and ideas of their inhabitants.”

    He argued that for developing countries to successfully improve their food security, parallel reforms would be needed in the ‘global north’, where the farming sector has become heavily dependent on subsidies; wealthier countries must shift from agricultural policies focused on exports to allow small-scale farmers in developing countries to supply their local markets. “They must also restrain their expanding claims on global farmland by reining in the demand for animal feed and agrofuels, and by reducing food waste.” The expansion of trade, he agrued, has resulted in “luxury tastes of the richest parts of the world being allowed to compete against the satisfaction of the basic needs of the poor.”

     

  • WHO, expert warn against untreated wastewater

    WHO, expert warn against untreated wastewater

    Waste water can be hazardous if it gets into food, the immediate past, Chairman, Federation of African Nutrition Societies, Prof Tola Atinmo and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have said.

    He said, if untreated, wastewater, which comes mainly from factories and hospitals, is dangerous to plants.

    According to him, the crops could be harmful because they will accumulate microbes and bacteria from the sewage.

    He expressed concern that infectious diseases carried in polluted water can be transferred to vegetables, saying that even if one cleans vegetables carefully, it will be hard to neutralise the microbes. This, then, creates conditions in which infectious diseases can spread.

    He advised farmers against using wastewater to irrigate farms’ fields as it may present public health risks to others.

    According to international reports, farmers, particularly small landholders, have taken to using sewage water to increase crop productivity.

    Agricultural experts say that wastewater is fast becoming a cheap alternative to expensive fertiliser.

    Agriculturists contend that the use of effluent has increased crop yields by up to 25 per cent. Given such claims, most small farmers prefer wastewater for vegetable fields in place of expensive pesticides and fertilisers. The farmers added that tube well irrigation is fast becoming a ‘dream’ for agriculturalists because of the high price of fuel needed to power them.

    The use of wastewater lessens the cost of production by about 40 per cent.

    Sewage contains certain essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are essential to crops growth.

    The WHO has warned that the use of sewage for irrigation is a threat to health.

    It said‘food poisoning’ complaints arise when people consume food from land irrigated by polluted water, adding that such products bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins and carcinogens; along with the nutrients that attract farmers to their use.

    The global organisation noted that the incidence of such diseases increases when vegetable crops are fed with wastewater and pesticides.

    Farmers using wastewater fail to follow minimum standards for safety requirements for foods meant for consumption.

    WHO added that wastewater used to irrigate agricultural crops may contribute to public health risks, such as diarrheal disease in children from rotavirus.

    A new study of these risks found that wastewater used to irrigate vegetable plots in Asian countries poses health risks that may exceed WHO guidelines. The authors recommend that stricter wastewater regulation may be needed to protect the health of farmers and consumers worldwide.

    A new study of these risks found that wastewater used to irrigate vegetable plots in Asian countries poses health risks that may exceed WHO guidelines.

    The new findings are coming at a time the climate change and increasing population pressure requires the development of methods to produce more food with fewer irrigation resources.

    Wastewater reuse is an economical method to grow food, but wastewater carries microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa that can contaminate food and cause disease.

    Asia accounts for the majority of the world’s reuse of wastewater in irrigation, and given that China is the world’s most populous country, millions of people may be exposed to health risks from contamination.

    However, normal cooking temperatures and food preservation strategies can reduce the risks posed by microorganisms and viruses.

     

  • Empowering cocoa farmers to reduce poverty, boost food security

    Empowering cocoa farmers to reduce poverty, boost food security

    Despite doing about 66 per cent of cocoa work, women earn only 10 per cent of its income. They are also financially excluded and discriminated against when they apply for loans, leaving them poor. The Farmers Development Union (FADU) plans to come to their aid. Daniel Essiet reports.

    Many small-scale farmers and their families depend on cocoa for a living. One of them is Mrs Martha Ade (not real name). Because cocoa grows well in her area, it is the main cash crop for some farmers. In the past, income from cocoa has helped them to feed and meet their basic needs. But not so now.

    Mrs Ade earns little income because of poor quality of the produce and limited access to markets. Most times, the price they received from their cocoa is low. Those who work like contract farmers accept low pay because of the low prices offered by middlemen who visit their farms.

    Most women farmers were cheated on the weight of their product, and the price they received for it is too low to meet their needs. Other women found that they could no longer make a living from cocoa.

    Some of the farm plots are small with ageing trees that are becoming less productive. As farmers, they did not meet certain necessary requirements, such as owning assets. This lack of knowledge and understanding is further compounded by gender discrimination limiting women’s options.

    There are many families, whose situations are terrible and need change. How to resolve this has drawn the attention of the Farmers Development Union (FADU), a leading farmers’ cooperative in Ibadan. In response, the group organised a stakeholders’ workshop. It was aimed at bringing about improvement in women, particularly the poorest. It also focused on mainstreaming gender justice, improving cocoa quality, promoting the national and local markets and diversify livelihoods to reduce over supply and vulnerability.

    Addressing a gender sensitive cocoa workshop in Ibadan, the Programme Coordinator of FADU, Mr Victor Olowe said women do much of the work in the industry, but earn small income. They experience higher financial exclusion and are discriminated against when they apply for loans.

    Since they cannot access the capital to invest, they are trapped in a cycle of poverty and subsistence living.

    As a result of this appalling condition coupled with the economic situation in the country, Olowe said many local women, who engaged in farming, live in abject poverty and remain vulnerable.

    He also said without land rights, women, as cocoa farmers are vulnerable, unable to take responsibility for their well-being and that of their children.

    Such rights and opportunities, he noted, empower women, enhancing their status and food long-term security.

    He explained that crop’s production is, particularly, good for women farmers. That is, if they have the same access to input, such as credit and fertilisers.

    He added that small cocoa farmers, especially women, have poor bargaining power. They typically sell at low price to the market.

    To this end, he said a lot of small farmers need to be connected to better markets to boost their productivity.

    What FADU has done is to band them in groups, so the farmers can sell their produce in bulk, connect to better markets and realise more of the crop’s value.

    The groups offer a forum to improve farming skills through training and demonstration plots. And the members of business groups are better to access critical input and services, such as seeds, fertilisers, irrigation systems and credit.

    Another method the organisation is using to highlight the plight of women is through the Gender Action Learning System (GALS). The GALS approach represents a creative approach reaching marginalised voices in the supply chain: poor men, and especially, women. It is useful not only to non-governmental organisation ( NGOs) or development agencies, but for social auditors.

    The Programme Officer, Women’s Empowerment Mainstreaming and Networking (WEMAN), Oxfam, John Ajigo, said cocoa production involves many households, adding that it is crucial not only to incomes of rural households, but also the national economy. As in many value chains, women are important as producers and small traders. But they face a vicious cycle of gender discrimination and gender based constraints, which limit their ability to contribute to the industry, or to benefit from it.

    He said his organisation used GALS with many women and men producers and other stakeholders to sensitise them on the need to get more women into cocoa work.

    Getting this through, give women and men in communities the drive to push gender justice.

    The Project Manger, FADU-Continaf Kokodola Project, Mrs Mopelola Fabunmi, said the gender action learning programme emphasises strengthening the role of women in the cocoa value chain industries and improving food security in households.

    A participatory methodology, she explained that GALS through pictures, canvasses the inclusion of the marginalised ones in the value chain and discussion of sensitive topics such as gender equality. Ultimately, she said the visual method of drawing contributes rich data through enhanced participation,which can feed into enhanced sustainability programmes.

    Through the programme, she said women learned new ideas and skill, experience and activities to increase food production for consumption and income.

    Mrs Mopelola said her project has trained 1,600 farmers in Oyo and Osun states.

    She said the project is helping the farmers to access new markets, by working also with Continaf International, Dutch cocoa trading firm, ASN Bank, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, and the cocoa producers, Delfi and Ferrero.

    But a major challenge is to increase the number of women cocoa farmers participating in the programme, about 20 per cent.

    Controller, Programmes, FADU, Mr Bayo Olaniyan said his organisation found women smallholder farmers make a large contribution to the production of commodity cashcrops on their farms, but derive a disproportionately low direct financial benefit from their work.

    He said empowering women farmers is crucial to poverty reduction, food security, and economic stability and growth.

  • Ogun pays N20m compensation to farmers

    Ogun pays N20m compensation to farmers

    The Ogun State Government has paid N20 million compensation to farmers whose crops were affected by some infrastructure development.

    About N20 million was paid to 151 farmers in Itoku Elewe Irepodun Community in Kobape, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state.

    The farms of the beneficiaries were affected by a new housing scheme to be located in the area.

    Presenting the cheques to farmers in the first 50-hectare land acquired, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun said the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration was passionate about agricultural development and would have not tampered with their crops.

    She, however, said the government had to take the painful decision of taking over the farmlands because it was necessary, saying the scheme would help open up the area and attract more people that would enhance their socio-economic status.

    “We are very much aware that your crops are important to you, and we know that farming is your major source of income, as matter of fact, agricultural development for food production and industrialisation remains one of our five cardinal programmes, but we also need the land to pursue another cardinal programme, housing. At the end of the day, it would be a win-win situation as the housing scheme would bring in people, engender further development and ultimately, enhance socio-economic status,” Sokefun said.

    She enjoined them to make judicious use of the money given to better their lots and that of their respective dependants.

    Also speaking while presenting another batch of cheques, her counterpart in the Ministry of Housing, Mr. Daniel Adejobi said the scheme could improve the living standards of the farmers as it would attract infrastructure such as roads networks, power supply and potable water.

    He added that the massive population that will move to the area would be a ready market for their farm products, noting that they may not need to take their produce too far before they are sold.

    He urged them to support the state government as it was moving to implement its mission to rebuild, promising that soon, similar compensation would be paid to farmers in the second phase.

    Responding on behalf of recipients, Baale of the Community, Alhaji Waheed Afolabi, lauded the government for fulfilling its promise to the farmers, pledging their support for programmes of the government.

     

  • Expert seeks fair deal for farmers, consumers

    A call has been made for the establishment of an electronic infrastructure to ensure a fair deal for farmers and consumers.

    The Director, Cassava Adding Value to Africa, Dr Kola Adebayo, said the sector needed electronic monitoring to promote fairness in the food chain, by tacklíng dominant positions, unfair commercial and contractual practices and late payments.

    He said there should be penalties and a complaint mechanism should be put in place to discourage unfair behaviour by market players and monitor relations between producers and retailers.

    He said the sector needs a mechanism to create an “observatory” of farm prices and margins, urging for legislation to limit dominant market positions at every stage of the supply chain, “including the food processing industry and retailers.

    On the low uptake of of biotech food crops,Adebayo attributed this to lack of awareness and stiff resistance, adding that the nation is still laying behind on the t adoption of agricultural biotechnology.

    He said lack of awareness and a constrained regulatory environment had also slowed down the uptake of agricultural biotechnology.

    He said there is a need to conduct more research to enhance the uptake of agricultural biotechnologies.

    He said it was important for the country to participate in international biotechnology profiling to enhance collaboration and strengthen the country’s research capacity.

    The development of agricultural biotechnology has proceeded amid public controversy over the ethics of genetic manipulation and the required level of regulation.

    Claims about the promise of new technology have been greeted with scepticism, vilification or opposition by anti-Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) activists. Debates on GMOs have often been dominated by slander, innuendo and misinformation, he added.