The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Why should gender matter in agriculture?

    Why should gender matter in agriculture?

    By Grace Muinga

    In the last few decades, agriculture has been recognized as the backbone of the economy for most African countries representing about 15% of the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Just as agriculture is the backbone for most African countries, so are women recognized in the sector as strategic contributors and players as they make up almost 50 per cent of the agricultural labour force in sub-Saharan Africa, an increase from about 45 per cent since 1980, as farmers and farm workers, horticulturists, businesswomen, entrepreneurs and community leaders, they fulfil important roles in agriculture and the development of rural economies.

    There is however a difference in the share of female labour in agriculture across the different sub-regions with average percentages ranging from just over 40 per cent in Southern Africa to over 50 per cent in Eastern Africa. The sub-regional data for Africa conceal wide differences between countries both in the share of female labour in agriculture and the trend.

    Given the critical importance of the agricultural sector to the national economies, and in view of the important productive role of women within this sector, economic development and food security are affected by the degree of commitment shown by governments to the agricultural sector and to rural women.

    Even though women make up almost 50 per cent of the agricultural labour force, a publication by Global Fund for Women titled Keeping food on the table in Sub-Saharan Africa reported that women support the production of 80 per cent of the region’s food, noting that women are the pillars of agriculture and food production in Africa. Women contribute extensively to food processing and marketing, household nutrition, and natural resource management. They are also the predominant labour providers in agri-businesses and agro-industries (FAO, 2011a).

    Despite this significant contribution, African women farmers are often excluded from conversations that determine agricultural policies, while discriminatory laws and practices deprive them of their land, their rights, and their livelihoods. The inequalities surrounding women in agriculture also border on access to financing and agricultural resources. In some cases, the reward from their labour contribution remains a misfit.

    Based on these facts and the desire to recognize and reward women’s effort in agriculture, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) through its Cassava Mechanization and Agro-processing Project, (CAMAP) has had tremendous success in helping reduce labour for women and youth involved in cassava production in Zambia, Nigeria and Uganda. The project supports women in cassava production by encouraging them to form support groups and building their skills through training on farming as a business, good agronomic practices and linking them to markets upon harvest.

    In Uganda, some of the women who participated in the CAMAP Project were able to build an improved brick house for their families and buy goats for milk production to supplement their income. One of the women, a widow who wished not to be named remarked that “I was afraid that I would not be able to feed my children upon the passing of my husband, this project has been a life-changer for me and my children. Through cassava production on my 10 acres of land, I have bought 3 goats that I will keep for milk production. I also intend to increase my land size for cassava production.”

    To support youth inclusivity, CAMAP trained youths in the three countries in mechanized cassava production and involvement in agribusiness in alignment with their needs. The men were also involved in the project and incorporated as champions in support of women empowerment. AATF considers gender mainstreaming as being both about women and men while acknowledging their homogeneity.

    Women are just as good as men in farming: evidence shows that when rural women have the same access as men to productive resources, services and economic opportunities there is a significant increase in agricultural output and immediate and long term social and economic gains, all contributing to the reduction in the number of poor and hungry people.

    The gender agenda remains essential in implementing agriculture interventions and contributes to the sustainability of food security in developing countries. Persisting gender inequalities constrain women’s productivity and food security and nutrition contribution. Embracing gender transformative approaches is therefore critical to achieve accelerated agricultural growth, shared prosperity, improved livelihoods, and zero hunger.

    AATF has demonstrated that with careful planning and investment, women can be positioned to scale-up the continent’s food security agenda. It is, therefore, important for national governments and other developmental organisations to not only recognise women as valuable players in the agricultural sector but also as a block that can make a significant difference in the continent’s quest to attain food and nutritional security. It is estimated that 56 percent of the African population will live in urban areas by 2050, if we are to meet this growing demand for food, we must harness the full potential of women (FAO 2018). It is imperative that gender remains a conversation about men and women.

    AATF was founded in 2003 to address Africa’s food security prospects through agricultural technology, It was formed in response to the need for an effective mechanism that would facilitate and support negotiation for technology access and delivery and formation of appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of innovative technologies for use by smallholder farmers in SSA.

    Women being a very strategic block under the classification of smallholder farmers, the group responsible for the production of much of the food needed on the African continent should therefore be supported to have an unhindered access to affordable and sustain agricultural technologies that will scale-up their contributions.

    AATF intervention programme, CAMAP was able to prove in Nigeria, Uganda and other places that with little access to technologies, the women folk could perform wonders as smallholder women farmers who were hitherto harvesting less than 10 tons per hectare suddenly started harvesting 27 tons, a development that expanded their perception and increased their contribution to the family income.

    • Muinga is AATF head of Gender Unit.
  • Quest for a bigger share in global spices markets

    Quest for a bigger share in global spices markets

    Spices constitute an important group of commodities which are indispensable in homes and industries. The market is on an upward trend. Grand View Research report says global seasoning and spices market was worth $13.77 billion last year. Analysts expect the market to reach $20.99 billion by 2024. While there are no confidence figures on Nigeria’ national production, stakeholders believe the nation can make $2 billion yearly from spices exports, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The global spices industry has shown robust growth. It was worth $13.77 billion last year, according to this year’s Global Seasoning and Spices report by United States  Grand View Research.

    The major spices in demand are pepper, ginger, turmeric, vanilla, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and spice oils. They are used in food preparation and processing.

    Analysts said increased demand for new flavours and tastes has fuelled the growth of seasoning and spices market. Today, most expensive spices sell for as much as $1,000. The major markets are United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), among others.

    While Nigeria can produce key spices in the international market, stakeholders are not impressed with the foreign exchange from the sector considering its unmatched quality of spices that should make the nation stand tall in the international market.

    One of them is the Director-General, Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof Haruna Dikko Ibrahim, who has not hidden his concerns. Nigeria produces pepper, chili, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg and mace, cardamon, and cloves, among others.

    To him, the industry can generate about $2 billion yearly. Therefore, all endeavours should focus on promoting skills development for spices farmers and access to finance.

    The President, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria ((FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama, sees spices farming and exports as an ambitious endeavour that can transform the economy and open new frontiers and position Nigeria as a force to be reckoned with in the global food economy.

    He said Nigeria should occupy an indispensable spot in the global spice trade. Like other agro commodities, Iyama noted that the challenge was failure of producers to comply with quality standards.

    He has no doubts about the possibility of growing more types of spices in Nigeria because of tropical or sub-tropical climates.

    For instance, dried chili peppers, onion and garlic are grown in most parts of Nigeria.

     

    Opening high-end markets

    Nigeria’s combined supply of various spices is less than one percent of global trade. While the spices sector constitutes a significant percentage of world trade, Nigeria has not earned much from spices because Nigerians only export to relations in the diaspora.

    However, there is huge evidence of the sector in Nigeria increasing production and export gains. This, according to the Managing Director, AgroPark Development Company Limited, Sola Olunowo, can be made possible by first taking a keen look at how these gains could be achieved.

    Seeking solutions to why Nigeria is not making it in the global spices market, Olunowo decided to attend a global fruit and vegetable conference where spices dominated discussions. He described the event as a game-changing event.

    He found out that why Nigerians were not able to export spices to corporate buyers. He said it was because they had not been able to present some certifications, including the GLOBAL G.A.P.

    Meeting these requirements, according to him, ensures traceability required by international buyers. He noted that despite the industry’s relative economic drop, local farmers are still well placed to do better from the trade.

    He cited the nation’s natural weather and seasonal conditions as beneficial for high quality spices produce. He added that improved practices by growers, including in cultivation, harvesting, handling and storage, could make a big difference.

    According to him, organic spices are gaining tremendous demand in international market, since they are considered natural and safe for consumption. But for the impact of COVID-19, he said they were receiving various enquires from importers to procure organic spices. He said what the industry needed were schemes to promote farmers to produce clean and good quality spices, and for exporters to set up small units for processing and value addition to spices.

    Olunowo is successful in spices farming and exports. He developed many techniques in spices farming by which he not only makes profit but people around him are also utilising the techniques and gaining profits.

    He found the best deals for growing and exporting lemongrass – supplying food and beverage industry.

    According to him, lemongrass is used in many industries, including the fragrance and flavour, food and beverage, soap, detergent and cleaning products manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and pesticide.

    He said farmers could make a lot of money from lemongrass farming and other spices.

    According to him, spices from Nigeria are in great demand in the market, urging the government to take active and keen interest to facilitate trade, and ensure the economy benefitted from the sector.

    Olunowo wants all preconditions met to enable Nigeria to produce efficiently and compete regionally and globally.

    The Coordinator, Agribusiness & Youth Empowerment, Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria, Sotonye Anya, said there is a huge market for seasonings, spices and herbs running into billions of naira yearly.

    He called on Nigerian ginger, turmeric, and garlic growers to tap into the $13.7 billion global spices and seasoning market to avail themselves of opportunities in the sub-sector.

    Sotonye noted that Nigeria ought to be one of the world’s leading spices exporter, attributing its current status to unsustainable practices, despite that the soil is rich to make it an abundant producer.

    Nigeria, according to him, faces challenges in the global spices trade, including low-quality packaging and low prices.

    Value-added spices and herbs

    Right now, there is a large international market for value-added spices and herbs crushed or mixed, said Sotonye.

    As an exporter, he said it would be good to send them in crushed or ground form.

    The Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) that contributes to sustainable and inclusive economic development in developing countries through the expansion of exports said Europe is open for spices.

    It said Europe is open for crushed or ground spices such as pepper, capsicum, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamoms, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and ginger.

    The most important food safety management systems in Europe are the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the International Featured Standards (IFS Food), Food Safety System Certification (FSSC22000) and the Safe Quality Food Programme (SQF).

    Sotonye said traceability, hygiene and control were critical when exporting spices to Europe, as EU sets maximum levels for mycotoxins for specific spices.

    Before investing in agri-commodities or the spices pack, he advised investors to have sufficient knowledge about the demand-supply situation, climatic condition and relevant policy actions.

    A Consultant with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Common Investment Market and Professor at Covenant University, Jonathan Aremu, said exportable spices must comply to be allowed in the European market.

    He added that further processing of spices add value to the product.

     

    Challenges

    One of biggest challenges of developing countries involved in spices exports is the variation of standards across various countries.

    Olunowo believes producers that have got GLOBAL G.A.P certification will be cleared because it covers good agricultural practices, such as pesticide residue, and contamination due to mycotoxins, among others.

    To improve the production and exports of spices, there is the need  for the implementation of best practices at all the stages of the value chain that would help to enhance  export and improve the quality of spices in future, Olunowo said.

    He said small farmers could benefit extensively from training to help them adopt new and innovative ways of presenting their produce at the international market.

     

    Stakeholders’ response

    The Managing Director, Lords Field, an agric survey company, Mr. Oloropo Olajugba, said uniform standards would help Nigeria improve trade in spices and this would require the use of technology. He said what Nigeria needed to make a success in spices farming and exports was the application of precision technology.

    He explained that farmers could explore different technologies and farming practices to more accurately manage soil and growing conditions, eventually growing more spices while using fewer resources at lower cost.

    With the technology, his organisation provides, Olajugba said farmers use the technology fitted to a tractor to carry out irrigation, soil and crop monitoring.

    According to him, the solution enables data analyses on growing conditions, ideal harvest windows with the assistance of mobile technology.

     

    Sourcing of spices

    For big players, the key to high-quality spices is sourcing products from the right places. Some organisations would not want their spices rejected so they emphasise that the farmers meet five criteria: traceability, product quality, origination, food safety, and reliability.

    The Vice- President, Corporate and Government Relationship, Olam, Ade Adefeko, said: “At Olam, with our experience spanning 31 years and with our footprint in over 60 countries, we take agricultural sustainability seriously by using our supply chain insights and data garnered to drive transformational change for our farmers, rural communities and the entire planet.

    “We are the world’s number one source for garlic, onions and chillies and a global leader for pepper, tropical spices, purees and parsley and we use our At Source solution to ensure sustainable sourcing and  tracing which help to provide unrivalled environmental and social insights into the journey of agricultural raw materials and food ingredients from farm to shelf.’’

  • Bridging data support gap for farmers

    Bridging data support gap for farmers

    Lack of farm data support system has created challenges for agro entrepreneurs across agricultural and food value chain. Stakeholders say to nurture farm businesses that can transform into effective enterprises, the data system has to be strengthenened, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

    Fledgling farm businesses need access to data to take decisions to grow and thrive. For agro entrepreneurs, bridging the dearth of data gap is critical for sustainable agricultural growth.

    To improve food security and increase income through integrated agriculture, the Chief Executive, Brote Urban Vegetable Farm & Processing Limited, Innocent Mokidi, said farmers should confront many challenges that require data use.

    Bridging this gap has proven to be a bigger challenge.

    He said the sector was limited by a lack of access to information, with knock-on effects for productivity and livelihoods.

    On the efficacy of data, Mokidi said it is useful at every stage, including soil testing, logistics and weather forecasting.

    Sometimes, he looks for a functional base on weather information to help him on land preparation and can’t find it.

    He said with agric specific weather data, farmers would be pre-informed when to expect rain or dry spells. This, according to him, will help farmers adjust their crop schedules in preparation for the coming weather.

    He said the ability of farmers to find out the best time for sowing and harvesting which results in précised projecting of farm production was important.

    According to him, it is difficult for farmers to succeed in Nigeria without data to address multiple challenges.

    For the sector to grow, Mokidi said the industry needed a farm data mechanism that increases linkages in the value chain for a stronger market system, apart from information on weather forecasts, news, and disaster preparedness.

    He added that there were lots of benefits for farming communities exploring data to improve their productivity and livelihoods.

    With Nigeria supporting the food needs of 120 million people and a growing population, he maintained that farmers needed accurate data to make informed decisions and to sustain agricultural growth.

    Recognising this challenge, the Chief Executive, Farmcrowdy, Onyeka Akumah, said his organisation had to create a database to enable it work with farmers.

    He said agritech start-up employed a wide range of data, including regular farmers’  information and drone imagery to support many farmers.

    This, he noted, gives them the capacity to fit well, with agriculture needs and serve as many farmers as possible

    One of the organisations on the forefront of data-driven agriculture is DigitalGreen.

    It is a technology-centric grassroots campaign focused on increasing the effectiveness of smallholder farmers in the developing world, to improve their farming methods and their lives.

    DigitalGreen facilitates the production and dissemination of videos made by the community, for the community, allowing farmers to share knowledge with one another. It works with more than 125,000 farmers.

    DigitalGreen began as a research project backed by Microsoft (MSFT).

    Its latest project is building a database of farmers called FarmStack for other start-ups to use.

    Partnering extension providers, the social enterprise provides real-time data collation and analysis that farmers can use.

    At the Building Resilience Through Data and Digital Platforms session, at the just-concluded African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) virtual summit, the Vice-President of Strategy and Partnerships at Digital Green, Ms. Alesha Miller, urged industry players to consider building relationships that encourage the sharing of data among innovators.

    “There has been a tendency for replication of interventions and it is now clear that in order to get localised, highly-customised solutions for farmers we must figure out how to collaborate,” she said.

    The session agreed that strong data management and collaboration would give rise to sturdier data-driven decision structures that keep the African agriculture industry stable in the midst of emerging challenges.

  • Return of cage culture

    Return of cage culture

    Lagos is promoting cage culture to improve the productivity of fisheries, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Aquaculture is helping to jump-start Badagry’s struggling economy, thanks in part to Lagos Agro-processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) assisted by the World Bank in the area.

    The programme located at Afowo is joint effort as the government works with the community to supply a more-sustainable source of protein and income.

    Lagos Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Ruth Bisola Olusanya, said APPEALS Project sponsored by Lagos State Government, in conjunction with the Federal Government and the World Bank, was aimed at supporting farmers’ productivity and their linkage to markets.

    She said Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had interest in agriculture and that was why he supported the project to empower the people of the state, especially women and youths in the three value chains of the project — aquaculture, rice and poultry.

    She said the APPEALS project had empowered farmers on tilapia production, using the cage culture rearing method as part of efforts develop aquaculture and also improve residents’ nutrition.

    She said the state was determined to promote the development of large-scale cage farming in other parts of Lagos. Mrs. Olusanya explained that the cage culture system was a cheaper method of fish rearing which allowed for fish to be reared in their natural habitat.

    She added that fish farmers in sea caging culture system in Afowo Community were empowered with cages.

    She added that the cage culture system of fish farming was one of the ways being championed by the state government to maximise the benefits of the abundant water resources which account for about 22 per cent of the state’s landmass.

    She described the system as an environmentally-friendly way of increasing fish supply as well as conserving foreign exchange spent on fish importation, adding that the cage culture would create employment directly and indirectly.

    Mrs. Olusanya said also that the caging project was continuous with farming sites in the riverine areas of the state.

    She said beneficiaries of APPEALS aquaculture training were exposed to lessons on use of high quality feeds; and best management practices for success, profitability, and sustainable and long-term marine fish cage farming.

    She noted that there was a need to improve food and nutrition security and economic opportunities through aquaculture and the creation of job opportunities for the youth via better management of fishery resources.

    She added that value addition to lower-market-valued fish, introduced by the APPEALS project has  created new opportunities for youth and women entrepreneurs, adding that it was  a positive model for food security and income generation.

    According to her, beneficiaries will play a dominant role in supplying fish products to consumers in urban and  rural areas.

    The Coordinator, Lagos APPEALS, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, said efforts were being channelled to helping women and youths meet standards in exporting seafood products.

    Mrs. Sagoe-Oviebo said Tilapia Cage Culture in Afowo was for growing fish naturally  in open water but confined in a cage.

    She said APPEALS project was focused on enhancing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods through better policies, strategies and initiatives.

    The project, according to her, implements activities to support women and youth actors in the small-scale fisheries sector, including building capacity of individuals and family enterprises; strengthening cooperatives; and empowering women based on their needs.

    According to her, the project supports the creation of job opportunities for youths and women through the development of aquaculture and fisheries’ management practices, as well as improved post-harvest handling, and fish processing practice.

  • Govt to attract youths to farming through mechanisation

    Govt to attract youths to farming through mechanisation

    By Charles Okonji

    As part of efforts geared towards tackling food insecurity in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has announced that the Government has concluded plans to mechanise agricultural production so as to make it attractive to Nigerian youths.

    Onu who disclosed this while receiving the Director-General and National Coordinator of Nigerian Young Farmers Network in his office recently in Abuja noted that the involvement of youths in Agriculture will ensure food security, create jobs and increase foreign exchange earnings for the country considering their population.

    The Minister pointed out that the present administration placed a high premium on agriculture, adding that this was demonstrated by the massive attention given to rice production by Mr. President.

    He said that the deployment of Science, Technology, and Innovation is vital to the development of agriculture in Nigeria.

    “Many aspects of farming is dependent on Science and Technology: from selection of seeds that are high yielding to drought and pest-resistant seeds. Agricultural products are essential to the development of pharmaceuticals, as products such as cassava provide starch which is a major ingredient for the production of medicinal drugs.” Onu stressed.

    He lamented the misfortune of post-harvest losses in the country’s agricultural sector, adding that the Ministry will support the sector by deploying relevant technology to ensure a significant reduction in post-harvest losses and achieve food security.

    READ ALSO: Towards farm mechanisation

    Onu advised the Nigerian Young Farmers Network to continue working as a team so as to achieve the objectives of their association.

    Earlier, the Director-General and National Coordinator of Nigeria Young Farmers Network Mr. Promise Amahah, said the network was seeking a working relationship with the Ministry to positively reposition agriculture in the country.

    Amahahe said the network is a melting pot for key stakeholders and investors in the agricultural sector, adding that the network, which is represented all over the country, is striving to develop a reliable and dependable data platform for agriculture in the country.

    He said the network which has over 2 million members spread across the country and is focused on driving and accelerating agricultural development in the country.

  • Ex-FIIRO boss calls for food security

    Ex-FIIRO boss calls for food security

    By Charles Okonji

    Professor (Mrs) Gloria Nwakaegho Elemo has called for food security in Nigeria, to enable Nigerians easy access to food.

    Prof Elemo who was the former Director-General of Nigeria Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos, while delivering the 19th, Inaugural Lecture of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Oyo State said it is high time Nigerians are able to provide bread for themselves without having to go through stress.

    The former FIIRO boss whose lecture was titled “Let there be bread; the struggle in achieving food and nutrition security in Nigeria” noted that Nigeria has all it takes to provide bread for it citizens without much stress if all hands are on deck.

    She stressed the importance of bread to man, adding that the cassava for bread her former institute FIIRO champion about a decade ago was borne out of the importance of bread to man, adding that it is sad that many Nigerians still go to bed in empty stomach due to their inability to afford bread or any other foodstuffs.

    “Bread is one of the oldest foods produce in the world. Historical records show the importance of bread in agriculture. In religious context, bread is regarded as sustenance of life and thus it has since become a symbol of needs; food included. ” To have bread every day in Nigeria for at least about 10 percent of the population has been a struggle for a long time now. Nigeria has a landmass spanning over 924,000km, with about 40 percent of arable land being cultivated. This is a huge economic agriculture potential, however, agriculture, which has been a major contributor to the Nigerian economy has not been able to solve the problem of food insecurity and malnutrition,” she said.

    The egghead disclosed that according to the State of food security and nutrition in the word report of 2018 stated that 11.5 percent of the Nigerian population are undernourished while 24.8 percent of the total Nigerian population are severely food insecure.

    The Don blamed inadequate investment in agriculture, poorly implemented agricultural policies and plans, adding that inadequate financial support for subsistence-level farmers, high cost of farm inputs, poor storage facilities, poor market access, and market inefficiency, the insurgency in the North, adverse climatic condition and poor food processing are some of the factors why the country finds itself in this situation.

    READ ALSO: Kano awards N88m food security contract

    She stressed that there is quite a lot of evidence that shows that addressing food insecurity especially through improvement in agriculture do not necessarily translate to a reduction in malnutrition. Elemo gave her own contribution to achieving food and nutrition security in Nigeria thus.” An aspect of food and nutrition security I focused on early in my research was looking at nutrition intake and nutrient requirements. Adequate nutrient or food intake is very important for maintaining a healthy life.”

    She noted that for dietary intake to be adequate, it must meet the need of the human body, adding that there was the need to critically look at nutrient requirements for Nigerians.

    The former FIIRO boss call for food processing and preservation to enable Nigeria to address food security, adding that the country must embrace science and technology to food development to reduce post-harvest losses, increase the shelf life of products and help increase the chances of access to adequate food and bioavailability.

    Elemo who concluded her Ph.D. 36 years ago has gone through different career paths, such as academia, research and development management, entrepreneurship development, and other fields.

    The re-known academia pleaded that Nigeria must struggle to ensure that no single Nigerian go to bed hungry.

  • Experts seek increased investments in Africa’s agric devt

    Experts seek increased investments in Africa’s agric devt

    Africa hosted the virtual summit of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Kigali, Rwanda, where participants, who included government representatives, exchanged ideas on how  to boost food production. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    Participants from United States, Europe, and African Union (AU) at virtual conference of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) held in Kigali, Rwanda have called for measures to increase food production and across borders in the short and long term.

    The AGRF is a platform for global and African leaders to develop actionable plans that will move African agriculture forward.They stressed that it was critical member states of Africa Union (AU) strengthened their food systems to help the agricultural sector recover from the impact of COVID-19 through initiatives focused on innovation, financing, technology, partnerships and new levels of regional and global collaboration and information sharing.

    The Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation, Mr William Asiko, who maintained that the closure of markets during the lockdowns occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic showed the fragility and lack of resilience of African urban cities in terms of the food chain.

    Asiko said Africa has real work to do to build food resilience as the COVID pandemic also exposed the fragility of the continent’s transportation.

    He said: “The challenge of maintaining social distancing in open-air markets left the government with no option but to shut them down. But that was also not tenable and we now must work to create modern market facilities.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the importance of strengthening local agricultural production. We have enough resources in the continent to sustain all our food needs.’’

    Asiko called for public-private partnerships in resolving the problem of hunger in Africa’s cities, “so policymakers should come together as we need private sector involvement”.

    The Managing Director, African Green Revolution Forum, AGRF, Adebisi Araba, said the flooding experienced in some part of Nigeria recently has shown that resilience is a journey. He said Nigeria needs the right policy framework on climate, “what happened in Kebbi State where rice farms were washed away reminds me of what happened eight years ago.”

    Araba said Nigeria needs to build resilience by insuring the smallholder farmers,”we need to ensure that we factor insurance into agriculture input like seeds and fertiliser.”

    He added that farmers need to be connected to markets as that would give them the confidence to plant in peace. Araba wants the youth to look at agriculture as a profitable business sector. “Agriculture is not something you do when all else has failed,” he said.”

    Agribusiness is complicated, and that’s why it needs serious, business-minded people who are dedicated and intelligent to make a success of it,” he said.

    During the programme, Tony Blair Institute (TBI) announced new Agribusiness Investment Facilitation Programme to step up agribusiness support to African governments.

    The new programme aims to bring in investors to match flagship projects and greenfield priorities of governments, while also supporting local small and medium (SMEs) and AgTech. It will focus on ensuring engagement between investors and the highest level of government, working together to identify and develop demand for investment; and providing support to large operators and investors which can answer governments’ priorities and identified market needs.

    Announcing the new programme in a session at the ARGF Deal Room ‘Results Factory’event, TBI Senior Adviser for AgriFood Investment Lloyd Le Page said: “We work in 15 countries in Africa, and on agriculture in most of these, because agriculture transformation is a key focus on every government’s mind.

    ”We recognise that it is indeed a game-changing year for African agriculture and the importance of providing food to the $250billion market in the rapidly rising African cities has never been starker or more pressing.

    “Together with governments and Development Finance Institutions, we explore and support the co-development of strategic catalytic investments that will release blockages in agricultural value chain investment.

    ”Examples of these include development corridors, irrigation schemes, agro-processing and food manufacture, and agribusiness parks.

    ”With support from AGRA and USAID, we’ve provided support over a period of months to six governments: Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Nigeria to prepare for their engagement in this year’s AGRF Deal Room.This required extensive coordination within and across countries, as well as project preparation, and pitch development.

    ”TBI plans to expand advisory and delivery, year-round, to support governments, across different ministries and agencies, including investment promotion and key economic agencies, through the life of the project, from design to closure and aftercare.”

    During session entitled: “Expanding the Universe of Investment-Ready Agribusinesses”, speakers at the session affirmed that African agriculture has immense opportunities that remain unexplored for lack of proper structures and dedicated investments to support agribusinesses.

    “We need investments in everything that touches on agriculture. We must realise that without good roads, seeds and animal breeds, it is hard to lower the cost of production and compete with other countries in the export market,” said the Vice-Minister for Agriculture & Rural Development of Mozambique, Dr. Olegário dos Anjos Banze.

    An Investment Officer at Accion Venture Lab, Nigeria, Ashley Lewis, noted that by formalising their enterprises, African farmers would attract valuable investents. “There is an opportunity to create value, have exits and have a venture capital story in agriculture,” she said.

    A member of Global Farmer Network, Patience Egba-koku, said access to technology is the key to how food is produced in Africa.   She said she had started experimentation of BT cotton and cowpea on her farm in Nigeria, noting that with the new genetically-modified Pod Borer Resistant cowpea variety, commercialised as SAMPEA-20-T, that they have just sprayed pesticides to control stem borer and the fall armyworm that are ravaging farms once.

    She said to get farmers access technology that there was a need for a policy that would create a good environment for technology to thrive and also proper regulations.

    ”We need to also convince the farmers on what they stand to benefit from embracing technology. We need the private sector to be involved, because if there is no provider, who will help the farmers have access to technologies?” she added.

    She said climate change also compounded farming as the rain started early and ended abruptly.

    “We need improved seeds, irrigation, mechanisation because we can no longer rely on food import.

    “If we continue to rely on food import, we may have a problem as the COVID-19 has shown,” she said.

    A major highlight of the event was the announcement of  Dr. André Bationo and Dr. Catherine Nakalembe  as winners of the Africa Food Prize (AFP) for promoting food security across the continent. Bationo, a researcher from Burkina Faso, was recognised for his efforts in the improving micro-dosing fertiliser technology.

    Bationo has also scaled-up an inventory credit system which allows farmers to store grain and receive a credit when prices are low, thus selling their product when prices are higher. The micro-dosing technology and inventory credit systems are already benefitting farmers in West Africa – from the villages in Niger where Bationo first implemented these innovations to the wider regions.

    Nakalembe, a Ugandan researcher, was honoured for her dedication to assisting smallholder farmers by using satellite technology to harness data to guide agricultural decision-making. Her work in this area has helped prevent potentially disastrous impacts of crop failure. Congratulating the winners, Chair, Africa Food Prize Committee and former Nigeria’s President,  Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, emphasised that the efforts of the duo reinforces the call for a simultaneous productivity push and policy pull to transform farming from a struggle to survive to a business that thrives.

    ”We need innovative Africans like Dr. Bationo and Dr. Nakalembe to demonstrate the potential of new knowledge and technology together with practical technologies that help improve the value proposition for farmers. These two are indeed exceptional Africans,” he said.The Africa Food Prize exists to reward pioneering efforts to overcome obstacles across the agriculture value chain including limited access to high quality agricultural inputs, difficulties in accessing markets as well as the negative impact of climate change.  Over 10,000 people from 152 countries participated in the AGRF2020.

     

     

  • Saving poultry industry from importers

    Saving poultry industry from importers

    While there is an increase in eggs consumption, farmers have also found that there is greater demand for egg power. They are, therefore, asking the government to ban the product’s imports to save the industry, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    Poultry has played a crucial role in the Nigeria’s agriculture sector to achieve food security, income and farmers’welfare.

    The market is driven by factors such as an increase in the consumption of animal-based products. This has created opportunities for agro entrepreneurs interested in exploring the sector. So far, the poultry industry has made remarkable progress and grown into an organised and highly productive industry.

    One area that is drawing interest is dried egg powder because of its stability and has a long shelf life. The demand is increasing as it is used in fast food preparations, ice-creams, cakes, cookies, noodles, doughnut, among others. Experts believe it can replace the use of fresh eggs in food items and offer convenience and ease of handling as against shell eggs.

    As a result, entrepreneurs are setting up egg powder processing as part of poultry business.

    Despite this, some importers are bringing in egg power worth over $1 billion yearly.

    Currently, some foreign egg producers rely on exports of egg powder, and are looking for buyers everywhere, including Nigeria. To this end, local producers in involved in the manufacture of egg powder have urged the government to ban importation to save the industry. One of them is the Director of Operations, Answer Industry, an egg powder processor in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Mr Samuel Shewoniku.

    He said they were not working up to the installed capacity, because of importation.

    He said they could still process about 50,000 eggs in a day but that they were not getting enough local buyers.

    He said many poultry farmers suffering from egg glut would not if they go into powder production.

    He sees the business as a money spinner capable of propelling greater investment in egg production and increasing job opportunities. One market, he highlighted, is that of children in the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, who he noted, needed eggs, and that powdered eggs could save them from malnutrition, and stunted growth.

    The President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Mr Ezekiel Ibrahim Mam, said converting eggs into powder forms would not only prevent intermittent fluctuations in demand and post-harvest wastage, but would also attract more investments in the egg production sector. This, he added, would have multiplier effects on job creation and poverty alleviation.

    Former PAN National Vice President (Southwest), and now Commissioner for Agriculture in Ekiti State, Prince Adetoyi Olabodehad said it is a good business opportunity.

    He said the country is importing more than $1 billion worth of egg powder in a year.

    A report said India’s egg products industry relies almost completely on exports of egg powder, with the main markets being Europe and Japan

  • Agritech: Solution to food production

    Agritech: Solution to food production

     Nigeria’s population may hit over 250 million by 2050, according to the United Nations. This implies that more mouths will be fed. Thus, the agricultural industry will have to increase its output to meet demand. To this end, the industry has adopted some technological innovations, known as agritech, to avert food insecurity, DANIEL ESSIET reports.  

     

    FEW technologies are being introduced to the agricultural industry. This is so because, according to an international report, AgTech, the technologies known as Global Agritech can improve efficiency and profitability in the $7.8 trillion industry. So far, the industry has received investments worth $2.6 billion.

    Also, a report by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation says Africa’s Agritech market is valued at $143 million, with $2.2 billion business opportunities. Besides, Disrupt says Nigeria startups have introduced innovations that have changed the farming landscape.

    StartupSouth covener Uche Anchie said the industry is adopting agritech to address its most pressing challenges. His words: “Agritech innovations – which often centre around Internet of Things (IoT) applications – are helping farmers to work faster, smarter, with less waste. Given the challenges facing the industry, these benefits are bound to attract attention.’’

    He added: “I think they have mostly innovated around agrofintech. It’s not hard to see why a lot has happened in the fintech space, which is spurring a great deal of investments in that direction. There’s a lot more room for innovation in the core agricultural space – from farm management to input to processing and even distribution.

    ”For him, Nigeria is riding on the agritech wave to invigorate the business environment to, not just grow local agri-tech firms, but also attract established global players, venture capitalists and accelerators.  According to the founder, Start Innovation Hub, Uyo, Hanson Johnson, Nigeria is a fertile ground where great ideas can cross-pollinate, and technology matching, transfer and development happen.

    He said what young tech entrepreneurs need is a pro-business environment, that creates a solid foundation for technology transfer and product development in the agritech sector. Hanson noted that if the government continues to groom local enterprises, an environment will be created to uncover a range of promising agritech gems.

    Which areas of precision agriculture does he see more startups going into very soon?

    He said technologies that help farmers to manage their resources and give access to real-time information through their smartphones, offering mobility and ease of use. “Real-time monitoring and analysis of crops in the farm using unmanned aerial vehicles,” he added.

    Agritech

    Outlook

     

    From leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to helping farmers better manage potential risks, establishing farmer platforms, business-to-business (B2B) agriculture market places, rural fintechs, post-harvest technologies and precision agriculture, the agritech sector is brimming with potential.

    One of them is them, Beat Drone, uses drones to spray farms, engage in crop supervision, and map farmland to improve yields. Its platform allows a farmer to request a drone and schedule a date, and make payment.

    During the coronavirus pandemic, Beat Drone President Confidence Odionye said the organisation was contracted by the Ondo State Government to help it prevent the spread of the virus. Beat Drone supplied drones that aided in disinfecting neighbourhoods faster and more accurately.

    He said the organisation’s experience in spraying farmlands was an advantage, having recorded over 20,000 hours cumulatively spraying farmlands.  Odionye told The Nation that drones are among the several innovations in the agricultural space, adding that agritech has opened up opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovators to help solve problems with food production, including using technology to improve farmers’ access to finance through crowdfarming and online market places.

    He wants startups to go into irrigation, crop monitoring and spraying. To solve the problem of land shortages, Samson Ogbole found a solution known as aeroponics, which involves growing plants in the air without using soil. Ogbole first got involved with soilless farming in 2014, two years later he founded PS Nutraceuticals, a company that deploys cutting-edge agricultural technologies to improve food production efficiency and ensure food security. Ogbole explained that soilless farming entails removing the soil component, bringing in substitutes, and applying fertiliser to enable the plants to grow well.

    He said with soilless farming, it is possible to promote urban farming in cities where there are no land.  He added that there are many advantages to aeroponics, the biggest being that one can grow crops in all seasons. He said the method allows growers to eliminate pathogens in the soil.

    He claimed that only 45 per cent of the country’s soil is fertile; thus, to be self-sustaining in food production, technology is needed.  He said agritech is the future of the industry as it ensures that food production is not seasonal.

    On what kind of technologies the industry needs, Ogbole suggested: “It’s going to probably be a technology that allows for value addition without breaking the bank: Dryers and freeze drying.

    What can go to market easily. Then, maybe, Global Positioning System (GPS) marking of land, soil profiling but this is dependent on farmers’ awareness.

     

    Other stakeholders’ response

     

    While agritech has helped urban farms find their way into campuses, rooftops, skyscrapers, and shipping containers; and significantly reducing the quantity of water and fertiliser needed to grow in other parts of Africa, crowdfarming is one of the most common forms of agritech in Nigeria.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Country Manager, OCP Africa, Caleb Usoh, said: “For me, a notable innovation that has come out of agriculture is in the area of crowd farming. This has been able to bring a lot of financing to support expansion in agriculture, production and processing. Another technological advancement of note is in using mobile application to request for farming equipment- we call it Uber for tractors, sponsored by Hello Tractors.Such kind of innovations can be used for other equipment to optimise productivity.”

    He said farmers have access to capital and information about the best farming practices, pointing out that a well-performing and smartly regulated agriculture sector could cater to rising food demands.”Other possible areas investors can support agritech startups to bring growth in agriculture is in farmers’ data gathering-analystics.

    “We need to have information on farm size, get the farm geo referenced, give parameters on the business history on the platform. The farmer will get visibility. Visibility is key because it draws other partners to the farmers such that he can access finance, insurance products, probably access to market,” Usoh added.

    OCP Africa has invested in an app called Adogo that links farmers to input, markets, provides training and updates on agricultural practices. He explained: “We want to enhance that. To achieve this, we are working with other partners.

    Currently, we are having a conversation which we hope to seal with the Nigerian Institute of Soil Science to enable us carry out extensive soil mapping of farmland across the country.The mapping will provide specific information on nutrients that the farmer can add to boost productivity in different areas. We want to showcase farmers to the rest of the agric value chain players, such that they will be able to access finance, have their farms referenced and productivity captured in such application.

    Also, fertiliser recommendations are what can be derived from extensive soil mapping. Technology is beneficial to farmers looking to minimise risks and increase output. Rotimi Williams, a rice farmer, will vouch for that. He is among a small but increasing number of agrarians employing technology to grow food.

    This has, in turn, given birth to an ecosystem of small and big firms trying to bring about smart transformations in farming.

     

    Prospect

     

    In recent years, there has been a growing movement in agriculture to apply information technologies to improve practice efficiencies and yields. According to a 2019 Global Market Insights Inc.’s report, the precision farming market is set to hit over $12 billion by 2025. The market growth is due to a huge support from governments for the adoption of advanced technologies that help farmers in managing their resources, giving access to real-time information through their smartphones and offering mobility and ease of use.

    The Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Lagos State, Ms Abisola Odusanya, acknowledged that Information Communication Technologies (ICT) technologies are changing the shape of the agriculture industry, providing improvements in the quality of production of crops, health of livestock and the quality of life of farmers.

    She believes that agritech will help Lagos to achieve its goal of doubling farm income, powering the rural economy, seen as an important engine that will propel Nigeria towards food sufficiency. Right now, low productivity and small farm holdings are the problems. Against this background, she wants agritech startups to come in and improve yields.

    She said the government was ready to support early-stage agtech and foodtech  firms that demonstrate novel approaches to addressing agriculture, food and nutrition-related challenges.

     

  • FEPSAN to dealers: Adulterate fertilizer, go to jail

    FEPSAN to dealers: Adulterate fertilizer, go to jail

    AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

    The Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) has disclosed that the new fertilizer law when implemented will ensure that whoever adulterates fertilizer will go to jail if caught.

    The Executive Secretary of FEPSAN, Mr. Gideon Negedu made the disclosure at a 2-day stakeholder meeting and capacity building on fertilizer system application for 100 Agro dealers in Kaduna.

    “There is a law now that criminalizes adulteration, it is a crime to do adulteration, you will go to jail if you adulterate fertilizer.

    “The fertilizer bill has in recent time, addressed issues of adulteration, use of inappropriate machineries, tools and racketeering in which culprit is getting to know that they will face the cause of the law if found”.

    READ ALSO: Nigeria to begin exportation of fertilizer soon – FEPSAN ES

    Mr. Negedu urged stakeholders in the fertilizer industry to make sure that the right quality of fertilizer gets to the end-users at the appropriate time.

    He said, “It cannot be everybody selling fertilizer again. We want to ensure that our dealers know what they are selling and they can properly recommend the right fertilizer to farmers”.

    On his part, the representative of the Alliance for Green Revolution in African (AGRA), Chijioke Ndem said that the main aim of the fertilizer consortium is to minimize farmers buying fake fertilizer.

    Ndem also reiterated that the essence of the training was to see that farmers go for specific fertilizer for specific crops going forward.

    “We are also trying to use some digital technology to promote what we are doing in the consortium, we are trying to use digital technology to help agro-dealers track production distribution and usage of fertilizers.”