Category: Agriculture

Donor agencies working with federal and state governments have been funding projects designed to improve small-scale farmers’ activities and domestic food supply. In remote and rural communities, poverty is high.There are growing concerns that the impact of such funds is not being felt by farmers. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Millions of dollars come in as grants yearly to support projects aimed boosting opportunities for agripreneurs to establish agro-related, commercially viable businesses.

Such grants cover basic services, water supply and sanitation, agriculture, governance, and the private sector.

Farmers in the North and Southwest plant crops which require a lot of water to grow, as droughts stress the plants.

With spells of drought, many     migrate to areas near the River Niger and other plants to take advantage of fertile banks, to enable them to cultivate food crops.  Such areas are not plenty in the North.

Inaddition, it has been difficult for farmers to develop indigenous irrigation systems to sustain food production because of scanty rainfall.

Indeed, access to irrigation has been critical to farmers.

To address this, the government and stakeholders have been pursuing major construction to increase the number of dams and storage capacity nationwide.

In this respect, there have been donor-led efforts globally to address the imbalance between increasing food demand and lower agricultural yields.

The World Bank and other donor agencies have been supporting projects to reduce farmers’ dependence on rain-fed farming methods.

Largely, the projects centered on  providing small scale irrigation technology to farmers.

Ordinarily, farmers who regularly face droughts and lack of water during planting should be considered.  But that is not the situation.

So far, the number of farmers without irrigation kits has not improved.

According to a   study by SBMIntel, a Lagos-based  research  firm,  on the impact of ravaging effects of drought and flooding in seven states last year, “More than half of the farmers engaged had no irrigation system, even when they believed that it will help greatly in their farming endeavours.”

The study covered Nasarawa, Osun, Benue, Oyo, Katsina, Ogun and Lagos.

The report stated that 57.90 per cent of the respondents “they do not own any irrigation system that could help complement the absence of rainfall”.

In some areas in the Northeast, it is a task growing potatoes, cabbages, broccoli, and chilies. This is because of desperate use of water.

Currently, pumping water to farms in most areas of the North and the Middle Belt is costly.

The Chief Executive, Brote Urban Farm, Abuja, Innocent Mokidi, said  success in poultry encouraged him to diversify into vegetable farming. The move, The Nation learnt, was aimed at tapping into the growing market for organic foods. He had some key challenges to address when he started.

One was inadequate wider irrigation system.

Through personal savings, he has been able to acquire various climate-smart technologies such as drip irrigation.

If grants allocated for such projects were properly utilised, he explained, it would have been easy for small-holder farmers such as himself to access irrigation equipment.

In ideal environments, where donor funds are properly utilised, farmers are exposed to various irrigation schemes, including on-farm sprinklers and drip systems. The implementers of the grants ensure installation of gravity-based irrigation networks to ensure supplies to pump water.

In Nassarawa, where he farms, farmers have taken irrigation into their hands, to increase production. which they supplement it with erratic rainfall.

According to Mokidi, the challenge of misappropriation of  donor  funds  has  threatened progress toward achieving  food  security and ending hunger.

He  added that it had put small-scale farming at risk since they supply the largest  amount of food to Nigerians.

He expressed fears that donor  financed irrigation kits were often given to people that were not  farmers.

While there were challenges to implementing donor-funded agriculture, Mokidi noted that their  approach to  funding only the  farmers’ training was not pragmatic as what they needed was little capital and input support to grow their  farms.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Niji Farms, Kolawole Adeniji, shared the same view. He said: “Donors are mostly funding training of farmers.

“Unless the donors change their funding interests, it will  be difficult to evaluate the  impact on young  farmers  as  capital is  essential to spurring  productivity, improving  incomes and livelihoods and importantly creating  jobs.”

According to him, the major problem of new farmers is access to capital and not training.

 

             Advice

He advised donors and the government to ensure transparency by including financial reporting projects in the agriculture.

Regular financial briefing, he said,  would give farmers and the public some confidence in the integrity of those who receive and disburse funds.

Indeed, experts have condemned poor accountability of donors’ funds.This comes against a backdrop of rising concerns from donors over management and oversight of agricultural projects. There have been misgivings over alleged financial misconduct and poor oversight.

The Nation learnt that corruption, fraud and embezzlement have characterised the management of agricultural programmes that is why there are suspicion, trailing World Bank and other donor supported projects.

 

Stemming corruption

To ensure inclusive growth, the President, Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche, urged donors and government to ensure that farmers receive grant to realise their business plans.

Such grants, according to him, would support improved agricultural production.

He  noted that  but  for the fraudulent management of grants,   such funding  models would  support agricultural development by helping to ensure wealth creation among low-income segments and growth of the rural economy.

Over the coming years, donors   have  continued to fund agriculture to boost food production.

For instance, the African Investment Forum’s Market Days 2021, one of the flagship initiatives of African Development Bank (AfDB) is expected to attract billions of dollars for agriculture and other sectors as the continent seeks to rebound from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

In a year,  not less than $500,000 is spent yearly on  some organisations (NGOs) carrying out  donor supported government  projects across the country.

While misappropriation exist in the system, the Programme Director of Development Dynamics, Dr. Jude Handle, said the conditions provided by the donors fail to recognise the peculiarity of the nation’s farming calendar. He  explained that grants come in late after planting .

This, he  stressed, makes  it difficult for  beneficiaries to  utilise  the funds at  the phased period.

Since farmers on average spend about 30 per cent of their expenditures on input, he noted, that there was no way the late disbursement of grants would have positive impact with the farming season already near plants maturing phase.

 

Farmers’ misgivings

Farmers have expressed  concerns over the poor impact of donors funds allocated to agriculture.

Some stakeholders believe  agriculture has become a laundry machine for politicians as some of them use it to siphon funds.

Early last year, the House of Representatives mandated the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to investigate the administration and performance of donors’ funding for agricultural projects to unearth its inabilities to achieve its  objectives. This was sequel to a motion by Hon. Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante (PDP: Rivers) on the need to investigate the administration of donor assisted funds for agricultural projects.

Presenting the motion, Hon Abiante stated that over the years, the Federal Government has been partnering and acquiring loans and grants from donor agencies such as the World Bank, ADB, UN, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the International Development Agency (IDA), among others, to improve agricultural production.

He stated that over $1billion of the donor’s fund had been spent on various gricultural projects wby government’s agencies.

Speaking further, Hon. Abiante noted that since 1985, IFAD has financed 11 agricultural projects in the country with $509.62 million, while several millions of dollars have also been committed to the implementation of Fadama project by the World Bank since 1993.

He explained that the various agricultural projects were put in place to assist farmers, especially the rural ones, with the funds to improve their ventures, thus meeting the food demand of the fast-growing population, guarantee food security, reduce oil dependency, diversify and grow the economy.

He expressed concern that despite the objectives of these projects and the humongous financial contributions of the international donors, the country was still grappling with the problem of food sufficiency and farmers prosperity.

He wondered if the resources were well utilised and account for.

He called for an investigation of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its parastatals that are in charge of the’ administration of agricultural donor funding projects.

Despite the foregoing, last year’s Global Nutrition Report,  stated that funding to food and nutrition-related sectors is insufficient.

Consequently,  the  World Food Programme has urged donors to  allocate $5.5 billion to prevent famine globally.

IFAD has increased the donor contribution target for its 2022-2024 replenishment cycle to $1.6 billion.

IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience.

 

Despite increased government attention, the pace of the sector’s growth has been considerably slow. Nigerians are expecting a thriving agricultural sector capable of addressing poverty, food insecurity and creating livelihood opportunities. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

THE economy did not grow remarkably in the outgone year, influenced by unstable exchange rate and high inflation. This is despite improved tax collection and increased revenues. Even with oil revenues picking up, the economy experienced a crushing contraction following the coronavirus  outbreak.

While the agricultural and food sector holds the potential to become the driving force behind economic development, its performance is expected to be boosted by highly-productive and technologically advanced agribusinesses.

Stakeholders expect the  government to address and overcome several challenges in the sector, including low agricultural productivity, susceptibility to weather shocks, poor management of land, water, and soils, and high losses.

The sector was hurt by several shocks such as sporadic flooding, Boko Haram insurgency, and conflicts between herdsmen and local farmers.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation has been on the rise, attributed to insecurity. Currently,  smallholder farmers  are scared of going to their farms due to kidnappings and killings.

Analysts expect the government to tackle the challenges that bedeviled the sector last year in 2022. For them, except there is a response to banditry in the North, food security will be negatively impacted.

Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs)

The first phase of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) will be implemented in seven states  — Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, and Oyo) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) this year. It will support inclusive and sustainable agro-industrial development.

Dairy

One area which needs attention is the dairy market with a potential of $6.5 billion. In  February 2020, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched a programme to conserve foreign exchange and encourage local production of milk and dairy products. It is hoped that the programme will enhance the production of milk and milk derivatives.

It remains to be seen FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, Chi Limited, TG Arla Dairy Products Limited, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Nestle Nigeria Plc, and Integrated Dairies Limited exempted and approved by CBN, following  the  policy, to import milk and dairy products have keyed into the Federal Government’s backward integration programme as the solution to increase dairy productivity.

Fisheries

The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture declared by the UN for 2022 is going to provide Nigeria and the rest of the world an opportunity to respond to the needs and problems faced by artisanal fishing, which constitutes a crucial source of employment, livelihood, food and nutrition for millions of families and coastal communities.

Better protection against climate risks

Given the effects of climate change there is unusually dry weather in the North and frigid overnight temperatures. Hence, farmers are looking for agricultural insurance with affordable premiums to reduce the shocks they experienced last year.

Crop breeding

The industry expects organisations such as the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and other research institutes to support the government and farmers in the bid to  prioritise crops and increase yields through the introduction of high-yielding varieties, and increasing the genetic potential of various varieties in the next few years. Experts want more  focus on growing rice and other staples this year.

Investment flow

Stakeholders are looking forward to increased investments across the agro-business value chain, if the sector’s potential is to be fully realised. Nigeria has strong potential for agricultural growth.  So far, products such as grains, fruits, livestock, fisheries and forestry are doing well due to fertile soils. The expectations are that the sector will be given enough incentives to export more products; the government needs to open the sector to inputs and capital goods for production to guarantee competitiveness and specialisation.

Digital agriculture

Over the past five years, funding in agritech startups has been rising. Since the food sector holds the potential to grow the economy, innovations are needed that can kick-start production and productivity.

Like other sectors, more startups will emerge in the sector to play a major role in transforming the industry to better meet needs. Afrimash Company Limited, an online platform that connects farmers to quality inputs from verified suppliers across various value chains, will expand its operations this year.

In 2019, the Federal Government launched a 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan to curtail the movement of cattles, boost livestock production and quell the country’s herders-farmers conflicts. States have been responding by supporting ways to improve livestock production. It involves a cattle ranching programme to teach farmers to adapt to modern methods, DANIEL ESSIET examines the innovation.

The demand for beef in Nigeria has been steadily rising each year. This growth is having a noticeable impact on the price and availability of beef in many parts of the country.

Over the last two years, there have been collaborative efforts to increase and improve beef production and transform the lives of smallholder farmers.

As part of the  efforts  to empower  farmers, the Lagos  government is encouraging private sector  operators  to create  feedlot  that accommodate  cattle and also act as breeding centres  where scientific artificial insemination  can be  undertaken. It is partnering the private sector to drive a cattle fattening project that would lead to significant increases in incomes for farmers.

One of the champions is Anthony Agbonlahor. He is proving that ranching is one of the cattle-rearing models that work.

He explained that ranches are dedicated farm areas that focus on cattle rising.

He runs the pilot ranch project located in Badagry Local Government Area in partnership with the Lagos  government.

The farm sits on a large land and has a system to provide water to the cows.

He said the mission was to see healthy cows, producing more milk than those of farmers moving from place to place.

Having gotten the backing of the Lagos government, Agbonlahor, is determined to drive the  project  in such a way that it would deliver rewards by putting wholesome beef on the plates of Lagos consumers.

Visiting a farm like the one run by Agbonlahor is very inspiring and the government is working to ensure that these kinds of farms become the norm across the state.

If he succeeds, it could be revolutionary — not just for the farmers in Lagos but herders across the country, especially in the South planning to produce cattle.

In recent months, Lagos has been driving the campaign for modern livestock production.

The system   has a range of benefits include healthier livestock.

The prototype is a farm that provides living fence, feedlots with richer forage, better fed and healthier cattle.

During a visit to the pilot farm in Badagry, run by Agbonlahor, the  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Hakeem Oduyinka Adeniji, expressed hope  that ranching  would  pay off, offering new income opportunities for farmers as  the government  was  very eager to test and implement  the system  approach in other parts of the  state.

He sees the ranching project   giving farmers a path out of poverty and delivering an unexpected return to agriculture.

Under ranching, cattle are brought into an inclusive production system.

Using feedlot, it takes about three months to breed a cow to full size that can be sold for consumption.

The programme allows the animals to stay in one place where they can be taken care of, fed and nurtured in terms of diseases. It also controls the spread of diseases.

According to Adeniji, the  explosion of feedlots and ranches across the state, would make entrepreneurs not to  worry about growing food for the animals.

“I’m sure that when people get to know about this, they will want to go into it for commercial sales,” he said.

He said that the state government has established the pilot ranching project in Badagry where people can see what to do and be able to establish it on their own.

According to the Director, Veterinary Services, Dr. Rasheed Molade Macaulay, “Cows lose a lot of meat and milk by walking a long distance, but when kept in an enclosure, they produce a high yield of meat and milk.”

Macaulay frowned on the nomadic way of cattle rearing in the country, describing it as counter-productive.

He noted that  animals  reared in ranches  have greater prospect for high meat yield and increased milk production.

Prospective cattle rearers will be exposed to ways to boost incomes through   adoption of fattening techniques.

Training support from Lagos government will enable them to be able to build fences, sheds and troughts on their lots.

Macaulay reiterated that the government  was determined to address the persistent herder-farmer clashes claiming lots of lives, by providing a ranch model.

Among the goals envisaged in the livestock development  plan  is that the country should have a viable livestock sector. One is that it is modern, using improved and highly-productive livestock breeds to ensure food security. In this regard, Lagos is   trail-blazed the sector, introducing various activities designed and intended to transform the livestock sector.

As part of this, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the government was partnering with the Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria (MAAN) to  explore the possibilities of maize production in the state.

The need for collaboration with MAAN  was coming on the heels of her visit to the Igbodu Feedlot in Epe.

According to Ms  Olusanya, MAAN would be planting about 167,000 hectares of maize across the country.

With an average maize output of five metric tonnes/hectare, she maintained that there was a potential for about 835,000 metric tonnes of silage for the would-be operators of feedlots in the state.

The state’s   plans for the future to support private sector players to establish more modern butcheries in major metropolises across  the  state so that people have ready and reliable access to quality meats.

There are efforts nationwide to boost incomes and support food securitythrough livestock farmers training and access to animals.

In Nassarawa, Awe Model Ranching Hub was inaugurated recently by President Muhammadu Buhari. It sits on a 22,000 hectres of land,  with 360 households living in the place.

 

The Lagos food sector looks set for major expansion in the years ahead with the government hoping to attract agri-food businesses from around the world to invest in local processing facilities. As part of a campaign to foster innovation in the food production industry, the Lagos food festival was recently inaugurated by the state government. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Plans to improve food security and production in Lagos are being driven by investment in arable farming, aquaculture and sea fishing as the government looks for sustainable solutions that would enable it to support a growing population.

The state’s ecology and landscapes supports a rich variety of fish, livestock, crops, fruit and vegetables.   As the government increases food production targets, new technologies and farming systems look set to play a crucial role in complementing traditional production techniques.

This was why the Lagos Food   Festival held featuring food and craft vendors of all flavours and styles, live music, cooking demonstrations, and much more. It held at Muri Okunlola Park, Victoria.

It was organised by the government as part of an initiative to boost agricultural growth and agro entertainment.

Also, the family-friendly gathering was conceived to showcase regional seafood and generate awareness about the significance of the Lagos commercial fishing industry.

Few hours  to the kickoff of the event, the  road leading to the venue was crawling with festivalgoers.

Things got off to a positive start with excellent weather and a festive atmosphere.  Artists presented cultural performances showcasing the state’s rich heritage.

The gastronomic feast encouraged culinary, artistic and cultural expression.  It featured food vendors, delightful cocktails, and top-notch entertainment.

Seafood lovers feasted on fresh fish shrimp, stone crab claws and more at the event.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and BBNaija Winner Whitemoney cooked at the festival. The governor assumed the role of a chef as he assisted the guest chef, Whitemoney, to cook a Lagos delicacy made from onion, smoked fish, mixed granules of bongo fish, cray fish, pepper and seasoning. He added: “The Food Festival was put together by the Ministry of Agriculture to exhibit local delicacies and agricultural commodities produced in Lagos for the international market.

“I encouraged the sellers to take advantage of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to grow their businesses, noting that part of the event’s objectives was to boost the entrepreneurial spirit of the residents.

“Our administration is very committed to promoting the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and we will continually carry out reforms to ensure the ease of doing business in Lagos.”

Sanwo-Olu reiterated the readiness of the government to   take advantage of the huge potentials in the State’s agricultural sector to boost economic growth.

According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Ruth Abisoye Olusanya, the Lagos food festival is an offshoot of the erstwhile annual Seafood festival at which the state celebrated its varieties of seafood, spiced up with other exciting activities.

The initiative, formerly known as Seafood Festival, is a yearly event hosted by the State Government to exhibit local delicacies and agricultural commodities produced in Lagos for international market.

Ms Olusanya said the players in the industry gather in the spirit of sharing fine food and a buzzing atmosphere full of art, music and positive energy.

The festival, according to the commissioner for agriculture, was to stimulate local and foreign investors’ interest in the food business.

Ms  Olusanya pointed out that Lagos with its statewide water assets is working on producing enough food for  consumption and have excess to export.

She announced that the state had recorded an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N1 billion in agriculture.

There were different foods, drinks, aqua products and agricultural commodities exhibited at the event. There was also a variety of games for children on the field.

For analysts, the potential of the consumer market is of strategic importance to the Lagos food producers.

One thing the festival sought to achieve was   participation of local and foreign investors build close relationships between fishermen, farmers, and seafood buyers, including owners of hotel and restaurant chains.

The highlight of the festival was undoubtedly fish. The goal  was  to bring fresh catch from prime fishing areas.

 

Sea cage farming is being promoted across riverine areas in Lagos. Young and old entrepreneurs are now looking at marine cage farming as a lucrative business. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

Initiated by the Lagos State, aquaculture in marine cages programme is providing a ray of light for many in the fishing sector in Afowo Community Owode, Apa Kingdom in Badagry Local Government Area.

Aimed at empowering 200 youths and women, the cage fish culture system is to further drive youth and women empowerment in a bid to help them make positive changes.

At the symbolic stocking of the cages in Badagry, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said each of the cages would be stocked with 1,000 juveniles of tilapia and catfish.

She added that each of the beneficiaries would also be given 20 bags of fish feeds, medication, as well as a monthly stipend of N15, 000 for four months before the fish is harvested in furtherance of the determination to help them succeed in the business.

Comrade Aladeotan David is a Coordinator, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Badagry West Local Branch. He is one of the beneficiaries. He is happy to be involved in cage culture because of the huge profits involved. He is a tilapia farmer.  To other aspiring entrepreneurs, David noted that tilapia aquaculture was so promising, adding that they have been taught to understand the value chain, as well as how to operate at minimum cost. He thanked the Ministry of Agriculture for   motivating him to start cage culture farming this year.

The same goes for Mrs Elizabeth Ogupe. Her participation in the cage aquaculture has opened up opportunity for her to make a living.

She sees it as a frontier for growth and for engaging youth and women in the community.

According to her, the efforts of the state government has helped to increase their understanding of managing, particularly the well-being of fish in cages.

Speaking on this, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Hakeem Oduyinka Adeniji, said fisheries sector was one of the main components towards guaranteeing continuous food supply in the state.

He   stated that the state government was working to reposition   the aquaculture sector for success and that strategies were in the framework to increase fish culture produce.

The goal, he stressed, was to expand the production of sustainable, marine cage culture while creating employment opportunities.

His words: “The objective is to empower youths and women. We have about 200 beneficiaries. This is the first circle. We are flagging off the harvest. The beneficiaries were selected from the community. We allowed the community to select the beneficiaries. They were then trained by our technical team”

So far, he noted that the result has been tremendous.

He added: “We have done two cycles of harvesting. It has generated interest from Benin Republic.”

Adeniji said the government was determined to promote sustainable utilisation of the rivers for food security and poverty alleviation.

Generally, while aquaculture (fish farming) has a great potential to replace the needed demand of fish, the farmers face several constraints, including fish seeds, feed and technology.

He said the government was also promoting marine cage farming with allowances for young people who want to be involved in it.

The Permanent Secretary said the government is working to ensure there were no issues that would pose a serious threat to the widespread adoption of cage system.

He noted that not only was the government taking care of these needs, but that the beneficiaries  were  offered  practical training on how to manage the business and   generate a good return on investment .

He reiterated that the government was implementing measures to improve the quality of fish products for local and export markets.

The cage culture enterprise, the Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Emmanuel Audu reiterated, was aimed at empowerment and using aquaculture to produce food, provide employment and generate income.

Audu noted that the government was encouraging the farmers to adopt practices that would improve the efficiency of their operations and boost the quality of fish products.

He said: “The technology allows the farmers to raise fish within their natural environment. We have recorded high efficiency in terms of feed conversion .The parameters are kept at fairly constant levels. We engage security men within the community to watch over the cages.”

According to him, the government wants to strengthen the aquaculture industry to enable it show sustained growth and become a key part of its economic framework.

He said the sale of fish is expected to realise income for the beneficiaries for them to restock their cages and have a cycle that allows fish to be available all year round.

Audu said the government started with 200 cages .He said there were challenges initially. One involved cannibalism especially among cat fish. He explained that cannibalism   was common among cat fish; hence they stock enough juveniles to prevent a situation where continuous eating of them could lead to the population diminishing considerably.

Sometimes, the farmers face nature’s challenges, with strong currents caused by speed boats posing a big challenge to keeping the cage suspended in the water.

He   explained that they have held meetings with marine transporters on responsible driving.

On the whole,  he thinks cage farming is the best technique for both quality and quantity of harvest, and it takes around four months for a cycle to complete for cat fish and six months for tilapia.

Generally, there are also no requirements for maintaining water quality because it is a dynamic system at sea. A cage comprises hard frames as support and nylon nets as cage body.

Also the cages are generally enclosed on all sides, except for an opening at the top for feeding and handling the stock.

To support the sector’s growth, there has been an increase in the number of local fish feed plants supplying the market.

There are moves to ensure that agriculture and food systems support access to nutritious foods for Nigerians, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Despite huge food security budgets, deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals have continued to pose a serious constraint to human health and economic development.

This has led to biofortified crops production being incorporated into national programmes for improving food production and nutrition security.

The result is the biofortification of crops such as beans, wheat, corn, sweet potato, rice, and pearl millet and enhanced nutritional content of yields like tomato, banana, sorghum, and barley.

Furthermore, the biofortification campaign is enhanced by good agronomic practices, such as soil management and fertiliser use that improves levels of micronutrients in soils.

Donors and research organisations are supporting plant breeders to develop new, productive and biofortified crop lines for farmers to grow, market and consume.

On the whole, farmers and organisations are working to create a combination of fortified foods that can help reduce malnutrition.

Giving reason for the intense biofortification campaign, the Managing Director and Chief Executive, BNSL Limited, Chioma Odimegwu, explained that many children under the age of five were Vitamin A deficient. She attributed it to micronutrient deficiency, also known as hidden hunger, stemming from consuming on a day-to-day basis a diet composed mostly of starchy staples.

In response to the nutritional challenge and to support the government,  she  said  private  sector organisations had joined the  campaign to promote the production of biofortified vitamin crops and food products.

According to her, micronutrient deficiencies—in particular, vitamin A, iron, folic acid and iodine—cause a wide range of health problems, including birth defects, maternal death, childhood mortality, impaired physical and mental growth, blindness, anaemia and increased susceptibility to infections.

To this end, she said the company had undertaken fortification of selected food items for the food product development by identifying diets and food consumption of children and adults. The products, according to her, also include various types of premix products.

One of the fortified products BNSL Limited has launched is enriched to address malnutrition in children.

Odimegwu said the company was working with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and other partners to leverage cost-effective food fortification initiatives that promise to improve health, cognitive development and productivity.

She stressed that improving nutrition was an important part of BNSL’s goal to support national fortification of regularly-consumed products, as appropriate to, and tailored for, local dietary needs and customs.

Specifically, she noted that the organisation sought to put in place several innovative interventions to address acute malnutrition. These interventions included the production of agricultural and animal food products with high nutritional value and making diversified and nutrient-rich products available and affordable throughout the year.

According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ogun State, Dr. Samson Odedina, biofortification of crops with enhanced levels of nutrients has become a central component of a multi-sectoral approach to tackling malnutrition.

According to him, biofortification has the government’ support as it has been included in the National Agriculture Policy Framework. Odedina, who spoke through the Director, Tree  Crops and Rural Development Services, James Oyetola, said the state  was ready to work with BNSL Limited in the campaign for high nutrient content in food that would lead to a rise in the demand for biofortified crops.

Since biofortification involves three procedures — selective breeding, seed priming, and genetic modification — to boost the nutritional value of the food in plants, Ogun State Government said it was ready to partner the private sector and farmers to drive improved agronomic activities and technological improvements which will lead to the growth of biofortified crops and products.

He said would partner the private sector to roll out interventions along the value chain, to enhance the availability of vitamins and minerals for people whose diets are dominated by micronutrient-poor staple food crops.

To tackle the malnutrition challenges and ensure that households  have access to affordable nutritious food, Deputy Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Shakin Agbayewa, said fortification of certain foods with specific nutrients was required as vitamin deficiencies were a greater concern.

According to him, combating malnutrition through food fortification is critical for long-term development of the country and for farmers.

The global biofortification market is expected to reach $130.4 million by 2025 ,according to a new report published by Fior Markets. The Federal Government of Nigeria has identified biofortification as a priority in its efforts to support nutrition through agriculture.

 

The National Council on Agriculture approved the approach as a key activity to tackle micronutrient deficiencies.

There are some interventions to boost domestic wheat output and cut the food import bill. It involves resolving issues that hinder the sector’s development, including farmers access to improved seeds. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

In the last years, there have been private sector’s efforts to expand farming and boost investments in wheat.

One of them is the repositioning of wheat as a principal driver of  growth, as well as a more integrated structuring of the sector that allows for an improved value chain.

Wheat production is inadequate to meet the demand, especially from millers and other consumers, who require at least 20 million tonnes yearly, according to analysts.

This means Nigeria is not able to meet its wheat requirements and, therefore, must import to fill the gap.

Several projects have been financed which are rural based to develop farmers’ capacity  and supply chains.

This is in addition to efforts to attract foreign investors and create opportunities for farmers’ benefit from various forms of aid, such as the provision of quality seeds and other input.

Not only is such support educating more farmers on the latest farming techniques and technologies, it also serves to attract more youths to the sector.

The investors are ensuring that the average yield improved from 10  tonnes per hectare(ha)  to 30.

They also support the cultivation of a special variant of  wheat that is adapted to the climate.This  emphasis is on large-scale wheat farming that utilises the latest machinery to boost domestic output.

With domestic production still under 400,000 tonnes yearly, there have been calls for more investment by the Federal Government for private sector players to invest more.

Olam, for instance, is collaborating with farmers to  strengthen the value chain.

Olam and its subsidiary Crown Flour Mill Limited (CFM), have launched a N300 million ($750,000) 10-year project to set up community seed enterprises for farmers to increase their wheat production.

The project would strengthen production in north.

It will trial new heat-tolerant varieties of wheat and improved agronomic practices using a participatory approach that directly engages farmers. It will also engage at least 10 female farmers’ associations to become true drivers of change for their communities by training women to lead community-based seed enterprises. The enterprises will produce and make available high value seed to farmers in their local communities.

Managing Director, CFM, Ashish Pande, said: “To ensure the long-term viability of the wheat sector in Nigeria, it is critical to identify and support the development of high-yielding local wheat varieties. This project will further stimulate the Federal Government’s drive towards the attainment of economic growth, the country’s agricultural research capabilities, employment generation, community development and the economic empowerment of women in Nigeria.”

The wheat value-chain project,  the outcome of extensive high-level consultations with key stakeholders, following the successful inaugural Olam Green Land Webinar Series in March, involves  Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), and Dr Filippo M. Bassi, Senior Scientist, Durum Wheat Breeder of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

LCRI Principal Research Officer, Dr. Kachalla Kyari Mala, said: “The institute is delighted to be a part of this intervention, as  it represents a laudable private sector financial support and contribution to all the work done and other ongoing research endeavours by the LCRI in the area of wheat development.”

The “community-based or village-based seed enterprises” to be employed by Olam on this project is a scalable strategy developed for Ethiopia by ICARDA’s scientists, where it has shown great success. ICARDA has since expanded its application to the river systems of Sudan, Senegal and Mauritania.

Bassi, a recipient of the Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security in 2017, said: “The selection of female farmer associations as community enterprises is premised on the fact that investing in rural women has proven to yield nearly double the development outcomes than previously done so. Women farmers are conscientious with their use of income, deploying it wisely, re-investing it in innovations and seeking the betterment of the whole community. African women are the true glue that keep the community together.”

 

The Federal Government says it is working tirelessly to crash the prices of food naturally between now and yuletide.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar stated this on Monday in Abuja during a working visit to the Agricultural Council of Nigeria (ARCN).

Abubakar assured that the Federal Government would not sit idly by watching food prices skyrocket.

He explained that the government was also working with international organisations for the agricultural sector to be improved, to increase production that will be sufficient for Nigeria’s teeming population.

He said: “We are doing everything possible to bring up some kind of stimulant that will cause price reduction naturally. Nobody will just sit and watch”.

Read Also: Soaring food prices: Tougher times ahead

On the return of the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), Abubakar said the ministry would kick off the programme soon, as the government had found a way to make the scheme work better.

In his remarks, Executive Secretary of ARCN, Professor Garba Sharubutu said the council would support the ministry to ensure there is the provision of necessary input for food security, poverty eradication and diversification of the economy.

Sharubutu said the various Research Institutes had made giant strides in developing technologies to tackle some emerging diseases and pests both presently and in the past.