The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • ‘How Nigeria agro exports can grow to N100b by 2022’

    Nigerian agro-exports can increase by 2022 if the export sector capitalises on the opportunity offered across Europe and the United States (US).This, however, depends on how the government and the private sector empowers farmers and producers meet safety standards, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Nigeria’S agro-exports have  the potential to grow to N100 billion by 2022 if the export sector capitalises  on the opportunity opened up by overseas buyers.

    National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said total exports from Nigeria rose to 23.9 per cent year-on-year to N1.7triillion in December last year.

    Of this, agricultural goods contributed 108.9 per cent, mostly sesamum seeds.

    However, there are many difficulties to overcome and reach a higher  target  this year.

    While there  are  still  issues with quality,  the poor ports access roads, Nigerian agro products have not conquered  hard markets such as the US, the EU, Japan, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

    Attempts to take agricultural exports to Europe and United States are hit by phytosanitary and other Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs).

    Least developed countries lose an estimated $23 billion per year, equal to about 10 per cent of their exports to the Group of 20 (G20) through failure to comply with non-tariff measures, according to data published by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

    Non-tariff measures cover a broad range of legitimate and important policy instruments, including measures to protect the health of a country’s citizens and its environments, too. For example, non-tariff measures may limit the use of pesticides in food.

    Companies in Nigeria that export food and agric-based products are seriously affected by other NTMs, such as import quotas, special licences, export restrictions, export subsidies, technical barriers to trade, and rules of origin.

    The Institute of Export Operations and Management (IEOM) Executive Secretary, Mr. Ofon Udofia, noted that NTMs have become a principal impediment to international trade and can prove to be a major obstacle to global trade in goods and services as companies struggle to comply with an increasingly complex web of policies and at times opaque technical standards.

    Such measures, he said, are becoming increasingly widespread, especially measures on the cleanliness and pathogen-free status of food.

    The European Union (EU)  adopted pesticide restrictions that  threaten shipments to European nations. Countries  within the union also have their standards.

    Udofia noted that Nigeria faces significant challenges as export of agricultural commodities has been hit on account of quality  issues.

    In several parts of the country, he said, inadequate infrastructure significantly undercuts export competitiveness.

    He stressed that the economy needs regulatory reform to boost export competitiveness with efficient, low-cost, reliable transport logistics being central to trade.

    He said the government; private sector and development partners need to help the country’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to lift their competitiveness and increase their export potential.

    He urged the government to establish specific agriculture export zones well placed with airports and docks.

    With this, he said, the government can increase the exports of Nigeria’s farming produce globally.

    Udofia said it was critical to achieve greater transparency about business practices, regulations and requirements and reduce the domestic barriers to trade, thus promoting the ease of doing business.

    He said the government should partner with many countries to boost export of agricultural products to these nations as they need to import the large quantity of food products.

    The Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) President, Dr. Victor Iyama, said foreign regulations or private standards are behind the highest percentage of reported difficulties.

    He   said some cases described as burdensome by some exporters involve conformity assessments required to show products comply with national regulations or private standards applied in destination markets.

    He explained that conformity assessments required by trade partners are the main source of burdensome regulations for exporting companies in the agricultural sector, which is to be expected as agriculture-related products tend to be highly regulated for consumer protection and safety.

    Besides,he  added that most  Nigeria’s leading exports, have a large number of potential competitors in countries such as vietnam and India.

    For the Centre for Cocoa Development Initiatives Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Robo Adhuze, agricultural products in particular, such as cocoa, sesame and cashew, consumer-driven preferences are becoming more important. These consumption trends demand a high degree of export competitiveness overall, as well as the infrastructure for testing and traceability that Nigeria producers will need to access lucrative niche markets.

    He  said most exporters complain that, it is not possible to ensur equality requirements before exporting. This leads to significant uncertainty on prices and profits because goodsare subject to additional checks in destination markets.

    As Nigeria’s export basket diversifies and with renewed interests in newer products in the local markets,  Microfinance Association (UK) Country Representative, Mrs Ololade Adesola, said there   was  need to transform the trade landscape and support greater local value addition.

    She said development of the facilities would encourage local farmers to diversify their crops and boost domestic food security.

    Noting a need to reduce dependence on food imports, she said farmers had a ready market for produce thanks to strong demand that was not being met by domestic suppliers.

    She said growers must adopt the principles of integrated pest management standards for agro-based products to compete against the European Union and other developed countries.

    Mrs Adesola noted that there is potential to develop a range of niche products for both local and export markets.

     

    Added value and food security

     

    More robust agro-processing and primary production are essential if Nigeria  is to bolster food security and reduce its import bill, she  emphasised.

    Adding value and maximising the agriculture sector’s limited resources through targeted investments, she  added, will strengthen links in the supply chain for food and develop competitive advantages.

     

    Challenges with private standards                  

    In addition to mandatory official regulations, Adhuze said exporters also indicate difficulties complying with voluntary private standards. He said new standards for importing agricultural products are being set, including sanitary and phytosanitary measures, pesticide residue elimination, cold treatment and pest-free area, which have made products costlier for export destinations.

     

  • Want solid soil? Go digital

    To tackle nutrient deficiency in soils, there is a campaign for a national information system accessible to farmers and policymakers. Morocco is offering to support Nigeria build such a system to help farmers tackle soil depletion through sustainable management of natural resources, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

    DESPITE decades of its involvement in agriculture, the government still finds it difficult to provide accurate soil data amd make them accessible to farmers and policymakers.

    The challenge lies in getting standard infrastructure to generate credible data. And when such data  is available, the government finds it difficult to present the information clearly to farmers and decision-makers.

    Worse still, farmers do not fertiliser properly.

    Stakeholders, however, believe that using the right quantity of various soils and fertiliser will help farmers increase productivity.

    To this end, there is increased calls for a national digital soil map to bridge the gap.

    One of those canvassing this position is the Cassava Adding Value to Africa (CAVA) Project Director, Prof Kola Adebayo. He said farmers needed a soil map to know how to improve their yields.

    Adebayo said the performance of agriculture was linked to multiple factors, which included land size and  quality, climate, production techniques adopted by farmers, technologies and policies.

    To him, soil properties have a significant influence on crop growth and the yield response to management input. He believes farmers’ access to soil information can boost their adoption of integrated soil fertility management.

    For him, there is no way the government can work for a safe and sustainable future without developing a robust and thriving farm sector sustained by regular soil mapping.

    Digital soil mapping gives farmers and natural resource managers easy access to specific information on soil properties and nutrients, so they can make efficient and localised management decisions.

    The maps include information on soil PH, organic matter, total nitrogen, clay content and boron content.  Stakeholders expect the government to use information on the map to help farmers and fertiliser firms.

    The Moroccan model of the soil fertility map is shared with several African countries, including Rwanda, Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire and the Caribbean islands.

    It provides information for tackling soil depletion and improving crop production.The major support for the project comes from Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP Group), the Moroccan market leader in phosphates and its derivatives.

    Indeed, OCP Group is the world’s leading producer and exporter of phosphates and one of the largest producers of fertiliser.

    It has worked with communities across Morocco to create jobs and boost incomes.

    Its objectives are improving rural livelihoods, urban youth development, enterprise growth, and agriculture and natural resource management.

    OCP Group Vice President, Agricultural Development, Domestic Market, Fatiha Charradi, said the soil project was a deal between the Ministry of Agriculture and her organisation to develop a national soil fertility map.

    The map, she added, guides  farmers on better fertilisation in Morocco.

     

    Mobile soil testing caravans

     

    She said the caravan collects and analyses soil samples for producing the map. Besides, its personnel raise awareness among small farmers and teach them best practices.

    Mrs Charradi said the mobile soil testing caravan deployed its equipment to provide accurate data on the state of soil and the fertiliser needed for farming.

    She said the equipment was carrying out the soil analysis and fertility map of a pilot scheme of 50,000 hectares in Morrocco.

    For OCP, Mrs Charradi said, agricultural research is of importance, and that the firm takes innovation, research and development as factors for successful agriculture.

    Against this backdrop, OCP caravans have been deployed in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Nigeria and Togo, among others.

    Under the soil fertility programme, training on data, both in Morocco and in the countries, has been provided to African technicians.

    Read also: Digital platform tackles job creation

    She said OCP launched its Act4 Community project last July to enhance investment and social projects that would benefit the communities.

    The programme aims to initiate OCP’s partners to the sustainable development of Moroccan localities that foster employment and economic growth. The campaign included an agricultural repository, mobile laboratories for soil analysis and training.

    Since last September,  Mrs Charradi said OCP Group set up a multiservice proximity service called Al Moutmir to transform the  sector in Morocco and other countries.

    Focused on farmers as agents of change, she added that the initiative relied on scientific approach as a key driver of sustainable agriculture. Based on a partnership approach, she said the  initiative involved the sector’s stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, institutions, researchers, distributors, resellers, and farmers.

    Another official of the group, Mrs Jamila Adami, explained that the  initiative included an experimental programme that provides support for training and information on agricultural best practices.

    The programme, called Agri Platforms, Mrs Adami continued, involves the deployment of 1,000 demonstration platforms for the  campaign.

    Al Moutmir, she added, is supported by a team of agronomists, who promotes the use of adapted fertiliser as part of high-quality technical operations. The team is based in various Moroccan provinces and works with farmers, providing them training, demonstrations, monitoring, and support.

    They offer customised and tailor-made support to farmers in their regions, based on the product offering through OCP Group’s manufacturing and distribution partners.

    Mrs Adami said OCP also offers  a wide range of services and tools, integrating innovative production units (Smart Blenders), mobile applications, a call centre, sensors and connected objects to collect and analyse data.

    The scheme is digitalised to facilitate data sharing with farmers.

    She stressed that OCP has the primary objective of making agriculture more attractive to youths.

    OCP Africa has launched its School Lab project (Agribooster) in Bauchi State for 10,000 smallholder farmers in 70 communities.

    It operates in a caravan of trucks and provides mobile interactive training for rural farmers, using live demos and animated videos.

    Itt offers farmers on-site soil testing to determine the peculiar needs of the soil and fertiliser, advising them  on the right fertiliser to use and the best time for its application.

    The initiative is the first in Africa. The Country Manager, OCP Nigeria, Mr. Caleb Usoh, said: “OCP School Laboratory is one of the technological methods that the company has put in place to help small holder farmers to improve their productivity.

    “The caravan goes round to take soil samples in the locations where the farmers are based, analyse them, and then produce specific fertiliser for the crop type and soil type.

    “We seek to feed the soil in the right manner. The soil then feeds the crop. And finally, the crop feeds the people.”

    He explained that the project aims to transfer the use of input by farmers.

    OCP School Lab is a travelling school. Each training is adapted to the cultures in the regions. A mobile lab for soil analysis accompanies the schools.

  • IITA and WFP collaborate to achieve hunger-free world

    THE International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)  in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and the World Food Programme (WFP)  are  partnering  to provide food and nutrition assistance to alleviate the nation’s humanitarian crisis.

    IITA Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, disclosed this when a delegation from WFP  visited IITA to strengthen existing collaboration and synergise ways to improve and sustain the livelihoods of people in the priority states benefiting from the Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum (NZHF). The NZHF is chaired by  former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The three-member team, led by WFP Country Director, Myrta Kaulard, accompanied by Safety Nets and Livelihoods Officer, Akeem Ajibola and Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping Officer, Tunji Sonoiki, was received by  Dashiell and Director, Development and Delivery Office, Alfred Dixon.

    Dashiell expressed his delight on how the partnership would support and elevate the standard of living of people in the targeted states: Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Ogun, and Sokoto. He said: “The partnership between IITA and WFP is essential to improve food security through the promotion of sustainable agriculture. It also brings us closer to a zero-hunger world, rapid economic growth, and increased agricultural productivity.”

    Dashiell further prais   ed WFP work in Nigeria and the collaboration between the two institutions. “As the NZHF pledges to end hidden hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and sustainable agriculture, I am optimistic that the mutual partnership between IITA and WFP would contribute to a greater attainment of our mission, which is to help the most vulnerable people to get out of poverty and malnutrition and move into prosperity and good health,” he said.

    Stating the purpose of their visit, Kaulard applauded IITA for its innovative research and delivery that have lifted millions of farmers out of poverty and emphasised the need to put in more effort as a team to achieve a common goal. “Specifically, we came to discuss and draw a road map on how WFP could support IITA in its fight for zero hunger in Nigeria and beyond. This is also vital as the WFP in Nigeria is faced with the incredible challenge of reducing food importation and ensuring special access to nutrition, especially for children and pregnant women,” she said.

    The goals of the NZHF not only include the elimination of hunger among Nigerians, but improvement in their standard of living through an implementable agenda and network of agricultural programmes and activities. “Working substantially together with an institution like IITA to succeed in our target of ending hunger and poverty across the entire country is fundamental and key to ensuring a better livelihood and creating an enabling environment for all,” Kaulard said.

    The team’s visit and collaboration with IITA would further consolidate the gains achieved by the NZHF in Nigeria since it started in 2017.

  • Expert seeks affordable poultry products

    A Poultry farmer, Mr Malik Mumuni, has advised local poultry farmers to make their birds affordable by procuring less costly feeds for them.

    According to him, local poultry farmers can yield more returns in their businesses if they explore more affordable and alternative means of procuring quality feeds for their birds.

    Mumuni, who is Malykon Farm Limited Chief Executive Officer, gave the advice in an interview with in Lagos.

    He stressed the need for poultry farmers to always consider the viability of cultivating grains for feed production or purchase them at cheaper rate.

    “A cheaper source where you can get affordable grains is usually the northern part of the country because of its abundance there.

    “Aside the grains there are other additives you can source for cheaply and they are also available locally. The affordability of these additives depends on who goes to source them for the farmer.

    “Basically to enable the local poultry farmer process affordable feeds for his birds, he must be able to procure a feed mill, no matter how small it is even if it is  going to be a half the size of an average mill.

    “You can get affordable locally fabricated feed mills from welders and iron fabricators around your locality, with this you are ready to go into production,” he  said .

    Mumuni, however, called for adequate training for local farmer before successfully embarking on affordable feed mill processing.

    He said: “A local farmer cannot just go into bird’s feeds production without undergoing necessary training and tutelage on the processing.

    “The affordability of bird feeds is, most times, determined by where you stay, management of your poultry farms and how you want to mix the components.

    “People, who cut corners in the processing of local bird feeds, usually yield their returns in sickly and malnourished birds.

    “Poultry birds are special creatures and must be given special care and attention, raring birds is just like taking care of an infant.

    “The birds cannot complain to the farmer that this  is what it is going through, so the farmer has to be very observant and careful with the component of their feed.

    “Poultry business is an interesting venture but you just have to give it extra care and time to get the desired result you want.” Mumuni said.

    He also revealed the necessary components and ingredients that a locally processed bird feed should contain in their right percentages.

    “There are several ingredients that make up a healthy and well-balanced feed for poultry birds and the farmer must know how to mix them in their right quantities.

    “Some of the major components consist of maize, either the yellow or the white specie. Most feed processors prefer the yellow maize because it is believed to have more nutrients than the white ones.

    “Wheat offal or wheat bran is also another important ingredient in bird feeds as well as poultry salts, groundnut cak), and limestone amongst others.

    “The composition of ingredients in their varying percentages is determined by the kind of birds you want to feed. We have different feed composition for broilers, layers, cockerels, turkey,” he said

  • How food processing can create jobs

    Food processing is directly related to agriculture and offers many jobs. Creating an enabling environment for young people to become entrepreneurs by processing agro products, stakeholders say, will contribute to the nation’s development, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Niji Group Managing Director , Kola Adeniji, has a  presence in almost every field,  including agriculture and  renewable energy. The group is carving a niche for locally grown food.

    His  success is linked to the establishment of  a food processing  industry in Ilero, Oyo State. The  company  owns a cassava  farm, a processing and equipment factory. The  processing enterprise uses mechanised and other improved methods in producing diverse cassava products such as garri, fufu, flour, among others.

    Farmers   in the area have  benefited from schemes that seek to both support empowerment and fight poverty, where back breaking labour and misery go hand in hand.

    It has  contributed  to small and marginal farmers’ income through fresh sales of agric products  and value addition.

    According to Adeniji, rural development can only be possible  through establishment of agro-based  industries, adding that  rural food processing industry plays a vital role in rural poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

    He said by opening mega food  processing clusters, more job opportunities will be created  as young people and farmers will be trained to adopt food processing techniques.

    To cater to the needs of large-scale, medium, small and micro-scale enterprises in the  food industry, he  said the government and the private  sector should set up processing plants within clusters.

    The clusters, according to him,  will serve as business incubation centres for the existing food industries and budding entrepreneurs as well as medium, small and micro enterprises to incubate their ideas and facilitate the provision of hands-on training to progressive farmers and potential entrepreneurs.

    He said there is need to locate  food industries in rural villages for convenience of collection and transportation of raw materials from farmers.

    Agricultural and Rural Management Training  Institute (ARMTI) Executive Director, Dr Olufemi Oladunmi said the importance of  food processing  industry  in  the  rural  area has been recognised.

    In order to strengthen the linkage between food industry and domestic agriculture, he said fostering food processing  to  use domestic agricultural materials in rural areas, has become very important.

    He  said  agro based industries play significant role in the Nigerian  economy providing employment opportunities to  the rural population & livehood to majority of the people.

    He said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food processing sector will help generate employment opportunities and will put the country  on fast growth trajectory.

    He expressed the need to promote food processing industry,  as it  would immensely help in reducing post-harvest wastage, and directly add to the incomes of the farmers at the bottom of the pyramid.

    He added that SMEs can create jobs by providing raw materials for   high growth of food businesses in the rural areas.

    Oladunni said encouraging rural based cottage food processing SMEs will  enable the development of a business ecosystem, which can continuously support other businesses across the value chain that deliver products for both domestic and international markets.

    The ARMTI boss continued that it is important small  food business develop in rural agriculture, because it  will continue to be very relevant to the overall GDP growth as well as employment generation.

    Agribusiness consultant, Ayodele David, also reiterated that the potential of rural food processing industry to tackle unemployment challenges is yet to be fully exploited.

    He said the development of the  segment is extremely critical to meet the national imperative of generation of significant levels of employment across the country.

    He stressed the need  to  support  the development of rural-based food processing SMEs.

    This, he added,  will  nurture and support the development of new age entrepreneurs, who have the potential to create globally competitive businesses.

    He explained that value-added food processing takes raw food ingredients and transforms them into higher value edible food products.

    He  explained, however, that  rural-based food processing industries  are  mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)  and  face  such  challenges as  poor infrastructure, limited access to  appropriate technologies, volatile demand and small profit margins.

  • Neem tree juice effective pesticide

    The Programme Manager, Gombe State Agricultural Development Programme (GSADP), Mr Binus Maina, has said Neem tree juice is one of the best pesticides against tutaabsoluta, commonly known as tomato disease.

    Maina said this in an interview in Gombe.

    Tutaabsoluta is a serious tomato pest found in Europe, Africa, Western Asia as well as South and Central America.

    According to him, the disease  occured in Kwadon and Boltango villages in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, Gombe State, noting that the disease had devastated farms in the area.

    He said: “One good solution to deal with tutaabsoluta is to pound the Neem tree leaf, extract the juice put in knapsack sprayer and spray on the farm. It  will reduce the population of the pests.

    “Tutaabsoluta has devastating effect on tomatoes because it reduces yield by 60 to 70 per cent, hence the need to tackle it with all seriousness.

    “Therefore, tomato farmers should take advantage of the relatively cheap means of preserving their farms from pests that destroy tomatoes.”

    Maina advised farmers not to easily give up when they encounter such challenges.

    He urged farmers to report  unusual thing on their farms to the agency to enable experts saddled with giving a technical advice to address the challenges.

  • Farmers begin dry season rice farming

    Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN)  has   kicked off its multi-billion naira dry season rice farming.

    Its President, Aminu Goroyo said, during the flag off in Abuja, that the project was being executed under the Central Bank on Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers programme (ABP).

    The president, however, said the group was working out the modalities for the fund disbursement with the bank.

    He said planting would start simultaneously in the 774 local government areas of the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Goroyo said each state and the FCT would distribute high-breed seeds and farm input to over 700,000  farmers that were expected to cultivate 570,000 hectares.

    “To this end, for easy cultivation and good harvesting, 52 registered input suppliers, 20 service providers and 450 private extension officers will be involved.

    “The programme, being a technology-driven process, will ensure that all aspects of the farming are involved.

    “This dry season farming is in strict compliance with the use of only irrigable land with adequate irrigation facilities under the supervision of extension agents,” he said.

    Goroyo said the CBN had expressed its willingness to continue to assist RIFAN because of its success in rice production.

    He said most farmers are enthusiastic about dry season farming because they were sure of high yields.

    Goroyo stressed that the Federal Government’s decision to ban rice import was another source of encouragement as it had started yielding the desired result.

    “Nigerians are now consuming made-in-Nigeria rice, and aside that, the volume of rice smuggled has reduced to five per cent and farmers are now getting dividends and value for their efforts,” he said.

    The RIFAN chief recalled that rice production had increased from 5.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 5.8million tonnes in 2017.

    He, therefore, challenged the beneficiaries not to default in their loan repayments because it would help to grow the economy.

    “It has become a must to grow the nation’s economy and feed this country; the population is growing at a high proportion and when you pay back your loan, farmers will be on land to farm and feed.

    APB was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17, 2015 to link anchor firms involved in processing and small holder farmers of the required key agricultural commodities to address the country’s food deficit.

  • Farming without soil

    Farmers are growing crops without soil. They are on a national campaign to promote this type of agriculture, DANIEL ESSIET writes.

    In a room in Anifowoshe, Ikeja, Lagos, kale, romaine, lettuce, oregano, thyme, arugula  and basil  are grown in trays under energy bulbs.

    The seeds are cultivated without soil. You are greeted by the pleasant sight of rows of young maize leaves growing out of pipes filled with water and saw dust –no soil.

    Though they are growing in a protected environment, the leaves are thick, lush green, and free of dust particles, giving them a clean and healthy look.

    BIC Farms Concept Chief Executive, Pastor Debo Onafowora, believes hydroponics – growing plants without soil – is the best way to go.

    Hydroponics, he explained, involves growing plants without soil.

    An Associate Pastor with Living Faith Church (aka Winners’ Chapel), Ota in Ogun State, Onafowora grows crops hydroponically. The most common are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and maize. The seeds are placed  in trays and watered several times daily with a nutrient solution.

    Onafowora added that hydroponics is better than conventional farming.

    He emphasised that a plant only need  some nutrients, water, and sunlight to grow.

    He listed the advanges of hydroponics as high quality products, less space, and consumes fewer resources.

    He harvests his vegetables just after 25 days, half the time needed with regular planting.

    Besides farming, he teaches agriculturists how to apply the technology. He helps his customers to set up farms and provides consultation and training.

    A small  scale  vegetable    hydroponic farm requires an investment of  N500,000. This will give a 10 ft X 20ft greenhouse hydroponics farm with hydroponics with systems for growing 250kilogrammes(KG) of tomatoes  or 350 kg of cucumber.

    One can make  net profits of  40 to N50,000 monthly. He has established over 100 farms across the country.

    By growing cattle fodder off the fields, he said hydroponics could offer a solution to the frequent violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen over arable farmland that is disappearing due to desertification.

    Onafowora advocated the use of hydroponic fodder as the best option for livestock feed, adding that this would help reduce the cost of the product by over 20 per cent.

    He said the fodder could be grown within nine days and that it saves about 95 per cent of land.

    Onafowora noted that hydroponics fodder production technology is a climate-controlled crop growing system, which guaranteed daily production of highly nutritious livestock feeds.

    “It is grown from grains. We convert one kilogramme of grain to 5kg of fodder within nine days. Normally, on the soil, it will take up to 90 days.

    “What you need is 100 hectares of land to grow. In terms of fodder quantity, we will do that on one hectare of land and we are doing that saving about 90 per cent of water,” he added.

    He is partnering Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State.

    Universities of Lagos, Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Lead City University have also picked the technology.

    To boost food production, Samson Ogbole   is employing   aeroponics- a process of growing plants in the air.

    He became involved in soilless farming in 2014. Two years later, he founded PS Nutraceuticals, a firm that applies agricultural technologies to boost  food production.

    The firm Nutracueuticals deploys various technologies, including hydroponics (plants in water), aquaponics (use of waste produce of fishes to feed plants) and aeroponics (plants grown in air) to grow crops all year round.

    To him, aeroponics is a better alternative for growing crops indoors.

    Experts say aeroponics is similar to hydroponics and that it uses water. The roots are suspended in a dark chamber and sprayed with nutrient-rich solution.

    To Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services CEO/founder Angel Adelaja, urban agriculture has brought a new hope. She uses old shipping containers for farming.

    A self-taught hydroponics expert, Adelaja appears to be making  headway. The entrepreneur, who has a background in biostatistics and epidemiology, learnt hydroponics online.

    She created a stackable container farm in Abuja, which is essentially an aggregation of vertical farming and hydroponics.

    She is campaigning for the transformation of old shipping containers into miniature hydroponic farms.

    The containers are retrofitted with growing platforms where beds of lettuce are grown with their roots in water.

    Adelaja and her team grow those vegetables using only nutrient, water and LED light.

    The method makes it possible to grow crops all year round.

    Adelaja encourages farmers to use abandoned shipping containers in their farms.

    Her company, Fresh Direct, has several divisions one of which produces stackable containers.

    She is passionate about creating awareness among other farmers.

  • Boosting agriculture through improved financing

    The growth of small-scale agriculture in Nigeria is being held back by critical underfunding. To address this challenge, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) organised a conference to improve practices in mobilising finance and forging partnerships for smallholder famers. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

    Less than one-quarter of the financing needs of smallholder farmers in developing countries, including Nigeria, are met, leaving an annual financing gap of more than $150 billion, a Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) study has revealed.

    Total farmers financial needs is estimated  at $200 billion.

    CTA is a joint international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU).

    According to CTA, most of this unfulfilled demand for financing, which amounts to $84 billion, comes from 88 million smallholder farmers who regularly produce surpluses and sell them in the market.

    CTA also said that the bulk of the financing requirements come from local markets that trade in crops such as wheat, maize and cassava, stating that if the current trends persist, the financing gap will continue to stifle smallholder value chain development in the coming decades.

    Indeed, behind the funding gap is the reluctance of both public and private financiers to lend to smallholder farmers, based on a perception of unacceptably high risks.

    This has drawn the concern of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, which   believes that efficient use of public finance, which is currently the main source of bank lending to smallholders, offers significant opportunities for accelerating the growth of agricultural finance, especially as a means of leveraging private sector funding.

    To this end, the institute organised a conference to examine ways to leverage finance for agriculture, and particularly to unlock more funding to develop agribusiness in the smallholder sector.

    The event, which brought together key stakeholders from agriculture, finance, public and private sectors, sought ways to galvanise better funding of small-scale agriculture in the future.

    Speaking during the event, the Executive Director, ARMTI, Dr Olufemi Oladunnni, said: “In Nigeria, agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy since it is the largest sector in terms of its share in employment. Unfortunately, the sector’s performance has failed to fulfil its role in the economy due to a number of factors, chief of which is low agricultural financing for producers especially in the rural communities.”

    With naturally endowed resources, such as ample fertile soils, warm climate and relatively regular rainfall, he noted that agriculture would by far, be the most successful sector in the economy, had it not been for poor access to funding.

    He said farmers lack access to finance to purchase new and efficient machinery that can lead to improved productivity and profitability.

    This is because  a few existing credit facilities ask for collateral securities, which many farmers can’t afford.

    In recognition of the importance of finance to agricultural development,Oladunni said the Federal Government has set up institutions to finance, provide insurance and de-risk agricultural lending to make it more attractive for participating financing institutions.

    He observed, however, that the failure to identify a common goal and mechanisms for adequate collaboration and better functional relationships among financial stakeholders in the sector has rendered the aggregate agricultural financing ineffective leading to productivity gaps despite modest achievements for agriculture.

    To address this, ARMTI, he disclosed, commissioned a study to explore factors influencing operational mechanisms of the financing institutions with a view to ensuring synergy to improve coordination to enhance agricultural financial service delivery to farmers.

    The overall objective of the study, he maintained, was to identify ways to improve the interaction and inter-functional relationships among various agricultural finance stakeholders, with the aim of developing an institutionalised coordinating mechanism.

    He said the study provided opportunity to assess stakeholders’ views and attitude towards collaboration; helped enhance interpersonal relationship among stakeholders; and facilitated efforts by policy makers to institutionalise collaboration in agricultural financing.He said the institute is ready to partner organisations to improve farmers’ access to finance and enable them to make their operations more profitable.

  • ‘Urgent action needed on meat sector operating costs’

    Intervention is urgently required to safeguard the future of the nation’s dairy as it deals with operating costs which are dramatically higher than key global competitors, an expert, Udeme Etuk, has said.

    Etuk, Managing Director of Chanan Elo’a  Integrated Farms Limited, who spoke in Lagos, made a strong case   for enhancing the livestock value chains to reduce poverty levels among rural households, most of whom are small and marginal farmers.

    He said the   red meat sector is a really important link in the agribusiness supply chain, adding that it was vital that industry and government are on the same page when it comes to boosting competitiveness and bringing operating costs under control.

    Etuk, said the dairy industry is challenged by poorly developed cold chain infrastructure; unavailability of veterinary health services; inadequate availability of fodder in all seasons; lack of use of scientific practices in milching; poor quality of fodder and inadequate transportation facilities. He said stakeholders in the dairy sub-sector are advocating for zero per cent import duty on all processing equipment.

    Etuk said the three billion dollars business had not experienced any huge development in value addition as a result of lack of processing equipment, especially in the powdered milk section.

    According to him, there should be zero per cent customs duty on cold-chain vehicles, milk tanks, veterinary, laboratory, logistics equipment and a three-year tax holiday for producers of dairy products.

    “We recommend zero per cent import duty on dairy equipment, like cold chain, milk collection logistics, transport equipment, milk tanks, veterinary tools, laboratory equipment and others.

    “To help the sector develop in terms of adding value and improving quality and production of milk and other dairy products which are not available in Nigeria.”

    “Also, a minimum of three years tax holidays for dairy producers to enable the industry grow,” he said.

    Etuk also suggested that restrictions should be placed on liquid milk and milk production because quality of locally produced liquid milk could be improved and was available.

    He said government should retain the existing five per cent duty on full cream and skimmed powdered milk, only because the equipment is not available to produce powdered milk.

    He urged that 15 per cent duty should be imposed on vegetable fat filled powdered milk because we had not exhausted the nutritional value from local milk.

    To remain viable, he said the government must provide the enabling environment for the local industry to be able to compete against key global players, adding that labour expenses and soaring energy prices, make the costs of operation far greater than those competitors.

    Fortunately, he noted that there is huge demand in the market. With the sustained growth of the economy and a consequent rise in the purchasing power,he said more and more people are able to afford milk and various other dairy products.

    He explained that a sustainable processing sector is essential for the entire agribusiness industry, including independent retail butchers, dairy producers, as well as the farmers who sell their stock to processors.

    Etuk said that it was also important to establish a Dairy Development Fund.

    “A 15 per cent dairy importation levy should be imposed on all dairy products, including powdered milk, cheese and butter, pull the resources and establish a dairy development fund.

    “The find will be domiciled in Bank of Industry to provide soft loans to investors in the country. We cannot compete with farmers in Europe because they are heavily subsidised.

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    “There should be a compensation schedule for cattle rearers and a well robust insurance process when they lose one cow.

    “However, that is where we encourage clusters and ranching for improved dairy production quality, quantity and improve the business,” he said.

    He also called for five-year import substitution programme for all importers of powdered milk to introduce local content, 10 per cent in the first and second year, then 20 per cent in the third year, 30 per cent in the fourth year and 50 per cent in the fifth year.