Category: Agriculture

The Secretary of Agriculture and Commodity of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Retson Tedheke, has assured rural farm leaders across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria are prepared to mobilise millions of voters for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tedheke, who made this known while briefing journalists ahead of the Monday inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said the lead mobilisers were expected to mobilise at least 20,000 farmers in each of 774 local government areas across the country, bringing the figure to 15 million farmers.

The Secretary, who is also the national convener of Asiwaju’s Farmers Forum and National Coordinator of Nigerian Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS), said his secretariat has the names and contacts of 11,000 registered farmers from the six geo political zones in the country who will serve as the lead mobilisers in their various states, zones, local government and wards.

He said with the election of Tinubu as the next President, agriculture will get an entirely different boost.

“Between January and March 2021, agriculture contributed to 22.35 percent of the total Gross Domestic Product. This shows that agriculture is the only sector capable enough to absorb the growing rural and urban population in the country.

“With Tinubu, what can be done was to improve the agriculture sector in productivity, technology inputs, farming method changes, better seeds procurement, new crops grown, among others

“Increased subsidies on utilities like power, water, input materials will go a long way to solve the current challenges bedeviling growth in the country’s agricultural sector”, he said.

While expressing confidence that things were going to be done differently under Tinubu’s administration, he disclosed that over the years, despite the contributions of farmers to the electoral value of the political class, they have not been fully appreciated.

“The rural communities contributed largely to the ballot during every election and the majority of those residing in our rural communities across the country are farmers.

“If elections are about numbers, democratic politics is about stitching together a majority. So, the larger a group, the bigger is its vote bank and greater is its electoral clout. This is the value we are bringing to the table for the Tinubu -Shettima’s ticket.

“If we go by the facts available, farmers should have unmatched electoral clout in Nigeria. After all, they constitute a clear majority. All available evidence indicates that they vote at least as much, if not more, than other classes such as industrial workers or urban middle classes”, Tedheke added.

International groups are pushing for solutions to help the agriculture sector adopt best practices,  create jobs and drive economic growth across the country while continuing to provide safe, high quality food.

To this end,a high-level stakeholder sensitisation B2B meeting on revolutionising rural agriculture development and triggering a resilient agricultural funding framework titled “RAD-C” is being planned by The Nigerian Agricultural Mechanization & Equipment Leasing Company (NAMEL) in partnership with Harvest Field, SEEDCO, OCP, Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation(NAIC), NFM, AFEX, Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) among others.

The event will bring together recognised and emerging world class supply chain managers and service providers, as well as agro-input companies on land development, agricultural mechanisation, input supply, extension, farm management, logistics, marketing, crop insurance, agricultural finance, communication and farmers onto a single platform.

According to the organisers, the overall plan to position the Nigerian agricultural sector to benefit from solutions provided through an innovative combination of Climate Smart Rural Agriculture Development (CS-RAD) and a Resilient Agriculture Funding (Resil-Af) structure, that have been deployed by world-class agricultural value chain players and farmers.

The Chief Executive, NAMEL, Dr. Ahmed Adekunle said leading private sector players that have joined the organisation in the consortium recognise that systematic development and farming of large acreage of land with the best available technology as proposed by RAD-C is a driver of strong agricultural growth in both output and input markets.

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He said the unveiling of RAD-C will seek to trigger a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that works through a major coordinating platform bringing suppliers of farm inputs, farm equipment, financial institutions and smallholder farmers together to leverage available interventions for agricultural development.

He noted: “the RAD-C is structured in a manner that makes it possible for a non-agricultural person to invest in agriculture and succeed tremendously”. To Adekunle, RAD-C is “a solution that creates room for seamless agricultural mechanisms.”

Also speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive, AgroNigeria, Barr. Richard-Mark Mbaram, stated that “the RAD-C is not a local or in-country intervention, but a continental activity that would be sold to the world. In his words, “it is a continental activity to facilitate and consolidate agricultural transformation for global impact and will feature prominently at this year’s Africa Agriculture Dialogue, taking place as part of the global Borlaug dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa .”

The sessions at the event will present all subscribed consortium partners the opportunity to engage on the working framework of the RAD-C concept, while also showcasing practical and realistic approaches for implementation that will guarantee considerable and sustainable return on investment.

With agriculture contributing 30 per cent to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing 55 per cent of the working population, the continent’s prosperity depends on the advancement of the sector. For this reason, in the last 10 years, the pan-continental organisation, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has focused on empowering smallholder farmers to better and more profitably participate in agricultural value chains.  Through its yearly score card, Africa Agriculture Status Report and other publications, the organisation has reported successes in using research to address issues hampering Nigeria and many countries on the continent from attaining food and nutrition security goals. However, there is a growing number of frontline farmers’ organisations contesting its accomplishments. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Apart from African Development Bank (AfDB), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is one organisation working to place the agricultural sector as the core driver of the continent’s growth.

Founded in 2006, through a partnership between the Rockefeller Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to fulfil the vision of an Africa that can feed itself, as well as make significant contributions to the world’s food basket, AGRA organises food and agriculture leaders from across Africa to advance actions for food systems transformation.

Founded with the vision of using “green revolution” — a push to transform agriculture and raise yields — AGRA has worked across 18 countries, including Nigeria, focusing on distinct problems related to seed production and soil health. It aims at delivering support for food security through the intensification of production in strategic agri-food chains, and the development of rural areas.

At the just-concluded African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) Summit in Kigali, the Rwanda capital, the body launched its new five-year strategy to help governments tackle hunger and enhance nutrition by building resilient food systems.

The new strategy, according to the organisation, is a response to recent global and African catastrophes including famine, COVID-19, drought, fall army worm, climate change, soaring food, fertiliser and energy prices, and the conflict in Ukraine.

So far, its President and a former Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Dr. Agnes Kalibata, said the organisation’s  contributions  had  resulted in 11 million farmers being reached across Africa, facilitation of 42 policy reforms, catalysed $1.4 billion in investment, trained 33,000 village-based advisors.

According to her, 48 per cent of AGRA farmers adopted improved seeds and 60 per cent adopted post-harvest practices.

Last year, the organisation launched the first Centre of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA), to champion the development of quality seed of improved varieties on the continent.

Kalibata said CESSA would convene seed actors to help fill gaps and build the capacities of scientists, developing varieties that respond to the needs of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

One programme that the organisation uses to transform systems, by driving integrated delivery within agro-economic zones and across value chains, is the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA).

The partnership has provided up to $280 million to catalyse and sustain inclusive agricultural transformation in at least 11 countries in Africa — Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Its Nigeria’s Country Manager, Dr. Kehinde Makinde, reported the success of PIATA’s impact on the seed and input distribution sector in Kaduna and Niger states.

Also, the Technical Adviser to Director-General, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Dr. Okelola Folarin, acknowledged improvements following PIATA’s impact. He said the programme had led to wider availability of breeder and foundation seed as a result of the support for seed companies.

Giving her experiences on partnerships, the Managing Director of Psaltry International, Ms. Yemisi Iranloye, said the collaboration with Nestlé and AGRA had built the capacity of about 400 youths aged between 18 and 35 in agronomic practices, business management, and record-keeping, skills that have enabled them become budding entrepreneurs in the cassava value chain.

But several frontline organisations have challenged the scorecard presented by the organisation. Led by Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Africa’s  largest civil society network, the coalition noted that AGRA’s efforts had fallen short in bringing productivity revolution to its 13 focus countries.

An open letter signed by its 35-member networks and 176 international organisations from 40 countries, released by AFSA read:  “AGRA has unequivocally failed in its mission to increase productivity and incomes and reduce food insecurity, and has in fact harmed broader efforts to support African farmers.”

In a letter addressed to AGRA donors, they  challenged the organisation to provide proofs that it met its headline goals of increased incomes and food security for nine million smallholders.

AFSA representing some 200 million small-scale food producers, alongside 160 international organisations have urged AGRA to account for the US$1 billion spending on research.

“Over a decade of research has exposed the failure of AGRA on its own terms. After nearly 15 years and spending of more than $1 billion to promote the use of commercial seeds, chemical fertiliser, and pesticides in 13 African countries, and additional $1 billion per year of African government subsidies for seeds and fertiliser, AGRA has failed to provide evidence that yields, incomes or food security increased significantly, and sustainably, for smallholder households across its target countries. Since the onset of AGRA’s programme in 2006, the number of undernourished people across these 13 countries has increased by 30 per cent. Even where staple crop production did increase, there was little reduction of rural poverty or hunger. Instead, diverse, climate-resilient crops that provide a more diverse and healthy diet for rural Africans have been displaced.”

Members of the coalition are Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA Kenya),  Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), African Biodiversity Network (ABN), African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), Eastern and Southern Africa Pastoralist Network (ESAPN), Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF), Faith & Justice Network of the Mano River Basin (FJN), Farm-Saved Seeds Network (FASSNET), Federation Agroécologique du Bénin (FAEB), Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa (FECCIWA), Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEA), Groundswell West Africa (GWA), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), Institut Africain pour le Développement Economique et Social(INADES-Forma                                                         tion) and  Institut Panafricain pour la Citoyenneté, les Consommateurs et le Développement (CICODEV Africa).

Others are North African Food Sovereignty Network (NAFSN), Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association, Plate-forme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC), Regional Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme (ReSCOPE),Réseau Africain pour le Droit àl’Alimentation (RAPDA –Togo), Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA), and  Food Sovereignty Ghana.

The General Coordinator, AFSA, Million Belay, told The Nation that AGRA had not responded to the issues raised by the coalition.

In June, last year, nearly 500 faith leaders across Africa wrote the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to end its support for industrial agriculture.

The letter, sent by the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), rejected the foundation’s approach to food security, in the face of the intensifying climate crisis, as doing more harm than good on the continent. They called on the Gates Foundation and other AGRA donors to listen to small-scale farmers and stop supporting industrial agriculture.

At the time of filing the report, efforts to reach the leadership of the AGRA in Kenya were not successful, Worse still, their Nigeria Country officials refused to speak on the matter.

The drive to increase agricultural output has motivated the promulgation of a roadmap for growth with emphasis on private sector investment in commercial farming. One of these is in building capacities in the wheat cultivation value chains. There are increasing efforts to boost the nation’s wheat production volume. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

For more than five years, there have been increasing focus on improving the production of wheat.

In the drive to ramp up production, the Federal Government, working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),  has funded efforts to expand land under cultivation, enhance yields per hectare and reduce the country’s food import bill, especially for wheat, that dominates the list of imported food products.

It has found an ally in African Development Bank (AfDB), which promotes heat-tolerant wheat production technology, to boost production.The support comes under the bank’s $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Production Facility.

The AfDB stated that the goal was to reduce the product’s import by 40 per cent by next year.  The technology is being cultivated on 87,000 hectares, with the potential to expand to 250,000 hectares this season.

The government also is wooing domestic and international agricultural entrepreneurs into producing more bread wheat to reduce imports.

Last year, Olam, and its subsidiary Crown Flour Mill Limited (CFM), launched a N300 million 10-year project for farmers to increase their production of wheat. The project demonstrates new heat-tolerant varieties of wheat and promotesimproved agronomic practices using a participatory approach that directly engages farmers.

It also engaged at least 10 women farmers’ associations to become true drivers of change for their communities by training women to lead community-based seed enterprises.

The enterprises  produce and make available high value seeds to farmers in their local communities.

Speaking during  Olam Green Land Webinar Series,  the Managing Director, CFM, Ashish Pande, highlighted the company’s  engagement to address the wheat  production crisis, in collaboration with international partners.

Pande said the company was striving to ensure that the long-term viability of the wheat  with the development of high-yielding local wheat varieties.

Its partnership with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI),  he   said, would  lead to new varieties that would be popularised through on-farm demonstrations.

He said efforts would be made to demonstrate improved varieties at large scale and disseminated to farmers.

Senior Scientist, Durum Wheat Breeder of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Dr Filippo M. Bassi,  described wheat production as a ‘good business’and also gives people the right to food security.

According to him, policies that promote the application of technology and good seedlings should be implemented to attain sustainability in wheat production.

Principal Research Officer, Lake Chad Research Institute, Dr. Kachalla Kyari Mala, said wheat research had been challenged by terrorists and bandits, therby making farming difficult in Borno State.

He said the institute had to move its trials to Kano and Jigawa states where insecurity was not a major challenge.

An international organisation, TechnoServe has said it is targeting $1.5bn from cashew sales in West Africa under its Prosper Cashew project by 2030.

Chief of Party, TechnoServe, Krishanu Chakravarty, made this known during an interactive meeting with private sector operators, donor community, government agencies and other major players in the cashew industry at the weekend.

Chakravarty said the Prosper Cashew project, which is bringing about a big boost to the cashew value chain, would link operators in the sector to information, capital, innovation and relevant markets as well as generate thousands of jobs in the West Africa region.

“Prosper Cashew will be remembered in 2030 as a catalyst to transformational impact; $1.5 billion in cashew kernel sales; 26,000 new jobs; 133,000 women, children, and men indirectly benefited,” he said.

While saying that the project has ensured an ecosystem that expanded volumes of processed cashew in the region, Chakravarty said the scheme would bring about a big increase in profitability within the cashew industry.

Regional Director of TechnoServe West Africa, Larry Ummuna, said the organisation would leave no stone unturned to reposition the cashew industry in the region through robust collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Ummuna said: “We have no doubt that as TechnoServe, in collaboration with all of you, that we can truly transform the cashew processing industry not only in Nigeria but in the region.

“For those of you who may not know TechnoServe, TechnoServe is an international not for profit organisation, and we work to deliver business solutions to poverty in nearly 30 countries around the globe.

“For us it is about impact, it is about results, it is about increasing income for smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs. We also take pride in contributing to the growth of businesses – small, medium and large corporations.”

Managing Director of African Cashew Alliance, Ernest Mintah, lamented the wide gap between the continent and Asia in the area of cashew processing, adding that concerted efforts are needed to change the situation.

Mintah said: “There is a lot of work to be done in the continent as we grow processing (capacity), we are processing about 10 percent of production in the continent. But it cannot be done alone by the government or by the private sector. It has to be also done by concerted efforts of our development partners, that is why we of the African Cashew Alliance are very excited of the presence of Prosper Cashew Project being implemented through funding from USDA (United States Department for Agriculture) in the cashew sector.

“We know the USDA project of Prosper Cashew will focus on processing, particularly attracting investment for processing in Africa and we will be able to change the landscape and expand job creation in the sector.”

The Director Product Development, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Obidike Evelyn, said cashew was one of the major products that has received the attention of the Federal Government in its export promotion drive and in its quest to fully diversify the economy.

She commended TechnoServe for the Prosper Cashew initiative and urged the organisation to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NEPC to ensure more collaborative efforts towards a more business friendly environment for cashew farmers and processors.

According to her, the Nigerian market needs a unique selling proposition in bringing up data-driven innovations in terms of production, processing, marketing sustainability, certification and traceability.

Private agribusiness farmers BAAY Agro and Greenbles have partnered with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria to plant five million seedlings in the next years.

Launched in Iseyin, Oyo State, the partnership is to integrate over 5000 cashew small hold farmers to its plan by researching viable seedlings and making them available for trained farmers at no cost.

Director of cashew planning, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN) Dr O.S Ibiremo emphasised on the economical advantages of the value chain attributed to cashew and other perennial crops.

He stated how important farmers are to this value chain and how they have been short changed due to lack of value addition.

Ibiremo established that private firms should look in to local processing to help the farmers.

He clearly stated the role of CRIN as a research institute that would partner in areas of research and training support for women, haven mentioned that over 75% of personnel in cashew processing are women.

Founder of Baay Agro, Segun Adegoke expressed appreciation to the farmers for their support since 2021.

He also launched the BAAY AGENCY who are smart local liaison,and according to him would be trained to use the smart application to further make these empowerment seamlessly over the next 10 years.

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The Baay Agro boss emphasised the long term goal which is to have an integrated services.

He specifically stated the plan to partner with all stakeholders and government to bring a processing machine to Oyo State, which will in turn bring markets closer to the farmers.

He also said creating employment for the locals and fostering economical prosperity of the rural community which will be their contribution to food security campaign of the United Nations.

Saeed Oshin, COO of Greenbles awarded the smart farmers of the year amidst the locals and solicited for their continuous engagement in smart farming.

Some of the small holder farmers raised concern surrounding planting, timelines to reach yield, market access, attacks amongst others.

“The farmers would however be supported year in year out for the next five years in areas of seedlings, soil viability testing, trainings, farm inputs, market access, agribusiness information, mapping and farm data analysis using GIS,” Oshin said.

With agriculture sustaining 70 per cent of the nation’s livelihoods, analysts believe developing agro-tech solutions to enable data-driven, precise and connected farming will help farmers optimize yields, boost productivity and increase their profitability. There are moves to drive innovation in the food system and explore strategies for production to build a vibrant agri-food hub. The purpose is to catalyze sustainable food production. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Recently, food producers, agribusiness owners, entrepreneurs, investors, research institutions and policymakers met in Lagos to chart the way forward for Nigeria’s agriculture.
At the event, organized by Heifer International, participants observed that there was a need for renewed focus on innovative solutions to bolster food security.

Heifer’s Country Director, Rufus Idris, identified many shortfalls in food security.

As Nigeria has awoken to the reality of the importance of agriculture, Idris said, the sector should be insulated from digital disruption in the drive to increase farming.
Given the challenges, Idris noted that governments and the private sector should play more roles in powering relevant conversations to make the agri-food tech ecosystem active.
According to him, Nigeria is facing pressing food security challenges, which require deploying agri-tech to improve productivity, decision-making and access to markets.
With technology, he said a lot of solutions could emerge to change the face of farming, including using smart tools and platforms for precision farming, predicting weather patterns, maximizing the use of scarce water resources.
For this reason, he said, Heifer International has taken up the gauntlet to highlight some key issues in the industry, and to provide a platform for agri-food tech startups to develop innovations that can solve producers’ problems.
He said the organization has launched a challenge for agro startups. Heifer International’s AYuTe Africa Challenge, according to him, is a new contest to boost agriculture across Africa.
According to him, the competition would identify the best small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who can transform food systems.
He said the competition would offer young entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch for investment in their aggrotech solutions to boost the incomes and productivity of Africa’s smallholder farmers.
Idris said: “The national competition in Nigeria has been initiated as an enterprise development programme to further identify, nurture and support innovative, relevant and technology-driven agriccentric enterprises to grow, scale and thrive.
“We are excited to announce and kick-start the AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria with a grant of $20,000 to the most promising young agritech innovator in Nigeria. This is in line with Heifer’s strategic goal of unleashing the hidden agricultural treasures among African youths.”
He added: “Through this challenge, we hope to further inspire the youth population to continue to embrace agriculture as a career option of choice while promoting creative professionals that are using technology to re-imagine farming and food production across the country. The winner will also be the Nigerian champion (flag-bearer) for the AYuTe Africa Challenge.”
He called on startups to participate in it as winners would gain access to financial support, research, and development opportunities.
Other benefits include a collaboration that ensures commercially viable and investable solutions and partnerships between agritech startups.
A combination of forward-thinking farmers and a fast-growing entrepreneurial community, Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, noted, is good for agritech entrepreneurs looking to develop technologies for the economy.
Also, to tackle the problems of those with small farming land, coupled with that of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Olusanya said the government had set up some programmes and incentives for food production and innovation.
She restated the readiness of the state government support development, commercialization and adoption of agrifood tech innovation and to assist more farmers to be more productive and efficient.
She said Lagos was proving the pathway for startups to generate agritech innovation. According to her, providing high quality startups was vital to building the agri-food tech ecosystem in the country.
Ms Olusanya commended Heifer International for the initiative of assisting to drive growth and development in agriculture across Africa, particularly in Nigeria, by encouraging innovation and supporting programmes geared towards accelerating agritech startups, youth-owned agribusinesses, and other business stakeholders along the agriculture value chain.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would serve as a catalyst for development and secures a greater future for the nation.
Senior Vice President, Africa Programmes, Heifer International, Adesuwa Ifedi said: “This competition provides an opportunity for young innovators in Nigeria to secure the funding and visibility they need to scale up their agritech solutions to reach millions of farmers across Africa.
“There is huge potential for economic growth and employment in agriculture across Africa, but new ideas and technologies are urgently needed. It’s time for Africa’s tech-savvy youth to use their innovation skills to transform the sector.”
For co-founder, Corporate Farmers International, Mr. Akin Alabi, the boom in agriculture technology, is helping farmers make better decisions with information about their soil, water, crop and climatic conditions.
Locally, he said, his organisations were working with smallholder farmers to get their yield up, to meet rising demand. In line with this, Corporate Farmers International, unveiled three initiatives —Agricultural e-learning Academy, Eko School Agric and Farm Support Service – to uplift agriculture and close major gaps within the sector.
Alabi explained that the agric e-learning academy platform was designed to close the gap in agric education through digitization, by educating Nigerians on innovative agro-practices.
He said the firm specializes in farmer-driven research and extension that delivers on-the-ground benefits to farmers.
According to him, it was important to work with farmers to understand what they need, and to support startups and innovators to drive collaborative change. Efforts to support Nigeria’s agriculture have also come from Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). CropIn and AGRA have partnered in a programme that seeks to increase the access to extension services by farmers in Africa.

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In the new partnership, CropIn and AGRA will select and train 10,626 entrepreneurial VBAs to reach three million farmers in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tanzania and Mozambique. The VBAs will facilitate the training of farmers through ‘mother and baby’ demonstrations – where ‘mother’ is a demonstration site and ‘baby’ is the farmer’s plot. Regular performance comparisons of the both plots will be made to assess the quality of training received by farmers.
CropIn, AI-led Software as a Service (SaaS)-based agritech organisation, offers a centralised digitalisation platform that will be accessed by AGRA, its implementation partners and VBAs for a review of farmer engagements.
SaaS is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted.
The platform will generate farmer scores based on the performance of their plots and other socio-economic factors, enabling CropIn and AGRA to make appropriate adjustments in their support.
Also, the digitalisation of VBA activity will enhance their linkages with other service providers to increase their capacity for the last-mile delivery of agricultural inputs and services.
CropIn’s Chief Revenue Officer, Jitesh Shah, said: “In these unprecedented times, VBAs have restricted movement, and are unable to train farmers in gatherings of more than two-10 people. There is, therefore, a critical need to improve on a digital extension to ensure that farmers continue to gain access to information, and the input they need to sustainably increase productivity and income. Knowledge dissemination and advisory services to farmers via VBAs will be provided through the digital platform by the remotely-placed agronomists. Advisories provided will be on sustainable farming practices, pest and disease outbreak, weather forecast, and more. We expect to see significant growth in this sector once our solutions are implemented.”
AGRA’s Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Vanessa Adams, added: “There has not been a time when extension and related agbiz services have been needed more than now. Amid new challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic related market volatility, locust attacks, and the growing effects of climate change, farmers in Africa need all the support available to build resilient and highly productive agricultural systems. Thankfully, we are now able to scale up digital technologies to work around some of the accessibility limitations to sustain impactful interactions linking farmers to agro-dealers and markets across the continent. We see this partnership with CropIn as one of many critical COVID responses to strengthen the VBAs and their farmer services support towards improved livelihoods.This is a learning initiative as well, where the data generated will be critical in informing future plans for last mile development.” To support digital transformation in Africa’s agribusiness sector, modernise supply chains and boost farmers’ productivity and incomes, Microsoft, through its 4Afrika initiative, and International Finance Corporation (IFC), last year partnered to make digital tools and training resources more accessible to small-scale farmers, and agriculture-linked small businesses. The deal leverage Microsoft 4Afrika’s unique digital platforms and IFC’s Agribusiness Leadership Programme to help small-scale farmers, their cooperatives, and “last mile retailers” access information and digital tools to strengthen farming practices, build business professionalism and improve food security and traceability throughout the supply chain.
A mobile platform is being piloted among farmers, including those in Kenya, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Uganda. The first pilot’s aim is to support 50,000 farmers and 50 cooperatives.

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Lagos State has commenced another round of skill acquisition programme in the Post Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme for 50 youths and small stock (goat) production for 49 youths.

The programme is designed by the Federal Government under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to curb mass unemployment.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Lagos, the State Coordinator Mrs. Serena Olayebi-Edward, who represented the Director General NDE Mallam Nuhu Fikpo, said the Post-SADTS and Small Stock (Goat) production are programmes under the rural employment promotion of the NDE.

Olayebi-Edward explained that the training is in line with the Federal Government’s policy to curb unemployment, create wealth and generate employment among youths.

She stated that goat production is an economically viable business venture because of its value-chain for commercial production.

‘’It also has great employment potential and enjoys a wide market share with all the products in high demand. Also, the benefits of engaging in goat production along its value chain are quite enormous in improving the livelihood of youths,’’ she stressed.

The 49 carefully selected youths will undergo a one-week intensive training in Small Stock (Goat) production while 50 youths who have previously been trained in poultry, crop production and fishery under SADTS will also undergo a one-week intensive training in Post-SADTS on how to start-up and sustain their businesses.

She urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously and grasp all aspects of the training to optimise the opportunity made available to them.

Africa’s growth requires increased investments in skills and capacity for sustainable development in agriculture. In this report, DANIEL ESSIET examines how innovative research and capacity building could help Africa respond to the challenges of food security and climate change.

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has forecast that global food production will need to be increased by 70 per cent to meet the growing population expected to hit 9.1 billion by 2050.

Executive Director, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, based in Ghana, is one of those pushing for greater deployment of bio-scientists to address food security to ensure that Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa grew enough  to feed future generations. He has been pushing this with bio-scientists working in crop and livestock industries.

The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), in partnership with West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has canvassed the need for crop improvement and seed sector development in Africa to increase productivity.

To provide enough food for Africa, with very limited natural resources, AGRA wants research institutions to breed crops that can help farmers get the highest yield of production. This has led also to the development of crops that are pest and disease resistant as well as drought-tolerant.

When agro and food firms want to produce top-grade cereals, an Imo State University-based crop expert, Prof Martins Onuh, urged that they should join hands with researchers.

Such partnerships, according to him, would deliver new varieties with higher yields.

Top agro firms seeking higher yields from cassava turn to the international Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for support and collaboration.

This year, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, NABG, and IITA resolved to partner on research solutions and technology to boost agribusiness.

NABG President Emmanuel Ijewere, who confirmed this, said: “The essence of the partnership is whatever is good should not be kept in the drawer or in secret. It must be brought out to people to improve their lives, and IITA has been in Nigeria for many years and has done many research that have improved the agricultural space and have so many potential, but, unfortunately, those who are supposed to benefit from it, don’t know so much about it because the more you the more you ask.

“NABG, being a private sector organisation, we ran to our brothers in IITA, saying, ‘those things you have discovered over the years, ‘tell us about them let us see how we can make money from it’. Working with them closely, we intend to translate what the research has produced.”

Institutions such as IITA provide professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise in food production, such as bio-scientists, who work with farmers, academics and experts to find more opportunities in the food production system.

Bio-sciences describe several biology-related disciplines such as agriculture, biochemistry, biotechnology, medicine and genomics engaged in real scientific advancement.

More farmers have benefited from IITA‘s works, thanks to its significant investment in bio-sciences research. Its experts have earned international recognition for their roles in developing new technologies, used around the world.

The institute has continued to support cutting-edge research and innovation, future researchers, and demonstrate the relevance and value of bio-sciences in delivering significant economic benefits for the agricultural sector.

The IITA–CGIAR Bio-science Centre a held training on basic molecular biology techniques for Masters and doctorate students from various African universities at the IITA, Ibadan campus.

This year’s workshop accommodated 16 students. They were trained by nine IITA Bio-science staff, including Director of IITA West Africa Hub and Head of Bioscience Centre, Michael Abberton, and Bio-science Laboratory Manager Yemi Fajire.

As part of its commitment to supporting agricultural innovations in the country, the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered into a partnership with Iowa State University (ISU) to train 10 Nigerian scientists and regulators.

This is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the United States and Nigeria and assisting policymakers, researchers, and technical experts to understand the role of modern biotechnology in agricultural innovation.

Also, the Kenya-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is training bio-scientists. Its Director-General, Jimmy Smith, pointed out that the continent had enormous opportunities to transform itself by mobilising bio-sciences.

 

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Farmers Quotes

To be a farmer is to be a student forever, for each day brings something new – John Connell

• As long as there’s a few farmers out there, we’ll keep fighting for them – Willie Nelson
• To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. –Mahatma Gandhi
• The master’s eye is the best fertilizer – Pliny the Elder
• The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings – Masanobu Fukuoka
•  Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness – Thomas Jefferson

 

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ILRI’s Bio-sciences eastern and central Africa Hub (BecA-ILRI) in Kenya aims at strengthening African research capacity building in agriculture, knowledge and innovation systems to achieve food and nutrition security, and increase research in crop improvement, livestock productivity, food safety, climate change mitigation and sustainable environmental management.

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morroco through training is developing bio-sciences researchers to develop sustainable solutions to promote agriculture.

The collaboration with leading universities in agro-bio-sciences provides access and transfer of solutions for farmers and ranchers.

Swiss agribusiness Syngenta has been addressing Nigeria’s food insecurity by fuelling innovation among experts and applying advanced analytics in biochemistry and agriculture.

The Centre for Agriculture and Bio-sciences International (CABI)-led a research prioritised 120 potential Invasive Alien Species (IAS) that could pose a threat to agriculture and biodiversity in Kenya.

Since the research was conducted in 2018, four pest species have been found to be in Kenya. These are two arthropods (red gum lerp psyllid and the spotted wing drosophila) and two pathogenic organisms (the bacterial species, P. parmentieri and the viroid, potato spindle tuber viroid).

Pests being managed include the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) – where an AgBiTech/CABI partnership under the Action on Invasives programme in Kenya and South Sudan has seen the baculovirus product Fawligen prove effective against the pests.

The centre has brought global attention to the use of eco-friendly and cost-effective bio-control options.

Agricorp Chief Executive Kenneth Obiajulu supports the growth of a strong and competitive sciences sector, with cutting-edge bio-manufacturing capabilities.

His desire is for the government and the private sector to drive innovation and scale up training activities in the agric sector that would help translate commercially-promising research into new products to drive the growth of agriculture.

He called for innovation centres in agriculture where entrepreneurs, academic researchers, innovators and agro enterprises can access a full spectrum of services, including scientific expertise and research infrastructure.

He believes Nigeria has a diverse talent pipeline which needs to be supported to transform innovative ideas into the agricultural discoveries of tomorrow.

The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria, Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, are working on maize value chain to reduce risk for farmers.

EU mandated the Alliance of European Universities and Research Centres specialising in agricultural research for development (Agrinatura) to undertake a detailed overview of the maize value chain from the economic, social and environmental point of view.

The study was conducted by a team of national and international experts from Agrinatura.

The report acknowledged that Nigeria remains one of the world’s leading maize producers, especially of non-genetically modified white maize.

However, with demand on the rise, both as food and from the processing industry, the country is still exposed to risks of supply shortfall.

According to Agrinatura, the study generated evidence-based knowledge to help policymakers underpin and fine-tune policy actions and interventions in the value chain to enhance its sustainable and inclusive development.

“The VCA4D analysis provides a baseline, useful to appreciate the evolution of the sector over time, also in contexts of investment (like the one promoted by EDFI AgriFi).

The maize value chain plays a vital role in the local cereal market, in terms of food supply for the population, livelihoods for the rural population, food security of the country, and regular source of additional income to subsistence farmers.

Arcadia Bio-sciences, Inc. and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) have been driving  rice varieties for smallholder farmers in Africa. Using its bio-science expertise, the company provides improved rice lines to African research collaborators for field-testing.

The partnership has led to increased rice productivity, improved profitability for farmers, and benefits the environment. Both organisations are determined to solve the challenges of availability of new agricultural technologies to African farmers.

The organisations believe salt-tolerant African rice provides substantial economic benefits to smallholder African farmers by reducing total input costs and increasing yields.