The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Farmers group, cooperative society distribute palliatives to communities

    Farmers group, cooperative society distribute palliatives to communities

    The Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGGS) has commenced its third phase of distribution of palliatives to some communities in Nasarawa State as part of the group’s effort to cushion the effects of the lockdown occasion by Coronavirus.

    The NFGCS is one of the single largest community based farm settlements in Nigeria established in 2017.

    It has remained active in advocacy for diversification through agriculture and research to provide jobs for Nigeria growing population and increase the country’s GDP.

    The group, in the statement by its national coordinator, Mr. Retson Tedheke, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures have placed an undue burden on some section of the society, leaving the poor who represents the larger per cent of the society vulnerably exposed. Hence the cooperative has to come in to fill the gap in where it is needed.

    Tedheke said: “These are urgent times that call for urgent care. If you notice, there is little left of our daily lives which have not been affected in one way or the other by the global pandemic and the worst of it is to allow farmers who are in the front line of food production, go hungry.

    READ ALSO: Tobacco firm donates smoking equipment to farmers

    “I am saying this because the average rural dweller is a farmer and they must to be agressive enough to get the job done. We started this since January and we did another round during the first week of the lockdown, where we slaughtered two cows and share among various households in the effected communities.

    “Today we are also giving out 30 bags of 50kg rice to distribute among families in eleven communities, including the Fulani communities around us”.

    He added that the burden the COVID-19 pandemic placed on poor Nigerians is unduly heavier than they can carry on their own, thus they must be supported in whatever measures, assuring that the Nigeria Farmers Group and Cooperative Society will continue to place premium on catering for the less privileged in the society.

  • ‘How Nigeria can mitigate impact of COVID-19 on economy’

    ‘How Nigeria can mitigate impact of COVID-19 on economy’

    Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

    The National Coordinator, African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development/ African Peer Review mechanism (AUDA-NEPAD/APRM) Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu has suggested how Nigeria could mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

    Akobundu said strategic partnership with the private sector with focus on grassroots challenges could provide a lasting solutions to COVID-19 and other national challenges.

    “If agricultural sector receives more partnership support in production, processing and packaging of farm outputs, larger ratio of unemployed population can be gainfully engaged while agricultural wastages can become income,” she was quoted as saying, in a statement by her spokesman, Abolade Ogundimu.

    She spoke while featuring on a virtual conference with the theme: “Leveraging COVID-19 disruptions for economic growth in Africa,” organised by Pristine Ecologistics Cloud-based conferencing platform.

    Akobundu said despite current lockdown and other restrictions, the challenge of how to overcome the pandemic and cushion its effect should not be lost on the nation.

    According to her, “there is need for bottom-top approach in strategic partnership, focusing on grassroots challenges to get lasting solutions to COVID-19 and other national challenges.

    “Self-sufficiency in food production is a success for a nation of over 200 million population, but the nation cannot afford to rest on its oars,” she said.

    Akobundu added that adequate partnership in primary health sub-sector would not only lead to standard healthcare system, it would also help to upgrade indigenous therapy.

    READ ALSO: Governors brace for COVID-19’s impact on economy

    She recommended a deliberate adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) in areas of skills acquisition programmes and education.

    “Creation of more technology hubs with basic amenities can also be another means of channelling our youths’ energies towards National development which leads to global prominence,,” she said.

    Akobundu said, given the abundance of resources, Nigeria should not be affected by the recent prediction of World Bank, to the effect that Africa would experience between -2.5% to -5.1% recession at the end of COVID-19 pandemic.

    She commiserated with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council over the death of Presidentt’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, describing him as a leader par
    excellence.

    The conference also featured Ambassador Jerome Ringo, Goodwill Ambassador, Pan- African Parliament and founder, Zoetic Energy from the United States.

    The event moderator, Dr Paul Abolo, on behalf of the organisers, commended the speakers for doing justice to the topic by proffering insightful ideas on how the continent could navigate economic threats of COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Food Security: Kebbi, MECA sign MoU on management of 100 tractors

    Food Security: Kebbi, MECA sign MoU on management of 100 tractors

    By Khadijat Saidu, Birnin Kebbi

     

    The Kebbi State Government and an Agricultural Firm, Machine and Equipment Corporation Africa (MECA), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), for the management of one hundred Tractors under a Tractor Hiring Scheme.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Barrister Attahiru Maccido, signed on behalf of State Government, while the Company’s Group Country Director, Iliya Gashinbaki signed on behalf of the firm.

    Speaking at the occasion Maccido said Governor Atiku Bagudu has approved the submission of the Ministry of Agriculture, recommending the adoption of the scheme by MECA, for management of one hundred tractors bought by the state government.

    He explained that, the State Government had selected a reputable and competent company in order to ensure the success of the scheme.

    The commissioner however explained that 50 of the tractors will be deployed to the four (4) agricultural zones under the Kebbi Agricultural and Rural Development Agency    (KARDA), in Argungu, Bunza, Zuru and Yauri in the state by the company and shall be available for hire to small scale farmers.

    He said the remaining fifty tractors will be given to large scale farmers upon payment of a deposit, which are also going to be managed by the company.

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Joel Aiki, also described the signing of the agreement as a welcome development.

    Read Also: COVID-19 and food security

    He said that, the MoU underscored the zeal and commitment of the state government in moving the state forward in respect of agricultural mechanisation.

    Adding that, part of the agreement includes the security, maintenance and the servicing of 100 units of tractors procured by the state government, in addition to the number of agro processing equipment to support agricultural mechanisation which had already been distributed.”

    He assured that, the Kebbi State Government was committed in lifting agriculture in the state,  for the betterment of the entire country.

    Aiki also pointed out that, agricultural mechanisation will improve production, reduce drudgery and hard labour.

    The Permanent Secretary reassured that, the service provider, MECA, was selected from among many bidders, because they have met all the required qualifications , both technically and financially, to emerge worthy for the contract.

    Responding, the Group Country Director of MECA, Iliya Gashinbaki, expressed his happiness over the development, describing it as a milestone achievement by the Governor of Kebbi in his quest to keep the state as the leading agricultural hub in Nigeria, especially in rice farming.

    He averred that, the use of the 100 tractors will contribute to the cultivation of a minimum of 200,000 hectares annually, explaining further that   “if that is translated into the 4 agricultural zones in the state, it will produce tremendous output of food in the state.”

    Gashinbaki also said the youths in the state stood the chance to be trained as Mechanics, Assistant Tractor Operators and Technicians.

    He described the efforts of Kebbi Governor in approving the agreement as not only a timely response to COVID- 19 pandemic, but a robust attempt to tackle the menace of unemployment in Kebbi State.

    “I want to assure the governor and people of Kebbi State that MECA has done it in several states, we have implemented similar schemes on Fadamas across 14 states in Nigeria, we were in Kano, Niger states and now in Kebbi State.

    “What is more interesting is that, since the COVID -19 pandemic started, this is the first most articulate response to tackle food security in Nigeria.”

    He therefore called on other Governors to emulate kebbi Governor.

  • COVID-19: Firms to the rescue with relief materials

    COVID-19: Firms to the rescue with relief materials

    The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people in several ways. It is impacting the most vulnerable, including the elderly and children, negatively. Hence, food companies have joined forces to minimise its impact on Nigerians. Aside delivering free sanitisers, they have donated food products worth millions of naira, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    WITH the disruption of lives, livelihoods, communities and businesses by COVID-19, food companies are identifying with the government with the provision of relief materials to some Nigerians.

    Aside  delivering free sanitisers, they have also donated food  worth millions of naira. For instance, Olam Nigeria has donated food and medical reliefs.

    The beneficiary states were Lagos, Kaduna, Rivers, Ogun, Kano, Delta, Kwara, Nassarawa, Ekiti, Cross River and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Its Country Head, Mukul Mathur, said COVID-19 was an unprecedented crisis necessitating urgent attention hence, the distribution of relief materials, especially targeting the most vulnerable in the society, during the lockdown.

    He said: “We realise the effect this will have on Nigerians, especially the vulnerable in the society, many of whom earn daily wages, and whose incomes are closely tied to ongoing economic activities, which for now have been halted.”

    Mathur added that the items include edibles, such as Mama Pride rice, Tasty Tom noodles, OK biscuits and Crown pasta.

    “In addition to the food items, the company recognises the urgent need to support all health workers on the frontline with medical supplies and kits which will include thermometers, masks, hoods, goggles, medical overalls and rapid test kits.

    This is to be donated to Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). It is our belief that our humble contribution will support the overall effort in combating the pandemic as we continue to hope life returns to normalcy as soon as possible,” he stated.

    Also, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN Group) has redeemed a $2.8million pledge to the Nigerian Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) to procure $1.5 million worth of medical supplies to beef up the tests and commence the deployment of $840,000 food packages to vulnerable communities in 12 states.

    FMN initiated a global supply chain plan to help the Federal Government with support during the global lockdown. This initiative was spearheaded by the Chairman FMN Group, John Coumantaros.

    Planning involved the leadership of the NCDC, vendors from five nations, multiple logistics partners, and a team drawn from the FMN group’s operational leadership.

    The team scaled through varying national restrictions on medical supply procurement, limited stock, transport restrictions, but stayed resolute in the race to help Nigeria manage and flatten the curve.

    Read Also: COVID-19: China donates N48M to Nigeria

     

    The medical supplies being facilitated were: 331,000 pieces of N95 masks, coveralls, protective gloves, Protective eyewear (PPE) enough to provide regular use for 10,000 health care professionals over two months and  35,000 laboratory-based testing capacity 100/day field-testing capacity    75 ventilators to be distributed through the NCDC.

    In a statement to kick off the FMN COVID-19 response action, the Group Chief Operating Officer, Boye Olusanya, said: “To reduce the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak, FMN will continue to work with the Federal Government and related agencies to provide relief materials.

    The safety of Nigerians is paramount to us, so we encourage all Nigerians to adhere to the necessary protective measures against the virus and its spread.”

    Nestlé has  also stepped  up global response to COVID-19 pandemic. It is working with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The company  said: “We have worked very closely with physicians to develop new tailored COVID-19 medical nutrition and supplement treatment protocols.

    We have also donated to food banks and food delivery organisations to support people in need. And we are providing prompt and pragmatic support to our business partners, for example in our supply chains, who are affected by this crisis. Our efforts are continuing – and stepping up – around the world.”

    On partnership with IFRC, the company said: “The IFRC is a strong and trusted global partner of Nestlé, with unmatched presence and expertise in providing first aid, emergency response and epidemic control.

    We will donate food, medical nutrition products and bottled water to bring relief to those most affected by the pandemic.    We will deploy available logistics capacities from our out-of-home business to support the needs of the IFRC.’’

  • Helping dairy farming grow

    Helping dairy farming grow

    Livestock production is an important sector for the economy because of milk and meat products. However, most local milk producers and processors are finding it difficult to capitalise on new market opportunities due to their inability to meet animal health, food safety and quality standards. Stakeholders have advocated measures to enhance dairy animal productivity and milk quality on farms, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    WITH  a large population of over  180 million  people consuming about 1.3 billion tonnes of milk yearly, it means there is a huge market for local milk and dairy products.

    But this is not so as about 60 per cent of dairy products consumed are imported. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the country spends between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion yearly on dairy products importation.

    This is so because local dairy production faces some challenges that have affected its quality and quantity. These include limited quality and affordable feeds, inadequate infrastructure, including access roads and milk cooling facilities, limited extension services, low value addition to absorb surpluses during glut, and limited access to markets and market information.

    As a result, stakeholders are calling for ways to reduce  revamp the industry and reduce imports.  One of them, the Chairman, Chanan Elo’a Integrated Farms Limited, Mr. Udeme Etuk, said the only solution is to increase local supplies of milk and increase breeder herd size, allowing smaller players to increase their market share.

    Etuk said the industry has not experienced any major development in value addition.

    To this end, he said huge investment would need to be made in cattle feed capacity to produce good quality milk.

    He noted also that compliance with food safety measures (FSM) along the value chain remained elusive in the local segment of the industry.

    The status of compliance with FSM, he observed, was not satisfactory.

    He noted that farmers were not very enthusiastic about complying with FSM since it involved incremental costs.

    Etuk said there must be concerted efforts to improve public and private services, enhance on-farm productivity, and promote farm-level investments.

    Immediate past Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, believes the sustainable development of the dairy industry would ensure that Nigerians have access to high quality milk and create job opportunities for dairy farmers. But this is not the case.

    He noted: “The dairy industry can’t do well because it’s largely extensive system dominated by nomadic Fulani. We need high-performing breeds from abroad to be crossbred with our local breeds and fattened under intensive system with good fodder and supplementary feed.

    It is a lot of work and support from govt. However, there is a new world bank project on livestock to address the problem.”

    A former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, said the government must support dairy farmers to  increase the quantity and quality of the milk they produce to achieve sustainable growth.

    Part of this, according to him, would require the adoption of best-practice farm management approaches and efficiency-enhancing technologies, in turn advancing local industry knowledge and capability.

    He  noted  that the local dairy industry  have  suffered  from poor economies of scale, limited forage availability and quality, a lack of knowledge in animal health practices, and very limited business skills.

    According to him, achieving self-sufficiency would be quite challenging unless the government takes a holistic approach to increase milk production.

    The Executive Director, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni, said: “The dairy industry is largely subsistence and subsequently the value chain is still at the rudimentary stage. The major actor are the small holder pastoralists who are still battling for where to adequately feed their herds leading to deadly conflict with the crop farmers.

    ‘’Despite this gloomy scenario, the dairy industry has a huge potential for milk production for local and foreign supplies. The livestock subsector contributes about 30 per cent of the agricultural GDP in the provision of food, employment, energy, manure and transportation.

    “The way out is to focus on managing the herd by fostering an inclusive sub sectoral growth involving the small holder farmers and the development of a robust livestock value chain system in Nigeria. The value chain system will have to be developed through  a well articulated policy to be midwife  by the relevant agencies and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development.”

    To develop dairy sector, Prof Emmanuel Eyo of University of Calabar noted that it was necessary for stakeholders to help the farmers increase milk production.

    The Farm Management Association of Nigeria (FAMAN) President, Dr Damian Agom of Akwa Ibom State said to reposition the industry, there was the need to support basic livestock infrastructure, including processing and marketing as well as value change development.

    His words: “The model for success in a sector requires that the proper thing needs to be done. First of all the breeds of cattle used for milk have to be kept and managed, secondly, the system of ranching instead of the current roaming around to scavenge for food has to be adopted. In summary, a conscious effort to get milk has to be undertaken, for now production of milk is left to chance and we cannot get to the top with this method.”

    As it stands, the only way forward for the dairy industry is to increase its national dairy herd.

    Last year, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, inaugurated the National Livestock Transformation Plan at the Gongoshi Grazing Reserve in Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

    Inaugurating the project, Osinbajo said the plan was designed to run from 2019-2028 as part of Federal Government’s initiative in collaboration with states under the auspices of the National Economic Council.

    He said the plan, targeted at supporting the development of livestock sector, is to be implemented in seven pilot states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara.

    “It is a plan that hopes to birth tailor-made ranches where cattle are bred, and meat and dairy products are produced using modern livestock breeding and dairy methods. “This solves the problem of cattle grazing into and destroying farmlands. It ensures a practical response to the pressures on water and pasture by forces of climate change,” Osinbajo said.

    He noted that the plan was designed to provide modern meat and dairy industry and in some cases integrated crop farming.

     

  • Marginal coronavirus’s impact on international fertiliser market

    Marginal coronavirus’s impact on international fertiliser market

    Marginal effect is expected in the global fertiliser as the impact of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads around the world, constricting broader economic activity, DANIEL ESSIET reports

    While some normality is returning to Chinese fertiliser and chemical markets, the effect of the virus in several European countries is unclear.

    While the repercussions of the virus are spreading to other parts of the world, analysts said what happens in China will have major implications for the fertiliser markets.

    Analysts said the  coronavirus crisis is adding to the uncertainties the global food  industry faces as it contemplates new investments and business strategies.

    They said the long-term outlook for the market will ultimately depend on how quickly governments move to contain the coronavirus outbreak, how successful their efforts are, and what lingering impact the crisis has on agricultural activity.

    To this end, the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), the West Africa Fertiliser Association (WAFA) and AfricaFertiliser.org, announce the launch of the West Africa COVID-19 Fertilser Watch. This is to provide statistical and logistical updates to fertiliser value chain, stakeholders related to COVID-19’s potential impact on the trade in West Africa.

    IFDC, WAFA, AfricaFertiliser.org and other partners noted that due to restrictions placed on various forms of travel and trade in many nations in Africa where rates of food insecurity and malnutrition remain high, a prolonged restriction on the import and distribution of agricultural inputs could have profound negative impact on food production, which could cause a hunger crisis in addition to a sanitary one.

    IFDC, WAFA, AfricaFertilizer.org and other partners are working to ensure that fertilisers and other agricultural inputs are not limited, but rather supported by governments’ decisions, so that they can continue to reach farmers in time for the growing season.

    “IFDC considers the most immediate challenge to be a logistical one,” IFDC spokesman and coordinator of the Fertiliser Watch initiative, Patrice Annequin said. “We must all work together to maintain and even increase agricultural production capacity. We can do this by ensuring a free flow of fertilisers and other agro-inputs, from ports to farms, over the next three months, at least.”

    The Fertiliser Watch is designed to provide weekly updates to stakeholders using data collected around 10 indicators. These indicators are related to a variety of information such as the spread of COVID-19, measures taken by governments, and logistical constraints that affect fertiliser flows. The goal is a well-informed and prepared fertiliser supply chain, where actors can use the information to plan accordingly and ensure consistent delivery to farmers.

    According to the Watch, fertiliser can and are moving in West Africa, despite the general slowdown of the economies, affecting port, road, and retail operations. COVID-19 cases keep increasing, reaching 4,200 cases in the region as of April 9, 2020, and more constraining health, sanitary and trade measures are expected in the coming weeks to contain the pandemic.

    The Fertiliser Watch also provides early estimates of fertilizer stock availability, and indications on the demand by country.

    According to IFDC findings, up to 50 percent of fertiliser demand is not yet available in West Africa, with landlocked countries and smaller markets being at higher risk.

  • Boosting avocado production

    Boosting avocado production

    Internationally, avocado demand will keep growing. This is driven by increased usage in the food industry, the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Production areas in Central and South America while some countries in Africa, including Nigeria are not investing heavily in avocado production, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The demand for avocados is strong and keeps rising. This portends good news for farmers.The top importers are United States, Netherlands, France and Germany. Currently, more than 80 per cent of the world’s avocado production is in the hands of 11 countries, which include Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil, Kenya, United States, Venezuela, Israel and China.  However, the top avocado exporters are Mexico, the Netherlands and Peru. Avocado industry outlook

    According to GlobalAvocado MarketReport 2020, the market is valued at $11,880 billion this year is expected to  climb to $15 billion by the end of 2026, growing at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3 per cent during 2021-2026. Analysts said that strong demand has kept avocado prices at attractive levels for the past decade, which continues to grow well for additional investment into this sector.

    The American Restaurant Association reported that the wholesale price of avocado in the United States (US) increased  by 125 per cent between January and September 2017, from $37.25 for a standard box of 48 avocados to $83, 75.  Analysts said demand is increasing more rapidly than the current rate of production. The trend, according to them, will most likely be supported by a growing market, which may encourage producers to invest in expanding production.

    Fact.MR, a fast-growing market research firm, observed that the application of avocado extracts remains heavily consolidated in the food and beverage industry. Its study estimated that nearly 35 per cent of the avocado extract application last year was in the food and beverage industry, adding that rising consumer preference for natural ingredients in food products and clean label trend were fueling the utilisation of avocado extracts in the food industry.

    According to the study, consumption of avocado extracts in the pharmaceutical industry is growing at a healthy rate. Avocado extract consumption in the pharmaceutical industry is estimated to grow at 7.1 per cent year-on-year last year. Dissemination of knowledge regarding healthfulness of avocado and beneficial results in disease management present a growing potential for avocado application in the pharmaceutical industry.

    The Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) report said “summer supply of avocados in Europe is dominated by Peruvian producers with an abundant supply of Hass avocados. However, there is room between these supply seasons for new suppliers that can meet high retail standards. With excellent ripening characteristics, Hass avocados are most in demand.”

    In Africa, Kenya is the leading exporter of avocados. It accounts for nearly one-fifth of its total horticultural exports. In 2018, it exported around 72 thousand tons of avocados which are valued at approximately $118 million. It’s smallholder farmers’ participation in export markets also increased employment opportunities. Experts said avocado farms could produce a gross income of $8,000 to $15,000 per acre, and require five or six acre-feet of water per acre, per year. Indoor flowering and foliage plants can produce a gross $500,000 per acre and require about half the water avocado farms need. Nigeria is still punching far below the growing avocado demand, which has seen a steep increase in international market prices.

    Sadly, while there is a huge potential for commercial production for export and industries in Nigeria, most of avocado production is done in rural areas. It is predominant in the southern and central parts of Nigeria, including Ondo, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross River, Osun and Oyo that have about 10 per cent of natural vegetation. If harnessed properly, avocado’s industrial potential can contribute immensely to furthering Nigeria’s economic growth through exportation.

    The increase in avocado demand will translate into major economic expansion and growth opportunities for the Nigeria industry.

    The  President, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria(FACAN), Dr Victor Iyama, wants the government to increase the production of key  agro exports, including expanding cultivation of  avocado  to  broaden export offer.

    Iyama stressed that there is a need to bring a significant rise in production in the next three or four years. The organisation, according to him, is encouraging more farmers to increase shipments of agro exports.

    He said FACAN is educating farmers and producers to cultivate crops that are synonymous with quality assurance in production as well as complying with the very highest health and hygiene standards.

    Iyama wants the sector to ramp up avocado production as it has become a major fuel of some countries export business.

    For instance, Peru is one of the major exporters in the world. It exported 247,000 tonnes of avocados worth $580 million in 2017. The primary destinations were the Netherlands, U.S., Spain, England, China and Chile. Peru has been investing in large-scale plantings since the early 2000s, and some of them are now reaching their full potential. Peru plants around 1,500 hectares (about 3,700 acres) of new avocado orchards every year. Nigeria like Peru offers superb climatic conditions to develop the fruit with excellent quality.

    Iyama noted that Nigeria has the land, good growing area and everything for avocados to do well. The potential is in states such as Imo, Ogun, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross river and Oyo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba and Rivers states.

    He  found  support in the Chief Executive Officer , Avocado Society of Nigeria, Ambassador Adeniji Bunmi, who has  urged the government to deploy resources toward harnessing the development of avocado as it has export potentials of generating N12 billion annually for the country.

    For farmers who do not have access to funds, the society is helping to set up some farms for members across the country.

  • COVID-19: Stored silos to the rescue

    COVID-19: Stored silos to the rescue

    The recent release of grains from the National Grains Reserve is a pointer that if all the 33 silos across the country were stocked of grains, food security will be guaranteed at a time like this reports SINA FADARE

    It was the administration of late President Musa Sheu Yar’Adua who took the bold step to give a face lift to the of 33 silos scattered all over the country to bail grains farmers out of their predicament of storage crisis during harvesting period.

    The idea behind the silos was to store grains such as rice, beans, maize, soya beans, millet and wheat during the periods of surplus.

    It was also conceived as a backup plan to preserve excess grains in anticipation of drought, bad harvest and unforeseen disaster.

    Yar’Adua took the decision to locate the silos each with a storage capacity of 100,000 metric tons in different grain- producing states in the first phase of the project.

    This was to be followed with the construction of other silos with storage capacities of 25,000 metric tons in other states.

    Today, the Federal government through its Anchor Borrower Programme and other intervention projects, has keyed into the vision of those who initially conceived the ideal of the project in the first instance.

    Not only to reposition the economy of the country toward diversification into agriculture thereby saving the country from food insecurity but also to encourage home grown industries which were almost going into extinction due to excessive importations of all sort of junk goods thereby turning the country to a dumping ground.

    In the past, there was no deliberate policy put in place to make use of this gigantic projects because the farmers, who supposed to be at the front burner, were not carried along and for many years there was nothing stored in the silos scattered all over the country.

    This reporter then, who visited 18 out of the 33 silos in all the six geo- political zone of the country, can authoritatively declare that the situation on ground today has tremendously changed and some of the silos has been put to use according to its original conceived idea.

    Perhaps this was possible due to the cumulative effect of all the intervention programmes which the CBN embarked upon on behalf of the federal government to give succor to the farmers particularly through its Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP).

    Since the coronavirus has hit the country like a thunder bolt, its obvious that the food security of the country would also be affected particularly in the area of food sourcing which at a critical time like this.

    However, the saving grace was the National Grains Reserve, which provided the first bail out in the area of grains to the needy in the country.

    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono , following President Muhammadu Buhari approval released 70,000 metric tonnes of assorted food items from the National Strategic Food Reserve stock to cushion the effect of lockdown over Coronavirus. Some food items have been handed over to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for onward distribution to vulnerable communities.

    READ ALSO: FEC okays 20 silos concession

    The Minister explained that 5,000 Metric tons of garri is readily available for immediate release while bagging of the food grains is ongoing for release.

    According to him, the food items are being released from the National Strategic Food Reserve Silo Complexes as detailed below: 1. Minna Silo, Niger State – 10,000MT’s of Maize and 2,500MT of Gary. 2. Lafia Silo, Nasarawa State- 5,000MT’s of Millet and 1,500MT’s of Gary. 3. Dustin-ma Silo, Katsina State – 12,500MT of Maize and 5,000MT of Sorghum. 4. Yola Silo, Adamawa State – 12,500MT Maize and 5,000MT of Sorghum 5. Gusau Silo, Zamfara State – 15,000MT of Sorghum and 6. Ilesha Silo, Osun State – 1,000MT of Gari. Alhaji Nanono said that by the end of next week all the approved grains will be handed over to NEMA accordingly.

    Speaking to the Nation on the importance of a food storage particular a critical time like this, Dr. Olu Ariyo, an agriculturist and crop preservation expert, said the idea behind construction of a silos round the country was to be at a safer side in case of drought and calamity in which the country can fall back on.

    READ ALSO:

    Ariyo explained that the silos were woven round on agricultural policy that will give soft loans to farmers who will be able to produce massive grains which can be stored in the time of plenty and become a saving grace during droughts and calamity.

    He pointed out that if the federal government has not been proactive through its ABP scheme which made the commercial farmers a center of their focus and a lot of grains were stored; the situation could have been disastrous to the country in terms of food security.

    According to him, the ABP was a revolution in the area of food security which gave rise to bumper and massive harvest which the farmers were not expecting and this encouraged them to store their product in various silos so that if there is a drought, they will have something tangible to fall on

    “But since the emergency of corovirus all over the world it has put a lot of pressure on the various governments in the country in terms of food sourcing and the only saving grace was the National Grains Reserve which recently released some of the grains in its kitty.”

    Perhaps the CBN boss Godwin Emefiele due to his cumulative experience saw from his micro lens what others did not see on the impending danger if the county did not take the giant economic step it took 2016.

    Emefiele while speaking to the members of the House of Representatives recently before the corovirus epidemics said that its 2016 food grain mop up scheme was initiated by the Federal government to save the country from danger arising from export food grains by foreign companies.

    The CBN boss said being the monitor of the country’s economic system, the step taken to prevent food security became urgently imperative due to rising inflation, among others.

    Emefiele, who was represented by Director (Banking and Finance) Dipo Fatokun while speaking at the continuation of the public hearing on the investigation into the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said it was for those reasons that the bank contacted four companies to mop up food grains around the country.

    According to him, the participating companies were fully paid for the loan they sourced from banks to execute the project.

    He said: “These companies were selected because they were big ticket off takers and known by grain farmers, that’s why they were invited to participate in the special programme of grain mop-up.

    “As to the status of the loan, it was given to the four banks in December 2016 and fully paid up between October and November 2017.

    “On source of funding, as stated by us at our first appearance at this public hearing, we are bankers to the government, we maintain government accounts and we act on mandates received from government just as commercial banks act on mandates received from their customers.

    Speaking to the Nation on the phone, Dr. Jibayo Oyebade of the department of Agriculture, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba noted that a time like this is a critical time in the history of the country because of the complete lockdown.

    Oyebade lamented that this is a period that farmers are expected to troop to the farm to till the ground and plant their crops but could not do so because of the corovirus adding that no matter the food reserve we have for now, it may not be enough if the total locked down is extended beyond reasonable time.

    He explained that what happen is a great lesson to our leaders that there should be an emergency declared in agriculture.

    “Without missing words this is the right time our leaders should pick up their thinking caps and have a national conference on agriculture. This should be the focus of the National Assembly so that there will be a complete total shift to agricultural revolution where the farmers will be the pivot of such a plan.

    “By so doing, majority of all the empty silos in the country will have something to store in abundance and if they are all filled up with grains, the issue of food insecurity will be a thing of the past. This is the right time to take this crucial and needed step otherwise we are doomed.”

  • Battle to sustain poultry production

    Battle to sustain poultry production

    As the COVID-19 puts pressure on the livestock sector, the International Poultry Council (IPC) has appealed to the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to support the industry and guarantee its operation. The Nigerian Institute of Animal  Science (NIAS) and other local stakeholders have joined the campaign to save the industry, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    The chicken meat market in Africa stood at $11.4 billion in 2018, according to a report published by Index Box, a global research firm. The figure reflected the total revenue of producers and importers.

    The countries with the highest volumes of chicken meat production, according to the report, were South Africa (1.8m tonnes), Egypt (1.1m tonnes) and Morocco (720,000 tonnes), with a combined 62 per cent share of total production. Algeria, Nigeria, Malawi, Tunisia, Libya, Tanzania, Sudan and Mozambique lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 21 per cent.

    Also, the countries with the highest volumes of chicken meat consumption in 2018 were South Africa (2.1m tonnes), Egypt (1.1m tonnes) and Morocco (720k tonnes), with a combined 52 per cent share of total consumption. Angola, Algeria, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, Malawi, Tunisia, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 27per cent.

    Driven by increasing demand for chicken meat in Africa, analysts expect the market to continue an upward consumption trend. This may not be achievable.The global poultry industry is taking a massive hit after social media rumours that coronavirus could be spread by chicken meat.

    Analysts predicted potential shocks in supply and demand driven by quarantine and logistics and temporary changes in consumer demand towards home consumption and non-perishable products. The impact has led to feed mills and slaughter houses been shut down creating real supply chain problems.

    The outlook for the rest of the year will be affected by the virus.   The projection   will drop this year, following a substantial blow to the global agricultural economy caused by coronavirus pandemic.  Institutional stakeholders believe supply of poultry and egg products are likely to be affected over the next six months due to the ongoing battle against coronavirus globally.

    One of them is International Poultry Council (IPC). The Council said it was essential that the poultry sector continues to operate, in compliance with staff health and safety requirements.

    As the spread of COVID-19 puts pressure on healthcare sectors of affected countries, the President, IP C, Robin Horel said the poultry sector has to continue to supply nutritious products to meet the nutritional needs of people across the world.

    Horel said: “These are incredibly challenging times for people worldwide. During this difficult period, it is essential that the poultry sector can continue to operate, in compliance with staff health and safety requirements. Public health always comes first; guaranteeing a steady supply of nutritional food, including poultry, to consumers worldwide is essential in this situation.”

    The IPC called on international oversight bodies and governments of all countries to collaborate and take specific measures to ensure our industry can continue to operate.

    “Our priority is the safety of those who operate in this food chain to guarantee food safety, food security and peace of mind for all consumers.” IPC is  worried seeing poultry prices fallen sharply in recent weeks with restrictions placed on moving birds and factories closing for extended periods, effectively paralysing the supply chain.

    IPC is worried the global poultry industry could see disruptions in breeding stock deliveries in some countries.  The council noted that Covid-19 pandemic could leave some companies without breeding stock and hatching eggs.

    A possible supply disruption can significantly reduce the ability of the domestic poultry industry to maintain a reliable supply of poultry meat and eggs to consumers, analysts warned.

    According to IPC, supply disruptions are going to jeopardise food security globally.  In this regard, some actions are required to address that problem and ensure sustainable operation of the poultry industry.  The issue raised by IPC is very relevant for Nigeria.

     

     Need for  guaranteed supply

     

    While the land border closure with neighbouring countries saved the poultry industry in Nigeria about N50 billion since its commencement in October last year, it discouraged the importation of chickens.

    The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Prof Eustace Iyayi, said the multiplier effect of the border closure reflected on the upsurge in the operations along the value chain with regard to supply of inputs, storage facilities, transportation/logistics and value addition.

    He said: “With an estimated 180 million poultry population and annual output in excess of 700,000 metric tons of eggs, that is about 450 million crates of eggs and 300,000 metric tonnes of meat; one can only imagine the several hundreds of thousands.

    “This is perhaps, with millions of direct and indirect jobs created by the industry in its entire value chain, in conjunction with its related ancillaries. It is indeed an almost endless web of commercial activities.

    “These ranges from hatcheries, day-old chicks distribution, broiler/layer farming, broiler processing, poultry meat and egg retail shops, crop processing, raw materials supply, feed mill operations, feed distribution, among others,” he said.

    The registrar emphasised that the huge impact could, however, grow exponentially and be translated to more concrete economic gains and accelerated growth of the nation’s poultry industry.

    Iyayi said it was clear that the poultry sub-sector, the most commercialised of all Nigeria’s agricultural sub-sectors with a net worth of N1.6 trillion, would play a significant role in contributing to the current government’s effort to create 100 million jobs.

    “Before the border closure, the poultry industry in the livestock sub-sector was badly hit.

    “Nigeria consumed about two million tons of poultry meat annually, 70 per cent of which was imported. Poultry meat was heavily smuggled into the country through our land borders.

    “The imported products, often of lower quality, attracted lower prices. This led to the closure or down sizing of several poultry farms with consequential business and job losses along the poultry value chain.”

    Iyayi said the NIAS’ ultimate goal was to guarantee food security and have the Nigerian livestock industry organised enough for self-regulation in line with global best practices, leaving no breathing space for quackery and adulteration. In the face of the  coronavirus lockdown situation

    NIAS urged the government to work with the private sector to save the N1.6 trillion poultry industry from collapsing. Iyayi in a statement, said the industry has about 200 million birds and a total value of over N1.6 trillion that cannot be allowed to collapse.

    “We also call on the government to exempt operators in the livestock industry from the restriction in movement.   Also related to it are the feed industry and hatcheries on which the poultry subsector depends. Personnel working in the livestock sector should, upon proper identification, be allowed movement across state boarders and within the state,” the group said.

    The institute noted that poultry producers are essential food suppliers. To cushion the effect, the pandemic will have on livestock producers arising from the lockdown, the institute  called on the government to adopt the model of off-taking the products, such as eggs, milk, meat, whose production cannot be stopped from the farmers and distributing same to the people as a palliative measure for the period of the pandemic.

    According to the institute, poultry producers will continue to do all that it can to produce the food that is vital during this recovery period, while implementing science-based measures to protect employees working in their facilities.

    The institute commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the various state governments and other relevant agencies for the response and the mobilisation of resources, both human and material to stem the tide so far. It pledged collaboration with the government in the effort to overcome the impact of the pandemic. The institute urged Nigerians to cooperate with the government in the fight against the virus.

    NAIS’ Head of Inspections and Enforcement, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, Olufemi Atunbi said hundreds of livestock were at risk of being wiped out with lockdown due to corona virus.

    Atunbi said the virus is having impact with transport restrictions preventing much needed animal feed from getting delivered to farms. As a result, he said the prices of various feeds are going up.

    According to him, farmers are in dire straits because of the coronavirus outbreak. His fear is that many livestock may perish if feed is not getting to them in time.

    As the outbreak spread, there are concerns authorities may announce measures on transportation on all roads and highways, and even long-distance buses.

    Atunbi said  feed was in short supply as producers are hoarding it, adding that the extension of business shutdowns will exacerbate the shortage.

    He warned that restriction of trucks carrying feeds to farmers is going to create massive problems in the livestock sector.

    Right now, he noted that livestock producers are facing a challenge of delivery due to logistics problems.

    He said in many states, the transport issue is impacting on production as the cost of moving feed has gone up.

    Atunbi said the impact has put the agric sector in a very distressed situation.

    He urged the government to put in measures to ensure farmers still go to the farm or else the situation will lead to food shortage.

    The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) wants to be exempted from restriction of movement declared by the government as part of lockdown measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The lockdown may result in the loss of over N3 trillion investments in poultry.

    Its President, Mr. Ezekiel Ibrahim, said the government needed to thread carefully in response to rampaging coronavirus pandemic.

    He said: “The situation of the poultry products market is not stable at the moment, and if urgent steps are not taken to remove the restriction on the movement of vehicles conveying such critical poultry like day-old-chicks (DOCs), meat and eggs, poultry feeds and drugs which are daily needed by all Nigerians, the poultry industry which is on the part of becoming the mainstay of the Nigerian livestock industry might be completely destroyed.”

    Claiming that investments in the poultry industry was put at N3 trillion,  Ibrahim said: “We are trying to communicate the close relationship between food producing companies that are considered system relevant and other infrastructural sectors that are tightly connected and without which the food supply chain can’t be kept on.

    “It is important to relax and make flexible the rules that restrict movement of all kinds of vehicles, and appealing to government at the federal and state governments to allow transport- trucks and buses carrying inbound supplies or outbound products of food, chicken and day-oil-chicks (DOCs) and other fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) products to be allowed to operate to ensure supplies continuity of essential products.

    “While the above is considered as very urgent and utmost for the continued supplies of protein to Nigerians, we implore the government to consider granting some palliatives to egg and day-old-chicks producers who are unable to sell their chicks, eggs and feeds as a result of the lockdown caused by the measures already taken by the state government in restricting inter-state transport movement.

    He however commended this present administration of initiating the policy of producing locally what we eat and consume as a nation without which the food security of the country could have been threatened now with the complete lock down of the country as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

     

     

  • Powering green revolution through fertiliser

    Powering green revolution through fertiliser

    Aware of the need to end hunger, African Heads of State established the Africa Fertiliser Financing Mechanism (AFFM) to promote adequate use of fertiliser for sustained productivity and improved agricultural practices. DANIEL ESSIET looks at the progress made by AFFM.

    The world loses more than 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil  yearly through erosion, compaction, chemical pollution and nutrient depletion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

    Although globally experts said 30 per cent of the soil is either moderately or highly degraded, analysts believe the situation in Africa is worse with growing population and increasing demand for food.

    Experts identified depletion of soil nutrients as one of the key challenges to food security on the continent. They attributed the drop in crop yields to decline in soil fertility. They noted that there was the need to increase food production significantly to meet demands.

    To boost agricultural productivity, they said African countries should embark on more fertiliser use. The need for Africa to accelerate sustainable soil management practices led to the setting up of Africa Fertiliser Financial Mechanism (AFFM) by the African Union (AU) at its Africa Fertiliser Summit in 2006, in Abuja. AFFM is managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

    Also at the end of the  summit,    member states resolved to increase fertiliser use from eight kilogrammes per hectare (kg/ha) to 50 kg/ha by 2015.

    AFFM has been improving fertiliser access. It has offered more than $400 million in loans to finance projects to achieve the goals of the Abuja Declaration.

    This year, AFFM convened its Eighth Governing Council meeting at the AfDB’s CCIA building in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The meeting reviewed its 2019 yearly report and its 2020 programmes.

    The AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture and Chairperson of AFFM Governing Council, Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, called for speedier implementation of the Abuja Declaration, which was adopted by African Heads of State at its Africa Fertiliser Summit in 2006 to achieve the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

    “Progress on the implementation of these resolutions has been slow due to several barriers at national and regional levels. These barriers include financial constraints affecting AFFM operations, insufficient number of agro-dealers, ineffective fertiliser laws, unconducive investment policy environments, and undeveloped market infrastructure among others,” Sacko said.

    The high cost of fertiliser was a key bottleneck for Africa’s smallholder farmers, said AfDB Director, Agriculture and Agro-Industry, Martin Fregene.

    Fregene said smallholder farmers, particularly, needed special support  as they could not afford the high prices of fertiliser. An inclusive approach, involving all-value chain, he said,  was needed to attain the 50kg of fertiliser per hectare target.

    So far, Nigeria has benefited from AFFM’s support for fertiliser development. Last year, in Accra, Ghana, AfDB and the African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) signed two grants worth $5.4 million to support fertiliser value chains in Nigeria and Tanzania.

    The target was to boost the productivity of smallholder farmers in both economies.

    The AfDB’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Jennifer Blanke: “We are just thrilled to be getting together with our partners to expand the efforts to make sure that we are financing the development of manufacturing and blending of fertiliser,’’: adding: “This is an African effort, led by Africans, for Africa.”

    The two deals were the first by AFFM,  since it was became fully functional last year. They paved the way for the first implementation of trade credit guarantee projects for fertiliser financing led by AFFM in Nigeria and Tanzania.

    AFAP would be the implementing partner for Nigeria and Tanzania.

    Scheduled for implementation over a two years, the projects will enhancement the fertiliser value chains in the two countries and will target 10 importers, five blenders/manufacturers, and 37 hub agro-dealers as direct beneficiaries, 520 retail agro-dealers as indirect beneficiaries and 700,000 smallholder farmers as final beneficiaries.

    This year also, AFFM kick-started a $2.2 million project to provide fertiliser suppliers in Nigeria with financial support to 200,000 smallholder farmers.

    The trade credit guarantee project is AFFM’s first in the West African nation and will involve 10 fertiliser suppliers, 12 hub agro-dealers and 120 retail agro-dealers.

    The project, launched in Abuja, will also train farmers in fertiliser use and other agricultural best practices.

    “We will leverage existing networks and look for creative solutions to increase the availability of fertiliser in the country,” said AFAP’s representative, Nana-Aisha Mohammed,  at the ceremony.

    The Assistant Director, Farm Input Support Services Department, Umar Musa, who represented the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said AFAP should work with the government and other actors in the fertiliser value chain to ensure that the project complies with  policies and sector strategies.

    “We expect this project to support smallholder farmers and improve their productivity to help the country increase its local production and consumption of fertiliser,” he said. “We are confident that the project will increase access to quality and affordable fertiliser by smallholder farmers and hence contribute to the transformation of the agriculture sector in Nigeria,” said AFFM Coordinator, Marie Claire Kalihangabo.

    Kalihangabo expressed her gratitude to the government for its support to the organisation.

    The Senior Director, Nigeria Country Department, Ebrima Faal said the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act 2019 reinforces the government’s commitment to the sector.

    “This programme is timely be-cause the government has placed measures to encourage local production of fertiliser,” he said.

    Last year, also, stakeholders  met at the Babacar N’Diaye Auditorium of AfDB Group Head Office in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire for the maiden West Africa Fertiliser Financing Forum.

    At the event themed “Fostering fertiliser future”, participants discussed the financing needs of the fertiliser value chain and appropriate financing products. The programme was supported by AFFM and the West Africa Fertiliser Association.

    A major outcome of the forum was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the West Africa Fertiliser Association and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which aims to strengthen the fertiliser value chain in the sub-region and set the stage for the implementation of the regional agenda on sustainable agriculture.

    “After two intense days of discussions on concrete solutions, it is now time for us to follow up and make sure that what was said here becomes a reality,” the AFFM Coordinator.

    AfDB President, Dr Akin Adesina reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to work with AFAP in strengthening Africa’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the fertiliser value chain.

    Adesina said there had been many changes in the African agriculture and fertiliser landscape since the Africa Fertiliser Summit convened in Abuja in 2006. He said AFFM should shift  its support to smallholder farmers.

    The AfDB president said there was  the need to strengthen innovative financing, and risk mitigation tools, including trade credit facilities and hub distribution financing, targeted at SMEs.

    “Agriculture is a business; building SMEs is, therefore, critical to creating rural employment and wealth. Strengthening the capacity, including financing distribution channels, should be part of the new orientation of the AFFM,” said Adesina.

    Head of OCP Nigeria, Mohammed Hettiti agrees with Adesina. He said Nigeria and the rest of Africa should reduce its ‘soil nutrient deficit’ through a holistic approach to increase fertiliser supply and use.

    He said fertiliser plays a critical role in securing better productivity for farmers but in combination with other input, such as better seeds and agronomic practices.

    Meanwhile, hope has risen for increased fertiliser use with experts from International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and the private sector  working to develop an online tool to give localised seed and fertiliser recommendations.

    Key seeds and fertiliser actors in West Africa are at the last stage of designing an online tool that will soon help address the challenges of accessing these critical input by farmers.

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/West Africa provides funding for this initiative and the Feed the Future Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Input Systems (EnGRAIS) and Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development (PAIRED) Projects, implemented by