Category: Agriculture

Last year, the Federal Government approved the registration and release of a new Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea (beans) variety for commercialisation. The cowpea variety, SAMPEA 20-T, developed by scientists at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in collaboration with various partners under the coordination of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), is doing well, Juliana Agbo reports.

 

The cowpea variety, SAMPEA 20-T, was developed by scientists at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in collaboration with various partners under the coordination of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).

Speaking after the release last year, the Principal Investigator for the project and Executive Director, IAR, Mohammed Ishiyaku,  said the on-station and on-farm trials demonstrated the superiority of SAMPEA 20-T relative to local, recently released cowpea varieties and improved breeding lines tested.

“SAMPEA 20-T is high yielding, early maturing and resistant to Striga and Alectra, which are a major constraint to cowpea production in most producing areas in Nigeria and other dry savanna regions,” said Ishiyaku who is also a professor in a statement.

“The protein and nutrients content of variety SAMPEA 20-T is the same as that of other conventional varieties meaning that the Bt gene that was introduced into the variety has no negative influence on the nutritional composition of both grain and folder,” Ishiyaku further said.

He added that the newly released variety does not differ in any way from already existing cowpeas other than the improvements made.

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) had in January last year approved the release of the PBR cowpea.The approval by the biosafety agency paved the way for submission to the National Variety Release Committee for consideration and registration of the first variety containing the PBR Cowpea trait as a commercial crop in Nigeria. One outstanding feature about SAMPEA 20-T is that it is highly resistant to Maruca vitrata, an insect pest that causes up to 90 percent yield loss in severe infestation cases.

It is also resistant to Striga and Alectra, two notorious parasitic weeds.

So far, Cowpea farmers said the new beans variety Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea (SAMPEA 20-T) has reduced cost of production compared to what was spent on the conventional variety.

Comparing the cost of production of the genetically modified(GM) crop and the conventional cowpea, a farmer in Tudun Wada Kano, Khalid Salihu said in a hectare of beans farm, he saves over N20,000 he spends buying chemicals to control Pod Borer insect because the GM beans resists the insect.A Cowpea (beans) farmer, Khalid Salihu, has said that he spends less planting Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea compared to planting the local variety. Salihu who said he sprays just three times on the PBR Cowpea in order to control other pests attacking the crop, said he needs to spray up to nine times on the conventional beans variety in order to control both the Maruca Vitrata and other insects.

While noting that a farmer would spend about N26,000 to purchase chemical and labour in cultivating one hectare of conventional variety of cowpea, he said  a farmer would use one and half litres of chemical which cost about N6,000 for PBR cowpea.

On maturity circle, he said the PBR Cowpea needs about 70 days to mature for harvest while the conventional one takes about 85 days. PBR Cowpea,  he added,   produces a slightly bigger seed compared to the conventional variety, but both produce the same pod. Corroborating Salihu, a farmer Aliyu Mohammed who noted that the PBR cowpea reduced the burden of buying chemicals, said farmers won’t have to spend much on preserving beans after harvest. He however, said the new variety which requires only two sprays within a season has given cowpea farmers up to 20 percent yield. The Trial Manager of PBR Cowpea, Mohammed Umar, from the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria, explained that “PBR Cowpea was developed using modern technology, the scientists tried to find out the resistance to Pod Borer insect, but they couldn’t because there is no way you can develop such variety using conventional means, so that is why we go into using modern technology.”The gene that confers the resistance to this crop was identified from a soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis which is harmless”.

He further said the GM cowpea is safe for consumption and environment. Speaking further on the GM cowpea, PBR cowpea Programme Manager,   Dr Issoufou Kollo commended the farmers making use of the new variety by applying good agronomic practices.

Dr Kollo, who was represented by the Program Officer Dr. Ijeoma Akaogu, urged farmers to encourage others on the improved cowpea variety so that they can also enjoy the great benefits it provides.

“This improved cowpea variety brings true joy to cowpea farmers and enables them to make more money which they can use to expand their farms, pay for the children’s education, buy other basic needs and pay for healthcare services”.

Plants and crops are being grown to provide cheap drugs and vaccines for the developing world, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

Big pharmaceutical and herbal companies are producing drugs and compounds from a wide range of agricultural resources such as golden seal, lemon grass, citrus fruits and peels, especially orange peels, berries, ginkgo biloba, parsley, pulses, tea, sea buckthorn and onions.

Scientists have discovered that there are health benefits in many plants for use in   drugs and compounds production. Because of medicinal properties, they have gained popularity as ingredients in the pharmaceutical industry.

One of those who have keyed into this booming opportunity is the Managing Director, Agro-Park, Mr Sola Olunowo. His farm is in Ogun State.

Agro Park Development Company Limited is primarily a farm management company. It specialises in organic production and processing of spices (turmeric, basil, lemon grass, and pepper as well as organic essential oils) to satisfy the demands of the local market with potential for the export market.

When Olunowo walks across his farmland, beaming at the greenery that surrounds him, he takes a deep breath inhaling the fresh air that has a hint of lemongrass fragrance.

He grows lemongrass on several acres of land. To process, he has built a distillation plant on the farm. Lemongrass is harvested every two to three months, so it can be harvested four to six times in a year.

Internationally, companies import lemon grass to use in drugs and herbal products that  relieve anxiety and prevent infection.

The market for plants for drugs and herbal products has grown tremendously, emcompassing food and pharmaceutical companies in Argentina, Eastern Asia, Eastern Europe and Canada.

The   global pharmaceuticals market, according to a recent pharma market research report by The Business Research Company, is projected to  reach $1170 billion  next year.

Added to this, Botanicals & Acupuncture – Global Market Outlook (2019-2027) report  said  the global botanicals & acupuncture market accounted for $39.62 billion last year   and is expected to reach $190.66 billion by 2027.

Analysts said rising popularity of herbal medicines and beneficial strategies adopted for the manufacturing of botanical drugs are the major factors propelling market growth.

Reports said  roughly around 30 percent of the drugs in the world are plant-based

Although Nigeria has soil and climate advantageous to plant and process medicinal and  herbal products, the industry has not grown in recent years.  Olunowo said Nigeria  can export a lot of plants for drugs  and herbal medicine  and bring in  foreign exchange. His  early entry into the market has exposed  him to how   herbal  drugs  and medicine are produced.

Seeing his success,many other farmers are coming forward to take up the cultivation of the lemongrass farming.

Olunowo  has taken the cultivation of medicinal plants  very seriously  with  market for nutraceuticals.

He  has done  tremendously in terms of planting and processing techniques to meet export requirements.

He  has appealed to the government  to work with farmers, to revive the industry.

The President, Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche,  believes there is a wide scope of entrepreneurial development in the medicinal and aromatic plants.

He explained that there is a lot of scope in marketing for medicinal plants, considering their potential in traditional and alternative medicine and therapy.

Iche leads a group of small business owners who produce therapeutic products using plants and herbs  with various  health benefits.

He said the potential for many  plants and crops for health drugs  are very high.He said  plants  have become the fastest-growing source of new medicines for the pharmaceutical industry following research findings that they  have healing properties.

According to him, pharmaceutical industries are  finding new leads all the time from botanical plants and the enthusiasm of  Nigerians consuming  herbal remedies.

Iche said drugs companies were becoming increasingly interested in remedies from natural sources and this has created a market for people to grow plants that can be used to develop drugs.

In May this year,the Federal Government directed the  National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)  to carry out necessary procedures for the assessment of a plant-based cough mixture as a possible treatment for COVID-19.The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mashi Abdullahi, issued the directive in a memo with REF no. TCAM/077/I/65 addressed to the director-general of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye.

The memo, dated April 28, 2020, was titled ‘Formulation of a Phyto-Medicine-Based Cough Mixture/Syrup for the Management of COVID-19 Patients by Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Department of the Ministry’.The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the local medicines in Nigeria had not been tested and could be poisonous.

He said all herbal medicines must go through the research cycle to ensure they are not toxic.

He noted that “no COVID-19 patients will be released to herbal practitioners to test the efficacy of their drugs, such drugs will first be tested on animals before it can be certified.”

Globally, agrochemical industry behemoths, such as  Syngenta, have  expanded their plant-derived pharmaceutical businesses.

Another giant, Dow  Chemical  use maize for the large-scale production of biopharmaceuticals, which are expressed in the seeds. However, a number of food manufacturer organisations have begun to raise concerns about the possible contamination of the food chain by biopharmaceutical-producing maize.

One of the principal challenges for Nigeria’s agricultural sector and smallholder farmers is low yields. There are a number of explanations for the differences in yields. A major reason, most cited, is soil fertility and the ability to improve and manage it. Experts recommended soil tests. How are these challenges producing accurate soil tests for farmers, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

Nigeria and the rest of Africa have a long history of agriculture playing a crucial part in economic growth. The sector is seen as critical to sustainable economic growth, increased trade and agro exports. Sadly, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), yields in Nigeria and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa have grown at a slower rate.

Experts give a number of explanations for the differences in yields and yield improvements, ranging from the availability of agricultural training to access to labour-saving technology. But one of the most cited reasons is soil fertility and the ability to improve and manage it.

The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) said as a result of the inherent low fertility of African soils and subsequent land degradation, only 16 percent of the land has soil of high quality and about 13 per cent has soil of medium quality.

Corroborating this, a report from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) noted that many farmers try to coax crops out of sandy soils that are not ideal for holding water and nutrients.

This highlights the crucial role soil and soil testing play.

Experts said soil test would help farmers know whether it would be productive to grow a particular crop in an area, and how to apply fertiliser if the area is lacking enough nutrients.

One of them was the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof Felix Salako.

Salako is a soil scientist. He has spent his days advising farmers on the best way to manage their farms   for crops to reach yield potential.

Like other geographical impediments, he  explained that soil  was  a dynamic and continually changing eco system that required a holistic approach for a farmer to be able to make more informed decisions on application of nutrients and managing the farm health.

He  stressed that a deeper understanding of the factors that impact on the soil health  was  key to boosting food production.

Speaking with The Nation, Salako said it was important to take different soil samples throughout the field at varying depths to get a good reading on what nutrients the farm has and what to improve on.

He said a professional conducted soil testing was an excellent method for estimating the fertility status of a soil. This is because it provides valuable information for developing a sound fertility management programme.

He said a lot is required to take a proper soil test, such as not testing on the edge of two zones and not doing it in an area that is prone to compaction or overlap. The other things  are that topography and slope will influence soil analysis, besides water movement.

The  don  said doing it right was isn’t as straightforward as one might think.

Though the process may seem easy, Salako noted that the result may provide misrepresentation if the testing is conducted on marginal, unrepresentative land.

He cautioned against carrying out soil test during rainy season as it might not offer as much insight as in the dry season.

Salako told The Nation there were standard methods to test for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur soils, adding that as long as a lab uses those methods the result will be reliable.

The don explained that variability could exist within a field because of inherent soil formation factors and past production practices. As such, the collection of a representative soil sample could become a challenge.

For accurate interpretations and recommendations, he stressed it was important to follow the sampling instruction from a lab as closely as possible.

While there are legitimate considerations in choosing a lab, he added that the most important consideration is whether the test methods used by the lab  were  appropriate for the conditions where the test will be used.

Without this being done, Salako said there will always be a possibility for flawed soil analysis if that lab was not using methods appropriate to  local conditions, adding that  even the highest-quality lab might provide incorrect results, interpretations and recommendations.

Salako said fake and flawed soil tests were possible,  following the increasing menace of quackery among soil scientists nationwide.

He encouraged agro producers to seek experts at universities and governments to make sure they use proper recommendations, and to examine new technologies from all sides.

The Managing Director, Agrobosco Nigeria, John Bosco, said soils form the structural foundation for intensive arable farming work, making testing very important as failure to test soils adequately and correctly  could result in  financial and safety risks.

A large number of farmers, instead of going for soil testing to determine the quality of their soil, he noted, were indiscriminately using fertiliser and pesticide without analysing land and soil quality.

Before a farming project commences, Bosco  noted that it was  important to understand the properties of the soil, and to use the information to determine what crops to plant and the nutrients the soil requires.

Globally,  farmers  carry out  soil sampling of their farm  fields  every three years, determine  phosphorus, Nitrogen  and potassium availability. This, according to a   lead agronomist for Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Tijani Abdullahi, does not happen in Nigeria. He has long been an advocate for  soil testing.

Abdullahi said it revealed the behaviour of soils under varying conditions of moisture, loading, stress and  temperature.

Though soil testing was not an absolute science, he noted, however, that it assisted farmers to make  qualified fertility management decisions based on soil nutrient inventory.

He confirmed that  soil test samples sent to different labs  could produce  different recommendations.

One of the most important considerations in soil testing  according to the  Country Manager, OCP Nigeria, Mr Caleb Usoh,  was that it must be correlated and validated with local field data  to be useful for making fertiliser recommendations.

The objective, he added,   is to maximise net returns on fertiliser investments in the year of application.

To ensure appropriate use of fertilisers, he  said  the organisation had launched mobile soil testing labs. Now, farmers can get samples tested at their doorstep.  The mobile labs,according to him,  are equipped with latest gear and  can  used for macro and micro nutrient  soil analysis.

Usoh   said when one summits soil samples for laboratory analysis, there was a guarantee  of reliable results.

Farmers, he  said, were  provided information on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.

Deterioration of soil chemical, physical and biological health,he  maintained, was one of the reasons for stagnation of agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

Usoh said  the groundbreaking of OCP Africa’s $13 million Sokoto Agricultural Centre of Excellence comprising a fertiliser blending plant with a production capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes(MT) per annum and training facilities for farmers, fertiliser blenders and other stake holders in the agricultural value chain has taken place.

He said facilities that would be at the blending plant include a modern fertiliser blending equipment, process building/warehouse, administrative building, trailer park, other ancillary facilities and a One Stop Shop for farmers to access training and all farm inputs.

The Managing Director, Lordsfield  Limited, Oluropo Olajugba, said avoiding flawed soil analysis involved using precision technology that goes far beyond traditional soil sampling to help growers make better soil management decisions.

With precision technology that   delivers high resolution top soil maps that detail in-field variability of soil’s chemical and physical properties, Olajugba said farmers will be able  to give the soil what it needs by applying inputs precisely and accurately.

He explained that what his company was offering was  modern technology that assist in how soils are analysed, by equipping farmers to  improve crop yields and incomes. He reiterated that soil health was a key success factor in agriculture, adding that as fertility levels continue to decrease, more farmers will need more data to understand how to better manage their inputs.

Last year, the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) said it was ready to clampdown on unqualified and fake soil scientists in the country. The institute said it had reached an advanced stage towards the planned prosecution of unqualified soil scientists.

The Registrar, NISS, ProfVictor Chude, who made this known in Abuja, at the induction of newly-registered soil scientists, said the move became necessary following high level of quackery among soil scientists in the country. He said the induction of the soil scientists was to establish the culture of standards.

He said the NISS Act 2017 was to regulate the profession of soil science, the use and management of soil resources to maintain high soil quality for sustainable crop production.

According to him, soil scientists play the same role as doctors do, and if the soil is not properly treated, it will not support the production of crops and it will not allow it produce good yield.

“With the induction of the soil scientists, there is going to be awareness created for people to know how we operate. We are going to have an amendment to the Act as soil is a vital and non-renewable component of the ecosystem,” he said.

However, President of NISS and Chairman of the Council, Prof Ayo Ogunkunle, said the negative impact of charlatans among soil scientists could affect millions of people for several years before detection.

Ogunkunle, who noted that the importance of the regulation of standards qualification and skills of soil scientists could not be over-emphasised, said soil resources of the nation must not be neglected or allowed to degrade.

Noting that the detailed survey and mapping of Nigeria’s soil resources are overdue, he  solicited support from the government in view of its importance.

He said: “Agricultural soil is the real wealth of a nation as it is basic to human existence, essential for food, feeds, fibres and fuel production. A crucial requirement for appropriate use and management of the soil resources of a nation is a good knowledge of the various soil components and characteristics. This is not possible without a detailed soil survey of the country,” he said.

Nigeria has an ambitious target of reducing extreme poverty as envisaged in the Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy. To achieve this, stakeholders say the solution lies in promoting rural agriculture. They suggested multifaceted approaches, including policy changes to promote  job growth, infrastructure improvement, technological innovation, energy security and improving quality of life in rural communities, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

The founder of Hastom Nigeria, an agricultural firm, Debo Thomas, is one promising young farmer in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.  Unlike young Nigerians who abandon farming and rural communities, choosing to migrate to urban centres in search of white-collar jobs, Thomas chose to remain and make a difference. Today, he  is a successful crop and cattle farmer.

He noticed that people interested in agriculture were mostly from the city and their major problem was farmland, while in Ogbomosho, they have abundant land. He started helping people to purchase farmlands.

Similarly, he has achieved success in cashew farming. He has cultivated cashew trees on more than 550 acres. According to him, ensuring access to nutritious and affordable food is essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable development in Nigeria.

Those who make this happen, he noted, live in rural areas. He has seen first-hand the powerful role agro entrepreneurs can play in transforming communities, but lamented that farmers were facing unique challenges.

Most of them, according to him,  struggle to earn enough income He urged the Federal Government to enact economic policies that will drive growth and development while calling for the provision of vital infrastructure to enable young entrepreneurs to succeed in agriculture.

He said there should be enough government support to ignite activities across the food and agriculture value chain, provide reliable, consistent credit and financial services, empower communities and strengthen agriculture development in states throughout the country.

Speaking with The Nation, a professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ikole Campus, Ekiti State, Akinwumi Moses Omotayo, said Nigeria‘s rural  agricultural transformation could help the  ongoing fight against poverty, urging for collaboration to strengthen  the vital sector of the economy.

The sector, he further noted, has the potential to reduce poverty and continue driving economic growth, but that emphasis ought to be placed on increasing productivity and competitiveness in the rural areas.

The campaign, Omotayo added, should involve putting  high yielding seed varieties in the hands of farmers, accompanied by investment in rural roads, irrigation, and agricultural extension.  He stressed that boosting productivity in rural areas could lead to more jobs.

His words: “The means of becoming a millionaire in the next decade is by becoming a farmer.”

Omotayo said Nigeria’s agriculture has a strong, diversified base yet it still lags behind other developing nations, largely due to technology gap. He said there should be facilities for rural farmers to get all the information they need to thrive.

According to him, the internet is a great tool for learning and will help farmers seeking ways to increase production. He said there should be loans and grants to help farmers expand economic opportunities.

The Group Managing Director, Gerar International Limited,   Prince Ojiefoh Enahoro, is an agro exporter. He is a supplier of grains and oil seeds to big companies such as Flourmill, Rom Oil, Apple and Pears and Olam Nigeria and Osun Commodity Limited. His biggest achievement was that he first tried everything, gained experience and then advised others. He now offers consultancy services to people involved in rural farming, and has continued to make a difference.

Speaking with The Nation, Enahoro said rural farmers were not having the best of times.  “We face a lot of problems as rural farmers and exporters. The government has not been intentional about developing rural agriculture.”

According to him, farmers are worried about the unsustainable development of the economy and high inflation, adding that policies for agricultural production and consumption have not been paid enough attention.

He said what Nigeria needed was a pragmatic development plan to stimulate growth in  rural areas, including  expanding agriculture, the success of which would be seen in the emergence of exports as  the highest source of foreign currency for the nation.

The wide variety of agricultural produce, according to him, is one of the nation’s major strengths, a result of the country’s different climatic and geographical zones.

His words: “Oyo State can generate over N200 billion annually from cashew nuts. Same thing for Edo and Kogi states. “In Taraba, they have more than 23 flowing rivers across 11 local government areas. The water is not being well utilised. No irrigation, nothing. If we are bringing produce from rural areas to the capital, we have to cross rivers. We have water, we have good soil, and we have population. Things are not working. Rural farmers are suffering. We spend millions purchasing herbicides and seedlings for the farmers.”

High transport costs, according to him, are a big issue that should be addressed as they are undermining competitiveness.

According to him, rural agriculture has continued to lag significantly behind, hindered by logistic challenges. In the longer term, he said there should be programmes to ensure smaller producers are integrated into the attractive export industry.

The Programme Director, Development Dynamics, Dr Jude Ohanele, said rural farmers needed to be empowered to bring productivity back to the agricultural landscape.

In Imo State where he operates, Ohanele has been part of efforts to midwife small agricultural businesses to revive the economy. He has been explicit about his increasing efficiency and food production to replace imports that cost Nigeria hundreds of millions of dollars yearly.

The fact that his   biofortification campaign has produced a number of small agro businesses is a clear sign of how much lack of extension support has held down the progress of rural businesses not exposed to such services.

Ohanele said by most measures rural farmers were not doing well because of waste, poor management, policy constraints, transportation limits, and other problems.

According to him, most farm produce are  wasting because of lack of transportation to bring them to processing centres.

He  was  also worried that the bureaucrats responsible for managing the complex mix of state-run and private agriculture lack the knowledge needed to make the system work.

For a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Dr  Kehinde Adesina Thomas, Nigeria  presents a unique case study of a developing country that  has not successfully invested in its agricultural sector and boosted its economy.

Thomas said empowering and investing in rural  farmers was a  pre-requisite to fulfilling the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals that aim to end poverty and hunger.

He was, however, concerned  that rural agriculture has not  shown any  record of tremendous growth. He  attributed this to under  investments in the sector.

With limited non-farm employment in rural areas, he noted that  a vast majority of rural labour force relies on agricultural work for income.

Farmers, Thomas noted, want to see significant improvements in livelihood and rural economy.

The knowledge gap is one of the issues, Head, Operations, Anastasia Marie Nigeria Limited, Sunday Etimensi, wants addressed as rural farmers require training on how to restore productivity using better farm management methods.

Etimensi said operators needed to know the productive protocols and  land management techniques to use, how to scale, and even what crops and animals to farm.

For Nigeria to reduce extreme poverty by 2030, stakeholders called for increased efforts to secure a better standard of living for the people. They believe agribusiness has the potential to boost the livelihoods of ruralites.

According to the Executive Partner, Alfam Insurance Brokers, Gbolahan Adu, prosperity will come from an accelerated transformation of the agriculture sector in the rural areas.

In his interaction with farmers, Adu saw record post-harvest losses and this has a negative impact on their income.

While the provision of reliable storage facilities  could  help reduce  perennial post-harvest losses, improve food security and alleviate poverty, Adu  said implementing agricultural insurance was vital to reduce community vulnerabilities to crises and disasters and to better prepare farmers for future shocks.

He said agriculture insurance has a role to play in easing access to finance and credit by farmers, and cushioning them against losses induced by disasters or diseases that affect their crops and livestock.

He urged the government to encourage rural farmers to adopt insurance policies for crops and livestock.

A crop and social scientist, Ige Oluwaseun, said there was the need to support rural farmers to sustain their businesses. He said there should be programmes to support rural households to improve their food and nutrition security and reduce rural poverty by combining agriculture and social protection.

The Chief Executive, A.K&F Agro Tech and Agro S-ervice, Osuwa Abdullahi, urged the authorities to scale up investments  in rural areas as part of efforts to eradicate poverty.

He implored the government to prioritise the development of agriculture and rural areas and advance a batch of major projects to facilitate production and consumption.

These, according to him, will help to reduce rural poverty, improve food security, boost export revenue, and deepen marketing and distribution chains throughout the economy.

 

More crowd farming platforms are emerging to use technology to connect smallholders with investments, and close the agriculture financing gap, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

2scale, an international incubator programme that manages a portfolio of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for inclusive business in agri-food sectors and industries, has launched its crowd farming platform.

The programme offers support services to its business champions (SMEs and farmer groups) and partners, enabling them to produce, transform and supply quality food products.

It said it launched a crowdfunding website to support its partners in agribusiness value chains to mobilise funds from their networks in this difficult period.

Crowdfunding raises funds for a business by asking a large group of people to contribute small amounts of money.

An online crowdfunding campaign mobilises one’s network, creating a community and gaining support for your venture. By involving the family, friends and other networks, you can create a snowball effect and successfully campaign to crowdfund for your venture.

The 2SCALE Programme Director, Henk van Duijn, said for the first campaign, about 10 small and medium-sized enterprises are selected in three countries of intervention of the programme, namely Kenya, Mali and Nigeria. Each company will be coached and supported by experts to activate its network to mobilise €5,000.

According to 2SCALE Country Team Leader of Mali, Baba Togola, the initiative represents a great opportunity for their partners to promote self-employment through support for SMEs to acquire the means (working capital or acquisition of equipment) for the development of their business.

It added that any company that will mobilise 50 per cent of the targeted resources would benefit from a financial bonus of €2000 from 2SCALE.

 

As more go hungry and malnutrition persists, achieving zero hunger by 2030 is in doubt, according to the United Nations. However, there are moves to reduce hunger and poverty, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

More people are going hungry, according to the United Nation’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. The report estimated that almost 690 million people went hungry last year – up by 10 million from 2018, and by nearly 60 million in five years.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is the most authoritative global study tracking progress towards ending hunger and malnutrition. It is produced jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In response to this, 10 African Heads of State have urged other world leaders to increase their funding to IFAD or risk jeopardising Sustainable Development Goal targets for eradicating poverty and hunger, particularly in Africa.

“We share IFAD’s vision of vibrant rural communities where people live free from poverty and hunger,” wrote the leaders of Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo in letters to their counterparts in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania.

“Investing in building the resilience of rural people is now more important than ever in order to secure food supplies, safeguard rural livelihoods, ensure that progress made over the years is not lost and prevent more rural people from falling into poverty and hunger”.

Right now, Africa is addressing conflict, changing weather patterns, pests and the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19. Hunger levels on the continent are twice the world average.

IFAD is the only multilateral development organisation soley dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. In the letters, the African leaders called for a significant increase in contributions to IFAD’s Twelfth Replenishment (IFAD12) – a year-long consultative process during which Member States come together to agree on strategic directions and mobilise funds for IFAD to provide as concessional loans and grants to developing countries.

“This support from the African Heads of State is a testimony to the real impact IFAD is having on the lives and livelihoods of rural people in these countries,” said IFAD’s Associate Vice President for External Relations and Governance, Marie Haga. “Their support demonstrates the importance of investing in rural areas to achieve national food security, environmental sustainability and economic development which has a monumental impact on global stability and resilience.”

About 75 per cent of the world’s poorest live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. In the letters, African leaders highlight the immense potential of African agriculture and the strong evidence that investing in agriculture is one of the most effective ways of reducing poverty.

IFAD aimed to deliver an overall programme of work of $10 billion for the IFAD12 period (2022–2024), with over half of investments allocated to Africa. This would help more than 140 million small-scale producers increase their production and raise their incomes through better market access and resilience, contributing to creating jobs and improving food security and nutrition for those most at risk of being left behind.

“A successful replenishment has the potential to unlock billions of dollars in financing to transform rural economies and food systems around the world, as well as enable IFAD to double its impact by 2030 and contribute to ending poverty and hunger,” wrote the leaders.

 

The world over, countries are establishing free trade zones to facilitate growth through high-end manufacturing and processing. For experts, free trade zones can play a role in transforming food systems by providing an environment for producers to develop innovative products and services that are vital to addressing food security, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

 

Globally, countries are ramping up efforts to increase investment and incentivising activities in a range of industries by establishing free trade zones.

Incentives include supporting foreign companies looking to relocate with about 100 per cent ownership of their companies, flexible foreign workforce and visa processes, customs duty exemption on imports and corporate tax holidays for investors.

One area countries are trying to attract investors to is agriculture. Several special economic zones have been created to  enable farmers and businesses to tap into the vast agro resources available within their countries.

At present, Nigeria has  special economic areas under industrial  and innovation zones that allow residents to take advantage of certain free trade benefits. The special economic zones provide tax preferences,  reduced administrative barriers for commerce, as well as other incentives for trade and investment.

Stakeholders are canvassing special economic zones to promote agriculture and food production.

One of them is Chief Executive Officer Multimix Group, Dr. Obiora Madu.

Madu  said well-conceived special economic zones connect farms to warehouses to transportation to consumers. This, he explained, increases the concentration of food production and distribution.

He said such facilities showed  models of an integrated economic development which comprises industrial areas, logistics services and processing plants.

He  said for Nigeria to strengthen its agricultural sector, the government must ensure the country became largely self-sufficient in food production. According to him, developing free trade zones is a significant and positive development for the agricultural sector’s strategic calculations.

To achieve economic growth, he said, the government has to work with the private sector to replace traditional farming with  large-scale agro-industrial zones for food processing plants.

According to him, free trade zones are undoubtedly huge employment generators.

Recently, the  Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, appealed to the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to patronise free trade zones to ward off widespread business uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 pandemic.

Adesugba argued that Nigeria’s industrialisation could be achieved faster if the government and the private sector worked together.

He made the call in Abuja when he visited the President, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Saratu Aliyu, which was also attended by the Second Deputy President, NACCIMA, Dele Oye; and President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Adetokunbo Kayode.

Adesugba, a former national legal adviser to NACCIMA, said: “NEPZA holds a double status as a facilitator and promoter of investments, free business environment, and a regulator that ensures compliance to standards’’.

He, therefore, urged the business community to consider patronising the 42 free trade zones to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic on their businesses.

“The supply chain management is going to be critical, as COVID-19 has changed business logistics, but if we can take advantage of the various incentives, which include tax holiday, absence of customs duty, and absence of several other multiple taxes charged outside of the zones then our businesses can stay afloat,” Adesugba said.

In line with this, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) recently announced plans to establish a network of special crop processing zones (SCPZs), with the aim of attracting private agricultural investment for processing plants.

They will be located within designated high-production areas  around the country. The government offered incentives, including tax breaks for imports of agricultural processing equipment, tax holidays for food processors in an SCPZ, and government-funded infrastructure such as quality roads, logistics, storage facilities, utilities, flood control, rail and air connectivity.

Under the ministry’s plan, each zone will link farmers to food manufacturing plants, with public funding anticipated at the state and federal levels. Some 14 SCPZs will be developed in phases, with the first phase covering six zones.

Experts said the project could boost agriculture and drive national industrialisation, modernisation They noted that the government  efforts would help to  ensure national food security and boost rural development.