Category: Agriculture

The Lagos State Agro-Processing, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS), a Federal Government – World Bank Assisted programme, is exploring opportunities in pelleting to boost production. Pelleting involves compressing feed ingredients into small pieces for chickens. Chickens fed with pellets are ready for sale in six weeks, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

 

THE Poultry industry contributes about 25 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  from agriculture. Its networth is almost N1.6 trillion. The  chicken population in Nigeria is estimated at about 165 million, producing approximately 650,000 metric tonnes (mt) of meat and 300,000mt of eggs, according to experts.

Its demand is estimated at over 200 million birds, while those for eggs and meat stand at about 790,000mt and 1,500,000mt.

In Lagos, the demand is driven by the expansion of the middle-class, urbanisation and rapid population growth.

Poultry is an affordable source of protein, and its popularity is rising across socio-economic strata.

The industry is, however, faced with many challenges, especially in  feed. Feed accounts for about 70  per cent of the cost of production. Its prices continue to rise with new entants making it difficult for smallholder farmers to access quality feed for the fowls.

To address this challenge, operators are looking at a wider use of feed pellets by farmers to increase feed intake and weight gain by the chickens. Currently, chicken feed comes mainly mash form. Although there is feed pellet it is mostly used by commercial farmers.

Mash typically results in some waste due to separation of grains (coarse particles) from other ingredients and supplements that causes the flicking behaviour of chickens. The problem is solved in pellet feed which is uniform in proportion and improves digestion of nutrients in broilers.

Analysts said there are  many production benefits in feeding pellets to poultry. The are better hygiene, quality feed, reduced wastage, decreased ingredient segregation and     decreased opportunities for selective feeding.

Others are increased feed intake and weight gain.

Buoyed by this, the Lagos State Agro-Processing, Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support, (APPEALS), a Federal Government-World Bank Assisted programme,  has mounted a campaign to encourage small- and medium-scale  poultry farmers to use feed pelleting technology to enhance productivity.

In partnership with a private sector company, Creative Farms Solution Limited, APPEALS is mobilising chicken farmers to engage the new approach to benefit  maximally  from pelletised feed.

Read Also: ‘How agro processing hubs can spur industrialisation’

 

Speaking with The Nation, Creative Farms Solution Limited Managing Director Mr. Toyin Johnson, listed the advantages of pelleting chicken feed ingredients. He said “each time the chicken eats one pellet, it gets all the nutrients, therefore, a farmer is sure that every chicken that eats will get a complete diet. Because of this, there is no need to add other materials for nutrients. He  said the feed is also sanitised as the process of making it kills bacteria since it goes through steam treatment.”

He said  pelleting reduces chicken feed waste, water soiling, and selective eating behaviour in chickens. He noted that broilers feed with pellets are ready for sale in six weeks, and most of them are of uniform size since they eat the same diet. This is in comparison to the eight to nine weeks before broilers fed on mash feed are ready for sale.

In addition to saving money, he said the birds fed on pellet feeds are of high quality.

Comparing poultry farmers who use pellet and mash feeds, he said those who use pellet feeds save money. He stated that broilers respond to pelleted feed by spending less time to eat the same or more feed. This decreases time spent on eating which depletes their energy.

APPEALS Project Coordinator Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo said the objective was to enhance the productivity of small and medium scale farmers and value addition.

According to her, it is important that the composition of feed aids broiler and breeders’ developing digestive systems to improve feed regulation as maturity approaches.

She said: “ On October 8, we did a demonstration on the nipple-fitted drinkers and the use of pelletised feed for broilers. One of the things this project is looking at is  how we can improve the production and the productivity of small and medium scale farmers in poultry, aquaculture and rice. Today, we are here to look at the success story of what we have done. We are looking at the closure of the border, the impact on the lives of farmers, and if we must close our border we must be able to sustain ourselves in terms of production and that was one of the things that spurred the project to look at how we can enhance the production of broilers to achieve maximum growth, less mortality and enhance the take home of our farmers.“

She added: “I want to appeal to everyone here because we cannot invite all the farmers in the state to this demonstration. But we expect that every farmer belongs to a group, we expect that you go back to your group and step down whatever you have been taught.

We hope that you will go back and adopt this technology. The productivity of farmers has been enhanced already from the result. By the time you go back to your groups and step this down and you embrace this technology, I am sure that, in the next few months, we will have a lot of poultry birds on the tables of Nigerians.

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We don’t want to eat frozen chicken brought from Benin Republic and other places. We want to encourage our own. We can do it and the Lagos State and the Federal Government have created an enabling environment for every one of us. So, let us key into that opportunity now; let us work with the vision and make something good out of this.”

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Mrs. Sagoe-Oviebo said the sector still held huge potential for the country as the demand for poultry products keeps expanding.

She said the Lagos State’s engagement with the APPEALS Project was to leverage the opportunities to ensure that the three main areas of focus, aquaculture, poultry and rice, are the main areas it has comparative advantage.

The Productivity Enhancement Specialist, Lagos (APPEALS) Project, Mr. Balogun Olanrewaju, said the objective of the intervention was to produce chicken meat and egg to reduce importation and close the gap between demand and supply; raise a new crop of agropreneurs in modern poultry production.

APPEALS project targets 60,000 beneficiaries and 360,000 farm household members as indirect beneficiaries. Part of its sub-component is to benefit women and youth that would allow them to develop agri-businesses that are expected to create jobs and improve their livelihoods. States benefitting from its projects are Cross River, Enugu, Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, and Kano States. Lagos, Kogi, Kaduna, and Kano States.

Nigeria has the potential to meet the challenges of food production. Also, the food sector offers vast opportunities for processing. But there is a dire need to produce some classes of machinery, devices or technologies for food processing. This is because most locally produced machinery are unable to fulfill the demand of food manufacturers. Hence, they import the machinery for food processing.

In response to this, the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) Lagos Branch has taken a hands-on approach to promoting sustainable mechanisation

The association unveiled scaled down rice de-stoner and castor oil de-husking machine at a programme titled: “Driving Innovative Technology to Boost Nigeria’s economy in Lagos.”

The programme held at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) Oshodi, Lagos.

NATE National President Mr. Ahmed Muhammed Yabagi said the Federal Government has taken agriculture as a priority and rice as one of the most consume food in Nigeria, but that research has revealed that the major challenge with locally produced rice is stone.

NATE in its own capacity had decided to key in and boost the current agricultural revolution going on in Nigeria. This has led to the fabrication of the Rice De-Stoning machines as a solution to the worrisome problem facing our farmers.

He reiterated the readiness of the association to work with the government, service providers and farmer organisations to develop strategies that support the implementation of sustainable mechanization at the local level.

“Mechanisation that was overlooked in the past must now be on the drive, as a factor to fully analysing the way out of funding this nation with our local rice, and actualising food security at large.

The Vice-President, NATE Southwest, Engr. Emmanuel Adesina noted: ““Averagely, a unit of a Rice De-Stoning machine can provide training for undergraduates and job for our youths.

Read Also: Navy seizes 1221 bags of smuggled rice

 

Hon. Bridget Obi said: “In the last few years, the Lagos State Branch of NATE has continued to live up to its vision and objectives by adding to the local market, locally fabricated smart and innovative technological solutions to accelerate production and reduce drudgery especially in the processing of Agricultural produce in Nigeria.”

She added that: “As innovators, we should continue to focus more on the problems our products are meant to solve. As we are creating value for people in the process, we get reward and make the economy to grow.

She said: “With the innovations of NATE in the area of scaled down rice de-stoner and castor oil de-husking machines, the next huge task we are facing is to find strategies on how the end users can have access to these machines.”

The Chairman, NATE Lagos State Branch, Engr. Ibidapo Kayode Samuel said  the organisation is a professional body of practical technologists and engineers, member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), with the major aim of promoting professional excellence among technologists and engineers.

 

From November 18 to 21, Abuja will host the 2019 National Agribusiness Conference of The Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria (IAMN).  The theme of the conference is “Think Forward: Driving Nigeria’s Pathway to Prosperity through Sustainable Agribusiness”.

The conference is an annual gathering of professionals working in various segments of the agricultural value chains in Nigeria, including crop and livestock production, agro processing, food manufacturing, commodity exports, agro logistics, agribusiness education, development among others.

This year’s edition will be hosted at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.

At a press conference organised by the Local Organising Committee to intimate the agribusiness community about the all-important conference, the Committee Chairman, Richard Ogundele reiterated the need for creation of more global market access for food commodities of Nigerian origin as well as create a pathway out of the various logjams that have inhibited the growth of agribusiness entrepreneurs toward sustainable profitability.

Read Also: Agro business opportunities in Kaduna

 

He said Nigeria’s population has been projected to hit 400 million by 2050; and from available statistics, over 65 per cent of them will be youths in need of employment, food shelter and basic needs of life. To this end, he said steps must be taken to ensure farmers have access to innovation for sustainable food production.

The IAMN hopes that during the conference, practical solutions to address challenges highlighted, will be discussed and addressed with a view to sharing good business models with the public and organized private sector actors as a mean of facilitating economic growth and development using agribusiness as a major platform.

AgroNigeria, the “Voice of Nigeria’s Agriculture”, is set to hold the “Farm2Fork Dialogue” slated for December 3 through 4 at the Main Auditorium, Government House, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Themed “Eliminating the Impediments to a Prosperous Commodity Agribusiness”, the event, which is being hosted by the Kwara State Government, is targeted at fashioning the modalities to usher in a prosperous era in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. This is in light of the current realities plaguing the country’s agricultural commodity business.

The Co-Convener of the Dialogue, Richard Mark-Mbaram, is of the view that the platform is imperative to facilitate the needed solutions to challenges bedeviling agri-business in the country.

According to him, the event, which is being organised in conjunction with the Agricultural Trade Group of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA), Organized Private Sector Exporters Association (OPEXA), and the Federation of Agriculture Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), will among other things leverage on the positive momentum generated by recent economic actions of the government with a view to ensure that the Nigerian economy and its critical stakeholders benefit there-from.

Read Also: ‘Lack of incentives driving youths away from agriculture’

 

“The dialogue will hinge on the key narrative that the Nigerian private sector in agriculture is keen on fostering a Proactive Partnership for Prosperity (PPP) with the public sector. Right from local production to processing, logistics, consumption and exports, there exists cross-cutting challenges which can only be comprehensively addressed by having all stakeholders around the table.

“This is what the Farm2Fork Dialogue seeks to achieve. In essence, the Dialogue is designed not only to interrogate the causative issues resulting in the current reality of agro-commodity deficits in the country, but to evolve a trajectory for short-medium and long-term solutions – this premised on an inclusive template”, he said.

AgroNigeria is an integrated agro-centric media and communications company famed for its cutting-edge reportage of critical happenings in the Nigerian agricultural landscape and bringing government and its agricultural policies closer to realities in the space.

The organization also hosts the annual Feed Nigeria Summit (FNS) and The Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA).

 

 Feeding Nigeria’s growing population with grains remains a challenge for farmers. This is because of attacks on grains, such as maize and soyabeans, by mycotoxins (food contaminants) which are posing a heavy economic burden to the industry. The  United States Agency for International Development (USAID)  and Nestle, have launched a partnership to enhance quality, safety, and transparency in Nigeria’s grain supply chain. The project is being implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), DANIEL ESSIET reports

 

Grains, including maize and soyabeans, are the basics for food security in most parts of Nigeria. They are a major source of income for farmers in the northern part of the country and play an important role in the livelihood of millions of farmers. About 70 per cent of the total maize production in Nigeria comes from low  income farmers. Production however is affected by a number of constraints, including poor post-harvest management. This allows contaminants in the process, thereby destructing the grains.

The major contaminants, according to analysts, are mycotoxins, damaging toxins produced by fungi. They attack grains, including maize and soyabeans, cause serious health issues for consumers, including the risk of cancer, immune system suppression and stunted skeletal growth, especially in infants. In addition to risks to public health, experts said mycotoxins generate a high level of economic losses for the food industry due to reduced crop yields and livestock illnesses.

They are of the view that one quarter of agricultural products have been reported to be contaminated with mycotoxins in the world, with scientists saying that mycotoxins, toxic chemical compounds produced by moulds, could contaminate produce either in the field or during storage are invisible. The only proven way to determine whether grain, feed or food are contaminated, according to them, is by analytical testing.

Although more than 400 mycotoxins have been identified, aflatoxins (AF) and fumonisin (FUM), are associated with huge  economic  losses  in the grain industry. lndeed, mycotoxins contamination in foods has become a global concern. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), mycotoxins affect nearly 25 per cent of crops yearly, causing huge agricultural products and industrial losses in billions of dollars.

FAO said food losses due to mycotoxin contamination posed a real threat to food security, especially in Africa where the magnitude of losses is difficult to estimate because of  lack of information. Nigeria is not an exception, given the large maize production in most areas of the country.

Speaking during a stakeholders forum in Zaria, Kaduna State, the Team Leader, Feed The Future and Nestle Maize Quality Improvement Partnership (M-QIP), Prof Damian Chikwendu, said preventing mycotoxins contamination  was essential for safety in the food industry. He stressed the need for regulations on food and feed to control the mycotoxins.

He said the partnership between USAID and Nestle aims to enhance quality, safety and transparency in the grain supply chain, noting that the two organisations supported the M+QIP project to improve agricultural practices of smallholder farmers and farmers associations, thereby  enhancing  relationships along the supply chains. The goal is also to  increase their sales of maize and soyabeans and to  improve  the  health of rural communities  through the consumption of safe products.

The major area of concentration is Kaduna State, because it’s a key producer of maize and soyabeans that can be leveraged for domestic use and export.

The major  objective  of the project is to increase the quatity and quality of maize and soyabeans in Kaduna State by decreasing the levels of aflatoxins, fumonisin and aluminium.

 

‘ There has been improvement in farmers awareness about contaminants and many of them have made efforts to mitigate the contaminants. More than 2,000 farmers applied Aflasafe on their maize fields this year ’

 

Chikwendu added that the active participation of the political leadership at the selected local government councils was one of the keys to the impacts of the project.

Their participation, he continued, was essential as it gave importance to the project.

He said the project which took place in 14 local government areas was implemented in 122 communities, observing that ” the overall level of contaminants still remains high as a result of the practice of drying grains by the roadside. He said through this practice, contaminants are introduced to the grains.”

Chikwendu said with the continued use of buka method for drying maize and persistent rains this year, it is expected that mycotoxins, especially aflatoxin and fumonisin, will thrive. He said prevention was the most important and effective way of reducing fungal growth and mycotoxin production, urging farmers to adopt good agricultural practices (GAP) on the field, control practices of harvesting and storage, among others.

 

Read Also: Use agriculture to reduce food import bill, Obasanjo tells DRC

 

One of the strategies for the prevention of mycotoxin formation, according to him, is application of  Aflasafe, a biocontrol product. He said: “There has been improvement in farmers awareness about contaminants and many of them have made efforts to mitigate the contaminants. More than 2,000 farmers applied Aflasafe on their maize fields this year.”

As a result, he said two out of the six  aggregators that sell grains to Nestlé have had zero rejection rates for their grains supply to the company and other businesses in Kaduna State this year by leveraging on the expertise of volunteers.

He said the  farmers  learnt  how to reduce crop contaminants and  to  increase the safety and quality of maize and soybeans, which expectedly would lead to improved health, nutrition and livelihood in the respective communities.

Over the last three years, CNFA has led a team of experts and volunteers to  design and deliver farmer and aggregator training programmes to help reduce aflatoxins and other contaminants in grains, through a train- the trainer approach.

Emphasising on the impact of the partnership on the local economy, the Chairman, Lere Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Abubakar Buba,  said the training would contribute to building  resilient and thriving communities and  resulting in inproved lving coditions of individuals and families. He reiterated that it  will help lift farmers out of poverty by sharing best practices in agriculture activities.

According to him ,the Kaduna State government is providing farmers the tools to improve their produce and increase household incomes, adding that the effort to boost food production is being paired with improving rural livelihood through infrastructure development.

As a result, he noted that  the food system is being activated by value chain development from food production, distribution, processing, marketing and  consumption.

The Technical and Registration Manager- Crop Protection, West Africa, BASF, Adewole Fatokun said  his organisation identify the status and needs of farmers and farming communities, saying following  their investigation, they  provided them with agricultural support and capacity building to increase yields, crop quality and income level.

The Agribusiness Coordinator, Abuja & North, First City Monument Bank, Usman Kamardeen, said the bank has provided loan to provide access to credit for farmers to buy inputs and scale their operations.

One of the aggregators, Nalmaco Nigeria Limited, said the company has improved its infrastructure to mitigate aflatoxin, fumonisins and aluminium in the maize it supplies Nestle and other.

Its General Manager, Lawrence Ogolowa, said the maize cleaning process has been strengthened to prevent rejection of its products.

M-QIP is a three year activity implemented by CFNA.

The S1.9 million programme is targeted at improving the practice of over 20,000 farmersv- more than 8,000 of whom are women in order to supply Nestle with at least 11,000 metric tonnes (MT) of maize and 6000 MT of soyabeans that meet, or exceed, its grains-reception criteria.

FAO and the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) have agreed to renew and strengthen their partnership with an eye to globally reduce food losses and waste and ensure supplies of healthy and fresh food in an increasingly urbanised world.

WUWM is a non-profit association representing more than 160 wholesale markets on every continent that seeks to ensure that wholesale and retail markets – especially for fresh produce – are recognised for their important role in local, national and international food distribution chains, food safety and support of small businesses.

The new three-year pact which was signed on October 17, establishes a framework for supporting FAO’s initiatives and programmes for food loss and waste reduction as well  improving food markets and distribution systems.

“We are both committed to working together to find innovative and efficient ways to overcome the enormous challenge that we will have to face in the agri-food sector if we want to be able to feed in a sustainable way human populations in the forthcoming decades,” said Stéphane Layan, Vice-Chairman of WUWM. “Wholesale markets are key actors for healthy and nutritious diets” and for “enabling small and local farmers to have a suitable platform to sell their production all year long.”

Read Also: ‘Ajinomoto safe for consumption, enhances food taste’

 

“Wholesale markets are critical for producers and consumers. For producers, they allow producers to aggregate what they produce and increase their access to markets and assure standards and food safety. For consumers, they provide access to diversified diets at affordable prices. Moreover, wholesale markets are the last phase in the chain of activities where food losses could occur so they are central in reducing them said Máximo Torero Cullen, FAO Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Development Department. “So we need to find ways to work together.”

Planned areas of collaboration between FAO and WUWM include knowledge sharing, advocacy and capacity development to reduce food loss and waste in food markets and in distribution systems.

The cooperation will contribute to FAO’s development of a Code of Conduct regarding Food Loss and Waste – a subject central to this year’s State of Food and Agriculture report. Food is lost after harvesting and before reaching the retail level, including through on-farm activities, storage and transportation while food waste occurs at the retail and consumption level and is linked to limited shelf life and consumer behaviour.

Reducing food losses along production and supply chains – as called for by Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.1 – offers a critical opportunity to increase the efficiency and sustainability of food systems to better deliver on nutrition and food security.

The renewed partnership is strategic given that WUWM’s members are typically central in delivering healthy foods to urban areas.

 

 

Agency Reporter

An Enugu-based rice farmer, Mr Ekene Uzodinma, has lauded the Federal Government for mustering the political will to close the country’s borders to check smuggling and other cross border crimes.

Uzodinma, who is the Manager of Excellent Integrated Farms Ltd,Enugu, made the commendation in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday.

According to him, the Federal Government should sustain the measure in view of its positive impact on the nation’s economy policy.

He said that prior to the border closure, rice farmers had unfair competition with foreign rice being smuggled to the country through land borders.

According to him, the measure has tackled the age-long illegal importation of weapons and ammunition that hitherto aggravated the state of insecurity in the country.

“Border closure; I want to first of all congratulate Nigerians and thank the government for taking that bold step to close the borders.

“Beyond the positive effect it has on rice, it has positive effects in so many other things; ammunition and fire arms and a lot of things being smuggled into the country, not just rice.

“Secondly, the Federal Government also loses so much revenue to smugglers, not just rice.

“On the other hand, that closure has also created opportunities for farmers in Nigeria; that means our products are being purchased this time around.

“Our rice is the best anywhere in the world. We have the best rice because of the kind of texture of land in Nigeria. The taste of our rice is different and nutritious, it is very beautiful.

Read Also: Entrepreneur lauds Fed Govt on border closure

“It is unfortunate; we also unduly regard imported goods; which made it almost impossible for us to sell our products.

“Foreign rice enjoys higher patronage than the local rice, whereas the local rice is better off.

“So, the border closure will also help the farmers to boost their production, increase their earnings and also promote the made-in-Nigeria goods.

“For me, I am trusting God that the Federal Government will sustain the border closure to the point where our rice can now be exported abroad,’’ he said.

Uzodinma, whose brand of rice is called Elfrida Premium Quality, noted that youths could take advantage of the recent development to maximise the opportunities and profits in the agricultural sector.

“I will also want youths in Enugu state to take advantage and participate in the free-of-charge `One Youth, One Hectare’ of farmland project being organised by my Non-Governmental Organisation, The New Enugu Project (TNEP).’’

(NAN)