Category: Agriculture

An Agric expert, Olaiwola Ogunpaimo, has commended President Bola Tinubu for declaring a state of emergency on food security to tackle the increase in food prices.

He noted that the declaration had saved 25.3 million Nigerians from acute food insecurity.

Ogunpaimo, who has a PhD in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, noted the proposed intervention strategies, if well-coordinated and properly monitored will provide great opportunities for all people in their various age brackets.

He posited that access to sufficient, safe and balanced diets that meet the dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle is of importance.

Ogunpaimo said: “In the Netherlands for example, the food security policy was divided into four pillars and where possible, Netherlands embassies in partner countries were also involved.

Read Also: Who represents Edo in Tinubu’s cabinet?

“The government of the Netherlands ensured that specific results indicators were set for each objective. This type of approach can also be adopted by the Nigerian government to ensure effectiveness and to accurately measure the progress of the intervention strategies.

“While some of the strategies remain challenging to implement, it is important for the government to be mindful of the fact that some parts of that proposal need further consultation before implementation.”

Ogunpaimo advised the federal government to include training, research and the use of technology as part of its strategies.

“Few months ago, Quelea birds ravaged almost 75, 000 (Seventy-Five Thousand) hectares of dry season rice plantation in Kebbi state and over 100 farmers lost their crops to the birds in the Argungu Local government area of the state.

“To date, it is not clear whether affected farmers have been compensated. It is noteworthy to mention that some of the affected farmers have decided to diversify into other activities because of this particular disaster.

“I think it is expedient to involve specialized tertiary institutions in this intervention programme to assist in research, data management, training, use of technology among others.”

The Co-founder of Global Initiative for Nigeria Development Engr. Michael Ale has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the declaration of state of emergency on food.

The water expert reminded the President that there is no sustainable and equitable food security without water fairness.

A statement by Ale, who is the National Coordinator of Courageous Nigerian Livelihood Program (CNL programme), stated the declaration of emergency on food security involves more than one ministry, saying good coordination is a concern. 

While thanking Tinubu for thinking in that direction, Ale noted that it should no longer be business as usual in different ministries. 

According to him: “Stakeholders invited and those not yet invited should be ready to play their role selflessly. State of emergency overrides other instructions and laid down principles, thus bypassing usual bureaucracy. But what can man do without water? The National Security council should invite the Water association for their contribution.”

Read Also: Food security: Stakeholders back emergency declaration

The National President of AWDROP further stressed that irrigation alone using surface water cannot handle most of our peasant farmers’ needs, stating it’s not fair on farmers from other parts of the divide.

“Conjunctive use of both surface and groundwater is critical for sustainable food security and job creation. Engaging stakeholders in the water sector especially practitioners within the Master drillers group like AWDROP will safeguard the fund allotted for the project in food security,” he said.  

He however said stakeholders need not to be left behind in providing affordable water for irrigation and livelihood of Nigerians.

To eradicate hunger and poverty, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) believes that more youths should be involved in agriculture. Hence, the need to produce highly-skilled entrepreneurs at scale, which is a major trend in countries that have exhibited stellar performance in the Global Food Security Index. This means tapping into the pool of massive unemployed youths in Nigeria. To this end, FAO and Mastercard Foundation have come up with initiatives to train youths, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

As  the global community faces the challenge of increasing agricultural productivity by at least 60 per cent, to feed a projected population of more than nine billion  by 2050, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and a network of partners, have placed youths at the centre of efforts to transform agriculture.

   For the organisation,  young people are key to achieving its food security ambition, but realising this great requires the production of highly-skilled youth entrepreneurs at scale.

  Building  on a legacy of scaling green revolution to change the face of poverty,                                  hunger and malnutrition, its Director-General, Qu Dongyu, has been campaigning to promote decent rural youth employment and entrepreneurship in  agribusiness. He believes African youths are passionate about the future of agriculture.

In the coming years, he said, young people involved in agricultural activities would need   technical assistance, capacity building, and access to modern technologies.

One organisation supporting FAO’s  dream to promote youth agric entrepreneurship is the Mastercard Foundation.

Mastercard Foundation is a non-profit organisation established by Mastercard in 2006. Central to its mission is reduction of poverty.

The foundation’s position is that increasing  productivity in Africa’s agricultural sector would increase revenues of small-scale farmers.

For the foundation, agriculture encompasses  viable business opportunities known as agripreneurship. Also, the youths are key drivers to ensuring the attainment of a food-secure and resilient agriculture. Therefore, it is encouraging the youth to see agriculture as a viable business venture.

Consequently, the foundation’s major activities are built around improving the livelihood of youths through innovative agriculture.

Its President/Chief Executive, Reeta Roy, believes the creativity of young people is invaluable in the search for solutions to food security issues.

He has been encouraging young people to create scalable agribusinesses and the foundation’s initiatives are popping up for them to realise their potential in productive and sustainable agrifood systems.

The Foundation has brought together local and international organisations with various capacities to conduct researches and execute programmes to boosting youth participation in technology-driven ventures to boost crop production.

Recently, the foundation and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, engaged youth-led agribusinesses to transform and revolutionise the agricultural industry through profitable ventures, such as food processing and tech solutions startups, which unlocked opportunities.

Country Head, Mastercard Foundation-Nigeria, Chidinma Lawanson, said the organisation aimed at leveraging the youth population to deliver its targeted seven million jobs in the sector, noting that IITA is a strategic partner in the realisation of this  objective.

One of the biggest collaboration that Mastercard Foundation has had in recent times is with the Ogun-based Soilless Farm Lab, that has done a lot in scaling technologies and innovations while providing the much-needed capacity, knowledge, and skills required to attract youth participation in agriculture.

Its founder, Samson Ogbole, prepares jobseekers with the skills to enter the modern agriculture scene.

The lab was conceived to address employability in the sector as well as  strengthen the country’s food resilience.

Ogbole believes that the lab is well-poised to prepare youths with relevant and job-ready skills for agritech, and other areas of the value chain.

For him, achieving food security and boosting farmers’ income goes together.

So far, the lab and the foundation have graduated its second set of 1,000 youths with skills in farming using modern, and friendly techniques that increase productivity and conserve water.

Under a joint project, themed: Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYIA), Ogbole said young people were exposed to emerging opportunities and incentivised to consider forays into lucrative farming provided by hitech agriculture.

According to him, the lab has continually pioneered new approaches to profitable agribusiness management, adding that the training powered by a network of agriculture advocates  prepare youths to take on challenges and create innovative solutions.

He said the EYIA’s collaboration between Soilless Farm Lab and Mastercard Foundation’s target is to train 12,000 youths between 18 and 29 in three years as they are the key drivers in boosting the sector.

His words: “We are taking in a 1,000 students per quarter. We train them on greenhouse construction, hydroponics, and how to set up their farms. They demonstrate this within our  premises in three plots of land. We connect them to the market at the end of the programme. For the training itself, we had a group of 50.They are divided into various groups.

“Some are trained for technical roles such as plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, welders, fabricators. At the end of the day, the team has what it takes to set up a greenhouse on their own.

“So far, we have trained 2,000 out of the 12,000 project target.  ”

With  the number the lab has trained, Ogbole  believes Nigeria is at the starting point of agricultural transformation and growth.

From the outset, he recognised that science and technology could catalyse game-changing breakthroughs in agriculture. 

He said part of the programme was aimed at training the youth to construct, operate, maintain, and repair greenhouses, adding that the programme also met the sector’s requirements of best agronomic, financial and marketing knowledge to manage farming projects.

What the lab has set to achieve, according to him, is to unveil a profitable farmng revolution in rural areas that will generate employment.

He sees the entrepreneurs they have trained as translating agricultural innovations into better lives and helping other people achieve food security.

Ogbole said: “We also trained them on farm management, exposed them to agronomic practices on how plants work, on farm logistics and proper food handling, some people were trained to handle brand management. All these specialists were grouped.

“At the end, we set up a company for them. We got them company registration, a seal, and attached them to a lawyer. The lawyer is paid for the first one year for them. This way, they become a proper company.”

He said further: “Another name for the project is work, earn and learn. You ‘work and learn’ and, then, have opportunity to start earning money. “A major requirement was that they have to stay on campus while they are undergoing the 12-week training.

“We have accommodation for 1,000 people.  For the first batch, the majority of the people came from Oyo, Lagos and Ogun states. For this second batch, the majority of the intakes were from Lagos, Ogun. Of course, we had trainees from as far as Borno, Nasarrawa, Anambra, and Imo.

“Almost all the 36 states were represented during this session,” he  added.

Much of its success come from the committment to assemble a team that seeks a  bright future in the sector.

The programme was also intentionally about  women participation in the training, according to Ogbole, adding: “In terms of gender balance, we had 60 per cent females and 30 per cent males during the first batch. Second batch, we had 70 per cent females, 30 per cent males. We had 700 females and 300 males on campus.”

The  Project Manager, Peace Okwara, is delighted that modern farming is becoming more popular with the youth.

She is happy that many youths were  ready to leave the comfort of their homes in favour of exploring opportunities that agriculture  provides.

From the programmes, several young entrepreneurs have emerged.

One of them is  Fakolade Michael from Ogun State, whom the training has propelled into channelling efforts into making a career in agriculture.

He sees a new generation of farmers emerging who understand material preparation, cultivation methods, fertilisation techniques, irrigation systems, market requirements and marketing networks.

One of the benefits of Mastercard Foundation and Soilless Farm Lab deal is spreading agricultural technology across Nigeria  and the  Catholic Diocese in Ogun State is in support of  efforts to get young Nigerians into the  sector.

A Reverend Sister and member , The Holy Child Jesus, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Mary James, noted that getting youths to see farming as lucrative was a good idea as it would prepare them for a good future. According to her, educating them on lucrative farming through modern methods and machinery is one way to boost food security.

She said: ”The programme will help them see a positive perspective about life and entrepreneurship. I am so happy that the youth have something to hold up apart from their core professions. Skills acquistion is very important. It will help them to plan better for their lives.”

Already, the Ekiti State Government is set to partner Mastercard Foundation and Soilless Farm Lab to ensure the products of the training become successful entrepreneurs in agribusiness.

The hope is that more young persons will become involved in developing solutions for the challenges faced by the agriculture sector and the need for climate-smart agriculture.

Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade indicated the agricultural landscape is undergoing changes, moving away from traditional practices and embracing a technology-driven approach.

He said: “This shift is essential to combating climate change and addressing the pressing issue of food insecurity. It is within this paradigm shift that immense possibilities lie, waiting for you to unleash your potential and make a lasting impact.”

Alongside training individuals in profitable agriculture, both organisations see a future in enhanching private sector organisations’ effectiveness in improving the capacities of  local businesses in  a wide range of value chain  activities.

Ensuring adequate supply of nourishment for livestock through fodder crops is critical to growth. However, the land for such crops is not always available. To combat the challenge, farmers and agro-producers are exploring alternative methods of growing maize and fodder crops for their livestock. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

As the cost of commercial feeds continue to rise, leading to higher production costs, farmers have begun exploring alternative fodder production to reduce and improve the bottom line for farmers.

Chief Executive, Bic Farms Concepts, Adebowale Onafowora,  has found a technique to produce high-quality, nutritious, low-cost maize and fodder for livestock.

He grows high nutrition animal fodder hydroponically in just seven days, and the feed grows throughout the year. He has been pushing for hydroponic fodder production to save on imported feedstuff.

While looking for a window of opportunities to get into commercial framing, he learnt how to grow maize and other fodder crops.This ensures that he is able to produce it throughout the year. 

Indeed, livestock producers are facing the challenge of sufficient quantity and quality of feeds.

Onafowora considers hydroponic farming affordable and suitable for small-scale farmers as it ensures that cows and other animals have maize and fodder throughout the year, irrespective of the season.

According to him, hydroponics fodder production technology guarantees daily production of highly nutritious livestock feeds.

“It is grown from grains; we convert one kilogramme of grain to five kilogrammes within seven to nine days. Normally, on the soil it will take up to 90 days to do that but because of the technology within nine days it is done. Apart from that, we are saving about 95 per cent of land usage.

“What you need is100 hectares of land to grow. In terms of fodder quantity, we will do that on one hectare and we are doing that, saving about 90 per cent of water,” he added.

He started small. Today, he is celebrated for    promoting the use of hydroponic fodder as the best option for livestock feeds. His approach has paid off. He also owns other businesses. Thus, he has learnt the secret of value-adding.

For him, hydroponic fodder would help to reduce the cost of livestock feed by over 20 per cent.

Currently, expensive and imported feed is one of the constraints to profitability of the livestock industry. Nomadic cattle rearers find it difficult to access green fodder to feed cows. In some areas, it is unusual to find farmlands with sufficient grass fodder at certain times of the year.

 Onafowora demonstrated to The Nation and other farmers how to produce maize within seven to nine days. He explained that maize seeds sprouted and matured in seven days providing full-blown plant that could be served as a highly nutritious feed for livestock.

He has found support in the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which recognises that the livestock sector has a huge potential to increase income, generate employment despite limited investments from the sector.

For the global organisation, among the major constraints faced by the livestock sector is scarcity of feed and fodder. FAO is on the forefront of encouraging hydroponics farming to ensure more nutrition for farmers’ livestock, which will increase milk production and raise incomes.

Like Onafowora, the United Nations Organisation believes strengthening the livestock sector will not only help meet the growing demand for meat-related products, but will also enhance farmers’ income and generate employment.

With demand for red cattle and conflicts between farmers and pastoral herdsmen threatening food security, FAO has been organising programmes to increase farmers’ access to supplementary feeds for fattening animals in the market.

At the moment,  livestock production is being supported by several government programmes. It remains mostly grass-fed, while feedlot production has been very insignificant in terms of meat generated. In Lagos, there have been moves to develop effective action plans and industry support policies to promote beef cattle quality, yield, and productivity.

Part of this is the promotion of hydroponic fodder system, a technology that will allow farmers to grow and harvest feedstuff in a week.

The expectations is that the beef sector has a bright future which could be fruitful as Lagos Government and FAO work out a blueprint for cattle feedlot estate project which would include abattoir  facility.

To guarantee livestock fodder even when pastures are dry, FAO and Lagos Government would train farmers to plant maize and other fodder crops, using the hydroponics system. Within 12 days, the crops are matured enough to feed the animals, according to FAO.

It is one of the proposed reforms to ensure sustainability and competitiveness of the beef industry.

The Permanent Secretary,  Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Olatokunbo Emokpae,  said the state was planning to bridge the yearly deficit in cattle supply in the state, put at 1.4 million head of cattle.

In collaboration with FAO, a Technical Cooperation Facility, Project Feasibility and Value Chain Analysis of the Red Meat Value Chain, particularly the cattle feedlot estate in Lagos, has commenced.

Mrs. Emokpae spoke on why a cattle feedlot estate has become critical for industry rejuvenation.

“Lagos State with a population of over 24 million requires a total of 1.4 million heads of cattle valued at over N490 billion annually while local production from existing feedlots in the state is 12,000 heads of cattle.

“This leaves a gap of over 1,388,000 heads of cattle, which are sourced from other states of the federation and neighbouring countries,” she said.

Mrs. Emokpae said the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-administration had started work on the establishment of a cattle feedlot for which a 750Ha was acquired at Igbodu in Epe.

“The feedlot project will also facilitate beef traceability, among other health benefits for Lagosians, generate income for investors, create jobs, and stimulate economic activities within the project community,” she added.

She sees the state processing over 2,000 heads of cattle daily. She said producers were being saved the agony of moving cows from the North, when more Nigerians begin to invest in the cattle feedlot estate.

For her, faster production of maize in large-scale using the estate approach holds a significant cost benefit for feedlots. She added that the opportunities span cattle production, processing, logistics, beef marketing, and distribution in the state.

Mrs. Emokpae said: “A total of 250 hectares have been cleared and parcelled into lots of five hectares each for allocation to investors.

“The feedlot project will also facilitate beef traceability, among other health benefits for Lagosians, generate income for investors, create jobs, and stimulate economic activities within the project community.

“It is envisaged that the project will be replicated in the three senatorial districts of the state over time.

“Aside from investing in the feedlot project, opportunities also exist in other areas of the red meat value chain of which investors can take advantage and make good returns on investment.

“At present, 18 semi-mechanised abattoirs and eight mechanised abattoirs have been established in various locations across the state. In this direction, the state government is blazing the trail through the establishment of the Lagos State By-Product Processing Centre at Oko-Oba, Agege.”

She praised the FAO team for the support availed the ministry not only for the feedlot project, but also in the development of the project.

FAO representative to Nigeria Mr. Fred Kafeero said the organisation would continue to provide strategic support to national development programmes and strategies aimed at reducing poverty, improving food security and managing natural resources.

He said: “It is worthy of note to mention here that the Lagos State Government has demonstrated high commitment to developing the livestock sector through the establishment of the cattle feedlot farm estate.

“It is a private sector-led initiative whereby the government allocates land for small, medium and large feedlot operations within the estate.

“The government will also provide common infrastructure and sanitary services on a cost- recovery basis. It was within this context that the state government requested for FAO technical support the implementation if the initiative.

“To respond to this request, FAO designed a Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) facility to access all aspects of the proposed feedlot project, including technical, economic, financial and environmental consideration.

“This is to determine valid reasons to advance the project idea, improves the focus of the project and provides useful information for the project implementation.

“I am glad to let you know that FAO will provide in a timely, efficient and cost-effective manner, a range of managerial and technical advisory services.

 “This will be done through a combination of FAO field staff, technical backstopping mission, consultancies and other contractual arrangements to the study,” Kafeero said.

The Director, Veterinary Services, Lagos State, Dr. Rasheed Macaulay, said very few commercial cattle farms existed in the state with a production of 12,000 cattle yearly.

Macaulay said it was appropriate for  stakeholders on the red meat value chain to be informed of the importance of exploring the opportunities in the project.

His words: “As a way forward for the implementation of the project, the ministry has secured the by-in of 36 investors who have subscribed for allocations at the Feedlot estate.

“These subscribers will move to the site as soon as the allocation of lots is concluded by the government.

“We strongly believe that this exercise by the combined technical team of the FAO, state government and cooperation of relevant stakeholders along the value chain, shall contribute significantly to the success and sustainability of the project in term of efficiency and effectiveness.’’

He reiterated that Lagos wants to implement a functional national identification and traceability system for the livestock sector.

He said the plan was to incorporate emerging livestock farmers, breeders and feedlot owners into the value chain.

Despite the benefits to farming livestock, producers have been experiencing a decline in profitability, largely due to high input costs. Climate change and an increase in seasonal droughts, the latter resulting in a reduction in natural grazing, are also concerns for the long-term sustainability of the industry.

The Federal Government has set 78 priority actions that would transform the food systems from farm to the dining table, including the waste.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mr Nebeolisa Anako, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Director of Information, Mrs Folasade Boriowo, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the National Steering Committee on Implementation of food systems pathway would meet on Thursday in Anambra.

Anako said that for the preparation of stock taking moment, coming up in Rome on July 24 with side event on 26.

Read Also: UN votes $20m to tackle food insecurity in Northeast

He said that all the coordinators of nine states in the six geopolitical zones; namely North East – (Borno), North West – (Kano), North Central (Kwara), South West – (Lagos and Osun), South South – (Akwa Ibom and Edo), South East – (Enugu and Anambra), would attend the meeting to be chaired by him.

Anako said that in the same vein, there would be retreat of the coordinating directors of zones and members of steering committee at Uzanu Farm, Edo, from June 25 to 26.

He said that the retreat would discuss final template to be used for collation of national report to be submitted at United Nations (UN) food system coordination HUB by Nigeria.

Anako also said that the national steering committee was inaugurated by the former Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, on the recommendation of the national convener, Dr Sanjo Faniran.

(NAN)

The yearly growth rate of Nigeria’s agricultural sector is still below three per cent, according to the World Bank and others.To improve the situation, states and organisations have been offering farmers equipment and other resources. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

The last five years have not been rosy for Nigeria’s agriculture. Its yearly expansion is below three per cent.

Last year, the performance of agriculture and industry, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), nose-dived compared to the previous year.

But there are efforts by states and organisations to find new pathways to drive growth. These include input and equipment support for farmers to increase production through land cultivation.

In Badagry, Lagos State, where the former President, Lagos State Apex Fadama Community Association, Alhaji Mufutau Abiodun Oyelekan, operates, there are pools of farmers in various value chains assisted by the state government with input and equipment to galvanise the cultivation of vegetables, poultry, rice, and fisheries.

Oyelekan grows crops such as maize and vegetables profitably. He is a beneficiary of training and resources provided to smallholder farmers across the state to improve livelihoods and nutrition.

The Lagos State Government, he said, has helped many people grow profitable crops and secure farms to generate income.

Oyelekan has become an inspiration for youths who are shying away from agriculture. He has been associating with the Lagos State Government for years and this relationship has made him savvy and a user of new varieties and technologies in the sector.

With the increased support coming to the sector in the past few years, Oyelekan noted that the ambitious reforms carried out by the government would drive the industry growth by promoting agri-business’ competitiveness and increasing agri-food market efficiency.

 Also, the Chief Executive, Arike Ofada Rice, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Oluwole, is consolidating her position in agri-business as a rice cultivator and entrepreneur. She is the producer of Arike Ofada Rice, who has enjoyed the support of the Lagos APPEALS project in terms of equipment, among others. Now, her products are available in supermarkets and online platforms.

“APPEALS project has really supported my business. It supported me with a colour sorter machine and dryers. The equipment had taken away stress during processing.The intervention of the project has helped my business. It has made production easier. Initially, we were not able to enter the high-end market, but with the colour sorter from Lagos APPEALS, Arike Ofada Rice is sold in supermarkets and other markets,” she said.

Indeed, smallholder farmers are an important pillar of Lagos economic development and integral to food security. To this end, there are long-running programmes aiming to raise agricultural productivity. These involved scaling up support to post-harvest handling and expanding opportunities for agri-entrepreneurship and employment. So much has been dedicated to creating economic opportunities across the state by providing support to farmers.There is a comprehensive support programme, which seeks to promote more integrated value chain production.

Under its Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation Programme (AVCEAP), the Lagos State Government has supported women, youths and vulnerable people across the local governments with assets and input.The concern is that small farmers have had difficulty accessing input and markets for their produce.

To solve the problem, several interventions have been executed in the distribution of input to help raise agricultural productivity of farmers and fishermen and women.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the goal of the AVCEAP scheme was to make life easier for farmers in the state.

“We want to make life easier for our farmers and agriculture workers. We want to make it easier for them to clear their land, grow high-quality crops, raise healthy animals, and process their output. There are clear benefits in terms of health, productivity, employment, and so on,” he added.

AVCEAP aims at building sustainable market-oriented smallholder value chains and enabling smallholder farmers competitiveness.

Key ingredients of the scheme include the development of the various value chains, use of high-yielding varieties and mechanisation and provision of input.

Immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the Agricultural Value Chains Enterprise Activation and Farmers’ Support Programme was designed to support 20,000 farmers in 120 farming and fishing clusters across the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas, with input and production assets.

The initiative, according to Ms. Olusanya, is part of the plans of the state government to drive food security by supporting farming and farmers. 

 She said a needs assessment was conducted by officials of the ministry to get the views of farmers on the required production assets to boost farming, and the input distributed were as a result of their responses.

“In all, over 20,000 fisherfolks and farmers will benefit from the programme while budgetary provision has been made to accommodate a larger number of value chain actors in the 2023 edition of the programme,” she had said.

She said the Lagos State Government was determined to shift the sector from subsistence farming to one that would be focused on productivity, diversification and commercialisation.

Ms. Olusanya also said the state was open to identifying the challenges and working towards developing solutions to take advantage of the many opportunities in agriculture. According to her, there is minimal increase in the use of agricultural machinery. She explained that the government had introduced several innovations to address the technological, productive and commercial gaps in the agriculture sector.

Last month, the AVCEAP team visited various local governments to distribute input and equipment to farmers. The input distributed included fertiliser, seeds, generators, and knapsack sprayers.

Read Also: How AATF is transforming agriculture in Africa

Also, there is the  Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS), a World Bank-assisted project, implemented through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in six states – Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi and Lagos. It is a six-year project, which began in 2017 and would end this year.

Lagos APPEALS enhances agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers  and improves value addition in poultry, aquaculture and rice.

Although APPEALS has made significant strides in recent years, Head of Communications, Lagos Appeals Project, Folake  Ogunlana-Lawal, noted that what was outstanding was using a demand-driven model to facilitate the transition of many subsistence farmers to agricultural entrepreneurs.

For her, the critical success factors driving Lagos agric value chain development included youth skill development and training, integration of agricultural mechanisation and development of supportive infrastructure.

She said the Lagos APPEALS projects would provide innovative solutions which could accelerate livelihoods, food and nutrition security.

According to Mrs. Ogunlana-Lawal, the Lagos APPEALS Project had addressed poverty and malnutrition through poultry, rice and aquaculture value chains. She said the programme had connected farmers to profitable businesses as well as ensured the availability of nutritious food.

Though the project is winding up, she is happy that many farmers have been empowered with good agronomic practices, benefits of availing extension services and linkages with the markets.

At its expanded scale, she said the project had ushered in a marked improvement in production and farmer incomes, thus creating prosperity for local communities.

At the national scale, the  Embassy of Japan in Nigeria and Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) (formerly SG2000) have renewed their commitment aimed at tapping Japanese technologies, including information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the improvement of farming systems in Nigeria.

With the large volume of paddy produced in Kano State, SAA-Nigeria is enriching the lives of small-scale processors, by building the capacity of rice value chain actors.

Through the Kano State AgroPastoral Development Project (KSADP), funded by the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood funds, there are 44 local government interventions to enhance cultivation, processing, packaging, and marketing opportunities for the rice value chain.

SAA has established 15 rice processing centres, equipped with rice milling and destoning machines, to ease the difficulties faced by women processors, who had to travel long distances to mill paddy rice.

SAA-Nigeria empowered 2,500 rice processors with improved rice parboiling, supported them with parboiling kits and trained them on production, packaging and branding techniques. With the training acquired, new data indicated the average processing output quadrupled from half a bag of paddy rice to two bags.

SAA-Nigeria Country Director Dr. Godwin Atser said agriculture held a lot of potential, but this was yet to be fully harnessed. He stressed that most improved technologies were yet to get to farmers because of a weak public extension architecture.

Atser explained that SAA as a technical partner to the KSADP project would continue to support the government’s efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and competitiveness through increased access to inputs, extension service delivery, value addition and agribusiness development.

He said the exercise would enable the input to get to the beneficiaries promptly and give them ample time for other essential pre-season activities like land acquisition and preparation, He added that for crops to perform optimally, they must be planted at the right time using the correct regenerative agriculture practices and necessary input.

The Project Coordinator, KSADP/SAA, Comrade Abdulrasheed Hamisu Kofarmata, said SAA was bridging the gap by addressing most of the challenges facing smallholder farmers in the state, by strengthening extension services through the periodic distribution of improved high-yielding, disease and drought-resistant seed varieties, pre-and post-emergence herbicides, fungicides, pesticides and training.

He stressed that for this wet season, SAA/KSADP had planned to establish 690 clusters of demonstration plots to showcase Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) and 192 Community-Based Seed Multiplication plots across 44 LGAs of the state, to serve as farmer learning platforms in local communities during on- and off-farming seasons, and to promote the adoption of new farming technologies and increase crop productivity.

According to him, farm input worth over N100 million, including improved high-yielding, disease and drought-resistant seed varieties of upland and low land rice, maize, sorghum, millet, soybeans and groundnuts; various pre-and post-emergence herbicides, fungicides and pesticides, organic fertiliser for maize and rice production to improve soil fertility for the optimum performance of target crops are being distributed to beneficiaries through the extension agents.

He reiterated that with KSADP, in its third year of implementation, SAA was improving food, nutrition and income security of smallholder farmers in the state.

SAA-Nigeria and KSADP have deployed multi-pronged approach of Regenerative Agriculture (RA), Market-Oriented Agriculture (MOA), and Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) to foster agriculture-centered economic growth.

Along with its RA pillar, SAA-Nigeria commenced the distribution of dry season farm input starter packages for host farmers. Sixty-nine starter packages have been distributed to host farmers in Kano, Nasarawa, Jigawa, and Gombe states. Each starter pack consists of improved seeds, NPK fertiliser, urea super granules, and pre/post-emergence herbicides.

In an exciting development that promises to revolutionize Nigerian agriculture, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has announced a significant milestone in its partnership with Tingo Mobile.

This groundbreaking collaboration aims to provide AFAN members with cutting-edge mobile technology and fintech solutions, empowering them to thrive in the digital era.

AFAN, the leading umbrella organization for farmers and agricultural cooperatives in Nigeria, is proud to unveil the progress made in its lease and service agreement with Tingo Mobile Limited. Tingo Mobile, renowned for its mobile and fintech solutions, has witnessed an impressive adoption rate among AFAN members. As of today, over 11 million members have embraced Tingo Mobile’s smartphone and fintech applications, including the game-changing Nwassa platform, as an integral part of their daily agricultural operations.

Embracing Digital Agriculture: The collaboration between AFAN and Tingo Mobile represents a groundbreaking leap forward for the Nigerian agricultural sector. With AFAN’s goal to provide its members access to advanced mobile technology and financial services, this partnership serves as a catalyst for transforming traditional farming practices into tech-driven, efficient systems.

Unlocking New Opportunities

Beyond access to mobile technology, AFAN members are also exploring exciting opportunities through Tingo Mobile’s affiliate, Tingo Foods Plc. Some members have already begun supplying their produce for processing, marking a modest yet promising step in AFAN’s partnership with the Tingo Group.

Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, the esteemed National President of AFAN, expresses his optimism, stating, “We are thrilled by the progress achieved through our collaboration with Tingo Mobile. The digital transformation is gaining momentum among our members, with several farmers engaging with Tingo Foods Plc. We remain hopeful for continued growth and enhanced utilization of the products and services offered by Tingo and its group of companies.”

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Empowering Agriculture in the Digital Age

The AFAN-Tingo Mobile partnership exemplifies AFAN’s unwavering commitment to modernize agricultural practices and equip its members with the necessary tools to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. By embracing digital solutions, AFAN is ensuring that Nigerian farmers can leverage technology for increased efficiency, productivity, and sustainable growth.

As AFAN and Tingo Mobile join forces, a new era dawns for Nigerian agriculture. The adoption of mobile technology and fintech solutions by over 11 million AFAN members marks a significant milestone towards achieving the vision of a digitally empowered agricultural sector. AFAN remains dedicated to championing the interests of farmers and driving the overall development of agriculture in Nigeria, ensuring a prosperous future for the nation’s farming community.

About AFAN: The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) serves as the unified voice for farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and associations across Nigeria. Committed to promoting farmers’ interests and advancing agricultural development, AFAN plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Nigerian agriculture.

With 60 per cent of global production for many years, West Africa was the major cashew producing region in the world. Recently, Cambodia in South Asia has become a major producer as it supplies Raw Cashew Nuts to Vietnam and other countries. This has raised concerns of the United States’ Department of Agriculture (USDA), African Cashew Alliance (ACA) and other donors. They are working to help Nigeria and the rest of the region’s major producers which the world depends hugely on, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

The global market for cashew is booming. This has brought tremendous economic benefits to exporting countries. In Nigeria, many farmers and producers have made millions selling cashew to Asia, United Kingdom (UK) and United States.

President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Mr. Ojo Ajanaku‘s ambition to be a successful agricultural business entrepreneur has been realised through cashew exports.

With prices rising in the market, Ajanaku has been smiling to the bank. This has led him to acquire more hectares of land to grab opportunities in the cashew nut business. He has been cultivating more cashew plantations. It has helped him reap rich benefits and script a success story worthy of emulation.

Ajanaku runs about 100 hectares of cashew plantation in Atte in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State. He has made money from cashew and invested in his plantation. Like most cashew producers, he is able to get better prices. 

According to him, the quality of Nigeria’s cashew is one of the best in the world, calling on the government to put in place the  tools for the development of the sector to increase the yearly production and guarantee its availability. His total output and those of others combined have not helped Nigeria hit the targeted 500,000 metric tonnes. 

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and others, Nigeria’s cashew production averaged 260,000 tonnes yearly.

Like Ajanaku, the President, African Cashew Alliance (ACA), Tola Maseru‘s cashew business is doing well. He has been exporting raw cashew nuts in large volumes. Since becoming a member of ACA, he has been focusing on product quality and sustainable development.

He runs 300 hectares of cashew plantation in Ogun State. He took the strategic decision to ensure long-term success of his exports business.

The destination for their exports is Vietnam and India. However, although cashew nuts command greater prices on international markets, Faseru, who is the founder of Colossus Investments Limited, a major agricultural company that exports cashew nuts, expressed concerns about low investment in processing, meaning that a larger per cent of the crop is sold abroad in its raw form. He said Nigeria and the rest of Africa were missing opportunities in terms of value addition.

To this end, he said the sector was in need of incentives to promote private investment in cashew production. In the last 10 years, opportunities have grown for cashew nuts, arising from the high demand in the domestic and overseas markets.The United States is one of the largest importers of cashew nuts.

 According to the Vietnam Cashew Association, the U.S. remains the largest export market of Vietnam’s cashew kernels, with a volume of 149,000 tonnes, worth more than $880,600 million, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of total export turnover.

Because the cashew nuts are not processed, a lot of Nigerian producers are not playing in the U.S. market, seen as the largest export destination for most cashew nuts processing countries.

Faseru said the industry would grow if there were policies to encourage investment in agriculture, rural areas and improve the capacity of the processing sector.

The major production countries of cashew  in West Africa are Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana. In total, the regional cashew production is not up to five million metric tonnes yearly.

At the moment, South Asia, including India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia, are leading in cashew production, forecast to grow from three million metric tonnes to 7.6 million metric tonnes in 2025.

 The largest production country in Asia, however, is expected to be Cambodia. By 2025, the country’s output should reach one million tonnes.

Cambodia exported 801,732 tonnes of cashew nuts to foreign markets, including Vietnam, Thailand, China, India, Japan and the UAE.

Germany’s Agency for International Development (GIZ) has collaborated on several projects to enhance the competitiveness of the cashew value chain in Nigeria.

The organisation has been driving the Competitive Cashew Initiative (ComCashew) implemented in many West African countries, which focused on building sustainable cashew value chains by providing support in areas ranging from research, to capacity development and policy advice.

Since the project’s inception, over 620,000 cashew farmers have undergone training in good agricultural practices. The efficacy of good agricultural practices and adoption of enhanced planting material have resulted in an improved average yield increase of 86 per cent and improved the quality of the product.

The total yearly income for beneficiaries along the value chain has reached about 320 million Euros in nominal terms.

Deputy Team Leader, Component Leader Production, Market-Oriented Value chains for Jobs and Growth in ECOWAS Region, GIZ, and Kazeem Adegoke is working with other donors, including United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) West Africa PRO-Cashew Project (PRO-Cashew) to ensure that Nigeria gets a big chunk of the global cashew kernel market projected to reach almost $7 billion by 2025.

The $47.3 million five-year USDA West Africa PRO-Cashew Project (PRO-Cashew will work to boost the competitiveness of West African producers by improving efficiency and quality in production and trade, and by working to develop more coherent regional trade and investment policies.

While the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) recently said Nigeria exported a whopping 315,677 tonnes of raw cashew worth $252 million last year, which reflected minimal improvement, Adegoke expressed faith in the cashew sector’s potential to grow, generate jobs and improve incomes, but it has fallen short of meeting expectations because of absence of adequate facilities to process and value-add the raw material.

According to him, export of processed cashew is a significant area that needs more attention.

He said donors  were interested in supporting interventions such as PRO-Cashew to increase the capacity of Nigeria and the rest of West Africa   to grow, store, process, package, market, distribute and export cashew nuts.

He is interested in how producers can fast-track plans to build new cashew nut processing facilities, to harness the potential of the cash crop.

He stressed that well-advised initiatives to promote the cashew sector would bring   growth and ensure food security.

According to him, Programmes Director, Pro Cashew, West Africa Cashew Project, Olivier Kabre, building West Africa’s capacity to process and package cashews locally would not only increase local incomes, but it will also increase the sector’s resilience to market volatility, improve product traceability.

Gaining access to Asia, UK and EU markets, Kabre said, would create more jobs and improve livelihoods of farmers and producers in the cashew sector.

 For him, processed products offer high value and thus better profit margins. He said the project is determined to open up opportunities for cashew producers to export more and raise the sub region’s profile in the international market.

PRO-Cashew has been developing industry associations; providing farmers with quality stock, input, and  holding  capacity building training to improve cashew storage and upgrading processing technology.

To help address sector policy challenges, the PRO-Cashew Project, among other things, inaugurated four cashew policy studies, supported by Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC) and ACA, in its five intervention countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria.The studies have shown that the sector’s growth potential has been impeded by various obstacles such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance, unreliable industry data, and unfavourable government policies.

Also, to address these, PRO-Cashew Project, in collaboration with CICC held a Regional Policy Workshop in Lagos, which focused on shaping targeted interventions and policy reforms in  each intervention country.

The workshop, which gathered policymakers, government officials, farmers, processors, exporters, and other stakeholders, discussed strategies for favourable cashew sector policies.

Speaking during the workshop, the Chief of Party, Jean Francois Guay, said: “This workshop is crucial for the growth of the cashew sector in West Africa. It enables stakeholders to collaborate, establish an information database, and develop effective policies to tackle sector challenges and foster a conducive environment for its expansion.”

Guay stressed the need to develop the cashew value chains and strengthen its integration into global markets.

According to him, the West Africa PRO-Cashew Project, funded by USDA Food for Progress has big potential to generate inclusive rural employment through farming and industrialisation, thereby contributing to poverty reduction.

Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Mr. Bernard Chukwuemeka noted that the government has introduced various measures to transform the cashew sector into a more sustainable and commercial one.

According to him, the government has taken  steps to create an environment for farmers to cultivate high-value crops and one of such exportable crops is cashew nut.

To cope, he said the government was determined to exchange information on various aspects of the cashew sector with operators in West Africa on regulations to improve production and quality and create a more competitive local cashew for the international market.

He continued that West African production was also growing faster than that of any other region, generating $1.5 billion in export sales for over 1.1 million farmers.

His words: “Côte d’Ivoire is the world leader in cashew production, followed by Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Nobody can achieve sustainability alone. We need to collaborate to create a more sustainable supply chain for cashew producers, processors, and other stakeholders to thrive and to ensure a stable supply of this nutritious and economically valuable commodity.”

Despite cashew gains made by the sector, he indicated that West African producers face several serious challenges.These included reduced yields due to aging cashew tree stocks, farmers’ limited technical and financial capacity to rehabilitate and renovate aging orchards and an undeveloped nursery sector unable to provide timely and consistent high-performance seedlings to offset declines in productivity.

The Country Representative USDA West Africa Pro-Cashew Project, Olorunfemi Toyin, noted that through various collaborations with the public and private sectors in the region, the PRO-Cashew project has had a significant impact on West African cashew-producing countries since its implementation in 2020.

He noted: “The project, which is funded by the United State Department of Agriculture and implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin Republic, and Burkina Faso has catalysed additional investments in the cashew sector, improved cashew productivity; increased cashew exports, domestic processing and advocacy for policy reforms etc. These outcomes will in no small way contribute to strengthening and improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the West Africa cashew value chain.”

The Executive Director, CICC, Andre Tandjekpon, has called on stakeholders to support efforts to improve regulations to make the industry stronger.

He believes that there is a need for efforts aimed at improving seed quality, increasing production as well as significantly increasing the rate of processing in Africa.