The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • Boosting domestic aquaculture

    Fish farming is a promising business for small scale investors in Lagos. There are many ventures and job opportunities in the industry.To increase this, the state is partnering the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) to build a resource hub for aquaculture, with focus on fish breeding and technology, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Lagos State is home to many fish farmers whose livelihoods depend on their harvests. But a problem facing the farmers is stemming fish losses which reduce their incomes. The high percentage of fish losses is due mainly to poor infrastructure, such as inadequate processing  facilities,  poor  fish  handling  and  lack  of  storage. Although the farmers have the capability to produce more fish they also lack the capacity to manage the entire production process – from hatchery to harvesting.

    To address these, the state is partnering the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) which introduced the farmers to new hatchery and fish smoking technologies at the presentation of a fish processing facility in Lagos.

    The fish processing facility reduces the smoke level in fish to internationally acceptable standards.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, said the development of fish farming is critical to the  government.

    Represented by the Director of Veterinary Services, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Olufemi Adeyemi, the Permanent Secretary (PS), said the state is involved in the education of investors about the growth of sustainable aquaculture enterprises.

    Adeyemi said the development of aquaculture sector requires a chain approach.

    He said Lagos, through the state Agricultural Development Authority, engages in aquaculture capacity building.

    Among the activities undertaken by the authority are the establishment of hatcheries,  feed and fish quality, training of farmers and hatchery managers.

    Speaking during the presentation of smoking kiln to small holder fish farmers groups in the state, the Legal and External Affairs Director, BAT West Africa, Freddy Messanvi said the foundation hopes to increase local production of food fish to ensure a resilient food supply and provide a crucial buffer in times of supply disruptions.

    He said the organisation was working with rural communities to provide capacity building for farmers on modern agricultural methods, thereby enhancing output and guaranteeing food security and accelerated economic development.

    On the fish farming training, he said it is targeted at building farmers’  capacity and farm management. Though sponsored by the foundation, he said the training was done  by the Agricultural Development Authority.

    He said the company also an hatchery for enhanced fingerling production.

    He praised the Agbelere Women Cooperative & Multipurpose Cooperative Society, which after a thorough selection process, emerged beneficiaries of the kiln.

    He said: ”With this support and trainings on best practices in fish hatchery, processing and packaging, it is our desire that your business and income will grow tremendously and ultimately you will begin to export to countries within and beyond the West Africa region.”

    Executive Director, BATNF, Ms Abimbola Okoya said the foundation received a request to partner with the Agricultural Development Authority on some projects.  “We were pleased for a number of reasons, but the most significant of them was out joint mandate to empower small holder farmers, especially those who live in rural communities,” she said.

    She said the fingerlings’ capacity building project was aimed helping the state bridge the growing gap in fish demand.

    “Our objective was to empower 200 farmers with good agricultural practices in fish hatchery and production, improve their source of income and enhance food security in the state,” she said.

    According to her,  increased investment in aquaculture sector – including, breeding and hatchery practices should boost farmed-fish production.

    She added that participants received practical training on or run a fish farm after graduation.

    She said:”The donation of smoking kiln to a farmer group today, will be the seventh kiln donated to fish farmers’ groups in less than 15 months. The first set of kilns were donated to farmers in the Niger Delta region and todate we have heard liberating stories of economic bliss.”

     

  • Monarch seeks empowerment of cocoa farmers

    The Oloni of Eti-Oni, Oba Dokun Thompson, has made a strong case for the economic empowerment of farmers in the cocoa industry.

    Speaking during a forum of food and agric writers in Lagos, the Monarch said cocoa was a key export commodity central to the realisation of the Federal Government’s targets towards sustainable development.

    He said improving the lives of stakeholders working in cocoa production ultimately will have a positive impact on the industry.

    He said cocoa farmers lacked access to financial capital, land and labour, apart from not getting insurance for their farms, which at times suffered from droughts or bush fire.

    Recent flooding on cocoa plantations, according to him, killed off flowers and small pods, and prevented farmers from working on their farms.

    He explained that heavy rains that poured on the farms made streams to overflow and flowers and pods in their early stages of growth got destroyed.

    He said: “The flood is affecting everybody, particularly this year; even in Eti-Oni, it affected farms. We are in the rain forest so, definitely heavy rain will always affect us.”

    He urged financial institutions to tailor their products and services to meet the particular needs of farmers, stressing the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to upscale the sharing of proven best practices in sustainable cocoa production among smallholder rice farmers.

    On Eti-Oni, Oba Thompson, said  was home to Nigeria’s oldest Cocoa plantation and the birthplace of the crop in the Southwest. “The Cocoa crop was introduced into Eti-Oni in 1896 by Gureje-Thompson and it was from here that Cocoa spread to neighbouring towns and other parts of the region where it later became the economic mainstay of Western Nigeria.

    He also announced that this year’s Eti-Oni cocoa festival is scheduled for between December 2 and 9 at Gureje Square, Eti-Oni, Osun State.

    The cocoa festival, according to him, is an initiative of the Eti-Oni Development Group with an objective to create a renaissance in the industry and build bridges between production and consumption to achieve sustainability. The other goal, he said, is to transform the rural community of Eti-Oni into a sustainable model smart town in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN 2030 SDGs) through cocoa trade.

    The cocoa festival, he explained, will attract local and international exhibitors, who will showcase primary and secondary products. It will also feature awards. The awards will be given to individuals, corporate organisations or government agencies or programmes in recognition of outstanding contribution to cocoa development.

    The award categories  will include:    value chain development – policy formulation and execution;    cocoa sustainability advocacy;    environmentally friendly practices;    development of women in cocoa;    commercial bank and cocoa promotion;   cocoa renaissance in Nigeria;  life-time personal contribution to cocoa development in Nigeria; social impact initiatives -(individual or corporate organisation), ingenious research development in cocoa; creative farmers training model; innovative agriculture development programme; TV broadcast coverage on cocoa; news print/online coverage on cocoa; ICT company and cocoa development and sustainable tourism.

     

     

     

     

  • Building local capacity for food fortification

    Fortification is used to increase the micronutrient content of foods.International organisations are empowering firms to end hunger by increasing their capacity to provide quality and nutritious fortified foods for local communities. One of them is Techno Serve, an international non-profit body, which is promoting business solutions to poverty in the developing world by linking people to information, capital and markets. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    With vast array of foods on offer to most Nigerians, dietary deficiencies should be a thing of the past. However, the widespread deficiencies of certain micronutrients, including iodine, folic acid, calcium and vitamin D have been observed nationally.

    Studies have shown that nutrients intake from fortified foods differs considerably from state to state and that there are nutritional inadequacies in foods currently consumed with selected micronutrients. Major staples such as   garri, flour, oil, milk, rice and salt have to be fortified to tackle the deficiency of micronutrients.

    For stakeholders, fortification of food with specific micronutrients and vitamins can resolve nutritional deficiencies in women and children, which negatively affect growth, survival, and development.

    International organisations are, therefore, promoting food fortification, where essential micronutrients are added during food processing, to address micronutrient malnutrition at scale. They see immense potential for food processing and value addition in fortified foods.

    One of them is Techno Serve, an international nonprofit organisation, which promotes business solutions to poverty in the developing world by linking people to information, capital and markets.

    Techno Serve is supporting the inclusion of food processors into the national fortification programme by providing them with technical support and helping to create demand for their fortified products.

     

    Strengthening fortified foods processors

     

    Through its Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) project, Techno Serve is addressing nutrition issues through food fortification.

    SAPFF helps food firms to improve their capacity to produce and sell fortified foods for local markets, and provide consumers the nutrition they need to lead healthy and productive lives.

    In view of this, a two-day seminar on the Fundamental and Sustainable Approaches to New Product Development in the Nigerian Food Processing Sector held in Lagos.

    It was attended by over 60 participants drawn from food processors of wheat flour, edible oil, sugar and salt across the country.

    The faculty was a select of industry leaders and experts in micronutrient fortification, research and development, digital marketing and manufacturing.

    The SAPFF Programme Manager, Ms. Ayodele Tella, said while food fortification alone cannot end malnutrition in Nigeria, it was critical to micronutrient deficiency prevention and control strategies, therefore, Techno Serve will continue to work with processors to increase consumers assess to fortified foods to enable them live healthier and happier lives.

    One of the collaborators of the project and Managing Director, BioAnalyt, Dr. Anna Zhenchuk, said her organisation was working with others in the fight against malnutrition through fortified foods.

    Participants described the training as very useful, rewarding and timely. One of them was Mr. Nyebuchi Nwodo, who represented New RIVOC Company Limited, Port Harcourt, makers of vegetable and palm kernel oil, among other products. He said the workshop would add tremendous value to his company. His words: “We fortify our vegetable oil with nutrients like Vitamin A and E3. Given the background the fortification of food and oil has in the larger society, especially the growing youths, these nutrients contribute tremendously to mental growth.”

    Nnenna Acholonu from Honeywell Flour Mill said the two-day workshop was quite resourceful. “Today we are looking at holistic margin management. I find it a very critical topic, which every business minded person needs to know,” she said.

    Other participants expressed their appreciation for the training and showed eagerness in putting their new-found knowledge into immediate use. The four-year, $10 million SAPFF project is funded by the Gates Foundation, and implemented by Techno Serve in collaboration with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and other non-profit and government partners.

  • Global report urges Nigeria, others to improve food security

    A global report, Legatum Prosperity Index, has urged Nigeria and other sub-Saharan countries to boost agricultural productivity in view of the rising population.

    The Legatum Prosperity Index is an annual ranking of 149 countries that covers 96 per cent of the world’s population and 99 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    In a release made available to The Nation, the report emphasised the need for investments to accelerate growth and employment in agriculture sector while enhancing nutrition.

    While the report said global prosperity is at its highest level in the 12-year history of the Index, with more people living prosperous lives than ever before, it, however, noted that the gap between countries with the highest and lowest prosperity scores is widening. “The gap between the top and the bottom countries is now 10 per cent wider than in 2013,” it said.

    The report continued: “Safety and security continue to decline, with the most significant deteriorations found in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and sub-Saharan Africa, driven by war, terrorism, oppressive regimes, and the declining availability of food and shelter.

    “Despite the welcome fall in malnutrition and absolute poverty globally, more people report that they lack the basic needs of food and shelter to live.  Globally, the number of people reporting their struggle to buy food at some point over the last year has risen from a quarter in 2008 to a third this year.  War, terrorism and oppression are driving insecurity around the world: deaths from conflict increased 58 per cent over 10 years; and deaths from terrorism quadrupled in 10 years.”

    Commenting on the publication, CEO of the Legatum Institute, Philippa Stroud, said: “The Legatum Institute exists to provide the leadership and vision to address the major challenges of our generation-and seize the opportunities; to shape the values, ideas and policies which will transform society and see all people prosper, creating pathways from poverty to prosperity.

    “The Legatum Prosperity Index is a tool for leaders around the world to help set their agenda for growth and development. Prosperity entails much more than wealth, it is about creating the environment where a person can reach their full potential. We are increasingly ambitious about engaging directly with more of the leaders, policy makers, businesses and advisers of the countries we research to help identify the pathways to prosperity.”

    Director of Policy of the Institute, Stephen Brien, said: “A nation is prosperous when it has an open economy, an inclusive society with strong institutions and empowered people who are healthy, educated and safe. Safety and security are fundamental to prosperity and the cornerstone on which to build all the pillars of prosperity.

     

  • Beans can be produced naturally without sniper, says farmer

    Mrs Bose Idowu, an agriprenuer at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, has assured farmers and citizens that producing, preserving beans can be natural without application of sniper.

    She made this known to Reporters on Monday in Ibadan.

    Idowu, who is a producer of beans, yam flour, plantain flour and local rice, said that she produced clean beans without preservatives.

    “Beans with weevils is an indication that the beans was not preserved with any sniper or chemicals, so people should not be losing interest in buying beans with weevils, they are even the best.

    “I buy at the right time when the farmers freshly harvest at the farm, after that I seal it properly in a purse bag developed by some scientists.

    “The purse has thick nylon inside and the regular sacks cover outside, once one can properly seal it and store well, it can last for six months to even one year.

    “My beans by God’s grace are still one of the cheapest and best in market because I get them directly from the farmers immediately after harvest, they are clean and well stored, ” she said.

    Idowu, the Chief Executive Officer of Gracevine Agribusiness Ltd., Ibadan, noted she was trained and empowered through IITA Youth Agriprenuer (IYA) Programme.

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    “I joined agriprenuer programme in 2012 and was trained on soya bean, maize and cowpea productions, from the token received from IITA then I saved N500, 000 and started my own business.

    “Through the support of IITA and partners, the business scaled up, since 2016, I cultivated, produced and packaged no fewer than five hectares of cowpea monthly; now I have a factory to produce and sell cowpea.

    “My products are of high quality and the prizes are affordable,” she said.

    Idowu, a graduate of Animal Breeding and Genetics, added that her factory could produce 120 tonnes of yam flour in a month, but was limited due to lack of market.

    “From the N4 million that I received from IITA and donors, especially the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), I was able to buy all necessary equipment but the major challenge is that we lacked the market.

    “Also, the company is still waiting for NAFDAC accreditation having applied for a long time, if they accredit us and there is market, we will meet our capacity which will surely boost food production in Nigeria and Africa at large,” she said.

    She, however, maintained that beans could still be produced without preservatives while urging the farmers to follow due process of producing, preserving beans the natural way.

  • Building national fisheries’ capacities

    A healthy fishery will go a long way in feeding a growing population, if well managed. This was the submission of participants at the just-concluded 33rd Annual Conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON) in Lagos. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

    If current population trend continues, experts estimate the world will need to double food production by 2050, and fish, according to them, will come to the rescue.

    According to experts, the nation will need to take measures to address the challenges of the industry if it is expected to play critical role in meeting food consumption targets. This was the position at just concluded 33rd Annual Conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON) in Lagos.

    In 2016, fisheries yielded 171 million tonnes of fish for consumption. By 2030, that number is expected to reach 201 million tonnes. But Nigeria’s fish demand stands at three million metric tonnes (mmt) while production has been at about 1.1mmt. This has become a great concern and challenge, leaving  two mmt gap to meet fish demand and consumption.

    The conference tagged: “Ìtèsíwájú Èkó 2018”, had the theme: “Fisheries and Aquaculture in Nigeria: A Panacea for Economic Development and Self Sufficiency in Food Production”.

    FISON promotes the professional practice of all categories of stakeholders involved in aquaculture, capture fisheries and post-harvest management subsector of operation, as well as fisheries research and development in Nigeria.

    Experts pushed for aquaculture as Nigeria could run out of “exploitable fish stocks” for commercial fishing.

    The experts and scientists recommended expansion of sustainable aquaculture to help reduce pressures on natural fish stock.

    In this regard, Lagos Governor Akinwumi Ambode said the state has made tremendous strides to make the state a hub for fisheries and aquaculture.

    Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olayiwola Onasanya, the governor said the Ministry of Agriculture has  introduced improved culture technologies for increased fisheries development, while considering the environment and practicing a climate smart agriculture.

    The immediate past National President, Dr. Olajide Ayinla, called on all fisheries practitioners to be duly registered with FISON as the law making it a chartered body is in its advance stage.

    The Conference also held the Biennial General Election where Dr. Ayinla was succeeded by Dr. Agbabiaka Adegoke to steer FISON affairs for the next two years.

    Meanwhile, on World Fisheries day, the society pledged to make fisheries and aquaculture production sustainable by working with other relevant bodies to ensure that all practitioners are treated fairly and with decency in the pursuit of their legitimate livelihood.

    The society also called upon Federal Government to support the fight against trafficking and forced labour within the fishing sector by ratifying the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) “Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188)”. The Convention is meant to protect and promote decent work and living conditions on board fishing vessels, large and small, including their right to organise; right of freedom of association; right to freedom from forced labour and child labour; right against all forms of discrimination and rights to occupational safety and health and social security.

    According to the society, the adoption of the Convention will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal Number 8, which aims at promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. FISON further urged  President Muhammadu Buhari  to sign into law the Fisheries Institute Nigeria Bill 2018, recently passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly.

  • Using block chain to boost agriculture

    block chain is an emerging way for businesses to make and verify transactions, using a digital ledger. As the block chain hype grows, stakeholders are testing the potential of the technology. AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited (AFEX Nigeria), Binkabi and Sterling Bank have established a digital block chain-based commodity trading and financing platform to boost agriculture. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    AFEX is a Commodities Exchange, providing solutions to challenges faced by Nigerian smallholder farmers around aggregation, storage, financial inclusion as well as provision of ready market for both farmers and buyers.

    By digitising commodities exchange process, using block chain, the necessary verification time will be reduced. As the block chain hype is growing, stakeholders in the agric industry are now testing the potential of the revolutionary technology.

    This is what AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited (AFEX Nigeria) Binkabi and Sterling Bank  are planning to achieve  with the establishment of the world’s first fully digital block chain based commodity trading and financing platform to boost agriculture in Nigeria.

    Country Director, AFEX Nigeria, Mr. Ayodeji Balogun, said the initiative was needed to change the lives of farmers and the nation’s economy by establishing a direct link between farmers and consumers/retailers, while empowering smallholders to better organise themselves to access the market without interference from middlemen. The transparency of the block chain system in the supply chain will also enable farmers get fair prices for their produce and reduce the challenge of low income.

    “Block chain does not require physical branches, since it is operated on a distributed network. It would create alternative financial structures, liberating farmers from the inefficiencies of the existing financial system. This partnership would empower smallholder farmers, create a tokenised system and develop smart agriculture,” he said.

    Information about the entire cycle of agricultural activities can be available through the technology to enable a transparent and trusted source of information for the players. This means that farmers can get instant data relating to seed quality, soil moisture and climate/environment related data before cultivation, payments, demand and sale price, all in one platform – an important role in resilience of agriculture to climate change and long term food security.

    In a partnership, AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited (AFEX Nigeria) Binkabi, and Sterling Bank will be involved in a trading process which will be fully digitised, from the documentation process of sales contract, to letter of credit and certificates. To avoid the task of duplication and manual checks, automatic data matching will be implemented.

    Binkabi’s Chief Executive Officer, a London-based start-up firm that leverages block chain technology, Mr. Quan Le, said the block chain technology would be leveraged to make agriculture commodity trading more profitable. Nigeria, according to him, has been experiencing high risk and low profit due to lack of trust, poor financial and market infrastructure in the agriculture sector. “With the’Commodities 3.0 System’ that Binkabi presents, farmers can trade their produce easily and quickly, reducing excessive middlemen in the cross-border,” he said.

    He said anyone can trade on agriculture commodities, using Binkabi tokens and the more one trades the more discounts the person will get. He further said farmers would be rewarded instantly, when they sell their goods through an online wallet, which is decentralised from blockchain. He, therefore, assured traders that with the legal protection that Binkabi will provide, there would be no room for fraudsters.

     

     

  • ‘Research institutions can end food shortage’

    Nigeria has no reason to experience food shortage beacuse of its  abundant land,water and human resources, a don, Professor Babajide Matanmi has said.

    He said “given the required financial support for basic and applied agricultural research and political will by the government”, the nation’s research institutions could provide Nigerians with food security and self-sufficiency.

    Matanmi, of the Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy (OAU, Ile Ife, Osun State, spoke at the 18th Professor Anthony Afolabi Adegbola Memorial Lecture, in Ikorodu, Lagos. The theme of the lecture organised by Ikorodu Division Resource Development Group (IDRDG) was: “Prospects and problems of basic and applied agricultural research in Nigeria”, described agriculture as a veritable source of national economic growth.

    He said: “The agricultural sector is the fundamental strength that creates the nation’s agricultural food and fibre industries,” warning that not all foods are safe for consumption.

    He said while “many fungi like agaricus campestris and forest-dwelling morels are known as nutritious delicacies, others such as the fly agaric, armanita muscaria, agaricus placomyces and lepiota spp are known to be capable of causing hallucination and even death”.

    IDRDG  Chairman, Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab plans to improve the group’s activities and facilitate the development of the Prof. Anthony Adegbola Science Centre.

    He said the IDRDG also intend to enhance the development of the youths in the division.

    The event featured the conferment of awards on 11 persons, including Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule; the Olubeshe of Ibeshe land, Oba Richard Ogunsanya; the Olisa of Ipakodo, Alhaji Chief Abdul Shitta and Asiwaju Rueben Basorun.

    Other award recipients were: Prince Olabode Ogunleye; Prof Oluwafeyisola Adegoke; Prof Wale Omole; Dame Adunola Benson; Alhaja Rabiat Alimi; Lagos State Civil Service Senior Model College, Igbogbo and a pupil, Asafa Fatimah, who got the best result in this year’s West African School Certificate Examination.

  • Building capacity for bio-fortified foods

    HarvestPlus, an international organisation, in collaboration with some nonprofit organisations, held a Nutritious Food Fair in Lagos. The event’s objective was to showcase sustainable bio-fortified food production and agricultural practices. The fair brought together input suppliers, financiers and off-takers. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Promoting bio-fortified foods could be the right approach to ensure food and nutritional security. And to meet the demands of the rapidly growing bio-fortified food market, HarvestPlus Nigeria held its Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) in Lagos. It is held yearly and at alternating venues, since 2014.

    The event, which held from November 7 to 9, was an opportunity for farmers and stakeholders to interact. It attracted high level keynote speakers, including globally acclaimed agricultural reformer and music icon Prince Adeniyi Adegeye a.k.a King Sunny Ade.

    There were also visitors from across the country, captivating stands, with latest developments and food processors on display, while farmers and customers talked with one another.

    Harvest Plus Country Manager Dr Paul Ilona said the organisation was pursuing an ecosystem approach to support smallholder farmers on all aspects of the value chain. This means bringing together input suppliers, financiers and off-takers with training for business skills and agronomic practices through a relationship that is sustainable and mutually beneficial.

    He noted that nearly a billion people suffered from hunger every day and another two billion facing hidden hunger, including chronic shortages of essential nutrients such as iron, iodine and Vitamin A.

    Food security, Ilona said, was not only about food or agriculture, but about ensuring access to adequate and nutritious food for every household member. He said small businesses and entrepreneurs can help tilt food systems toward higher-quality diets, and could respond innovatively to nutrition targets and regulations.

    According to Ilona, the private sector plays a role in improving the availability, affordability and the appeal of healthier foods to the population.

    Country Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Dr Michael Ojo, said vitamin and mineral deficiencies have  caused weakened immune systems and avoidable health outcomes, including blindness, stunted development or diarrheal and respiratory infections, and cognitive and physical stunting. He said the organisation was working on sustainable and scalable business models with local partners to improve livelihoods and food security.

    According to him, GAIN provides holistic and innovative solutions for smallholder farmers in the developing world to enable them grow their farms into sustainable businesses.

    By connecting global expertise with local insights and partners, and providing advanced agronomic solutions, he said GAIN aims to help farmers realise their potentials by farming not just to survive, but thrive as a business focused on sustainability.

    National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Director–General, Dr. Nasiru Ladan Mohammed Argungu emphasised that ensuring agricultural development by enhancing food security, boosting agricultural productivity and reducing poverty was vital.

    A clear insight from the fair, according to him, is to continue to encourage a new and inspiring environment for agri-food. He said NDE will work with HarvestPlus to promote bio-fortified food entrepreneurship.

    A corporate participant at the fair, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), proved that it has maintained an excellent track record for its innovative mission towards ending poverty, hunger and malnutrition through improved food security and sustainable agriculture.

    The institute presented several successful varieties. The innovations in them were based on the solid foundation of modern science combined with traditional breeding methods to create top performing products, offering optimal solutions.

    Research Supervisor, Cassava Breeding Unit, IITA, Esezobor Solomon, said the global organisation is addressing the major challenges facing the agriculture sector through cassava varieties. He said the cassava unit has produced over 45 varieties with its first variety produced in 1976. Among other dominant crops bred and fortified are Maize, Banana/Plantain, Cowpea, Soybean and Yam.

    During one of the sessions at the fair, Director, Health and Nutrition, Dangote Foundation, Dr Francis Aminu, stressed the importance of enhancing food value chain, noting that agriculture is vital in addressing malnutrition. He added that there should be emphasis on the practice of nutrition sensitive agriculture in order to encourage good nutrition practice.

    Several presentations highlighted HarvestPlus and partners’ efforts to ensure that bio-fortification is implemented strategically and evaluated continuously. The fair incorporated plenaries, panel discussions and presentations through which participants discussed how best to scale up the delivery of nutritious crops and mainstream bio-fortification.

    The fair, on the whole, was effective in demonstrating the value of diverse local food products within a single spot, and creating awareness and link among diverse groups of stakeholders and consumers.  Visitors were pleased to relish the fortified food, which indicated good prospect of  such  products in urban areas.

    The food fair was also helpful in providing wider exposure to producers  outside Lagos as participants were highly motivated by realising the value and scope of fortified foods.

    During the fair, youths from Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure, Ondo State capital, participated  and displayed their products.

    The Provost, Dr Samson Odedina, said students were exposed to modern and commercial farming practices, adding that the skills and experience gained will help them to upgrade their subsistence farming to commercial.

    FECA, Odedina said, provided small-scale farmers and would-be investors the opportunity to participate in life-changing exposures and training programmes. He further added that many graduates have been leading various commercial agriculture ventures, while others are helping to transfer their skills and knowledge in their communities.

    An exhibitor and Chief Executive, Benue Mario Foods, Mrs Martha Akoje said she has been producing fortified foods in Benue State. She said there was need to address the problem of malnutrition in Benue State, adding that she is using the opportunity to provide food products with micro-nutrients.

    A HarvestPlus partner, Mr. Pelumi Aribisala, said his company produces bio-fortified crops. According to him, the company is engaging in production of Vitamin A cassava, maize and garri production. He said the company is producing odorless Fufu, custard and other products from Vitamin A cassava and maize.

    Another exhibitor and representative of Nutureall Foods, Free Zone, Kano, Mr. Musa Danladi said the company is focused on improving the health and nutritional status of all, thereby breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition that is prevalent in our communities.

    According to him, the firm has manufactured Soy Kunu, a locally sourced and prepared blend, consisting of peanut, millet and soya beans for the children, adding that  producing local foods that will help mothers better nourish their children is an important step in the right direction against the scourge of malnutrition.

    Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) don and a cassava enterprise development specialist, Dr. Edna Akpan, said the fair provided an opportunity for partners to promote their businesses through the sale and distribution of pro Vitamin A food products. She said the level of adoption of Vitamin A cassava in was huge and demand high, creating opportunities for farmers and processors, who wanted added value to Vitamin A cassava. Since Harvest Plus started working on improving the cassava value chain for small-scale farmers in the state, Dr Akpan said their income and livelihood had improved as well as their knowledge of the market.

    One of the exhibitors and HarvestPlus partner, Mrs Tola Adeyemo described the fair as promising. Participation, according to her, would enhance farming and crop protection practices. A successful bio-fortified food entrepreneur, Mrs Adeyemo, said she is ready to assist Nigerians to make a living through the sector.

  • FAO seeks reduction in food waste

    With one in five deaths associated with poor diets, a policy brief launched by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has  urged  policymakers to prioritise the reduction of food loss and waste to improve people’s access to nutritious food.

    The brief, which has the theme: “Preventing nutrient loss and waste across the food system: Policy actions for high-quality diets”, pointed out that poor-quality diets are a greater public health threat than malaria, tuberculosis or measles.

    Meanwhile, approximately one third of food produced for human consumption does not reach consumer’s plate.

    The brief was prepared by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition in partnership with FAO.

    It noted how foods such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, dairy products, meats and seafood are rich in nutrients, but are also highly perishable and therefore, susceptible to losses throughout the food system.

    The numbers are staggering: each year more than half of all the fruits and vegetables produced globally are lost or wasted. A vital source of protein, around 25 percent of all the meat produced – equivalent to 75 million cows – is not consumed.

    Panel member and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, said:  “To tackle all forms of malnutrition and promote healthy diets, we need to put in place food systems that increase the availability, affordability and consumption of fresh, nutrient-rich food for everyone. Taking specific actions to reduce the losses and waste of fresh and nutritious food is a fundamental part of this effort.”

    The brief proposed a series of policy actions across the entire food system, including educating stakeholders; focusing on perishable foods; improving public and private infrastructure; encouraging innovation and closing the data and knowledge gaps on food losses and wastes.

    Panel member and President of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Prof. Srinath Reddy, welcomed the brief, saying: “The Global Panel’s policy actions show how reducing food loss and waste could play a key role in improving the poor and inadequate diets that affect three billion people globally, and which are often responsible for persistent undernutrition, and the rise of overweight and obesity and the associated increase in non-communicable diseases.”

    FAO data indicated that in low-income countries food is mostly lost during harvesting, storage, processing and transportation, while in high-income countries the problem is one of waste at retail and consumer levels. Together, they have a direct impact on the number of calories and nutrients that are actually available for consumption.

    The loss and waste of micronutrients are of particular concern given the direct impact on wellbeing, learning capacity and productivity. Globally, agriculture produces 22 per cent more Vitamin A than we require. However, after loss and waste, the amount available for human consumption is 11 per cent less than required. Reducing the loss and waste of nutritious foods could therefore, yield substantial health benefits.