New varieties of staple crops are being developed to tackle hunger, under-nutrition and malnutrition and boost farmers’ income.They are available to farmers in 40 countries, according to the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research ( CGIAR) and Agriculture and Food Organisation (FAO), DANIEL ESSIET reports.

For the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other stakeholders in the industry,  bio fortification, described as the breeding of essential micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc in food crop, is the way to go.

Pro-vitamin A-rich orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), iron beans, iron pearl millet, vitamin A yellow cassava, vitamin A orange maize, zinc rice, and zinc wheat, biofortified crops,  have been released in more than 30 countries.

The  focus is  on “hidden” hunger”, another word for micronutrient deficiencies. For instance, the rice variety has excess zinc, while wheat variety  is enriched with protein and iron. Biofortified maize hybrid varieties are enriched with lysine and tryptophan.

Scientists say biofortified varieties are 1.5 to three times more nutritious than the traditional varieties. The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global partnership that unites international organisations engaged in research about food security, said more than 340 varieties of 11 staple crops were available to farmers in 40 countries. CGIAR research centres provide biofortified varieties as public goods to countries, where national agricultural researchers work with farmers to adapt the varieties to local conditions and farmer preferences.

Analysts said about half of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) suffered from vitamin A deficiency and 60 per cent suffer from iron (Fe) deficiency, the major cause of anaemia and the most common micronutrient deficiency globally.

Consequently, there has been a significant global effort towards breeding staple food crops with the three major micronutrients – vitamin A, Fe, and Zn – considered critical to human health.

In  partnership with CIP, the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, has been driving the campaign for OFSP production. About 120g of biofortified OFSP meets a young child’s daily vitamin A needs.

Biofortification of sweet potato with Fe and Zn could help in ameliorating negative effects of micronutrient deficiencies. ARMTI started capacity building on OFSP in 2012, in collaboration with CIP’s Regional Office, Kenya, under  Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) project.

The three-year (2012-2014) project was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Among the goals were to build the capacity of public sector extension and non-governmental organisations to implement initiatives aimed at promoting dissemination and appropriate use of vitamin A-rich OFSP.

From 2012 to 2018, the Executive Director/Chief Executive, ARMTI, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni, said 213 agricultural and rural development facilitators within and outside Nigeria were trained on OFSP. In addition, ARMTI carried out research in 2019 to identify challenges of OFSP’s adoption in Nigeria.

The outcome of the research,  according to him, led to Stakeholders’ Forum Meetings in 2020 and this year.

So far, he said, the meetings had helped to strengthen OFSP’s value chain by linking actors (vine producers, root producers, processors, marketers and consumers) together.

Oladunni sees the impact of the meetings translating to a well-developed OFSP’s value chain. Apart this, he said, it would help in the creation of jobs and provision of incomes. Stakeholders believe promotion of  biofortified varieties of crops would  help free Nigeria from malnutrition.

In recognition of this, the Ogun State Government is leading the biofortification crusade. Its Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, said the administration placed premium on agriculture.

His words: “In our agricultural agenda, which was approved by the state government, we have food and nutrition security.

“Under nutrition security, we have mainstreamed biofortification, biofortified crops into our agricultural agenda.We formed an alliance with the nutrition giant, HarvestPlus. HarvestPlus has established multiplication plots for biofortified crops in Odeda farms. They are empowering rural women with knowledge and information on biofortification. All our extension agents have been given training. We have been in the fore front of the biofortification campaign and want other states to join us.

“We already have a nutritional road map in the state. We have a committee on nutrition. We are working with the Ministry of Health and other agencies. When we gave out planting palliatives last year to farmers, some of the seeds we distributed were biofortified seeds. We are expanding it across the value chain. We  have a target of reaching thousands of young people to  make a living from developing biofortified products.”

In Imo State, the Programme Director of Development Dynamics, Dr. Jude Ohanele, is striving to increase biofortified cassava awareness.

“We are strategically committed to the adoption of Vitamin A cassava and maize varieties in Imo State  and the other adjoining states of the Southeast. We have been working on this for some years. We are happy to note that the adoption of the vitamin A cassava is expanding rapidly, especially in the rural communities, who are basically the major targets of biofortification. So that people can have access to vitamin A through their basic staples, which are cassava and maize.

“We have escalated the work on Vitamin A cassava in Imo State and the push is now for the state government to also adopt Vitamin A cassava as a crop of priority considering its public health significance and that is going on. The Rotary Clubs in the seven states of Rotary International District 9142,which is made up of the five states of Southeast, and Akwa Ibom and Cross River,are all fully engaged in the biofortification programme. There is a very strong push at the moment for more Rotary Clubs to develop projects in their various locations that will make Vitamin A maize and cassava varieties available and accessible to people in rural communities,” he said.

Last December,  the  Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and HarvestPlus launched the Commercialisation of Biofortified Crops (CBC) Programme in Abuja, to significantly increase access to biofortified seeds, grains, and foods via commercial channels.

About 15 million Nigerians are expected to benefit from the CBC project aimed at improving diet quality and tackling hidden hunger. The project  was expected to attract over 500 new micro and small-scale investors to produce  and process cassava and tubers. Another 1,000 new micro and small-scale investors either produce grains or process Provitamin A (PVA) maize.

During the launch of the project in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono,  who was represented by the Director,  Federal Department of Agriculture,  Hajiya Karima Babangida, said there should be proper linkages among stakeholders for effective commercialisation.

The Country Director, GAIN, Michael Ojo, said the programme was launched in 2019 to address widespread hidden hunger in Africa and Asia, by significantly expanding the reach of foods and food products made with biofortified staple crops.

Ojo explained that the three-year programme worked with commercial value chain actors, including seed producers, farmers, aggregators and processors, to catalyse commercial markets for biofortified seeds,  grains and food products in six countries with pervasive levels of malnutrition.

In the initial phase, GAIN and HarvestPlus will work with partners in Osun, Anambra, Cross River, and Nasarawa states to scale up the production of vitamin A cassava, and in Kaduna, Niger, Imo, and Oyo states to scale the production of vitamin A maize.

“We have the commitment of states we are working with and we are looking forward to working with National Assembly to put the right legislation in place for us, so as to reach the poorest of the poor in our society,” he said.

The Country Manager, Dr. Paul Ilona, said the organisation was developing and promoting biofortified food crops rich in vitamins and minerals.

Also, Ilona, explaining that biofortified crops were not genetically modified, rather their iron, zinc, or vitamin A density were increased, said there are varieties developed by conventional means. He added that biofortified crops also provided livelihood opportunities for farmers as well as small-scale entrepreneurs.

He noted that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) food businesses were springing up throughout the country that sell food products with biofortified ingredients.

He said the programme was not only aimed at focusing on food security and good nutrients but for farmers to make more money from their business.

There is strong and growing interest among national leaders for scaling up biofortification in their countries. Meanwhile, HarvestPlus has updated its popular global map and table of biofortified staple crops with data on biofortified crop varieties released, and in testing as at the end of 2020.

The map and table cover several major staple crops ranging from cassava to wheat to beans, which have been biofortified with vitamin A, iron, and/or zinc.

The map indicates in which countries biofortified crop varieties had been released or were in testing by the end of 2020. The easy-to-read table shows crop information by country.

The crop varieties covered have been promoted by HarvestPlus or CIP, both of which are part of the CGIAR global research partnership for a food secure future.

Biofortified crops promoted by HarvestPlus include vitamin A cassava, maize, and sweet potato; iron beans and pearl millet; and zinc rice, maize, and wheat.

As more countries adopt biofortification as part of a wider strategy to combat micronutrient deficiencies, HarvestPlus anticipates that more than one billion people would benefit from biofortified foods by 2030.

Separately, HarvestPlus has updated the Biofortification Priority Index (BPI) website, an analytical tool to help guide investments in biofortified crops. The BPI ranks the potential nutrition and health impact of biofortification of 13 types of staple crops across 128 countries covered by the Index.

BPI helps identify where investments in biofortification can have the biggest bang for the buck among 128 countries that the Index covers. The BPI provides rankings of country-level investment potential for 13 types of staple crops.

Internationally, there have been moves to make biofortified maize  ass nutritious as possible. Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is driving this.

As leader of the Nutrition Chapter of the Integrated Development Program and head of the Maize Quality Laboratory, CIMMYT, Natalia Palacios, coordinate CIMMYT’s efforts to ensure that maize-based agri-food systems in low- and middle-income countries are as healthy and nutritious as possible.

A  report said CIMMY and Palacios work on maize biofortification, supporting efforts to breed maize varieties rich in provitamin A and zinc.

With time, she has found her attention shifting towards the effect of food processing on the nutritional quality of maize-based food products, as well as to the importance of maize safety.

Palacios and her team have been analysing the effect of a traditional thermal alkaline maize treatment known as nixtamalisation on the physical composition of the grain and the nutritional quality of end products. Because of its important benefits, they are promoting  the ancient technique in other geographies.

For Palacios, the main challenge facing agricultural researchers is contributing to a nutritious, affordable diet produced within planetary boundaries.

By Taiwo Alimi

Fish subsidies have been described as one of the leading causes of food insecurity in Nigeria and Africa at large.

Fish subsidies are financial payments, direct or indirect from public entities to the fishing sector, which reduces the cost of fishing and/or increases revenues.

Dr. Rashid Sumaila, director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit, University of British Columbia, a guest speaker at a webinar aimed at creating awareness on negative impact of fish subsidies in Africa by Earth Journalist Network (EJN), said: “In Africa we depends on nature, no matter how you look at it. When there is no fish, there are no fishermen and when there is no fish, there is no fish dollars or fish naira or cedi.

“So, the environment is quite central. All evidence and data shows that we are overtaking the resources we need from the ocean, from our rivers, from our lakes and we are also over polluting them. We are taking the big fish, we are destroying the habitat.”

With the aid of info graphics, Dr. Sumaila demonstrated the lopsidedness of fish subsidies whereby China, U.S.A and EU countries benefited more over and above Africa.

Read Also; Nigeria loses $70m to illegal fishing

While China in 2019 got $5,952million, subsidies that went to the U.S.A same year was $3,553milion and EU got $3,814million, Africa received a paltry $1,396milion.

“It will surprise you to know that from what is coming to Africa; only 16% gets to small scale fishermen,” he said.

Fisheries sectors in coastal Africa and across the world are experiencing an unprecedented crisis, driven by intense competition for marine resources.

For decades, many governments have provided harmful subsidies to their fishing fleets to bolster their capabilities to increase catch domestically and in other countries’ waters, allowing them to drastically increase their capacity and profits.

Although these subsidies are often promoted as efforts to help small-scale fishers, they often end up subsidizing overfishing, increasing fishing fleet capacity, and contributing to the unregulated plundering of other countries’ fish stocks.

For the past 20 years, members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have been negotiating to reform fisheries subsidies.

With these negotiations due to be completed this year, another speaker, Beatrice Gorez , who is coordinator, Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements, said Africa is worse off in the subsidy arrangements and the more reason the continent must kick against it.

Dr Sumaila further explained that fisheries subsidies work against sustainable development goals (SDGs), small scale fishermen, women, youth, ocean and the environment.

On July 15, WTO held a ministerial meeting on fisheries subsidies, which confirmed the commitment to set the course for a successful outcome on negotiations before the WTO’s Ministerial Conference starting in November 2021.

In Nigeria as in many African countries, agricultural extension and advisory services are not available to smallholder farmers. This has denied them the opportunity to learn and apply efficient agronomic practices to improve productivity and increase food security. But now, there is a private sector response, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

Transforming Nigeria’s agriculture into a high-growth sector is essential for the country to speed up recovery, poverty reduction and inclusive growth.

Realising this vision, however, would require more efforts by stakeholders given that the government’s vision for agriculture and thrust for diversification are being challenged by inadequate extension system and facilities.

True, the agricultural extension and advisory services sector has not delivered adequately the knowledge and tools farmers need to increase their yields. This is, particularly, true for small-scale farmers.

Stakeholders, noting the insufficient number of extension workers, are advocating a paradigm shift to meet opportunities, raise farmers’ incomes and ensure food security.

Inadequate and ineffective agricultural services, such as access to farm input and extension services, which are imperatives for increasing the production of the cash crop, have equally been a challenge.

Last May, the Federal Government agreed to increase agricultural extension workforce to 75, 000, along various value chains towards efficient food production and self-sufficiency in line with global best practices.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Nanono, stated this while kick-starting the training of extension agents in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is holding in the 37 headquarters of the Agricultural Development Projects(ADPs).

Nanono, who expressed worry over the declining fortunes of the agricultural extension system, traced the problem to decreased funding, policy changes, reduced manpower and lack of interest of youths in agricultural entrepreneurship, which had adversely affected food production and exposed the country to the dangers of unemployment, youth restiveness, and economic instability.

He said: “At the inception of this administration, a special committee on the Revitalisation of Agricultural Extension Service in Nigeria was constituted to, among others, recommend appropriate institutional structures, arrangements and capacity building for the delivery of effective and efficient pluralistic agricultural extension and advisory services in Nigeria using globally acceptable approaches and platforms.

“One of the key recommendations was to build the capacity of youths and practitioners in agricultural extension delivery system, exposing and equipping them with best global practices and tools to enable them to deliver with efficiency.

“We are taking off in Abuja and all other states in the federation will do the same and they will continue until we achieve our target of 75,000 extension workers over a period of three years.

“We are already at 45,000 extension workers both government and the private. And I think our target is achievable.”

Though the Federal Government has demonstrated the will to increase extension services to help smallholders, lack of funds means that reach is limited. Interestingly, the private sector is delivering these services, complementing the government’s efforts in many countries.

An example is the OCP Fertiliser Nigeria’s work with farmers.

Its agribusiness-based advisory services take various approaches and are built around lots of different models. One of them is the Farm&Fortune Hub, a one-stop shop service, that enables farmers to find solutions for their challenges.

The Farm&Fortune Hub also connects farmers to information, resources, markets, and financial services.

They are placed in major farming belts in the country, where farmers can obtain input as well as receive technical training and advice, access services such as credit and benefit from help with marketing. To ensure that farmers in underserved markets have access to fertiliser and other quality input, OCP Africa is establishing 36 one-stop-shop Farm&Fortune Hubs across 13 states.

Speaking during the training of agro promoters, on the operations of its Farm&Fortune Hub model in Abuja, the Country Manager, OCP Africa Fertiliser Nigeria, Mr Caleb Usoh, noted that the company intended to create an advisory services and farmer training outlet around a model commercial farm.

Already, the company has strengthened its extension service outreach with television and radio programmes to increase the reach of agricultural information, and improve the adoption of good farming practices.

Agro promoters operating the hubs are equipped with computer tablets to reach more farmers with a bundle of agribusiness services and personalised mentoring.

His words: “We are proving a platform that provides well-managed farmer and farm data and insights into the nature of farmers’ challenges and their solutions. Each shop is licensed to educate farmers and promote better agricultural practices. The hubs retail seeds, fertiliser and pesticides and is well-stocked with/ farm implements, and veterinary supplements./

He explained that the group was ready to support agricultural producers to make businesses more competitive.

Zamfara State farmers are beneficiaries of Farm& Fortune Hubs. They have received specialised training to boost their productivity, and in turn, their income and standard of living.

The Programme Manager, Zamfara Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Programme( ZACAREP), Alhaji Garba Gayari, said the partnership is  providing a major instrument for development as knowledge is one of the primary input for agricultural growth and increased income for farmers.

His words: “Last year, they trained 3,000 Zamfara farmers.The training had significant impact on the lives of beneficiary farmers. Most of the training zeroed on land preparation, how to plant, planting timing and good agronomic practices. Most of our farmers lack skills.We have 521 extension workers. If you consider the number of farmers we have, you see that one extension worker is catering for 1000 farmers. This is very inadequate with over one million farming families.”

As a result of the training, a lot of farmers have record tremendous results.

He recalled: “Before now, a farmer could not boast of up to 40 bags of maize from an acre. Today, after the training, with fertiliser support, one farmer told me he got 95 bags of maize from one acre. Can you imagine the difference? Some recorded 85, 90 and 70 bags, depending on the geographical location of their farms.”

The Director-General, Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Dr Manzo Maigari, sees Farm& Farm Hub as a commendable intervention that will deliver digital technical support and rural extension services to family farmers to boost output and increase their income.

He said his company has partnered OCP to implement initiatives to reduce rural poverty and promote sustainable development.

He said the hub operators would provide technical information to farmers, advising them about soil preparation, overseeing their production, climate conditions, as well as pest and disease control and management, among others.

A leading agro promoter in Plateau State and Chief Executive Officer, Bennicle Investment Nigeria Limited, Mahwash Benedict, praised the initiative.

He is convinced the hubs will leave its mark on, and spearhead rejuvenation. He is certain that with OCP Fertiliser Nigeria’s support, they can use technological tools to improve the productivity levels of farmers.

The Managing Director, VD& S Farmers Centre, Epe, Lagos, Mrs Folake Aina, sees a huge opportunity to conduct extension work and precision agriculture using communication tools  to reach farmers.

She is enthused by the scale of services the initiative will bring in serving farmers in Lagos.

According to her, the hub infrastructure was sufficient to provide farmers with technical training based on simple technologies.

The Executive Director, Africa Franchise Institute, Chiagozie Nwizu, described OCP’s Farm & Fortune as an appropriate system that will have a positive impact on the agricultural sector.

To increase access to agricultural input for farmers in rural communities, he said the company established the one-stop-shop.

He sees a future where field agents are assisted to understand and analyse farmers’ needs and crop history, create customised farm management plans, deliver agricultural advice, and help farmers procure loans.

For extension services to be of a higher level of quality, OCP Head of Agronomy, Dr Donald Madukwe, maintained that agro promoters need to possess certain skills to enable the transfer of knowledge and services.

The desire to help agro-input promoters at the hubs provide the motivation for the organisation to work with the Africa Franchise Institute to develop a franchise model and support the hub operators  in optimising their performance in the market.

The hub training has inspired Bob Ufomadu and reinforced his conviction that entrepreneurial success depends on dedication and commitment.

Among the many things he learnt how to better manage a farming business.

The benefits to Ufomadu are clear: his income would increase and productivity secured.

Until now, farm advisory services and information for smallholder food crop farmers have been largely government-funded.

Nigeria has made agricultural progress, but further policy action is required to address new and emerging challenges in the second half of the year, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

Generally, claims of agricultural transformation over the past two decades have not been remarkable. Despite all the efforts, the relative size of the agriculture sector was not able to contribute up to 2.5 per cent of  the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) of the  economy at the end of first half of the year.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, agriculture contributed 21.42 percent to nominal gross domestic product(GDP) in the first quarter of the year.

The agricultural sector grew by 2.28 per cent in real terms in the first quarter of this year  compared with a growth of 3.42 per cent in fourth quarter of last year and 2.20 per cent in first quarter of 2020.  Nonetheless, the sector retains its strategic importance with the focus on agriculture, food security and rural development.

Analysts noted that Nigeria needs to improve its policy environment, to enable investments that will allow the farm sector to continue to adapt to the opportunities created by rising demand. But for the impact of COVID-19 pandemic  and other issues, analysts were expecting the sector to  generate impressive results that are capable of  boosting rural incomes, reducing poverty, combating under-nourishment and sending agro-food exports soaring.

However, during the half year, the sector was still characterised by  challenges such as  slower rates of production growth, declining commodity prices and limited land for further expansion. Further challenges include the lack of stable exchange rates.

Founder Brote Urban Vegetable Limited, Innocent Mokidi, feared the  sector would continue to plunge in its decline due to  the insecurity in various parts of the country.

For instance, the sector grew by 15.14 percent year-on-year in nominal terms in Q1 2021, showing a decline of -7.33 per cent points from the corresponding quarter of last year.

He noted that the sector may still face  challenges in this second half that are  important to Nigeria’s development and the improved welfare of its rural poor:

He added that the slow-down in agricultural growth had become a major cause for concern.

He called on the government to put in place enough security measures needed to encourage enterprises to invest in agriculture and rural areas and take advantage of new opportunities.

According to Mokidi, lack of rains would  impact food insecurity, livelihood and disrupt agricultural production.

He added that drought is going to take centre stage in the northern part of the country and will lead to  severe losses of crops and low yield.

On the whole, analysts expect the government to address their commitments to promoting growth and food and nutrition security through increased agricultural investments.

One enabler might be the $1.2 billion loan Nigeria secures  from Brazil for agriculture modernisation. If the  Federal Government properly utilises the loan from  the Development Bank of Brazil, the country could witness  agricultural revival this half with  improved agriculture mechanisation and setting up of modern agro centres across the country with the credit facility.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Agriculture, Dr. Andrew Kwasari, said the credit facility called “the Green Imperative Project(GIP)’’  would last 15 years.

The facility is expected to inject a $1.2billion foreign direct investment at three per cent interest over 15 years.

The Senate approved €995 million Brazilian and Deutsche Bank loan for agricultural mechanisation.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, is driving many initiatives to support the upstream and downstream agricultural production subsectors to improve food security through the inclusive and sustainable development of crop sectors.

He has identified with the African Development Bank’s (AfDB)  flagship initiatives: Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), Young Entrepreneurs (Enable Youth), Risk Sharing Facility (RSF), and Agro-industrial Processing Zones (APZ).

With  the pandemic  brought under control in the first half, Country Manager,OCP Nigeria,Caleb Usoh, expects growth  to rebound.

Usoh noted,however,  that what will change the story is the government’s determination to intensify security across the country.

This, he stressed was necessary

to encourage enterprises to invest in agriculture and rural areas.

He said current efforts of the government in addressing insecurity has brought about a certain level of peace.

He reiterated that secured farming environment was most important in improving the trade in agriculture.

His dream is to see more investments  to help build processing establishments for agricultural produce in rural areas to  create jobs and incomes.

The incentive policies,according to him, would  contribute to the speedier restructuring of the agricultural industry.

He is encouraging by increasing attempts to support the development of enterprises investing in agriculture and rural areas in a bid to draw investment into the sector.

In with this realisation, the company is driving  a well-thought-out fertilisation campaign that is adapted to the soil, to the crops, to the agricultural practices, but that is also adapted to the different climates.

He is  rallying  the private sector  to increase spending to stimulate agricultural growth, reduce poverty, and build food and nutrition security.

For   Usoh, agriculture will  remain an active  sector of the economy during the second half of the year.

A huge development could happened in Lagos if the state completes the 32 tonnes rice mill in Imota.

Having kicked up its five- year road map, the Government is seeking private sector collaboration for Agriculture sector value chain development in livestock feed mills, fisheries and red meat.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya,  revealed that the scheme was in line with the State’s five-year strategic agriculture roadmap, as the State identified the 3 main sectors for value chain disruption.

She also added that investment in the sectors would also develop jobs for the industry and boost the State’s GDP growth, through Private Sector collaboration as Lagos residents consume over N5 trillion worth of food annually.

 

Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Adewusi has appointed founder of Farm4Me Agriculture Limited, Adama J. Adama as Managing Director of Royal African Farm Limited.

While accepting the new appointment, Adama stressed that traditional institutional support is very critical as Nigeria grapples with rising food inflation due to dwindling local production, which experts have blamed chiefly on insecurity among other issues.

He spoke in Lagos after his new appointment was announced through the office of Ooni of Ife Global Outreach (OIGO).

Adama, who promised to take Royal Farm Limited to greater heights, said: “It is worth stating that for Nigeria to move out of the woods, Agriculture is a critical indice for its economic growth amidst the rising rate of inflation.

“This won’t be possible without institutional support from traditional rulers and this is where I commend Ooni Adeyeye Adewusi of Ife for his recognition of our contribution to help reposition Nigerian economy through Agriculture.

READ ALSO: Ooni lauds Oyetola, seeks govt intervention on Ife roads

The letter of appointment signed by Chief Executive Officer of OIGO, Dr. Ayobami O. Oyedare, extended Ooni’s gratitude to Adama for his noble patriotic acts and consistent positive attributes that are notably inspiring and constructively pushing the narratives of excellence that are embedded in Africa’s young populations.

It described Adama as “one of the worthy sons of Oduduwa in whom our Father, Kabiyesi, Ooni Adimula Ife is well pleased and delighted.”

The letter said youthful Adama was nominated for the prestigious appointment after following his giant strides in the agriculture sector with his tractor rental company, Farm4Me.

While congratulating Adama for the appointment, the Ooni assured him of his unalloyed commitment and unwavering support through the Global Outreach (OIGO).

Adama, a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Farm4Me, ViableX and Ceepass, bagged the Royal African Young Leadership Award on Saturday, May 29, 2021.

The award was organised by the Ooni of Ife’s Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF), a youth development and capacity initiative.

Africa’s rapidly-growing cities and food markets with a turnover of up to $250 billion yearly offer the largest opportunity to consumers. But ensuring food safety in them remains a challenge, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Africa’s rapidly-growing cities and food markets with a turnover of up to $250 billion yearly offer an opportunity for consumers. But for consumers to take advantage of the huge opportunity, there is a need for improved urban food systems governance, and food safety regulations and enforcement.

According to the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Africa suffers from the highest per capita rate of foodborne illnesses in the world. It added that food products sold in formal marketplaces and retail outlets are not safer than those sold in informal markets.

“Improvements in urban food safety will require intentioned investments in domestic market infrastructure and improved awareness of the shared responsibility to provide safe food by regulators and value chain actors.”

One of those who have expressed concerned about the standards of food safety in urban markets is  the founder, Safe Food and Feed Foundation, Prof Dele Fapohunda said.

A global report said an estimated 600 million in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420,000 die yearly, resulting in the loss of 33 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

Buoyed by this and other reports, Fapohunda has been campaigning for improved safety regulation and enforcement.

According to him, safety in the urban food market should be one of the key areas of focus in public health, as the food supply chain deals with safeguarding the system from the introduction of hazardous microbial and chemical agents. To address this, he suggested: “Improved extension services, regulations to attain and sustain standards, capacity building for food producers and processors. Regulations are to include strict monitoring that will embrace recalls and rejects. Solutions that can allow on- site testing will facilitate standards.”

World Bank Consultant, Prof Abel Ogunwale agreed. While he canvassed more efforts to improve the competitiveness of small-scale farmers, the university don maintained that government must enhance quality and safety standards in a variety of crop value chains, sold in urban markets.

He stressed: “They should enforce food safety regulations in all urban markets, and apply fines on defaulters to ensure compliance.”

Food safety plays an important part in the aeroponics approach to agriculture, according to the Team Lead at Eupepsia Place Limited (Soilless Farm Lab), Samson Ogbole.

For him, the aeroponics grown greenhouse vegetables have an inherent food safety advantage compared to open field farming. With more frequent foodborne illness outbreaks linked to conventionally grown leafy greens, retailers and shoppers are looking to him to deliver a reliable supply of fresh, clean and safe produce year round.  Consequently, there are ongoing measures aimed to improve food safety in urban markets across Lagos State.

Recently, the government dislodged 10 more illegal slaughter slabs and animal markets at Ayobo, Ipaja; Oko Filling, Ikorodu; Odoguyan Road, Ikorodu; and Mangoro, Old Abeokuta Expressway axis of the state. The  Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, explained that the exercise was in continuation of the state government’s sanitisation and reform of the red meat value chain with the goal of producing wholesome meat for the consumption of its citizenry.

She said during the exercise, which was carried out by men of the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team of her ministry, no fewer than 21 live rams, 13 live goats and 4.5 tonnes of meat carcass were confiscated.

Olusanya added that the confiscated meat carcass was donated to the Bab-Es-Salam Home, GRA, Ikeja; the Real Woman Foundation, Magodo; and the Love Home Orphanage, CMD Road, Magodo, Shangisha.

The commissioner noted that seized animals would be auctioned at the Mobile Court of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Office with offenders prosecuted, stressing that there would be no option of fine to serve as deterrent to others.

“During the week, officials of the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team (MEC) of the State dislodged four illegal slaughter slabs and animal markets at Ayobo-Ipaja, Odogunyan and Maya in Ikorodu, and Mangoro, Old Abeokuta Expressway.

“During the operation, 21 live rams, 13 live goats and well over 4.5 tonnes of meat carcass were confiscated and the meat carcass, after being certified safe for consumption, were donated to orphanages and correctional homes.

“We will recall that the State’s Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team resumed its activities on Monday, 19th April, 2021 in continuation of the State Government’s sanitization and reform of the red meat value chain with the goal of producing wholesome meat for the consumption of its citizenry.

“It has been observed that animals slaughtered at these illegal slaughter slabs are not inspected by veterinary officials, as a result, the wholesomeness cannot be vouched for; hence the need for officials of the MEC Team to continue the dislodgement exercise,” Olusanya averred.

The Commissioner also enjoined those who breed animals within their residences to restrain and prevent their pets from roaming the streets as these animals not only constitute a nuisance to public health, but also destroy the aesthetics created by the State Government to beautify the City adding that any stray animal confiscated by the MEC Team would be auctioned.

Olusanya, therefore, urged animal health practitioners, cold room operators and meat shop operators to register with the Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and obtain their licences, stressing that quackery would not be tolerated.

The development of the agricultural sector has been an integral part of the government’s push for economic diversification. Several steps have been taken to drive growth and promote private sector investments, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

The agricultural sector boasts of significant potential, but it also faces challenges due to  several issues. One has been the impact of the COVID-19  pandemic which caused serious disruption to production activities last year and lack of  financial and logistics that has made the  country  increasingly unable to satisfy its domestic market demands in staples.

Currently, exports fall short of supply, causing some surplus production to go to waste, and those products that are exported,  are shipped in difficult conditions, sometimes leading to spoilage.  Farmers and producers complained of little have access to short- and long-term bank loans, as well as  timely supply of inputs, including fertiliser, seeds, and forage  for livestock.

Analysts say attempts at reducing the import bill by increasing  local milk production have been made with  several obstacles, including lack of  financial and technical to boost milk cattle breeding and local milk production, which  would be a good step forward for the dairy industry.

Hence, experts have been calling for the implementation of agric policy that is based on the sector’s comparative advantage and not just on excess production. Given its sizeable agricultural land potential and current development programmes, Nigeria, analysts noted, is poised to be an exporting country for agricultural produce.

Nevertheless, the Federal Government has been taking active steps towards improving  agriculture production, and creating jobs in the sector to support its growth. Nevertheless, several  initiatives  have been  activated  to restructure the government’s drive  to enhance agricultural growth, reduce import bill,  and safeguard existing jobs since this year began.

After investors endorsed the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) initiative, as a pathway to Africa’s agricultural revolution in 2019, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo announced in April this year, that the rolling out of the SAPZ Programme is set to commence in Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in its first phase.

The Vice President noted that the expansion and growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector remained a priority of the administration, and SAPZ will play a crucial role in helping us achieve our goal of sustainability and increased trade.

Partnering the AfDB and other stakeholders, he  emphasised that  the programme would concentrate on agro-processing in demarcated areas to boost productivity and integrate production.

Working with AfDB, the Federal Government is motivating  stakeholders to adopt the scheme aimed at supporting agro-industrial research and innovation, reducing unemployment and under-employment, and maximising the potential of the local farming land.

During the review period, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to boost food production, productivity in the dairy sub-sector, ensure food security and self-sufficiency.

He said: “The need to harness our potential in the dairy sector, address contemporary critical socio-economic and national herd management issues have induced renewed interest in the development of the diary, particularly in recognition of the nutritional and livelihood importance of milk and other dairy products in Nigeria.”

Highlighting the situation of the dairy industry, the minister noted that the industry is “largely subsistence and consist of local milk production, importation, processing, marketing and consumption. The consumption of aggregated and bulk milk is less than 20 per cent  of the local potential“.

He said the gap between supply and demand for dairy products was widening as a result of an increase in population and urbanisation. The Federal  Government also  inaugurated the National Gender Steering Committee for the Implementation of Gender Policy in the agricultural sector.

Federal Agricultutre Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe while inaugurating the Committee, stated that the initiative would promote and ensure the adoption of gender-sensitive responsive approaches, plans and programmes in such a way that men and women will have equal access and control of productive resources.

Umakhihe said the availability of the policy document  was  expected to address the vulnerability of women to biases in the agriculture sector, integrate gender perspectives in national planning, create more jobs for women and financial empowerment.

One notable effort was seeking strategic partnership with stakeholders in the fertiliser industry for increased production. During a visit to the facility of Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited (IEFCL), Eleme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nanono advocated a more strategic partnership and robust collaboration with stakeholders in the fertiliser industry to boost its production and develop the sector. He said the effort would ensure its affordability, increased production, self–sufficiency, easy access to products by the farmers, and achieve food and nutrition security.

Apart from this, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,  said  the Ministry has established an online portal to ensure efficient and effective monitoring of Federal Government’s intervention in the  sector. The initiative would capture the biodata of the farmers and link it with Geographical information of their farmed plots, crops, and the volumes of production in the country.

Speaking  at  the just-concluded  44th council meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD), held  in Abuja, Nanono stated , ‘’ Although we initially set out to capture the data of 2.4 million farmers across the country, the results from the exercise have encouraged the Economic Sustainability Plan Team to expand the data capture to 10 million farmers.’’

Indeed, Lagos  State has developed an ambitious economic reform plan. The economic reform plan identified structural and institutional bottlenecks affecting the agricultural sector. The major binding constraints of the sector  were  insufficient yields due to inefficient provision of inputs and services,  marketing and logistics related problems.

Like what is happening at the national stage, the Lagos State  has identified key priority intervention areas to increase productivity of smallholder farms and expand large-scale commercial farms. Among the top priorities identified include: small and large-scale irrigation development, financing agricultural inputs, increasing productivity of crops and livestock, improving agricultural production methods using mechanization, post-harvest loss reduction, developing a research-based food security system, and natural resource management.

With respect to increasing productivity, Lagos, alongside its international partners, has made a number of interventions to support the development of the agriculture sector.

Lagos State Government stated that its World Bank-assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project would be constructing and rehabilitating no fewer than 13.16km farm access roads in four cluster areas across the State.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya,  explained that the access roads when completed would aid better movement to and from the farms, reduce losses of broken eggs occasioned by bad roads and subsequently, improve the productivity of the concerned farmers.

Olusanya noted that the evaluation and engineering design for four access roads in Igbodu and Araga in Epe, Erinkorodo in Ikorodu and Afowo in Badagry have been finalised and construction would commence soon.

She said, “The Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) Project is a World Bank-assisted project aimed at enhancing the productivity of small scale farmers in the three identified value chains of poultry, aquaculture and rice through capacity building, provision of infrastructure and empowerment”.

“The project will be rehabilitating and constructing 13.16km Farm Access Roads (FARs) already identified in four different clusters across the State. The design of the Bill for Engineering Measurement and Evaluation is at the final report stage. The advertisement for potential contractors and subsequent implementation will be carried out once the work plan is approved by Mr. Governor”, she asserted.

The project has been delivering solid results on the ground, especially in increasing productivity and enhancing commercialisation. The market infrastructure and value chain investments made under the project have been critical for connecting farmers with markets and enhancing commercialisation.

While encouraging results have been achieved so far, more work is needed to address remaining challenges and accelerate productivity gains, reduce exposure to erratic climatic conditions, decrease land degradation and enhance the natural resource base on which the sector depends

Analysts said additional financing would help to address these challenges and is key to ensuring Nigeria’s agricultural sector reaches its full potential.

Generally, the amount of food produced domestically each year only meets approximately two-third of the country’s food needs, leaving the other 30 percent to be imported from other countries, according to reports.

 

By Robert Egbe

Former Ethiopia Prime Minister and Board Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Hailemariam Dessalegn arrived in Nigeria Friday on a four-day visit to engage leaders in conversations around food systems transformation.

He will meet ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo; Minister for Finance Zainab Ahmed; Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Muhammed Nanono and Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

The AGRA Board Chair is also expected to use the opportunity to formally invite Nigeria to the AGRF 2021 summit, which takes place in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 7 – 10.

Read Also: 13 million Nigerians risk acute food insecurity’

Before leaving Nigeria, Mr Dessalegn will meet with key officials of AGRA’s partner organisations for further talks on how to support the government’s strategic goals, including the reduction of hunger and increased incomes for the country’s smallholder farming households.

Dessalegn’s trip to Nigeria precedes the UNited Nations Food Systems Summit (UN FSS) to be held in New York, USA in September.

Like the AGRF Summit, the UN FSS is critical for advancinthe g dialogue and partnerships for the achievement of key food systems objectives, including the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of eradicating hunger and poverty by 2030.

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives.