The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Hope rising for agriculture

    With strong growth spurred on by rising investments and exports, the agriculture sector is expected to be one of the key propellants of national economic growth this year. However, businesses are awaiting new incentives. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

     

    Despite numerous risks, the agriculture sector is expected to reap bigger fruits this year with more investments implemented, making it one of the key drivers of economic growth.

    The sector has received a major boost over the past two years, thanks to a strong focus by policymakers on food and jobs.

    To collaborate this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will rise by 2.1 per cent last year to  2.5 per cent by this year.

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group also predicts that the nation’s real gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 2.4 per cent this year as implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan gains pace.

    One sector that will contribute to it is the expected surge in agriculture activities. Experts believe Nigeria has rich natural conditions to host a variety of valuable crops and agriculture will remain a critical sector for the economy.They anticipate agriculture would expand due to growth in rice production and other agricultural activities.

    For instance, analysts expect Nigeria to produce more tonnes of rice next year through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) Anchor Borrowers Programme. Output will rise in fruits, vegetables, cereals, cashew, cocoa as well as livestock, which are critical elements for domestic consumption and exports.

    This would hinge, however on the government’s ability to maintain a thriving business environment, driving growth and facilitating an impressiveeconomic diversification. Key investments in new processing facilities are expected to continue driving the sector’s expansion.

    The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Director-General, Dr Muda Yusuf, noted: “The monetary value of agriculture output has been on the upward trajectory, rising 40 per cent quarter-on-quarter to N5.41 trillion between July and September from N3.86 trillion between April and June, compared with N3.60 trillion in the first quarter.

    “The CBN, like it did in 2019, will maintain status quo by not relenting in supporting the sector with much-needed funds in ensuring that the wide gap between local demand for food and supply is bridged.”

    On the performance of the sector, the DG projected improved credit flow to agriculture on the back of proposed increase in deposit money banks’loans to deposit ratio to 70 per cent.

    Yusuf expressed the view that prolonging closure of the land borders would further add impetus to agricultural output this year.

    The President, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr Victor Iyama, said agriculture will remain one of the most important sectors for business and economic growth.

    He however, added that value-added food manufacturing is also important to penetrating high potential markets, where a lack of infrastructure and inefficient logistics can create delays that cause a significant proportion of fresh produce to spoil.

    He called for investment in logistics and grading centres, adding that initiatives of this kind would also help to reduce wasted produce, levels of which can be as high as 40 to 50 per cent due to the lack of supply chains linking the field to the consumer.

    For small growers, he said infrastructural support is critical because they lack the capacity to pack and grade their produce in line with market requirements.

    According to him, improving production capacity will also allow them to create more opportunities to increase income for local farmers and meet the requirements of high-value export markets.

    He said the establishment of clearer quality standards would help to drive exports to new markets.

    Iyama said the association is trying to improve the value of the nation’s agro exports by applying safe and sustainable agricultural practices and improving production facilities.

     

    Private sector’s response

    The Managing Director, Farmcrowdy, Kenneth Obiajulu, said agriculture is the solution that can feed a growing Nigeria and that innovation is the key.

    Obiajulu said food aggregation, processing, and distribution facilities and infrastructure are critical aspects of building a consistent supply of local foods.

    He said Farmcrowdy will support local farmers, producers, by allowing them to access larger and more diverse markets than they could as individual producers. This in turn improves access to fresh, healthy food for a wide range of consumers.

    He said his organisation is supporting projects that will make a difference for farmers economically.

    He said the projects would help farmers export more and secure some market access for a lot of products.

    The Country Manager, OCP Africa, Caleb Usoh, said supporting agriculture with focus on enhanced private sector investment and key value chains will ensure economic diversification and boost food security. He said OCP Africa will support Nigeria with fertiliser plants.

    He said sustainably increasing food production will be possible only with a balanced and rational use of fertiliser, saying this will ensure a decrease in imports of NPK fertiliser, which combine three macronutrients: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

    Through the plants, he said OCP Africa has set ambitious goals to reach more farmers.

    In addition to training local farmers in advanced, modern agricultural techniques to rev-up yearly output, OCP Africa has initiated several other programmes that have massively upgraded the scales in terms of sustainable agriculture policy and food security.

    To work with farmers to contribute to unlocking Africa’s vast agricultural potential, he stated that the company launched its ‘Agribooster Offer’ aimed at boosting food production in the country.

    The ‘Agribooster Offer’s initiative for food crops provides farmers with support for every aspect of the agricultural value chain. Through this, OCP Africa connects farmers to financing and insurance, working with local extension agents to train them on proper fertiliser use, collaborating with other providers to ensure they have the right fertiliser and other input.

    Read Also: Agriculture key to jobs, wealth creation

     

    He said OCP Africa believes on empowerment of farmers and will directly towards increasing prosperity and helping Nigeria tackle its worsening challenge of poverty.

     

    Foreign firms to be involved

    The private sector, including domestic and foreign companies, has helped to change the economic structure.

    Along with local private enterprises, many foreign firms will be entering the agricultural sector. Over the past few years, many foreign companies have entered the Nigerian market to engage in agricultural investment projects, investment is largely focused on producing and processing animal feeds, and farm produce.

    Their investments in high technologies and production scale will help the agriculture participate in the global value chain. Some other foreign companies have also inked import deals with local businesses. Factors such as a large domestic market and strong development of the export market thanks to free trade agreements, as well as the encouragement of the government will encourage and promote enterprises to invest in agriculture effectively, safely, and sustainably.

     

    High-tech agric devt

    Some areas are going to emerge as a new hub for high-tech agriculture. In few areas of the Southwest, there are efforts to boost agri tourism development, growing high-tech agricultural products, helping it to attract many domestic and foreign investors. Several high-tech agricultural projects have been granted investment decisions for implementation.

     

    Farmers expected to export more agric products

    Iyama said there were efforts to boost agricultural exports from the country to other parts of the world. Notwithstanding, agro exports are expected to face difficulties this year, as there will be increased competition in the global market. The challenges include a forecast reduction in world economic growth this year, while many countries would focus on agricultural development. Therefore, Nigeria’s exports of agricultural products might face fierce competition.

    Large importers, such as the US, EU, China, Japan and South Korea, have promoted the protection of agricultural products by setting standards on quality and food hygiene and safety, while requiring traceability. The trade war between the US and China will also affect the export of Nigeria’s agricultural products.

     

    Challenges

    On the aggregate, experts said foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into agriculture are still small in terms of project size and proportion of investment capital compared to the total FDI of the country. Risks remain significant. Domestically, slower progress in strengthening logistics infrastructure have undermined growth prospect, creating large sector liabilities. External risks include escalating trade protectionism.

    Yusuf’s concern is that the cost of doing business is very high.  He attributed it to poor infrastructure, multiplicity of levies, excessive regulations, among others.

    Notwithstanding, the government’s goals for the sector, experts said production will be threatened by growing pressures, including a fast-growing population and the effects of climate change.

    Like last year, increasing insecurity caused insurgent activities meant some agricultural enterprises had to hire security, increasing costs and taking the focus away from improving production techniques.

    The sector also remains split between small scale farmers with artisanal growing methods, and large-scale production using modern techniques and consolidated expanses of land. Bridging these two sides of the industry will require better integration.

    In recent months, weather-related disasters linked to climate change have contributed to the rise in food insecurity.

    Flooding in some parts of the country has disrupted the volume of agricultural production, exposing farmers to high vulnerability and causing fatalities.

    Another issue is the high rates of urbanisation that has reduced the amount of arable land available for farming. Across the country, the economy has witnessed a substantial spike in property development into land traditionally used for farming.

    Foreign investors still see a gloomy outlook towards the investment environment in the country as various reports indicate fears about unclear economic conditions.

     

    Improving infrastructure

    No fewer than 10 million smallholder farmers produce 70 per cent of the food consumed in the country. There is a need to ensure that these farmers are equipped with the appropriate technologies, knowledge, and skills to meet the increasing l demand for sustainable food.

    For watchers, the nation’s economic productivity is still low mainly due to small scale agricultural production. At present, the power supply-demand gap is hampering food production and sustainable economic growth.They observed that infrastructure deficiencies and an emerging skills mismatch driven by underlying structural bottlenecks are impacting on the quality of its human capital, productivity and innovation capacity.

    Stakeholders advocate actions and policy reforms aimed at addressing bottlenecks in energy, transport and water infrastructure. This, they believe, will support the sector to attract higher value-added investments, enhance the domestic private sector’s capacity to penetrate the regional market and improve public service delivery.

    Stakeholders believe the nation’s ambitious agenda to transform into a high income country requires a new growth model that relies on enhancing productivity and innovation.

    Iyama believes digital solutions can address some of the key challenges faced by farmers, from creating safer farm produce to boosting exports and improving farmers’ living standards. ‘’We encourage partners to join our efforts in applying high-technology and smart agriculture for our farmers,” he said.

  • Obaseki’s agric reforms: CBN’s N69bn investment in Edo oil palm sector excites farmers

    Our Reporter

    With the commitment of about N69 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), smallholder farmers in the state have applauded the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration for creating the right environment to attract the investment.

    A cross section of the farmers, who spoke to journalists, in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said the investment would revolutionalise the oil palm sector in the state which will have a spiral effect on other aspects of the economy.

    Mrs. Esosa Igbinoba, a farmer in Okada axis of the state, said the investment would allow a number of the plantation owners expand their hectarage and processing capacity, which will have positive effect on smallholder farmers in the axis.

    Read Also: FG begins environmental, social impact assessment of Edo oil palm estate

    According to her, “We were excited when we heard that the CBN will be committing billions of naira for the development of the oil palm sector in Edo State. We already have two heavyweights in Nigeria’s oil palm sector, namely Okomu Plc and Presco Plc, in the state. The investment further opens up the field for more players.

    “Particularly, we want to thank Governor Godwin Obaseki for making the land available for the plantation owners and smallholder farmers to access the fund. We are very confident that the investment will transform the state for the better.”

    Barr. Emmanuel Usen, said the state governor has shown uncommon resolve in unlocking land assets to attract investment, noting, “We have experienced a new wave of agricultural revolution in Edo State with the governor’s determined effort to create wealth and job opportunities for youths with the ESOPP. It is going to change a lot of things.

    “We know that the investment will last for years, with each stage involving the employment of a number of people in the plantations. About 600,000 people are expected to benefit from the activities. We can’t ask for more than this, as long as our people are gainfully engaged.”

  • Ogun kicks off broiler empowerment programme

    Our Reporter

    TO increase food production and create employment opportunities for youths, the Ogun Government has kicked off its Broiler Empowerment Programme with the delivery of 54, 000 day old chicks for 54 beneficiaries.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, who led a team from the Ministry of Agriculture, while taking stock of the broiler birds at the Odeda Training Farm Institute, said the programme was designed as a public-private partnership (PPP).

    He said the Ministry of Agriculture is providing support for the project, designed to, create source of livelihood for young agripreneurs through a cluster farming model.

    Odedina said each beneficiary would get 1,000 birds. It will take about 42 days make a profit of about N130,000 per production.

    Read Also: How IITA charted Agripreneurs into fish processing

     

    He added that there is the option of buy-back as off-takers like, Amobyn Farms Limited, will mop up the birds produced through a financing window provided by the Bank of Industry and Farmer moni Loan Programme for Agriculture.

    He said the success of the pilot phase would lead to replication in other two senatorial districts of the state.

    “The project is located at the Odeda Farm Institute, Eweje, where the state government had constructed six poultry pens of 9,000 birds capacity, with an output of 54,000 broiler birds per round of six weeks. Fifty-four beneficiaries were trained for the programme, while 46 have received a loan of N900, 00.

    The expected minimum and maximum deliverable per year from the project is 216, 000 birds (five rounds/annum) and 324,000 birds (six rounds /annum) .

    The expected output of between 216,000 to 324,000 broiler birds per year will reduce importation of livestock products in the country as it will also create over 150 direct and indirect jobs for youths in the state,” Odedina said.

     

  • Driving the red meat industry back to profitability

    The red meat sub-sector is important. Although the rise in meat consumption provides opportunities for investors, some challenges are making its production inefficient. It is for this, among others, that the Lagos State government is repositioning the red meat industry. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    Despite being a major contributor to the national gross domestic product (GDP), activities in the beef sub-sector remain low, underdeveloped and  hardly attracts investments.

    This is attributed to several factors. They include poor breeds and animal husbandry, inadequate financing and multiple market intermediaries who depress earnings of butchers.

    In addition, poor infrastructure and meat handling practices have increased the challenges faced by the operators. One area seriously affected is the red meat sector.

    Although the meat market has huge potential, there are growth challenges.

    Weaned on ineffective feeds, coupled with poor disease resistance and limited veterinary care, many animals fail to yield their true economic or nutritious value.

    Given the challenges, the country struggles to satisfy its increasing appetite for meat, according to experts. Notwithstanding, experts believe the sector has the highest potential for reducing poverty, creating employment and contributing to economic growth.

    One of them is Udeme Etuk, who believes that there is need for enhanced support to transform the sub-sector into a highly profitable commercial sector that provides high returns to the farmers and contribute to the national economy.

    Etuk believes the red meat value chain has potential to unlock employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. He maintained that there is a huge market and job opportunities in the beef value chain, saying the demand for beef products is increasing due to surge in urbanisation, growth and changes in consumption.

    He urged the government and the private sector to deal with the hurdles faced by the beef stakeholders.

    Etuk’s submission is supported by the Lagos government, which is already taking steps to boost red meat supply as a source of protein.

    To become a significant player, he stressed that the beef industry has to ensure that the animal health status and product traceability systems are properly implemented and functional. An effective red meat traceability system, according to him, is needed to improve the sector’s credibility in the eyes of the consumers.

    Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Gbolahan Lawal said the industry is a money spinner with opportunities for investment. Given the immense opportunities of the nation’s swelling dietary needs, he said local and foreign investors would show their interest, if the enabling environment is created.

    He said to reposition the industry for profitability, future investments would be required across the value chain, including facilities, abattoirs, feed production, transport and equipment supply.

    To address this, the state government has inaugurated a strategy to sanitise the red meat value chain and ensure consumption. One of the measures is by encouraging butchers to adopt traceability and identification system.

    Farmers and butchers will partner to keep data on husbandry, including feeding, vaccinations and treatment.

    The commissioner, who began the pilot scheme at the Ita Faji Market, Lagos Island, said the state is embarking on a strategy with the acronym, ATM – Abattoir, Transportation and Market, saying the plan was in conformity with Section 4 of Cap M3 Meat Inspection Law of Lagos State and the 4th Schedule (Regulation 33) of the law, adding that it would not only ensure the consumption of wholesome meat by the people, but it would also facilitate export of red meat to other countries.

    Lawal explained that it was important for the government to raise the standard of slaughtering, processing and marketing of red meat for hygiene.

    “The three part strategy is to guarantee the safety and health of the populace by ensuring that only certified animals are slaughtered and wholesome beef is available in our markets.

    “This will also boost the international recognition of beef from the state thus opening up an export portal which will be a source of foreign exchange to the state government,” the commissioner said.

    He wondered why some African countries, including Botswana, Namibia, Ethiopia and Kenya, could export meat to Europe, Saudi Arabia and other countries, while Nigeria, a naturally endowed and big country, could not.

    “For instance, many African countries like Botswana, Namibia, Ethiopia and Kenya export meats to Europe, Saudi Arabia and other third world countries. Indeed, Botswana alone exports about 9,000 tonnes of meat to Europe and 10,000 tonnes to Saudi Arabia.

    Botswana enjoys unlimited preferential market access to the European Union, competing with meat exporting countries like Brazil. So, rather than only producing meat for local consumption, Botswana exports meat that is hygienically tested and proven to meet the European market standard.

    “In the same vein, Namibia also exports meats to about 18 European countries and China. The meat exports industry is quite lucrative and a sure revenue generator for the country. The question is: how are our brother African countries able to do this while naturally endowed and big country like Nigeria could not?’’

    He said the answer is because of the reforms they have been able to carry out in their red meat value chains which enabled their red meat to meet the international standards.

    He said series of engagements were held with critical stakeholders like the Butchers Association in the state, market women and men, concessionaires and franchisees, whose cooperation should be courted for the successful implementation of the reforms exercise in order to ensure the success of these reforms.

    “Let reiterate that the main objective of this reform is to promote wholesome and hygienically processed beef for the populace. From the handling of these animals up to the processing stage where they are taken to the market for sale, proper care and attention must be ensured to achieve the goals of the state government to produce healthy meat for consumption and export,” the commissioner pointed out.

    He said the state government would not condone any act of uncleanliness in meat processing and delivery.

    He said the government has started a campaign to crack down on illegal slaughter slabs, processing and selling of dead, diseased or suspected diseased animals, adding that facilities caught violating animal health and food safety laws will face strict penalties and each case will be handled by the police and the various security agencies.

    In addition to ordering a crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, he said the state would set up enforcement committees to monitor the treatment of animals used for meat.

    He urged butchers to acquaint themselves with market standards and comply, if they want to benefit from the industry, saying that abattoirs supplying various markets would be identified and classified in order to link the butchers with the markets using a color tag/code.

    He said butchers would be issued veterinary meat hygiene certificate for health and wholesomeness after inspection of carcass by veterinary officers.

    “A 21st century Lagos wants to raise the standard of slaughtering, processing and marketing of red meat in the state.

    “The purpose is to ensure the safety and health of the populace by ensuring that only certified animals are slaughtered and wholesome beef is available in our markets.

    Read Also: Lagos to enforce law on meat hygiene

     

    “This will also boost international recognition of beef from the state thus opening up an export portal which will be a source of forex, this is what Lagos is pushing for, a conducive and hygienic environment in the red meat value chain,” the commissioner said.

    “The proposed flow of activity is to ensure that only certified carcasses leave the approved abattoir.

    “The products are tagged and traceable to butchers/vendors and markets by use of coded EKO meat vans.

    “This strategy will prevent street hawking of beef and sale of beef from illegal abattoirs as coded markets will be made public and the populace would be advised to only purchase from same,” he said.

    The commissioner said the issuance of veterinary meat hygiene certificates for health legal as it is backed by Schedules 4 and 5 Cap M3 Meat Inspection Laws of Lagos State.

    He added that no butcher or meat vendor would be allowed to sell without the certificate.

    “We are setting up monitoring team comprising officials of the Ministries of Health, Environment and Water Resources, Special Duties and Inter Governmental Relations, Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.

    “Monitoring, enforcement and compliance unit of Ministry of Agriculture such as Veterinary Microbiologists and Pathologists has since been constituted in order to ensure the effective implementation of the reforms,” he said.

    The commissioner said the activities of abattoirs would be standardised in the state such that all the approved abattoirs would not only be functional, hygienic and conducive for slaughtering activities but adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures.

    “There must be continuous availability of clean water supply and there must be prompt disposal of waste from the abattoirs.

    “Any person in possession of beef for sale without our certificate will have such products confiscated and the person prosecuted,” Lawal said.

    He said the beef markets would be upgraded to comply with international standards and that modern and standard butchering tables with removable tops would be introduced.

    “Our long-term strategies will involve livestock identification and traceability system, such that an animal can be traced from the cattle market to shops.

    “The use of meat boxes instead of bags to convey beef cuts and the setup, recall and return strategies if there is a problem with a particular batch of meat.

    “Others are the creation of a butcher’s database/log so that details of butchers in the state are captured and numbered accordingly.

    “Introduction of batching and coding system using the identity of each butcher that will allow easy tracking and tracing of abattoir activities and establishment of functional prototype meat shops across all the divisions in the state,” he added.

    The Chairman, Lagos Island East Council, Kamal Salau-Bashua, said the council would close down unlicensed slaughterhouses.

  • The ban of food importation in Nigeria

    By: Osemudiame Busayo Pius

    The ban on food importation into Nigeria is no longer news; what may be news, however, is the controversy the move by the Presidency has generated, a decision which has been rejected by many people in the country.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to block food importers’ requests for foreign currency in a bid to boost local agriculture in Africa’s most populous country.

    This position and policy continued when on the assumption of office in 2015, the President banned the use of foreign exchange to import dozens of consumable items, including but not limited to the most consumed food by the common man in Nigeria, rice.

    The first reason for the restriction and ban on food importation is that because Nigeria has depended on imported products over the years without being self-reliant on food production.

    Secondly, whether consumable food or not, over dependence on importation has and still continues to affect the country economic stability. As a result, Nigeria is not able to produce basic essential products on her own, hence the need for this policy.

    As of 2019, the estimated population of Nigeria is over 200.96 million, ranking 7th in the world with an annual growth rate of 2.54%. On top of this, Nigeria is endowed with enormous mineral and natural resources with vast land mass space adjudged to be the most fertile and suitable for agriculture.

    Notwithstanding the foregoing, the agricultural sector has experienced years of neglect as Nigeria has spent decades relying on oil to provide needed foreign exchange and government revenues. As a result of what has been said, Nigeria has abandoned and jettisoned the aspect of providing adequate infrastructure, machines and equipment to be able to increase her production level as a nation.

    Regardless of the aforesaid, the demand for rice consumption is high among the Nigerian populace, particularly as the festive period is fast approaching irrespective of their region or culture.

    The Muhamadu Buhari administration, to say the least, in my humble opinion means well for the economic development and growth because it tries to encourage domestic production of food such as rice and other products.

    What is worrisome however about the policy on ban, which has been criticised in many fronts is that it does not take the low capacity of local farmers into consideration because Nigeria does produce the basic food commodities but has not been able to single handedly satisfy and meet the demand of the country, hence the need for import.

    In addition, the policy has brought about inflation in prices of foodstuffs and all other essential commodities, because no adequate alternatives were made before the ban was implemented. However, suffice to argue that this present government has come to the realisation that if the country continues to import rather than export, Nigeria will run a trade deficit and will not be able to create more jobs and increase wages.

    READ ALSO: Border closure… More gains, fewer pains

    We also will see that by the policy of the ban placed on the import of good the government will lose the tariffs attracted to this situation, which is making people see from a new perspective that if the government is willing to take the risk of losing the revenue accruing from importation, perhaps, the policy will really be implemented and help Nigeria economically as a nation.

    Although figures, according to United Nation’s food and Agriculture Organisation, has made us to see that domestic production, particularly rice production has increased from an annual average of 7.1 million tonnes between 2013 and 2017 to 8.9 million tonnes in 2018, there are some reports that rice smuggling has increased as custom officials continue to confiscate large quantities of rice at the borders.

    This only implies local farmers will have to increase domestic production the more and production of other necessities of the country like making of cloth, putting more efforts in the planting of cotton, making of simple house use appliances so that our import rate will not override the export rate.

    The question and concern of some people is will Nigerians survive and meet up their daily needs as a result of this policy which have been implemented? My humble submission and response to the question is in the affirmative. The reason being that other advanced economies and great countries in the world have also placed ban on things higher than the situation Nigeria is experiencing, and such countries are still surviving.

    China, in 2017, announced that it will no longer recycle the world’s old plastic bottles, cardboard boxes and so on. It triggered a global trash crisis because the trash had to go somewhere.

    The search for new refuse dumps is still ongoing. “It was a huge shock for the global recycling industry,” said Arnaud Brunet of the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) and in months after China’s decision, Malaysia tripled its imports of plastic waste.

    Idris Ayinde, an Agricultural economist also commented on the issue of ban on food importation to Nigeria to the effect that: “restricting food imports should be a gradual process since the country cannot yet meet domestic demand for most food commodities, and the policy risks increasing food prices inflation further.”

    The response from the Presidency to Ayinde’s view is that the Buhari’s government focuses on his campaign promises on agriculture and the betterment of the country.

    In conclusion, it is submitted that the implementation of the ban on food importation policy seems not to down too well with many Nigerians, it is suggested that Nigerians should give space to the government and benefit of a doubt and help to stop smuggling illegal items into the Nigerian border. It is rather a noble course if we should think of good business ideas or solution to come up with that will help the improvement of Nigeria domestic production and encourage the farmers rather than complaining about them and the food items they produce to help ourselves rise together.

    Osemudiame, a 200 level Mass Communication student of Babcock University, writes in from Illishan-Remo, Ogun State

     

  • Nigeria commercialises first improved food crop

    Our Reporter

     

    The Federal Government has approved registration and release of a new Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea variety for commercialisation.

    The approval was granted by the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, chaired by Mr. Oladosu Awoyemi.The meeting held  in Ibadan, Oyo State.

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

    PBR Cowpea was earlier in the year granted environmental release approval by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), which confirmed the product was safe for human, livestock and the environment and paved the way for submission to the National Variety Release Committee for consideration and registration as a commercial crop.

    The SAMPEA 20-T has been bred for resistance to Maruca vitrata, a lepidoptreran insect pest that causes up to 90 percent yield loss in severe infestation cases.

    The new variety is early maturing (70 to 75 days) with semi-erect growth habit and photoperiod insensitive and has medium large white seeds. It is also resistant to Striga and Alectra, two notorious parasitic weeds.

    The decision to release the variety means that farmers will have access to the seed that will help them significantly reduce the number of sprays they currently apply to their crop from six to seven times to only two per cropping season and as a result realise better yield in quantity and quality.

    It will also contribute to addressing the national cowpea demand deficit of about 500,000 tonnes and also improve the national productivity average of 350kg/hectare.

    During the Multilocational Advanced Yield Trials conducted across Nigeria’s agro-ecologies, researchers found SAMPEA 20-T to have high stable grain yield across the test locations.

    The minimum observed grain yield increase over the conventional cowpea varieties was 20 percent  and the maximum was over 200 percent.

    The variety can yield up to 2.9 tons of beans per hectare, and over 3.0 tons of fodder per hectare.

    The Principal Investigator for the project and Executive Director, Institute for Agricultural Research, Zaria, Prof. Mohammed Ishiyaku, said both the on-station and on-farm trials demonstrated the superiority of SAMPEA 20-T relative to local, recently released cowpea varieties and improved breeding lines tested.

    ‘SAMPEA 20-T is high yielding, early maturing and resistant to Striga and Alectra, which are major constraint to cowpea production in most producing areas in Nigeria and other dry savanna regions,’ said Ishiyaku.

    ‘The protein and nutrients content of variety ‘SAMPEA 20-T is the same as that of other conventional varieties meaning that the Bt gene that was introduced into the variety has no negative influence on the nutritional composition of both grain and folder,’ added Prof. Ishiyaku, saying that the newly released variety does not differ in any way from already existing cowpeas (beans) other than the improvements made.

    Executive Director AATF, Dr Denis Kyetere, thanked the Federal Government for releasing the new cowpea variety, saying it showed  its commitment towards improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmer.

    ‘Cowpea farmers have had to endure difficult farming conditions that required spraying dangerous chemicals on their crop to make a profit which is risking their lives,” Said Kyetere.

    “We at AATF express our joy with Nigeria as it takes the lead in the deployment of necessary technologies that show promise of solving the challenges which farmers encounter on a daily basis,’ added, Kyetere.

    The AATF PBR Cowpea Manager , Dr Issoufou Kollo Abdourhamane, attributed the successful registration and naming of SAMPEA 20-T to the hard work and synergy between the various project partners including researchers at the IAR “Our joint effort of over 10 years addressing one of the vital challenges faced by cowpea farmers in Africa has paid off.

    Cowpea farming will now become attractive even to the younger generation as it has become less cumbersome with the effective management of Maruca,’ he said.

    The Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Garba Sharubuta,  the apex organisation supervising all agriculture research in the country welcomed the release of the new variety, saying that cowpea is a major staple and vegetarian source of dietary protein in Africa.

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    “Its production has been stalled by severe attack of lepidopteran insect pests in both the field and storage. One of such notorious pests is the legume pod-borer, (Maruca vitrata). This pest has singularly contributed to significant cowpea yield reductions on our farmers’ farms.’

    Sharubuta said ARCN’s resolve is to make improved technologies available and accessible to farmers to enhance their yields and income and result in improved livelihoods.

    ‘One such economically viable, and environmentally sound solution to the problem of the legume pod borer is development of cowpea varieties that have inherent resistance to the lepidopteran pod borers,”Sharubuta added.

    The Acting Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said the release marked a great and memorable day for Nigeria, Africa and the World at large.

    ‘We all are marching towards food sufficiency and food security for Nigeria and all of mankind. Bt Cowpea is certainly a major and strategic addition.”

    SAMPEA 20-T is a product of over a decade of research efforts by a partnership that brought together Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) of Australia for  genetic transformation, IAR, NABDA, ARCN, Danforth Center and Bayer that provided the Cry1Ab gene to the partnership on humanitarian basis, royalty free, so that small scale farmers can access it affordably. The project partnership was coordinated by AATF with sustained funding by USAID.

    The project also received support from stakeholders including the National Association of Cowpea Growers, the National Association of Nigerian Farmers and seed companies.

  • Increasing profitability of value chains

    Lagos State Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement And Livelihood Support (APPEALS) project  is making a difference by supporting farmers to develop and efficiently manage their businesses, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

     

    More efficient agriculture and food processing is key to a stable and decent life for farmers. Through Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement And Livelihood Support (APPEALS) project, Lagos   is  helping   farmers  across the state  lift themselves out of poverty.

    To help farmers and other agricultural value chain actors tap into the sector’s huge potential,  APPEALS project is focused on developing value addition in certain profitable value chains by introducing appropriate processing and improved farming techniques.

    The project, which began last year, continues to support farmers to improve productivity within the poultry, rice and aquaculture value chains.

    At the same time, entrepreneurs, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumer cooperatives are assisted in the creation of sustainable linkages with suppliers, value addition to the produce they deal with, and the discovery of new market segments to boost competitiveness and profitability.

    In addition, farmers are trained to improve their capacity to produce.

    Speaking  during the graduation of  350 women and youth, Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat urged the beneficiaries of  to put their training and subsequent support from the project into productive agricultural use.

    Hamzat advised the beneficiaries to ‘’access the grant element of the project by developing viable investment plans that will not just make (them) agro-prenuers but also employers of labour.”

    He spoke at the graduation ceremony of the batch 1 of the 1,620 beneficiaries of the women and youth empowerment scheme (WYEP) of the project at the Lagos Agriculture Institute in Araga, Epe.

    Represented by the Chairman, Epe Local Government, Mr. Adedoyin Adesanya, Hamzat said the APPEALS project was aimed at supporting farmers’ productivity, noting that the beneficiaries should avail themselves of several opportunities the collaboration between the federal and state governments as well as the World Bank offer to them by coming up with viable business plans that will see them move up the ladder in agric-entrepreneurship.

    Dr Hamzat congratulated the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, describing their success at the selection stage as a great feat.

    Read Also: Lagos seeks N14b agric boost

     

    He said: “Being here today as beneficiaries of APPEALS project women and youth empowerment programme is a major feat after being selected out of the over 7,000 applicants for the available 1,700 slots.

    “I wish to congratulate all the beneficiaries on  your involvement in this laudable project which is aimed at supporting the unemployed and the under employed.”

    He also commended the  Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture for  achieving the  feat.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal,  said the graduation of the Batch 1 WYEP signalled the beginning of a new concept to the APPEALS project implementation.

    Lawal said the main thrust of APPEALS project was to increase productivity, production, improve processing and marketing of the target value chains, which would   foster job creation along identified value chains.

    He said one of the primary objectives of the APPEALS project was employment generation, which, according to him, is in tandem with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision of providing employment for the teeming youth of the state in line with the administration’s THEMES agenda.

    The commissioner said the government has been working to ensure employment generation and food security.

    “The Ministry of Agriculture has been doing that through various projects such as Agriculture based Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES), Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP).

    “Today, I present to you 350 beneficiaries; 165 in poultry value chain, 35 in Rice value chain and 150 in Aquaculture value chain as batch 1 of the APPEALS project empowerment programme,” he said.

    Lawal urged the beneficiaries  to open up their minds as agro-preneurs and make the best use of the opportunities provided to ensure that the aim of the  programme is achieved.

    The Special Adviser for Agriculture, Ms Bisola Olusanya, said  there is a deficit of 188 metric tonnes for broilers, 6.7 metric tonnes for eggs  and 218 metric tonnes for the aquaculture supply respectively in the state, noting that the beneficiaries equipped with the training and the grant support from APPEALS project should be able to improve in the demand and supply deficit of these value chains.

    The State Project Coordinator, APPEALS project, Mrs Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo, expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would soon become major contributors in the food production and supply chains in Lagos.

    She said the beneficiaries have assured her that their business plans would be ready by next week, assuring that the project is not just going to impact in the lives of the 350 beneficiaries but will have multiplier effect with lots of  job creation and livelihood improvement.

    The  APPEALS project Women and Youth Empowerment consist of provision of technical assistance in business planning, grants to finance sub-projects and mentorship for start-up or consolidation of existing women and youth-led businesses as individual or a group of beneficiaries.

     

  • Obaseki, Emefiele to launch N69bn Edo Oil Palm Programme Tuesday

    Our Reporter

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele will on Tuesday launch the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), a N69bn intervention programme to rejuvenate the oil palm sector in the state for global competitiveness.

    The event, organised by the Edo State Government, the CBN and the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria (POFON), will hold on Tuesday, December 17, at Protea Hotel, Benin City, and provide a platform to engage with stakeholders in the oil palm business.

    In a statement, Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the ESOPP is an innovative platform intended to harness the state’s rich oil palm heritage to diversify the local economy, create jobs, and increase productivity in a sustainable manner.

    Read Also: Obaseki tasks Edo residents on enrolment into Social Health

    He said a total of 120,000 hectares is planned for the programme, but the first phase would cover an area of 51,000 hectares, noting that funding from the CBN would constitute over 70 per cent of the intervention, which would be targeted at estate owners and smallholder farmers, given at single-digit interest rate with 5-7 years moratorium.

    Some investors in the ESOPP expected at the parley include Dangote Dansa Farms; Bruk Plantations Edo Limited; Saro Africa; FDGB Group (Malaysians); Ella Lakes Plc; De United Foods Industries (Dufil); Platform Capital; WACOT Limited; TGI Group; A and Hatman Ltd; Saturn Farms (Nosak Group); Agro allied Business (FMN); Farmforte Agro Allied Solutions and Masini Limited.

    Osagie added that the Obaseki-led administration is keen on diversifying the state’s economic base, with agriculture as a major lynch-pin, adding that the programme adds to the numerous other reforms implemented in the agriculture sector to boost food security.

    He said the unique feature of the programme is the ability to create a catalytic effect in the food, pharmaceutical, beauty and cosmetics sectors of the state, as these sectors utilise produce from the plantation as raw material for their products.

  • Edo to launch Oil Palm Initiative

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the state government has concluded plans to launch the Edo Oil Palm Initiative, with the state’s donation of 51 hectares of land to kickstart the scheme.

    He stated this at a one-day workshop with the theme ‘Growing the Oil Palm Sector in Edo,’ organised by the Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative for stakeholders in the oil palm sector in Edo State, in Benin City.

    The governor, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Agriculture, Bashir Kadiri, said the state government is ready to support inclusive growth of oil palm businesses, which informed the provision of 51 hectares of land to attract investors who have completed paperwork to invest in the initiative.

    He noted, “Edo State Government is determined to promote oil palm businesses. We will be launching the Edo Oil Palm Initiative in the third week of December as we have made 51 hectares of land available for the takeoff of the programme. Investors are already on ground to invest in the sector.

    “Our focus as an administration is to change the narrative in the oil sector in Nigeria. We are committed to driving agriculture development in the state. Edo historically is one of the foremost drivers of the oil palm sector in Nigeria.”

    “Oil palm price globally is far above the crude oil price. It points to the fact that oil palm is the way to go as the nation has the potential to take advantage of the sector to rejig the economy,” he added.

    The Senior Programme Manager of Sustainable Trade Initiative, Dr. Chris Okafor said the National Initiative for Sustainable and Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholder (NISCOPS) is a national programme supported by the Dutch Government.

    Read Also; Kinsmen warn Oshiomhole against denigrating Edo DG

    He said the programme has been held in six states, including Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Cross Rivers, Kogi, Imo and Edo State, adding, “We are working with the Edo State Government and other states to see how to transform the oil palm sector with an emphasis on smallholder farmers who constitute about 80 per cent of the oil palm businesses in Nigeria.

    “The programme is to see how to increase production in a sustainable manner without destroying the environment and ensuring inclusion of smallholder farmers. We are here to add value to what Edo State Government is doing.”

    The Head, Edo State Investment Promotion Office, Kelvin Uwaibi said the focus of the parley is on how to grow the oil palm sector in Edo State, adding, “The Governor believes that oil palm can be the main stay in terms of economic development. Edo has already started developing the Edo State oil palm initiative.”

  • Boosting economic growth through clusters

    Clustering is one strategy being promoted  to help  transform the economy as experts mull measures to advance industrialisation. Clustering was an highpoint at the Farm2Fork Dialogue held in Ilorin, Kwara State, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

     

    Agriculture powered by industrialisation will help raise incomes and productivity of farmers. It will also lower food prices and improve nutrition.

    This was the position of stakeholders at the just-concluded Farm2Fork Dialogue held in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    The dialogue, with the theme “Eliminating the economic impediments to a prosperous commodity agribusiness”, was aimed at providing long-term solutions to the challenges facing the sector in Nigeria.

    The participants discussed the various ways of using agriculture to sustain industrial development. They advocated for an inclusive long-term modernisation and economic transformation scheme that should enable substantial and sustained development to raise living standards.

    Despite being a primarily agrarian economy, they said agriculture  was lagging behind in output and  productivity, and had not created  equitable wealth in the country.

    According to them, agriculture in Nigeria was in need of efficiency, modernisation and innovation.  They said the government has a major    role to play in facilitating the modernisation of the  sector  and  can  start  by  investing  in infrastructure   and   irrigation systems that would help  improve productivity.

    On industrialisation, they sought major interventions such as an improved policy environment for agriculture, increased volume and efficiency of public and private sector investments, creation of regional value chains and participation in processes as well as increased value addition for products and services.

    The Chief Executive Officer, AgroNigeria and co-covener of the Farm2Fork Dialogue, Richard-Mark Mbaram, described the realities of Nigeria’s economy as “prodigal”, saying that “agriculture is Nigeria’s get-out-of-jail free card”.

    Lauding the partial closure of land borders as a bold and decisive step, Mbaram noted that, at the level of constructive engagements, there was need for a few more active steps.

    According to him, this was what informed the Farm2Fork Dialogue to create long-standing solutions to the impediments hindering agro commodity businesses in the country. “The Farm2Fork Dialogue is not a talk shop; we are here to dimension custom-fitted solutions to challenges bedeviling agribusiness.”

    He further said actualising the commodity ecosystem of our dreams must be prioritised for any meaningful transformation to occur.

    Special Adviser to the African Development Bank (ADB) President on Industrialisation, Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, described agro-industrialisation as the ticket for job creation, adding that successful agricultural transformations are business-led. On the need to steer Nigeria in this direction, he said agriculture was not just a sector but a collection of technologies.

    The Chairman, Agricultural Trade Group of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Ade Adefeko, reiterated the need to conduct a sectoral diagnosis for any real change to occur.

    Read Also: Nigeria needs functional education for economic growth, says Lawan

     

    He said: “Right now, there is no convergence and there is no nexus regarding transiting to this revolution because, honestly speaking, our research institutions are not fit for purpose. What we need is a robust approach and a potpourri of Agric entrepreneurs to put things into perspective.“

    Reiterating this in her address, President of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) Princess Roseline Ibitoye said cocoa industry had been neglected by past and present governments. She said there was need to put the cash crop back on track as a leading commodity.

    For Nigeria to leapfrog to the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Agriculture, stakeholders pointed out that there was a need to be an activation of a knowledge-based economy and proliferation of existing technologies across the various value chains.

    Consequently, ADB resolved to partner the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promote special agro-industrial processing zones to increase food production capacity and promote local, regional and international trade.

     

    Farmers Quotes

    “Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds.”

    -Thomas Jefferson-