The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • ‘Extortion responsible for high cost of farm produce’

    The Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Victor Olowe has warned that rampant cases of extortion of farmers by law enforcement agents and touts, is increasing the cost of foodstuffs in the markets.

    He told The Nation that extortion is driving up the cost of foodstuffs.

    He said suppliers of farm produce and foodstuffs have to contend with the high level of extortion on the highways, adding that farmers conveying produce from farms to markets pay more at various checkpoints on the highway.

    He urged the government to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves before it causes mayhem of large proportion, warning that its perpetuation could have a ruinous impact on food prices and the food chain in the long-run.

    He said because of this, food prices are expected to remain high with land, fuel and crop protection prices expected to trend higher. For the past decade, the single largest contributing factor to higher on-farm expenses has been hikes in input prices.

    Supply factors, such as energy, raw materials costs and transportation costs have significant impact on production cost.

    Also, the Dean,Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, said sharp increases in production costs are overwhelming livestock production, adding that farmers are grappling with problems of high feed cost and low returns on production.

    According to him, the rise in fuel pump prices has led to a drastic rise in transport costs, thus reducing farmers profit margin.

  • Unlocking potential of agribusiness in Southwest

    Agriculture is about witnessing a turning point from the long-awaited green revolution from the Southwest. Governments in the region are adopting market-friendly policies and committing more resources to the sector. This was the highpoint of a meeting of Commissioners held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Daniel Essiet who was there, reports.

    How Nigeria can tap into and actualise its agricultural potential to the benefit of its people, was the thrust of a meeting of Commissioners of Agriculture from the Southwest geopolitical zone.

    Attended by commissioners from Lagos, Ogun,Osun,Ekiti and Oyo states, the meeting was put together to promote regional agricultural development as the answer to the nation’s food challenges. To achieve this, the states resolved to increase their expenditures on agriculture. To support this, a Comprehensive Regional Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has been drawn up.

    The programme, among others, aims “to help the states critically review their own situations and identify investment opportunities with optimal impact and returns.”

    Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), Mr Dipo Famakinwa, said the guiding framework of the DAWN‘s vision is make the Southwest region the first place of choice to live, to work and to visit. Famakinwa said the DAWN’s Framework projects initiatives that will harness the abundant resources of the region and unleash the collective enterprise to promoting the well being of the people. He said the Southwest is strategically located to help it emerge as an attractive destination for food processing firms. It is well-connected and proximity is likely to further aid demand in the food industry.

    He said DAWN will foster regional cooperation and integration as a catalyst for decentralisation. The region is an economic block, and as such, a regional approach will be cost effective and economically viable especially in the areas of infrastructure, industrialisation, commerce the environment and agriculture.

    He said commissioners of agriculture in the Southwest have a vision of a united, and prosperous agricultural sector based on three strategic goals of access and participation, competitiveness and profitability and of sustainable resource management.

    This, he stressed, is a long-term vision that will be pursued to bring about a new, different and superior agricultural order from the present one. The implications of the partnership, he explained, was that the governments of the region share a common perspective on the sector’s strategic issues; the burden of economic empowerment and enhancing the profitability of agricultural industries.

    The envisaged new sector, he maintained is geared to play its historic role of providing food and agricultural products and services to the region. To this end, he said the group has identified proposed actions that government is expected to perform, and has incorporated those applicable into its strategic plan for the coming years.

    He said the governments of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo have agreed on a common set of development strategy that enables the states in the region and its indigenes to experience a common level and set of development across all spheres of existence .

    Specifically on agriculture, Famakinwa said the policy framework aims at linking agriculture to manufacturing through extending agricultural value chain to storage, processing and manufacturing. It also aims at encouraging the modernisation of agriculture and agriculture related infrastructure and transforming the sector such that it becomes a source of employment and entrepreneurship for graduates and young persons.

    He said the states have resolved to achieve rapid investment in modern agricultural and industrial infrastructure through agricultural estates for middle and small farms as well as industrial estates, parks and export trade zones.

    He stressed that there was a need to aggregate and consolidate farmlands under cultivation to achieve economies of scale in farm operations.

    Rising from the meeting in Abeokuta, the commissioners said rising food prices has contributed to raising the number of undernourished people.

    In its resolutions presented by the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Babajide Arowosafe, the commissioners noted that the states were determined to have a positive effect on inflation and food security and above all, significant reduction of poverty.

    To this end, the commissioners resolved to tackle the spike in food prices due to soaring commodity costs and a growing population.

    The commissioners stressed the need to implement policy reforms to help transform high economic growth rates into widespread employment, broad-based poverty reduction and improved food security across the region.

    In order to increase agrifood production, the commissioners resolved to implement actions that will transform the face of agriculture by providing effective support for subsistence farmers and those engaged in commercial agriculture.

    Through dialogue and shared responsibility between the governments and farmers across the region, the commissioners expressed the confidence that they would build the necessary agreements for the integral transformation of the rural sector.

    The commissioners maintained that food production is a top priority and a long-term public policy framework will maximise the potential of the region.

    The commissioners agreed to strengthen the resilience of the economy by improving local communities’ capacity for food production, expanding access to credit, , and reinforcing food security and food-crisis preparedness.

    The commissioners pledged to implement improvements in food availability and nutritional health as well as access to land.

    The commissioners agreed to promote private-sector-led growth by improving the functioning of the agricultural input market and consolidate key reforms in input management.

    The meeting agreed to increase investment in research, training, irrigation and storage to improve farm productivity in the region.

    The commissioners said there were ongoing efforts to catalyse private-sector growth and job creation, improve governance and enhance public-resource management, build economic resilience and reduce the vulnerability of its many farmers to drought and other shocks

    Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Ronke Sokefun said the meeting of agriculture commissioners in the Southwest was established as part of the regional development plan to stimulate a broad range of investment in agric infrastructure.

    She said Ogun State government is set to establish a cocoa plantation in Alagbagba in Odeda Local Government Area of the state. Already work has started with the first phase of the project which is on a 50 hectare land.

    Mrs Sokefun said the project which will bring back the lost glory of the state and Southwest will equally provide employment to hundreds of farmers who will be engaged directly on the plantation thereby improving their livelihood. She said planting will start early next year with improved varities that has 18 month gestation period.

    She added that the second phase of another 50 hectre will start immediately after the planting of the first phase and called for the cooperation of the community to make the project a huge success.

  • Govt urged on utilisation of N4.3b Cassava Bread Fund

    Proper utilisation of the N4.3 billion Cassava Bread Fund can help farmers to benefit from the soaring prices in agriculture as well as deliver healthy returns to producers and investors, stakeholders have said.

    The stakeholders, including the National Cassava Processors and Marketers Association (NCAPMA), Crops Commodity Farmers Association and Processors and the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), said the prices of cassava could hit historic highs on the back of increasing demand for the produce.

    The cassava price makes potential returns look attractive, but, according to the stakeholders, investors need to consider how this type of investment would fit into their financial plan and this requires support from the N4.3 billion cassava bread fund meant for farmers, bakers, processors and others.

    Worried by the usual mismanagement and diversion of funds meant to enhance the productivity of farmers and processors, the stakeholders urged that the government set up a powerful monitoring committee to ensure judicial use of the cassava bread fund to avoid defaulters and saboteurs.

    Released late last year, the N4.3 billion-cassava bread fund is meant for farmers, bakers, processors and others, who would be direct beneficiaries of the largesse. The disbursement to individuals would be based on need specific.

    The initiative, enjoyed by cassava growers, according to the farmers, will not only put smiles on the faces of Nigerians, the sector too will witness major transformation as it is expected to reduce poverty in the society as millions of jobs would be created.

    The stakeholders said it is a good time to invest in cassava production with the econonomy showing healthy appetite for more and higher quality cassava.

    As the middle-class population expands and emerging economies continue to grow, that appetite is only going to get bigger.

    The meeting noted that cassava production has attracted a lot of focus and there are prospects of agribusiness-related companies enjoying healthy returns.

    They maintained that there is a strong case for direct investment into the sector with some of the companies well placed to help meet growing food requirements.

    At the meeting, the Chairman of Crops Commodity Farmers Association and Processors,Chief Adebayo Ajayi, advised the Bank of Industry(BoI) to judiciously carry out the assignment of disbursing the money promptly to avoid unnecessary diversion that caused the failure of past interventions.

    He urged the government to ensure that representatives of farmers, processors, bakers, millers, middle and small scale processors, Chairman of the House Committee and Senate Committee on Agriculture, BoI, FIIRO and others are members of its monitoring committee to avoid defaulters and saboteurs.

  • GES: Kogi women farmers seek access to fertiliser

    Women farmers in Kogi State have appealed to the Federal Government to improve on the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme and make fertiliser and other farm inputs more accessible to them.

    The leader of the women farmers drawn from the 21 local government areas of the state,Hajia Hazarat Momoh, made the appeal at the Annual Women Farmers’ Forum in Lokoja.

    She said the meeting was facilitated by Actionaid Nigeria and Kogi-based Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID), a non governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the state Ministry of Agriculture.

    Mrs Momoh said the women farmers organised themselves into groups to be able to participate in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of Federal Government, which the GES is a critical component.

    She said the scheme was designed for the specific purpose of making affordable, agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and hybrid seeds through the e-wallet system, to registered farmers.

    Mrs Momoh said the major goal of the GES was to increase yield per hectare for all Nigerian farmers.

    She however, expressed concern that none of her registered members in the state received fertiliser for last year’s farming season.

    The Director of Women in Agriculture in the Ministry, Mrs Rachael Tokula, commended members of Women-in-Agriculture and Small-Scale Women Farmers Association of Nigeria (SWOFAN) for their commitment to agriculture.

    She advised them to always liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture instead of the Ministry of Women Affairs to pursue their demands.

    After a careful evaluation of the impact of GES scheme on the ATA, the participants identified some areas to be enhanced.

    They listed inadequate awareness, distance between beneficiaries and agro-dealers, communication, time of delivery and quantity of the inputs, among others, as areas to be improved upon.

    The Executive Director of PIBCID, Mr Victor Adejoh, said the forum was aimed at enhancing the involvement of women farmers in the scheme.

    Mr Alemeru Olusegun of the GES Unit of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture assured the women that the government was committed to improving on its services.

    The women farmers also elected nine members, three from each of the senatorial districts of the state to serve as link between them and the government.

  • Agric confab to hold Jan 15

    Agribusiness leaders, organisations and authorities will next week gather for an international summit on further development of poultry, aquaculture and feed production.

    The meeting to be held on January 15,in Abuja, will attract farmers processors, retailers, government officials and representatives of the feed business.

    The organisers said international experts in poultry and aquaculture will present participants with examples of technical best practices as the foundation for an efficient and effective expansion of animal protein supplies from the nation’s farms.

    There will also be a focus on investment opportunities and encouraging young people and women to explore the potential for employment in the agricultural sector nationwide.

    Tagged: VIV International Nigeria Summit, the programme is arranged as part of roadshows by VIV Europe 2014, a global expo for poultry and livestock husbandry and processing.

    To organise the international summit in Nigeria, the team is partnering with local groups, such as Nate Farms Enterprises Nigeria Limited.

    The programme will feature parallel walk-in sessions of 30 minutes each which cover the major poultry themes: feed and nutrition; breeding and hatching; farm management; health; and processing and handling. These sessions include remarks by specialists from a number of VIV Europe exhibitors for the poultry sector as well as an insight into broiler chain production in Brazil, arranged for the summit by the World’s Poultry Science Association.

    Prof Daisy Eruvbetine of the Animal Nutrition Department, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, will speak on the prospects and challenges facing feed and poultry industries in Nigeria. The health segments of the event have been compiled with the assistance of the World Veterinary Poultry Association.

  • Farmers laments destruction of crops by herdsmen

    The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kwara Chapter, has called on the state government to address the problem of incessant destruction of farmlands by herdsmen.

    Its Chairman, Mr Daniel Ajiboye, who spoke on behalf of the chapter in an interview in Omu-Aran, said the menace, if left unchecked, could affect the realisation of the objectives of the government’s agriculture transformation initiatives, especially at the grassroots.

    “The menace of herdsmen and their animals is becoming worrisome as it is now a recurring decimal every season. This has resulted in poor harvest.

    “Farmlands in communities are being frequently invaded by the herdsmen who destroyour crops and threaten our lives.

    “The menace has assumed a dangerous dimension as it has become difficult for any affected farmer to challenge them because they are often armed with guns and cutlasses,” Ajiboye said.

    He called for the regulation of the activities of the herdsmen by government, to save the lives of farmers and their produce.

    The chairman said that the herdsmen need to be properly informed and educated on the implication of releasing their animals to graze indiscriminately on farmlands.

    He said AFAN had written letters to the law enforcement agencies, notifying them about the problem.

    Chairman of Cattle Breeders Association in Kwara, Malam Usman Adamu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the association had embarked on sensitisation of herdsmen to live in peace with farmers.

  • GES: Kogi women farmers seek access to fertiliser

    Women farmers in Kogi State have appealed to the Federal Government to improve on the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme and make fertiliser and other farm inputs more accessible to them.

    The Leader of the women farmers drawn from the 21 local government areas of the state,Hajia Hazarat Momoh, made the appeal at the Annual Women Farmers’ Forum held in Lokoja.

    She said the meeting was facilitated by Actionaid Nigeria and Kogi-based Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID), a non governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the state Ministry of Agriculture.

    Mrs Momoh said the women farmers organised themselves into groups to be able to participate in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of Federal Government, which the GES is a critical component.

    She said the scheme was designed for the specific purpose of making affordable, agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and hybrid seeds through the e-wallet system, to registered farmers.

    Momoh said the major goal of the GES was to increase yield per hectare for all Nigerian farmers.

    She however, expressed concern that none of her registered members in the state received fertiliser for last year’s farming season.

    The Director of Women in Agriculture in the Ministry, Mrs Rachael Tokula, commended members of Women-in-Agriculture and Small-Scale Women Farmers Association of Nigeria (SWOFAN) for their commitment to agriculture.

    She advised them to always liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture instead of the Ministry of Women Affairs to pursue their demands.

    After a careful evaluation of the impact of GES scheme on the ATA, the participants identified some areas to be enhanced.

    They listed inadequate awareness, distance between beneficiaries and agro-dealers, communication, time of delivery and quantity of the inputs, among others, as areas to be improved upon.

    The Executive Director of PIBCID, Mr Victor Adejoh, said the forum was aimed at enhancing the involvement of women farmers in the scheme.

    Mr Alemeru Olusegun of the GES Unit of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture assured the women that the government was committed to improving on its services.

    The women farmers also elected nine members, three from each of the senatorial districts of the state to serve as link between them and the government.

  • Unlocking the potential of agribusinesses in Southwest

    Agriculture in the Southwest is about witnessing a turning point and the long-awaited green revolution may be within reach. Governments in the region are adopting market-friendly policies and committing more resources to the sector. This was the highpoint of the meeting of Commissioners of Agriculture in the Southwest held in Abeokuta. Daniel Essiet who was there, reports.

    How can Nigeria tap into and actualise its agricultural potential to the benefit of its people? In terms of policy, regional integration supported by an aggressive infrastructure investment programme to link up the region is key. In addition, the development of efficient and reliable productive capacities in line with regional comparative advantages and institutional capabilities to ensure competitive product quality and standards could greatly boost food production. After years of neglect, agriculture is once again seizing the attention of the Federal Government, business leaders, communities, and development donors, as a powerful driver of the nation’s relentless growth.

    Nigeria earns an average of 40 per cent annual growth from its farmers and their crops.

    If matched with more stable electricity and irrigation, smart business and trade policies and a dynamic private agribusiness sector that works side by side with government to link farmers with consumers in an increasingly urbanised Nigeria, the booming commodity markets could spur robust growth in many farming communities.

    Still, in the midst ofthe commodities boom, ruralNigeria had to brace itself against stiff headwinds in the economy.Rising energy prices, andtight government budgets constrain rural agricultural economic growth. Fiscal challenges, especially in state and local governments, curbed the economic rebound.

    Despite these, governments in the Southwest believe solid economic gains in the regions could rejuvenate foodmanufacturing activities and provide a foundationfor rural prosperity.

    This is because demand for products from commodity processing could keep rural factories humming.

    For this reason, governments in the Southwest are promoting regional agricultural development as the answer to the nation’s food challenges. They are increasing their expenditures on agriculture. To support this, a Comprehensive Regional Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has been drawn up.

    The programme, among others, aims “to help the states critically review their own situations and identify investment opportunities with optimal impact and returns.”

    The states include Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo. Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), Mr Dipo Famakinwa, said the guiding framework of the DAWN‘s vision is make the Southwest region the first place of choice to live, to work and to visit. Famakinwa said the DAWN’s Framework projects initiatives that will harness the abundant resources of the region and unleash the collective enterprise to promoting the well being of the people. He said the Southwest is strategically located to help it emerge as an attractive destination for food processing firms. It is well-connected and proximity is likely to further aid demand in the food industry.

    He said DAWN will foster regional cooperation and integration as a catalyst for decentralisation. The region is an economic block, and as such, a regional approach will be cost effective and economically viable especially in the areas of infrastructure, industrialisation, commerce the environment and agriculture.

    He said commissioners of agriculture in the Southwest have a vision of a united, and prosperous agricultural sector based on three strategic goals of access and participation, competitiveness and profitability and of sustainable resource management.

    This, he stressed, is a long-term vision that will be pursued to bring about a new, different and superior agricultural order from the present one. The implications of the partnership, he explained, was that the governments of the region share a common perspective on the sector’s strategic issues; the burden of economic empowerment and enhancing the profitability of agricultural industries.

    The envisaged new sector, he maintained is geared to play its historic role of providing food and agricultural products and services to the region. To this end, he said the group has identified proposed actions that government is expected to perform, and has incorporated those applicable into its strategic plan for the coming years.

    He said the governments of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo have agreed on a common set of development strategy that enables the states in the region and its indigenes to experience a common level and set of development across all spheres of existence .

    Specifically on agriculture, Famakinwa said the policy framework aims at linking agriculture to manufacturing through extending agricultural value chain to storage, processing and manufacturing. It also aims at encouraging the modernisation of agriculture and agriculture related infrastructure and transforming the sector such that it becomes a source of employment and entrepreneurship for graduates and young persons.

    He said the states have resolved to achieve rapid investment in modern agricultural and industrial infrastructure through agricultural estates for middle and small farms as well as industrial estates, parks and export trade zones.

    He stressed that there was a need to aggregate and consolidate farmlands under cultivation to achieve economies of scale in farm operations.

    Rising from the meeting in Abeokuta, the commissioners said rising food prices has contributed to raising the number of undernourished people.

    In its resolutions presented by the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Babajide Arowosafe, the commissioners noted that the states were determined to have a positive effect on inflation and food security and above all, significant reduction of poverty.

    To this end, the commissioners resolved to tackle the spike in food prices due to soaring commodity costs and a growing population.

    The commissioners stressed the need to implement policy reforms to help transform high economic growth rates into widespread employment, broad-based poverty reduction and improved food security across the region.

    In order to increase agrifood production, the commissioners resolved to implement actions that will transform the face of agriculture by providing effective support for subsistence farmers and those engaged in commercial agriculture.

    Through dialogue and shared responsibility between the governments and farmers across the region, the commissioners expressed the confidence that they would build the necessary agreements for the integral transformation of the rural sector.

    The commissioners maintained that food production is a top priority and a long-term public policy framework will maximise the potential of the region.

    The commissioners agreed to strengthen the resilience of the economy by improving local communities’ capacity for food production, expanding access to credit, , and reinforcing food security and food-crisis preparedness.

    The commissioners pledged to implement improvements in food availability and nutritional health as well as access to land.

  • Water Master Plan for presentation Jan 20

    The National Water Resources Master Plan review now at its final stage, will be presented to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for implementation on January 20, an Assistant Director in the Department of Allocation and Authorisation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mr Kenneth Sumonu, has said.

    He spoke in Abuja.

    Sumonu, the Deputy Manager of the Master Plan Project, said every area in the country was captured in the plan.

    He added that the master plan would serve as a guide to the country’s development from last year to 2030.

    He noted that the country’s water resources were not properly harnessed, thereby necessitating implementation of the master plan for adequate utilisation of these resources.

    “The final stage is so important because now, we can say we have a national water master plan that every sector can key into for their development agenda.

    “It is very important that the master plan is a guide to ensuring sustainable development within our present demand and it’s from 2013 to 2030.

    “Any development that has to do with water, you have to consult the master plan for availability of water.

    “We have abundant water supply resources; we have huge potential even up to 2030; but they are not properly harnessed because water is not evenly distributed,’’ he said.

    He said the weather data, meteorological data, hydrological data and population growth were the major areas captured in the plan.

    According to him, the master plan also made reference to Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020, National Water Road Map, MDGs and the Africa Water Vision in developing the plan.

    He explained that the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the organisation in charge of the review, developed the first master plan in 1995.

    He said the Federal Government requested the organisation to update the document for effective management of the country’s water resources.

    The assistant director com-mended the organisation for the job, stating that the plan was part of the support from the Japanese Government to Nigeria.

  • Expert seeks national policy on food processing

    An industry expert has called for a comprehensive national policy on food processing to stimulate private sector investment and increase farm productivity.

    Speaking with The Nation, Assistant Director and Head, General Management Division, Agricultural and Rural Management and Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Ademola Adeyemo said a comprehensive national food processing policy would ensure institutional strengthening, capacity building across the value chain and promote innovation in general.

    He said the level of processing is low across the product categories.

    For this reason, Adeyemo said the nation needs a national food processing policy, which incorporates tax breaks and promotes the development of viable agri-business and agro-industry models based on different agro climates and regions. This initiative will support the development of organised strategic logistics hubs by helping in land acquisition and providing tax incentives/tax holidays tax incentives to multi-modal logistical centres which have manufacturing/exporting capabilities.

    For the policy to be effective, Adeyemo explained, it would have to adopt some measures and this should evolve through detailed discussions between stakeholders across the entire value chain.

    The absence of comprehensive national policy on food processing sector, he noted, has been a critical factor hampering industry’s growth.

    He called on the government to outline a plan to address the low scale of processing activity by setting up mega food parks with integrated facilities for procurement, processing, storage and transport.

    To raise processed product quality to international standards, Adeyemo urged stakeholders to address health concerns and harness export opportunities, establish a network of quality control and testing laboratories as well as testing centres, supported by research and development(R&D) through research institutes.

    According to Adeyemo , the challenges the food processing sector faces are diverse and demanding, and need to be addressed on several fronts to derive maximum market benefits.

    He called on the government to bring all industry incentive policies under single window.

    He urged the government to establish a national bank to lend credit to food processing industries.

    This,Adeyemo noted, would ensure speedy disbursals of funds to food processing sector, which lacks access to credit from banks.

    He called on state governments to play a catalytic role in partnership with banks, financial institutions and technical and management institutions so that small and unorganised players become competitive.

    Adeyemo called for provision of inadequate support infrastructure, which is considered the biggest bottleneck in expanding the food processing sector.These include road, rail and port infrastructure.

    He said there is lack of modern logistics infrastructure, such as parks, integrated cold chain solutions, cold storage and warehousing facilities.

    Without a strong and dependable cold chain, he said, the food processing industry which is based mostly on perishable products cannot survive and grow.