The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Govt urged to establish agri-export zones

    The Federal Government has been urged to establish Agri Export Zones (AEZs) in the country.

    In an interview with The Nation, the Chief Executive, Multimix Academy, Mr Madu Obiora, said the zones would enable investors to increase exports.

    The concept, he said, required taking a look at a particular produce in an area in order to develop and source the raw materials, their processing/packaging, leading to final exports.

    The government, he said, should set up such zones with incentives for making the agro products competitive in the international markets.

    According to him, the services ould be managed and coordinated by state government/corporate sector and would include provision of pre/post harvest treatment and operations, plant protection, processing, packaging, storage and related research and development etc.

  • Recycle food waste, producers told

    Food manufacturers have been urged to recycle their waste for higher uses.

    Former chairman of the Federation of African Nutrition Societies Prof Tola Atinmo said there was need to recycle waste for other uses instead of sending them to landfill.

    He called on manufacturers to prevent food waste and also promote a life-cycle approach to reducing it.

    Food waste, according to him, presents a serious problem that will worsen in the future,if steps are not taken to find solution to it.

    He said it was important to find more ways to avoid food waste and develop responsible policies to assist in these efforts.

    Atinmo, who is on the Advisory Board of the West Africa Nutrition Capacity Development Initiative (WANCDI), said food manufacturers can also be donated for animal feed.

    About 50 per cent of food produced in the world is not consumed, according to a report by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which states that between 1.2 and 2 billion tonnes of food was wasted globally yearly.

    He said in the developing world, wastage is the result of inefficient harvesting, poor storage and inadequate transportation.

    In the west, according to the report, sloppy habits, poor meal planning and a disconnection from food sources mean we simply just waste it.

  • Nigeria,19 others to get $63.4m grant

    NIGERIA and 19 other countries are to benefit from $63.4 million grant by the African Development bank (AfDB) to boost the production of four crops.

    The countries are Benin, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mauritania, and Niger, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, and Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo,Lesotho, Zambia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

    President, Institute of Science and Technology, Prof. Lateef Sanni, disclosed this to The Nation.

    Sanni, a Professor of Food Science and Technology at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (UNAAB), said the structure of the project is such that it would enhance wheat, rice, cassava and maize production.

    “And it has engagement protocol for partner countries and has a lot of spill over effects potentially in the future if the project is solidly implemented,” he said.

    “The fact that the AfDB is championing the project shows that is commercial and will be private sector driven and there is a lot of sustainability in the project, he said.

    The project, Support for Agricultural Research and Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) will focus on production to marketing of food.

  • AATF targets farmers for cassava mechanisation

    The Africa Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) is to introduce cassava mechanisation and agro-processing to more than one million farmers in Nigeria.

    The scheme, which aims to accelerate cassava harvesting and processing, is to help more than 10 million people across the continent.

    AATF Executive Director Denis Kyetere said: “AATF works towards food security and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa and its structure and operations draw upon the best practices and resources of the public and private sectors. It also contributes to capacity building in Africa by engaging African institutions in the execution of tasks that contribute to the Foundation’s mission.”

    Kyetere added that the foundation also aims to tackle areas such as the impact of climate change on agriculture, pest management, soil management, nutrient enhancement in foods, improved breeding methods and mechanisation.

    In addition, the AATF assists Africa’s smallholder farmers by confronting specific problems threatening most food crops such as bananas, cowpea, peanuts, maize and rice.

    Kyetere, who said the foundation hopes to reach out to 300 farmers in Nigeria this year, said: “We already have 100 ha of cassava in Kwara State and we are going to complete the value chain from planting to the selling of the product.

    Our intervention is easy and very attractive in the sense that planting of cassava that usually takes farmers four hours or more will only take us 45 minutes, with application of fertiliser at the same time. This I hope will attract many people, especially youths, to embrace farming, which will in turn reduce the challenge of unemployment in the sub-region.”

  • How to check banana disease

    The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has organised a sensitisation programme for farmers in Idologun, Ogun State, on the dangers of Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD).

    A team of researchers from the institute said educating farmers on the prevention of the disease became imperative because of its adverse effect on farmers’ income.

    IITA’s Head of Germplasm Health Unit Dr Lava Kumar said educating farmers would also help to forestall the spread of the disease.

    “The disease, which is caused by a virus, BBTD, is a serious threat to survival of banana in other regions of Africa and it is spread through an insect.

    “Symptoms on infected banana include dwarfing of the plant, narrow leaves, chlorosis of leaf margins and discontinuous dark-green streaks on leaves.

    “The leaves of affected plants become progressively smaller and stand more erect giving the plant a bunchy appearance. Plants infected early in their growth do not produce fruits, resulting in total loss of yields. The spread of the disease into new areas can initially remain undetected, complicating timely eradication and prevention of new outbreaks.

    “Once the disease is present in a region, it is extremely difficult to eradicate.

    “If no preventive measures are put in place immediately, the disease will devastate banana farms and put to jeopardy the livelihoods of millions of farmers.

    “Urgent management actions are required to prevent further spread and help farmers in the affected areas to identify infected plants and eradicate them,” he said.

    Kumar added that Nigeria produces 2.7 million tonnes of bananas, making the crop one of the most important staple in the country.

    The expert, however, said the best way to control the spread and eradicate the disease is to uproot banana trees in any affected area.

    “Once all the trees have been uprooted, the farmers must be patient for at least a year before planting a new set of banana. We can always help in the provision of the crop.

    “Farmers must seriously watch out for all these signs and take necessary measures once it has been discovered in any farm or region,” he added.

  • 2,000 to benefit from potato value chain devt

    Two thousand farmers are expected to benefit from the African Development Bank (AfDB)-supported Fadama II Potato Value Chain Development programme in Plateau State, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources Steven Barko has said.

    Barko said the farmers would receive inputs, financial and technical aid to enhance production capacity.

    He said the value chain initiative also hoped to attract investors in processing, storage, packaging and marketing of potato for maximum benefit.

    He said the choice of Plateau was because of its outstanding performance at the just-concluded AfDB-supported Fadama II project in the country. Plateau excelled in project implementation.

    “Under the Fadama II programme which ended on June 30, six states — Kwara, Kogi, Jigawa, Borno, Katsina, and Plateau — participated with Plateau emerging the best performer.

    “As a result of Plateau’s excellent performance, the National Fadama Coordination Office had entered into discussions with the AfDB to support the development of the Irish potato value chain in the state for two more years.

    “The two years extension of the project in the state is to examine how best potatoes produced in Plateau could be processed, packaged, preserved, marketed and exported to other countries.’’

    The commissioner added that under the arrangement, the Plateau Government would inject N81 million in the project as counterpart fund.

    The money, he said, would soon be ready for the programme to fully take off.

    He, therefore, urged potato farmers to enhance their production capacity as the problem of post-harvest losses due to glut and the lack of market had already been taken care of.

    According to him, Plateau, currently the largest producer of Irish potato in the country, has a lot of potential with 67 per cent rate of return on investment.

    “With seven high yielding variety of export quality potato being cultivated on more than 571,060 hectares, the state is producing 90 per cent of the potato in Nigeria.

    “I can assure you that we are already working with a lot of international investors who would be coming here to mop up our excess produce,“ he emphasised.

    He said that potato farmers in the state would be able to make more profit if the arrangement was successful.

    He added that such development would also improve their standard of living and make it much easier for them to train their children and build or buy houses as well.

  • Govt urged to prevent outbreak of bird flu

    The Federal government has been advised to strengthen surveillance at the country’s borders to prevent the outbreak of the strain of avian influenza.

    Bird flu strain was first recorded in the country seven years ago in the wake of it outbreak in China where it killed scores.

    A livestock expert, Dr Ademola Adeyemo, urged the government to take health and control measures to ensure that the nation is bird flu-free.

    Adeyemo of the Department of General Administration, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), said the government should monitor migratory birds and backyard poultry, enforce surveillance of animal health at borders.

    While responding to the discovery of the A(H7N9) influenza virus in China early this year, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned Nigeria and other countries to be cautious in the implementation of their biosecurity measures to prevent the new bird flu strain.

    FAO said that unlike other influenza strains, including highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, the new virus was hard to detect in poultry because it causes little or no signs of disease in animals.

    “Unlike H5N1, where chickens were dying off on a large scale, with this virus we don’t have a red flag that immediately signals an infection. This means farmers may not be aware that the virus is circulating in their flock. Biosecurity and hygiene measures will help people protect themselves from virus circulating in seemingly healthy birds or other animals,” said FAO Chief Veterinary Officer, Juan Lubroth.

    “With the virus harder to detect, good biosecurity measures become even more essential to reducing the risk of virus transmission to humans and animals. Good biosecurity and hygiene measures implemented by farmers, livestock producers, transporters, market workers and consumers represent the first and most effective way to protect the food chain,” Lubroth said.

  • Borno spends N15b on agriculture

    The Borno State government spent more than N15 billion on agriculture “to ensure an aggressive grassroots socioeconomic development,” Governor Kashim Shettima has said.

    In an interview in Maiduguri, Shettima said the money was used to purchase agricultural implements to prepare ground for an agricultural

    “We (government) have invested over N15 billion in agriculture. We have acquired 600 rice mills from Thailand.

    “We have also invested in many schemes like the centre pivot irrigation, the sprinkler irrigation, the green house and so on.’’ Shettima said that the action was part of his administration’s effort to address the underlining causes of the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

    “For us to address the Boko Haram crisis fully, we have to address the underlining causes which have to do with abject poverty.

    “We have to be merchants of hope, we have to create jobs, we have to empower the youths in order to bring the problem to a final conclusion,” he said.

    Shettima added: “I belief public works and agriculture will provide veritable platforms for engaging the youths.”

    He said the state had great potentials in agriculture because it had the largest land mass in Nigeria.

    “We are the largest in the federation in terms of land mass and I belief when properly harnessed, it will produce optimal result in agriculture. “We have a programme that will banish poverty from this part of the world,” Shettima said. He said: “our major trust in the next two years, and if, God willing, we get another mandate from the people, is anaggressive grassroots socioeconomic empowerment programme with agriculture occupying the centre piece.”

    Shettima said that the government was also making efforts to unfold a post conflict management programme to take care of the post-Boko Haram crisis in the state.

  • Poultry owners demand development fund

    The Director-General, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Mr Akpa Onallo, has called for the establishment of a Special Poultry Development Fund to revive the industry.

    Onallo told reporters in Abuja that the fund would be similar to the aviation development, national automotive and shipping funds.

    “If a special fund can be approved for the Cassava Bread Initiative to the tune of N10 billion, we urge government to take another look at the poultry industry and encourage it to develop to compete with the advanced poultry economies of the world,” he said.

    He identified high cost of input, dumping of products through smuggling and high bank lending rates as some of the major challenges threatening the survival of the country’s poultry industry.

    He said multiple taxation, high electricity tariff and poor infrastructure as well as import duty differential were other key challenges.

    “The present high costs of maize and soya beans, has never been witnessed in the history of both commodities in the country.

    “Poultry farmers are operating below installed capacities due to the high cost of the commodities, which constitute about 60 per cent of the plant protein source of inputs for poultry feeds,” he said.

    Onallo decried the seeming apathy of commercial banks to lending to poultry farmers, describing it as a major problem hampering the further development of the industry.

    “All agriculture lending from the commercial banks are now between 23 and 25 per cent interest rate. This is inimical to production and further growth of the industry,” he said.

    He said that the country’s markets remained flooded with smuggled poultry products, in spite of an existing government restriction policy and efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service at tackling the problem.

    According to him, an estimated three million metric tonnes of chickens are smuggled into the country yearly mainly from the Republic of Benin, translating into an economic loss of N1.8 billion to the country.

    Onallo called for urgent harmonisation of all taxes in the country, saying “if left unchecked the current multiple taxation system will cripple the industry”.

    “The intervention of the Federal Government, through the Joint Tax Board, should urgently be exerted on the various States Boards of Internal Revenue.

    “Poultry farming is agriculture, which traditionally should not be taxed arbitrarily as was being witnessed in the various states of the federation,’’ he added.

    To remedy the situation, he urged the government to look at policies that would create demands for poultry products in the country.

    He specifically called for the inclusion of egg in the government’s school feeding programme under the Universal Basic Education (UBEC).

  • Farmers seek import policy for soya beans, groundnut

    The Chairman of Zumunta Farmers Association of Katsina State, Alhaji Tijjani Mamman, has urged the Federal Government to extend its rice importation policy to soya beans and groundnut.

    In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bakori, Mamman expressed optimism that the recently introduced policy of reduction of mass importation of rice would encourage local production.

    While he commended the Federal Government on its effort, the farmers’ chairman called on local farmers to use the opportunity to increase investment and to facilitate the establishment of processing centres.

    “Extending such policy on soya-beans and groundnut will ensure increased production and will reduce mass importation of processed cooking vegetable oil,’’ Mamman said.

    He said allowing easy passage of cooking oil into the country had deprived local farmers from benefiting from their cultivation.

    According to him, poor pricing of the commodities have subjected local farmers to losses.

    The chairman said that his association had embarked on establishing contacts with relevant markets and processing companies and directed farmers to sell their harvest at good price.

    Mamman further commended a philanthropist, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi-Tata, who distributed 600 bags of fertiliser free to 2,400 small scale farmers in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    He said such efforts would also encourage small scale farmers and urged other wealthy individuals to emulate him.

    The chairman pointed out that farmers at the grassroots were facing hardship in accessing government support programmes and advised government at all levels as well as oraginisations to always channel their supports to real farmers.

    He explained that Abdullahi-Tata knew the problems the farmers were facing at the grassroots and provided his resources to assist them.

    Mamman, who served as distribution committee chairman, said the beneficiaries were selected from 127 polling units. He said that the committee ensured that real farmers benefited from the gesture, including religious and community leaders.