The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Expert seeks investment in farming

    The Programme Manager of the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP), Mr. Gabriel Udoma, has urged the public to invest in farming.

    He made the call while interacting with farmers at Ukana Community in the Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state.

    This, he said, would go a long way in boosting the economy of the state. “Agriculture is the bedrock of development and it was the sector that the country relied on before the discovery of crude oil,” he said.

    The manager said there are many improved varieties of cassava and other food crops in the state’s ministry of agriculture, advising farmers to take advantage of the new cassava varieties.

    Udoma said older varieties of crops cultivated by rural farmers in the past had failed to yield optimum produce owing to the vagaries in the climate condition of the state.

    He said that farmers in the state had neglected the cultivation of traditional crops, such as coco yam and water yam, among others, in spite of their rich nutrient contents.

    “As farmers, you should not neglect the high value of these crops as many of the exotic crops are not rich in nutrients as those cultural varieties,’’ Udoma said.

    A spokesman for the farmers, Mr. Akan Okon, said farmers would explore the opportunities provided by the government for the development of agriculture.

    He commended the transformation going on in the state, saying that it has ushered good roads, especially in the rural areas.

    He said rural dwellers no longer find it difficult to transport their produce to urban areas.

     

  • Niger AFAN creates nine commodity groups

    The Niger State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has created nine commodity associations to ensure increased production of their crops.

    Its Chairman,Alhaji Umaru Aliyu, said in Minna, the state capital that AFAN would take the necessary measures to attract agro-allied companies to purchase farm produce from commodity associations.

    “We have formed commodity associations to key into the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda of ensuring food security for the country.

    “We want to make sure that the farmers’ commodities associations are self-sustaining by bringing agro-allied companies to buy their farm produce in order to encourage them to produce more food and raw material.’’

    He said that the association had contacted local brewing companies and others involved in yam, cassava and rice processing for export, adding: “Very soon, we will sign a formal agreement with them’’.

    Aliyu said the association was collaborating with the Federal Director of Agriculture in the state to mobilise farmers to produce more of their commodities.

    The chairman identified the nine commodity associations to include maize, rice, sorghum, yams, sesame, cassava, cowpea, livestock, and fishery.

    He said the group was waiting for the state Ministry of Agriculture to inaugurate the four committees that would oversee the affairs of the commodity associations.

    Aliyu listed the committees as human development committee, technology and input committee, plan implementation committee, and finance and marketing committees.

  • Don’t plant with first rainfall, farmers advised

    A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Michael Uguru, has advised farmers not to rush into planting crops following Wednesday’s first rain in the hinterlands.

    He gave the advice in Nsukka in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the new planting season.

    He said farmers who wanted to start planting following the rainfall must ensure that they stored water on their farms that they would use to water crops if the rains did not continue.

    “I advise farmers not to rush into farming as a result of the first rain, especially in the hinterland because no one knows if it will continue to rain to avoid their crops being roasted by the sun.

    “But if a farmer has enough water stored in his farm, he can plant and if the rain did not continue he will use stored water to water the crops,’’ he said.

    He said in the past years some farmers had recorded big losses as result of rushing to plant without waiting for the proper beginning of the rainy season.

    “Farmers should know the world is experiencing climate change which made it difficult most time to predict the weather.

    “It’s better to wait for the rains to come down very well than risking roasting your crops,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, some farmers in Nsukka, Enugu State, have said they went to plant crops after this year’s first heavy rain in the town on Wednesday.

    A farmer, Mr James Urama, said after the rain, he went to plant cassava and maize in his farm the next day.

    “That rain was heavy and I know it penetrated into the soil.

    “I know the rain will continue if it does not, I have stored water in my farm that I will use to water my crops,’’ he said.

    Another, Mrs Patricia Ozioko, said she planted only maize on her farm and would wait for another rain before planting cassava and yam.

    “As soon as the next rain falls, I will then plant cassava and yam in my farm.

    “With that first heavy rain, I believe the maize will grow without much problem,’’ she said.

     

  • Nigeria needs mega marine parks, says expert

    Nigeria should create mega marine parks around the coastlines to boost sustainable marine fisheries development, fisheries expert, Prof. Martins Antekhai has said.

    Marine parks are areas of marine waters set aside to protect marine plants and animals and to provide protection for unique and representative ocean environments.

    Speaking with The Nation, Antekhai said marine parks are multiple use areas and contain a variety of zones which permit different types of activities. This means recreational and some commercial fishing is allowed in the majority of the park, balanced by fully protected sanctuary zones in other areas of the park.

    He explained that Nigeria is home to many commercially valuable species of fishes, which are fast going into extinction following overfishing. One way to prevent these species from being lost, he said, is through the establishment of marine parks.

    Antekhai expressed concern that water and marine life are facing many threats, including climate change, ocean acidification, land-based pollution, invasive plants and animals and overfishing of certain species, which disrupts marine food webs and ecosystems.As the threats increase, Antekhai said government can designate areas for marine parks devoted to conservation and sustainable development of fish genetic resources while gene banks should be set up within these areas.

    Antekhai also said efforts should be made to mobilise national co-operation to collect catalogue and document fish genetic resources; maintain and preserve fish genetic material to conserve endangered species, and evaluate indigenous and exotic species. He said marine parks should house laboratories, farm facilities, rearing ponds, nursery ponds, breeding ponds, and a live fish gene bank.

    On agric tourism, Antekhai said the parks have potential for those involved in fishing, boating and tourism, as businesses can supply to those industries. To support the sector, he said some changes on how Nigeria’s waters can be used should be made, as there are enormous economic benefits that accrue from using the protected sections of the marine parks for agro tourism.

  • Kwara to establish agric lab

    Kwara to establish agric lab

    The Kwara Government said it will establish an agriculture laboratory for soil-testing to attract commercial agriculture to the state.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed made the promise in Ilorin, when the Chief Executive Officer of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Chief Keith Richards, paid him a courtesy visit.

    “The proposed laboratory is part of our administration’s policy in the agriculture sector to ensure that the right crops are planted on the right type of soil for desired dividends,’’ he said.

    The governor assured potential investors that his administration will create the enabling environment which would spur agricultural and economic development in the state.

    He described the interest of the private sector in investing in the state’s agriculture as a positive development which would boost commercial agriculture in the state.

    Earlier, Richards said his company would invest about $5 billion in cheese production in the state.

    He said the proposed dairy factory would produce cheese, butter and other products from milk.

    Richards said Promasidor was committing about $5 million of the amount to equipment and auxiliary investments.

    “The factory will create employment and encourage the commercial development of Shonga where the factory will be sited,” he added

  • Lawmakers urged to support critical infrastructure funding

    Experts have urged the National Assembly to pass a transportation bill on the improvement of safety, facilitate trade and create jobs in the agricultural sector.

    According to them, infrastructure carry the weight of the economy and helps sustain long-term economic prosperity through food production.

    Speaking with The Nation, Director, General Management Division, Agricultural and Rural Management and Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Ademola Adeyemo, said the government must invest more in infrastructure to boost the quality of key roads, seaways, airways and railways to enable farmers in the rural areas to move their produce.

    He said farmers and producers use waterways to ferry their produce to the market.

    Adeyemo asked for more focus on rural transport to boost agriculture in rural areas, and for the government to work harder to keep traffic under control, minimise traffic accidents and check the capacity of vehicles.

    A consultant to the World Bank, Prof Abel Ogunwale has expressed concerns over the state of the infrastructure.

    According to him, the infrastructure is in a poor shape, while roads in particular are getting worse.

    He said the deteriorating condition of infrastructure affects the water transportation which also affects agriculture.

    He said access to a reliable and cost-effective transportation network by land, sea and air is critical to farmers reaching customers with their produce.

    Modernising and investing in infrastructure, he maintained, is a key priority to make Nigeria a good place for agricultural prosperity.

    Having an efficient and reliable inland waterway system linked to the ports is vital to the nation’s ability to provide affordable farm products domestically and to compete internationally.

  • ‘Why we need agric census in rural areas’

    A national agriculture census in rural areas is needed to provide reliable agricultural data that can help investors, President, Association of Small Business Owners (ASBON), Dr Femi Egbesola has said.

    Data from agriculture census will be a valuable monitoring and planning tool for the government and other development actors, Egbesola added.

    Speaking with The Nation, Egbesola, he said an agricultural census will provide data for planning in the sector.

    According to him, creating a reliable data on agricultural sector will enable the government to plan and implement priority policies and programmes for the achievement of its food and agriculture sector development targets.

    To strengthen agricultural statistics, he said the government needs to conduct an Agricultural Production Survey (APS).

    This has to be done to provide a more accurate, reliable and timely agricultural production at the national, states and local government levels.

    On the importance of accurate and updated agricultural statistics, Egbesola said the private sector would welcome such a national project because of its relevance for planning and decision making and encourage more investments as the government see the sector as an engine for inclusive growth.

    He said the census will provide a detailed coverage of agricultural production, including vegetables, tree crops, livestock rearing and many others over two cropping seasons.

    He said the agricultural census will provide an up-to-date sampling frame and establish solid systems for regular production and dissemination of reliable agricultural statistics.

    For watchers, lack of finance has affected efforts by the government to execute an agricultural census in the rural areas of the country.

  • Agric key to national stability, says Abdullahi

    Agriculture holds the key to the nation’s stability, a former Presidential Adviser on Food Security, Prof. AngoAbdullahi has said.

    He stated this in paper titled: “Agricultural Transformation for industrial development: Public- Private Partnership (PPP) approach” he presented at a seminar at the 35th Kaduna International Trade Fair.

    It was chaired by Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd).

    He said the country needed to invest in infrastructure through private-public sector partnership to transform agriculture and set the nation on the path of growth.

    Abdullahi said such deal should also address the problem of low yield in agricultural production and value chain addition to maximise gains in the sector.

    “If not, we would continue to have problems not only of economic under development, but also of socio-economic disruption of the country,” he said.

    He said there must be a policy to promote agriculture which would serve as a vehicle of achieving industrialisation.

    “Because if we continue to produce raw materials, we would continue to slave for industries and remain perpetually poor,” he said.

    He noted that small scale farmers dominate agricultural production in the country, adding that the problem of low productivity must also be addressed if the sector must move forward.

    Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero urged public officials to change their attitude to governance.

    He said: “We have to change our attitude in the way and manner we do things, and we have to go to the olden days and correct the way we do things, things have gone bad.”

    He called for improvement in the agriculture sector to transform the rural economy and reduce social crisis.

    Yero attributed some of the nation’s woes to poor policy implementation.

    “Every government comes with its own policy and when its goes that policy is gone, so we have to try hard to have a road map so that we can achieve what ever we set to achieve,” he added.

    The governor assured industrialists at the seminar, that, work on the 30 megawatt Kudendan electricity project would soon be completed.

    He said the project was specifically initiated to provide power to industries in Kudendan Industrial layout.

    Earlier, Dr Abdul-Alimi Bello, the President of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, organisers of the fair, said the chamber would continue to initiate ideas that would transform the nation’s economy.

  • ‘Reforms ’ll attract investments’

    THE economy will grow in future when agricultural businesses change, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture,Universityof Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Abiodun Adeloye has said.

    Speaking with The Nation, he said the agricultural economy still faces risks. He suggested that reform of policies would improve the environment for farmers.

    To spur growth and limit risks, he said the government needs to restructure the sector with the involvement of the private sector.

    According to him, Nigeria will face short, mid and long-term challenges as the sector regains its lost glory.

    He said revenue from export would depend more on foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises to stimulate activities in the sector, adding that the support industry, a key factor to raise local production and cut costs, has failed.

    More foreign investments in agriculture will come into the country and the amount of disbursed capital will increase, he said.

    Adeloye said this year’s agro export growth is expected to be maintained or increase compared to last year’s, with significant contributions by local businesses.

    Therefore,Adeloye said the maintenance and restructure of the macro-economy, should be the main focus of the government’s policies,particularly in the sector.

    He urged the government to audit the economy to boost productivity.

    He stressed that effort was needed to accelerate agricultural restructuring to create produce of higher quality, achieve sustainable development.

    He said the agriculture sector in the rural population has not been fully tapped, adding that farmers should form the core of agriculture restructuring.

    Adeloye urged the government to offer more incentives to speed up rural development and business, with a focus on developing farm produce processing, generating jobs and increasing farmers’ incomes.

    He said an increase in investment in rural infrastructure, vocational training, will boost agriculture and suggested that the stakeholders in the sector introduce effective policies and step up the application of scientific and technological advances. According to him, application of biological technology and information technology to agricultural management and rural modernisation are crucial to growth.

    He advised farmers to develop modes of cooperation and links to harmonise their interests, create highly competitive products and increase the quality of products.

     

  • Why empowering women farmers is critical

    United Kingdom-based charity, Oxfam Nigeria, said supporting female growers will empower them to change their lives and members of their communities.

    Speaking in Lagos, Gender Officer in charge of the campaign in Nigeria, Boyowa Roberts, said it was the key to lifting women farmers who face gross inequalities, producing 50 per cent of the food, yet owning few per cent of legally titled land.

    She said women faced unequal access to credit and agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertiliser, which lowers their yields relative to men. Roberts said with access to resources, rural women can drive positive change in their communities.

    She said women farmers need to have the same access as men to resources and inputs for agricultural productivity to rise sharply.

    Reversing the inequities facing rural women, she noted, would break cycles of poverty and hunger. For this reason, she said the group is focusing on rural women, saying they hold the key to ensuring food and nutrition security. She said Oxfam Nigeria is empowering women through its partners to have access to a credit system that provides small loans.

    She said the organisation would make public the list of female food heroes in Nigeria, who have excelled in agriculture and provided jobs.

    “Oxfam wants to celebrate and recognise the powerful voice that women can have in Nigeria in changing our food system. We want to share the stories of women we know who are changing the injustices of the food system and challenging the inequities of the rights of women – these are our Female Food Heroes,” she said.

    Roberts noted that the award aims at celebrating small scale women farmers, adding that Oxfam is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to ensure the credibility of the nomination process for the award.

    She said a team would be set up to determine farmers that are registered with the Ministries and other cooperatives under the Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria.

    Boyowa further said on determining the criteria for nomination, the public would nominate female farmers by through either snail mail or via Oxfam’s mail portal.

    “It could be an independent nomination or by someone who thinks a female farmer is doing very well in the community, but the team will cross check and evaluate most of the entries made,” she said.

    Economic Justice Campaign Manager, Horn East and Central Africa Oxfam International, Marc Wegerif, bemoaned the situation among smallholder women farmers, insisting that there was need for extension and training services targeting smallholder women farmers in order to improve their productivity.

    He emphasised that these programmes must be complemented with improved access to inputs and markets if they are to have a lasting impact on farmers’ livelihoods.

    With the right support, Wegerif said smallholder women farmers can identify their needs, package relevant messages and effectively communicate them to policy makers.

    Media Officer for Oxfam, Safiya Akau, said there is need to establish local-level dialogue platforms that capture the voice of women farmers in the process of policy formulation and implementation.

    She revealed that as part of this effort, the National Female Food Hero Award, which is celebrated annually by the organisation has been slated for October 15, this year – a date which coincides with the International Rural Women’s Day celebration.

    Mrs. Medinato Oyinloye Bolatito, a farmer from Oyo Local Government Area of Oyo State, seized the opportunity to commend Oxfam for the empowerment so far provided to small scale farmers.

    “Oxfam has taken issues bothering us to the Agricultural Committee of our State House of Assembly for discussion,” she said.

    Noting that challenges still exist for small scale farmers, she called on Nigerians to help female farmers.