The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • LBS to boost competitiveness of agri-food sector

    Academics from Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, are part of an international team working on a ground-breaking project to develop the competitiveness of agri-food product supply chains across the country.

    Speaking with The Nation, an agribusiness consultant with the school, Mr Seyi Ifelaja, said LBS, was set to increase the capacities of managers of the nation’s agric business to improve on best practices and capitalise on the benefits of globalisation to grow the economy.

    Ifelaja said the agric sector needs support in terms of capacities in agricultural business management strategy to deliver sustainable, healthy and affordable food for future generations.

    In partnership with industry, Ifelaja said LBS wants to ensure everyone benefit from the exciting opportunities its agribusiness management programme brings.

    According to him, the Agribusiness Management Programme of the LBS nurtures agribusiness managers and leaders to apply practical skills and solutions to their roles in organisations.

    Presently, the Agribusiness Management Programme is offered by LBS , Ghana Institute of Management & Public Administration (GIMPA), Ghana, and the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania. The Association of African Business Schools (AABS) and Agribusiness Consortium (AAC) launched the Agri Business Management Programme (AgMP) at the LBS, in May.

    During the launching of the programme, a senior faculty member at LBS, Prof Chantal Epie, advocated strengthening the capacities of managers of agri businesses to enhance the potential for wealth creation of the sector.

    She said the AgMP programme, sought to provide high quality business, management and leadership education to stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

    A faculty member at LBS, Dr Larry Osa-Afiana, said a crucial element in the development of the sector was access to finance, particularly bank loans.

    He said that credit guarantee schemes and other forms of subsidised financing play a major role in agric financing and compensate for the low level of personal funding sources available to agric business operators. He further stated that banks still considered the lack of adequate information the most important deterrent to their involvement in agri businesses.

    The former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN),Mr Emmanuel Ijewere, urged the financial sector to invest in the agric sector. He further stated that many farmers were still feeling the economic woes of past years.

  • GES: Kogi women farmers seek access to fertiliser

    Women farmers in Kogi 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.

    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 2013 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.

    Momoh said the women farmers organised themselves into groups to be able to participate in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of Federal Government of 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 hat none of her registered members in the state received fertiliser for the 2013 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.

    In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of PIBCID, Mr Victor Adejoh, said the 2013 forum was aimed at enhancing the involvement of women farmers in the GES scheme.

    Mr Alemeru Olusegun of the GES unit of Federal Ministry of Agriculture assured the women that 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.

  • DHL predicts boom for small agribusiness in Africa

    DHL predicts boom for small agribusiness in Africa

    Hope rising in Africa. This seems to be the blessed assurance of Charles Brewer, Managing Director of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, who is very optimistic that one particular sector which has seen significant growth and still going strong in Africa is agribusiness, which entails the full value chain from agricultural production/farming through secondary processing, distribution and retailing to the end user/consumer (farm-to-fork concept).

    “The retail sector is booming in Africa, as is the rapid growth of populations and the African middle class. As a result of this expansion, there is a greater availability of and demand for good quality agricultural produce and processed food products than ever before.”

    He points to the recent report by World Bank – Growing Africa: Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness – which revealed that Africa’s farmers and agribusinesses, has the propensity to create a trillion-dollar food market by 2030 – a three-fold increase from the current size of the market which is estimated to be worth $313 billion.

    “This expected growth highlights the growing market and many opportunities for South African agribusiness and related value chain role players to expand into Africa,” says Brewer.

    According to Hennie van der Merwe, CEO of the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC), based in South Africa, Africa provides a new market for agribusiness firms.

    “Given its increased spending power, demand for goods and untapped land resources, Africa is currently experiencing a revival in terms of its focus on agribusiness, not only to increase food self-sufficiency, but also to create jobs and economic activity, specifically in rural areas,” says van der Merwe.

    “In the current climate, Africa is increasingly offering greater growth forecasts,” he notes. However, he explains that while Africa is well-endowed with resources, it often lacks much of the necessary expertise to unlock the commercial potential of its agriculture resources, whereas South Africa is well regarded for its expertise in commercial farming and agribusiness.

    “One of the major limitations on agribusiness development in Africa is a human capacity and human skills constraint. The ability and experience to develop and manage commercial farming and agribusiness ventures are largely lacking in the African environment and that major technology transfer and capacity building would be necessary in this regard.”

    Van der Merwe says this is where the opportunity lies for local businesses and farmers to expand beyond their borders and offer expertise in neighbouring countries.

    Van der Merwe adds that it is vital to have partnerships in place before venturing into projects in Africa. “Partnerships with a local business or association in the specific country are necessary as business owners need to be provided with assistance, guidance and sometimes protection when in the area. It is also essential/indispensable to ensure that all the building blocks for working value chains are in place to ensure and support successful operation. A local partnership will also assist with analysing the market carefully to evaluate what the real market needs, requirements and opportunities are.”

    “The market in Africa is there and ready, but the question is how local businesses create a direct link to service the market needs,” concludes Brewer.

  • Kano empowers 832 youths

    Kano State Government has empowered another set of 832 youths, on different agro-based businesses.

    They were trained in different skills at the state Agricultural Institute.

    At the closing ceremony, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said the state has established six capacity building institutes aimed at training its youths on various youth empowerment schemes, such as poultry, livestock, fisheries, farm mechanisation, irrigation and horticulture, adding that of the 832 youths, 600 graduated in poultry, 100 from farm mechanisation, while 132 are from the livestock training institutes.

    Each of them would be provided with 100 day-old chicks, antibiotics, six bags of chick mash, 100 bags of grower mash drinkers and feeders each, amounting to N73,400 for each trainee, bringing the total to N44.40 million.

    The governor explained that the 100 trainees from the farm mechanised institute would be given post-training package, comprising tool box, knap sack and a sprayer chemical starter, worth N50,000 for each trainee.

    Alos, trainees of the livestock institute would be provided with 10 set of high bred rabbits, concentrate feed drugs and motivate, cage and smoking klin, valued at N63,200 for each trainee on rabbit production, while those trained on ram fattening would receive two rams, concentrate feeds, salt lick, drugs, all valued at N66,300 each. He those trained on bull fattening would receive one bull, feeds, drugs, transport and handling package as their post-training packages, amounting to N1,360,000 each.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Baraka Sani said the ministry has so far succeeded in fulfilling the governor’s pledge to provide jobs, as well as enhance food security and promote commercial agriculture in the state.

    Baraka explained that over 6,000 youths, comprising men and women have been trained and empowered in different agricultural skills from the six agricultural institutes established by the Kwankwaso-led administration.

  • ‘Recruit more vet doctors’

    A don Dr Adedoyin Osipitan has urged the government to recruit more veterinary doctors to assist in meat inspection.

    He also urged the political leaders to ensure that their budget on agriculture was high.

    Osipitan, a lecturer at the Federal University of Agricultue, Abeokuta, said the dream of sufficient live-stock and poultry production might not materialise unless the government guaranteed a fair standard of living for farmers.

    According to him, there is the need for the country’s leaders to be abreast of the changing technological know-how in agriculture. This, he said, was not necessarily in agriculture alone, but also in livestock and poultry production.

    He said efforts on research have been protecting the agricultural sector from emerging diseases linked to globalisation.

    His words: “As a result of globalisation and climatic change, the agricultural sector is facing an unprecedented worldwide impact of emerging and re-emerging animal diseases and zoonoses.”

    He lamented that most of the veterinary officers in the states civil service were inadequate for the country.

    He said each local government should have at least two veterinary officers to assist in delivery services and promotion of public health.

    The don warned livestock farmers to stop patronising unqualified veterinary personnel.

    He urged veterinary officers in the major cities to promote the ethics of the profession and prosecute fake practitioners.

    He called on the Federal Government to appoint more qualified veterinary experts.

  • Prices of chicken, turkey rise in Asaba

    Prices of frozen chicken and turkey have increased in Asaba,  the Delta State capital forcing some of the consumers to resort to frozen fish.

    A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the two major markets in Asaba, revealed that one kilogramme of frozen chicken, which was sold for N800 some weeks ago, sells for N900.

    A carton of the commodity, which sold for N8000 at Ogbe-ogonogo and Abraka markets, sells for N10,000.

    The survey also showed that the price of turkey has recorded some increase as a kilogramme of the commodity now sells for N1000 as against N900 last month.

    Some of the dealers attributed the price increase to the exchange rate of the dollar.

    According to Mrs Jane Ewere of the Zanvic Frozen Foods, the prices of frozen chicken and turkey went up because of the increase in the exchange rate.

    “The recent increase from N8000 to N10,000 for a carton of frozen chicken was not intentional and we never intended to increase the price on our own,” she said.

    Another dealer, Oluchi Okolie, said: “The yuletide season has nothing to do with the increase in the price of frozen chicken; it is the exchange rate.

    “There is increase in the various charges we pay from Cotonou to this place. My prayer is that since the yuletide season is fast approaching, it does not increase further,’’ she said.

    She said the increase in the price of the commodity had affected the patronage by consumers, adding that before the increase, she could sell as many as 50 cartons a day.

    “Since this recent increase, we hardly sell up to 25 cartons a day and I have observed that most of my customers are buying frozen fish which is cheaper,’’ she added.

    A housewife, Mrs Gloria Uzodinma, said the price increase had forced her to consume frozen fish, nsaying it is far cheaper.

  • Stakeholders seek more govt’s attention for agric

    Experts have urged the government to facilitate loans for farmers.They spoke at a seminar in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. OLUWAKEMI DAUDA reports.

    TO grow the agricultural sector, the government should assist small-scale farmers, stakeholders have said.

    They spoke at a seminar organised by the farmers and agricultural businessmen and women at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The Secretary-General of the Farmers’group, Mr Gbolahan Adepegba, said the event was aimed at honing the skills of the principal operators in the agro-allied business ahead of the Agric Trade Fair coming up next year.

    He said: “The agricultural story is not the story of poverty of human and natural resources. It is, indeed, the story of neglect, systematic wastage of these immense riches at the altar of a system that does not care a hoot about the future of its people and what they would eat.

    “In every home, whether big or small, the ultimate in life is to get what to eat. With adequate food, men and women see themselves as the genuine representatives of God on earth, with the mandate and wherewithal to aspire to the highest level in life. But without food, they immediately become weak, depressed and lack both vision and mission.

    “What lack of food has shown is that food is greater than religion and position. Food is strength; it is light, it is good sense, knowledge and wisdom. It is a man’s greatest tool not only in developing himself, taming his health, but also in sustaining his life.”

    He added: “The intricate feeding relationship in the modern society could not have been possible without the people engaging in agriculture. Since providing food is the main stock-in-trade of farmers, to provide birds and meat and put food to good use for the people, the country needs competent and serious-minded Nigerians to engage in the agricultural business.

    “Research methods, farmers training and manpower development programmes and input supply are the means by which such competent people can be produced. Agriculture can be a complex and clumsy business at times, as those who are in it are wont to testify. It does not lead those of us that engage in it to quick money, though, the business is lucrative, but procrastination is the rule rather than the exception.

    He continued: “Agricultural speed is characterised by slowness, is often the bane of banks not willing to lend money to farmers because crops cannot grow and germinate in a day, while birds, and fish cannot develop without food. Everything about agriculture takes time to yield. This annoys the impatient farmers no end, part of the reason why oftentimes those that are engaging in other business think they know better, can act better and faster if they get into the agriculture.”

    Responding, the Executive Director Ibikunle Farms, Chief Lakan Ibikunle, said the country has not made good use of its resources.

    He said: “The mode of obtaining government’s support and loans is bureaucratic and has not adjusted to meet the formidable challenges posed by the food situation.”

    He listed the problems as manpower loss arising from the use of cutlasses and hoes and the refusal of some banks to give loans to small farmers. Rather than doing this, he said, banks preferred importers of agro-allied products and short-term yielding ventures.

    He expressed concern and disappointment over the poor contribution of some banks to agriculture and their unwillingness to plough back enough of their profits into research to improve adequate food production.

    He decried the high interest on bank loans.

    Ibikunle, a farmer and agricultural expert, understands the barometer with which to measure the impact of the banking policies on agriculture.

    He was not happy because “the standard of living of the farmers in the rural area has not improved considerably”.

    With the training, he said, the farmers have learnt new techniques; hence they are better because they can now produce more and earn more.

  • Don urges govt to recruit vet doctors

    A don, Dr Adedoyin Osipitan has urged the government to improve on veterinary services by recruiting more veterinary surgeons to assist in meat inspection and public health.

    He said to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2020, the states must improve on veterinary services by recruiting more veterinary surgeons to cope with meat inspection and public health activities.

    He also urged the political leaders to ensure that their budget on agriculture was high.

    Osipitan, a lecturer at the Federal University of Agricultue, Abeokuta, said the dream of sufficient live-stock and poultry production might not materialised unless the government guaranteed a fair standard of living for farmers.

    According to him, there is the need for the country’s leaders to be abreast of the changing technological know-how in agriculture. This, he said, was not necessarily in agriculture alone, but also in livestock and poultry production.

    He said efforts on research have been protecting the agricultural sector from emerging diseases linked to globalisation.

    His words: “As a result of globalisation and climatic change, the agricultural sector is facing an unprecedented worldwide impact of emerging and re-emerging animal diseases and zoonoses.”

    He lamented that most of the veterinary officers in the states civil service were inadequate for the country.

    He said each local government should have at least two veterinary officers to assist in delivery services and promotion of public health.

    The don warned livestock farmers to stop patronising unqualified veterinary personnel.

    He urged veterinary officers in the major cities to promote the ethics of the profession and prosecute fake practitioners.

    He called on the Federal Government to appoint more qualified veterinary experts.

    He, however, noted that some state governments have mapped out strategies for animal disease intervention, upgrading of veterinary laboratory and protection of local poultry.

     

  • Don urges govt to recruit vet doctors

    A DON, Dr Adedoyin Osipitan has urged the government to improve on veterinary services by recruiting more veterinary surgeons to assist in meat inspection and public health.

    He said to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2020, the states must improve on veterinary services by recruiting more veterinary surgeons to cope with meat inspection and public health activities.

    He also urged the political leaders to ensure that their budget on agriculture was high.

    Osipitan, a lecturer at the Federal University of Agricultue, Abeokuta, said the dream of sufficient live-stock and poultry production might not materialised unless the government guaranteed a fair standard of living for farmers.

    According to him, there is the need for the country’s leaders to be abreast of the changing technological know-how in agriculture. This, he said, was not necessarily in agriculture alone, but also in livestock and poultry production.

    He said efforts on research have been protecting the agricultural sector from emerging diseases linked to globalisation.

    His words: “As a result of globalisation and climatic change, the agricultural sector is facing an unprecedented worldwide impact of emerging and re-emerging animal diseases and zoonoses.”

    He lamented that most of the veterinary officers in the states civil service were inadequate for the country.

    He said each local government should have at least two veterinary officers to assist in delivery services and promotion of public health.

    The don warned livestock farmers to stop patronising unqualified veterinary personnel.

    He urged veterinary officers in the major cities to promote the ethics of the profession and prosecute fake practitioners.

    He called on the Federal Government to appoint more qualified veterinary experts.

    He, however, noted that some state governments have mapped out strategies for animal disease intervention, upgrading of veterinary laboratory and protection of local poultry.

  • Stakeholders seek more govt’s attention for agric

    Experts have urged the government to avert food crisis by facilitating loans for farmers.They spoke at a seminar in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. OLUWAKEMI DAUDA reports.

    SINCE independence, agriculture has been one of the important sectors of the economy. It sustains other sectors such as banking, oil and gas.

    To assist the sector, the Federal and state governments should assist small-scale farmers to boost the economy, stakeholders have said.

    The Secretary-General of the group, Mr Gbolahan Adepegba, spoke at a seminar organised by the farmers and agricultural businessmen and women at Ibadan, Oyo State.

    The seminar, Adepegba said, was aimed at honing the skills of the principal operators in the agro-allied business ahead of the Agric Trade Fair coming up next year.

    He said: “The agricultural story is not the story of poverty of human and natural resources. It is, indeed, the story of neglect, systematic wastage of these immense riches at the altar of a system that does not care a hoot about the future of its people and what they would eat.

    “In every home, whether big or small, the ultimate in life is to get what to eat. With adequate food, men and women see themselves as the genuine representatives of God on earth, with the mandate and wherewithal to aspire to the highest level in life. But without food, they immediately become weak, depressed and lack both vision and mission.

    “What lack of food has shown is that food is greater than religion and position. Food is strength; it is light, it is good sense, knowledge and wisdom. It is a man’s greatest tool not only in developing himself, taming his health, but also in sustaining his life.”

    He added: “The intricate feeding relationship in the modern society could not have been possible without the people engaging in agriculture. Since providing food is the main stock-in-trade of farmers, to provide birds and meat and put food to good use for the people, the country needs competent and serious-minded Nigerians to engage in the agricultural business.

    “Research methods, farmers training and manpower development programmes and input supply are the means by which such competent people can be produced. Agriculture can be a complex and clumsy business at times, as those who are in it are wont to testify. It does not lead those of us that engage in it to quick money, though, the business is lucrative, but procrastination is the rule rather than the exception.

    “Agricultural speed is characterised by slowness, is often the bane of banks not willing to lend money to farmers because crops cannot grow and germinate in a day, while birds, and fish cannot develop without food. Everything about agriculture takes time to yield. This annoys the impatient farmers no end, part of the reason why oftentimes those that are engaging in other business think they know better, can act better and faster if they get into the agriculture.”

    Responding, the Executive Director of Ibikunle Farms, Chief Lakan Ibikunle, said the country has not made good use of its resources.

    He said: “The mode of obtaining government’s support and loans is bureaucratic and has not adjusted to meet the formidable challenges posed by the current food situation.”

    Ibikunle listed the problems as manpower loss arising from the use of cutlasses and hoes and the refusal of some banks to give loans to small farmers. Rather than doing this, he said, banks preferred importers of agro-allied products and short-term yielding ventures.

    He expressed concern and disappointment over the poor contribution of some banks to agriculture and their unwillingness to plough back enough of their profits into research to improve adequate food production.

    He also decried the high interest on bank loans.

    Ibikunle, a farmer and agricultural expert, understands the barometer with which to measure the impact of the banking policies on agriculture.

    He was not happy because “the standard of living of the farmers in the rural area has not improved considerably.”

    With the training, he said, the farmers have learnt new techniques; hence they are better because they can now produce more and earn more.

    “In order for the country to be self-sufficient in adequate food production, this government can still do more to encourage farmers.

    “Fertilisers, labour and equipment are too expensive and too hard to come buy. Small-scale farmers are able to manage better their small parcels of land than absentee large scale farmers who purportedly cultivate thousands of hectares of land,” Ibikunle added.