The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agric

  • Agric commodities group targets $50b exports

    • Seeks Fed Govt support

    Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) President, Victor Iyama has said the group is ready to partner the Federal Government to increase export of commodities, including wheat, rice and vegetables, to enable the country hits $50 billion exports target.

    In an interview, he said the country has good stocks and the export of agricultural products should earn it valuable foreign exchange (forex).

    Iyama lamented that there were many agric commodities that Nigeria could export but that the country was only exporting a few.

    He called on the government and other stakeholders to step up action in the development of the agricultural commodities to meet international standards to be accepted by buyers across the world.

    To achieve this, he urged the government to implement its various export promotion schemes to promote exports.

    According to him, robust foreign trade, particularly exports, should be a key feature of the government’s economic growth strategy as it looks to the sector to provide jobs and revenue.

    Among the targeted new measures, he noted, should be helping exporters of higher-value products.

    According to him, FACAN was determined to transform farming, using the latest technologies to ensure the process is as productive.

    He said the association wants to empower more Nigerians to go into rice farming to boost domestic rice production to ensure self-sufficiency.

    Iyama said the move was also targeted at halting rice import, adding that it is frittering the country’s foreign exchange.

    He said it was wrong for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to determine how export proceeds were used, because the government does not finance private business.

  • $200m World Bank grant stimulates agric

    $200m World Bank grant stimulates agric

    he World Bank is set to boost women and youth involvement in farming with  a $200 million grant.

    The new project, according to the Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) Task Team leader, World Bank, Dr Sheu Salau, has been submitted to the bank’s  board for approval.

    Salau, who disclosed this on the sidelines of the Project’s 13th implementation support mission held in Lagos, said the  project was  part of the bank’s work towards reducing the cost of food by helping to boost agricultural output through increased participation of women and men.

    He stressed that women and youths were a priority for the bank, and that the new project would bolster youth entrepreneurship in agriculture and agri-business.

    The initiative will see the bank working with  State Agriculture Development Programmes  to train the next generation of agriculture entrepreneurs, also referred to as ‘agri-preneurs’, and provide them with seed money through banks to finance their bankable business plans.

    He  stressed the importance of  women and youths in all aspects of agriculture, ranging from the inputs, to the agricultural value chain including production, processing, marketing and transport, and reiterated the commitment of the World Bank to  improve the farming  systems; to deliver innovation and information; and to provide better tools for farmers.

    He said the remaining phase of the CADP project should be devoted to support youths and women  to  unlock the potential of agriculture.

    Salau reiterated that supporting micro and small-sized companies in the agricultural sector is a cornerstone of the bank’s strategy.

    On the CADP, he said 73 percent of the activities covered under the $150 million project has been executed. This covers rice, aquaculture and poultry value chain. Through the project, Salau  said states such as Lagos, Enugu, Cross River, and Kaduna  have had access to  inputs, financial services and skills in agri-business, efficient machinery for processing produce, market information, new technology, among others.

    He said the World Bank Group will continue to support the Federal Government in addressing its developmental challenges and emerging priorities.

    In the agribusiness sector alone, through CADP, the  Project Operations Officer, Dr. Salisu Garba  said the bank has committed S$ 150 million in projects involving rice, poultry  and aquaculture across Enugu,Cross Rivers, Lagos, Kano and Kaduna States since 2010.

    As of June this year, the project reached 36,332 small to medium commercial farmers through 33, 391 commodity interest groups (CIGs). The project funded 1,432 business plans under its matching grants mechanism and completed 307 km of link roads, to facilitate farmers access to technologies, services and markets.

    As a result, beneficiaries have increased significantly their production, productivity and volumes of sales.

    Garba said the project is back on track towards attainment of its development objectives which are to strengthen agricultural production systems and facilitate market access for targeted value chains among small and medium commercial farmers in the five participating states.

    Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mike Eneh reiterated the importance of the project to boosting food production.

    He informed the gathering that the main purpose of the mission was to gather inputs from the participating states for enhanced performance and the required impact.

    He urged participating states to take action to invest in agriculture  to be competitive and take advantage of the business opportunities, and appealed to participants to embrace and invest in technologies that would help transform the sector into a more efficient production that can allow the sector to tap into wider markets.

    Eneh highlighted some of the benefits of focusing on value-adding operations and the opportunities presented for the national economy to include increased national food security, social development in rural areas, job creation, and  improved tax and duty generation.

    He stressed the importance of developing and strengthening local capacity, calling on the private and public sectors to come together and invest for a successful agriculture and agro-processing sector focused on value-addition.

    The state Project Coordinator, Kehinde Ogunyinka,  said the  Commercial Agricultural Development Project, has moved fish farming in Lagos State to a new and unparalleled dimension with farmers exporting smoked fish  abroad.

    According to him, CADP activities in Lagos is one of the project’s success stories  with efforts to  invest heavily in cropping, livestock and processing  as well as skills development equipping small-scale farmers involved in the value-addition chain.According to him, steps are being taken to upgrade subsistence agriculture to commercial ventures focusing on small and medium scale commercial farmers and agro-processors.

    The CADP programme operates in five states: Cross River, Enugu, Kaduna, Kano and Lagos focusing on palm oil, cocoa, fruit trees, poultry, aquaculture, dairy and staples such as maize and rice.

    The US$150 million World Bank Project, which began in 2009, may end in  May, next year.

  • Ex-CBN director: high interest rate disincentive to agric

    A retired director with the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) Bishop Fred Adoyi said the high interest on loan to farmers is a disservice to the agriculture sector .

    Bishop Adoyi, who retired as Development Finance Officer (DFO)  appealed to deposit money banks to give loan to farmers on  0-9 per cent interest considering the hash economic reality in the country.

    In a telephone interview shortly after he was presented with an  award and appointment by National Farmers Export, Cooperative Congress (NAGFCC) in Makurdi Benue  state capital, Bishop Adoye stated that high interest loan to farmers is burden and cannot addressed food sufficiency .

    He said farmers needed to be encouraged to produce more food to feed the country and the only way was to give them loans on zero interest, saying farmers are still grappling with manual farming implements unlike their counterpart in Europe and America.

    Bishop Adoye said until Nigerians embraced  mechanised farming, achieving food sufficiency will be a mirage.

    On the award, he said it came  to him as a surprise  because he left the  service of the CBN years ago and was not expecting any award

    President of NAFECC Comrade Zakari Mathew said the award and appointment as consultant to  Bishop Adoyi was as result of his hard work and dedication during his period in CBN, which he rose to the rank of director before he retired

    Comrade Mathew noted with delight that during his years of service, Bishop Adoyi improved the fortunes of farmers in what is known  today as CBN/Anchor Norrowers Scheme.

    The scheme he said has led to the massive rice production  in the country.

  • IITA needs $1b to reposition agric

    IITA needs $1b to reposition agric

    The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is scouting for about $200 million yearly over the next five years to deliver targeted impacts on African agriculture, its Director-General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, has said.

    IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions to hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

    Sanginga, who listed the institute’s priorities for his second term in his recent report to the  IITA Board of Trustees, said the funding was necessary to finance projects.

    He said “This funding strategy recognises both the urgency of immediate action and the importance of longer term investment for lasting solutions. It both maintains a critical mass and diversity of scientists in Africa and improves the laboratory facilities to cutting-edge levels and increases the efficiency of our operations.

    “IITA’s major tasks are to launch an aggressive resource mobilisation effort and restructure the organisation to have impact in this new and changing environment, especially in Africa. Applying country and donor priorities therefore provides the most viable basis on which to make decisions… engaging the private sector and young entrepreneurs, demonstrated capacity development, and transparent technical and financial reporting—all reflective of IITA’s four strategic pillars of impact, quality of research, partnerships and internal organisation.”

    According to the report, in the next five years, IITA’s operations need to be “reorganised to manage and operate efficiently for delivery and impact”.

    This will be achieved by addressing operational inefficiencies for better delivery, both in support services and R4D, and positioning IITA’s support system to manage new mega projects. Already management has rolled out a new organisational structure to show some of the changes.

    “One of the major objectives in the reorganisation of IITA is to strengthen the Corporate Services and finance functions to be able to improve operational efficiencies in support of improved delivery of IITA’s technologies and build a support system to manage mega projects and transform IITA into the capital of Research for Development in Africa.

    “In the process, IITA will evaluate and strengthen human resource capabilities across the organisation and build capacity across the upper levels of IITA management, create an environment where scientists work with minimum disruption, and facilitate autonomous hubs where decision making rests with the hub director,” Sanginga said.

    He also noted that IITA ought to increase its funding support yearly over the next five years to deliver targeted impacts on African agriculture.

    In addition to aligning the Institute’s R4D programmes to Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research(CGIAR ) Research Programs (CRPs ), other identified priorities, include fast tracking research investment and delivery of successful products, such as Aflasafe, NoduMax, and GoSEED as well as revitalising research priorities, and developing country specific strategies for implementing projects.

    Sanginga expressed optimism that the goals would be achieved within the stipulated time.

    “The second stage of our journey has just begun. I have no doubt that this next journey would be a better one. I am optimistic that everything will only get better. I am looking forward to journeying through the next five years with my ship and crew,” he added.

  • Abia takes up Michael Okpara’s agric plan

    Abia takes up Michael Okpara’s agric plan

    The Abia State government has launched an agric plan reminiscent of the late Premier of the Eastern Region Dr Michael Okpara’s blueprint. UGOCHUKWU UGOJI-EKE reports

    Before his death in 1984,  Dr Michael Okpara endeared himself to the defunct Eastern Region of which he was premier. The medical doctor who played an active part in the politics of the First Republic,and survived the 1966 coup, was renowned for his passion and vision in agriculture, saying that the growth and future of Nigeria depended on farming.

    In his native Umuegwu community in present Abia State, he acquired and managed the Umuegwu Okpuala Mixed Farms. Soon, other leaders copied his example and started managing farms too. Agriculture caught on.

    The state government has also embraced his plan, kicking off its revenue base diversification programme with an agriculture initiative involving 10,000 hectares of oil palm plantation.

    Other agricultural produce like ginger, pineapple plantation and cassava farming are not left out as the state Ministry of Agriculture under headship of Hon. Uzo Azubuike as commissioner is also cultivating high-yielding varieties.

    The state government says its plans of developing the oil palm value chain is to make the state the number one in palm oil production.

    To achieve this, the state government has set a target of developing 7.5 million seedlings between 2016 and 2019, targeting 10,000 hectares of oil palm plantation across the state and this would be achieved in phases.

    The governor during an inspection of the nursery at Ahiaba Umueze in Osisioma council area of the state said the future of the economy of the state depends on agriculture hence the renewed attention on farming especially oil palm production.

    According to him, Abia State has comparative advantage over other states in oil palm, as the state stands in an advanced position to enhance her revenue earnings through massive oil palm production.

    He called on Abia youths to engage in farming as his administration is willing to assist them, while calling on farmers to also intensify their efforts in their various farms to enable them have more and improved yields.

    Speaking at the event, Hon Azubuike said the state is targeting 2 million seedlings in the first phrase of the oil palm seedlings, the second will produce 3 million, while the third will deal with 2.5 million seedlings.

    At Ahiaba Umueze oil palm nursery, visited by newsmen, it was discovered that over 1.5 million nuts have already been planted and are being awaited for buying by prospective farmers.

    Azubuike while fielding questions from newsmen at the location said the Ikpeazu led administration had through the project employed over a thousand people especially youths and women in the communities and created wealth for families.

    He said the seedlings were got at N350 each and would replicate over 700 million naira in the next one year, thereby increasing the revenue generation of the state.

    The ministry of agriculture boss revealed that the state is establishing a community-based oil Palm Project which intends to inject the seedlings into the communities, achieve this.

    The seedlings, according to him, would be sold to farmers at subsidised rates, which would be tested with the selected pilot communities and the essence he said, is to ensure that every farm land has two to three stands of high yielding oil palm growing in it.

    He said that this is also geared towards tactically phasing out the low yielding varieties by the state government, stressing that government is determined to phase out the old palm trees which has served the state for several years.

    Azubike said that under the arrangement, each community would have an anchor that would buy off Fresh Fruit Bunches, for processing; thereby making it possible for every community to have a mini palm processing mill, while the state builds an oil palm refinery.

    The Commissioner further revealed that following the zero tolerance to land waste of the state government policy, it has also embarked on ginger and pineapple production at Ohambele, Ukwa East Local Government.

    Also, at Omuma Uzo, Ukwa West Local Government, the state government has began the multiplication of high yielding cassava varieties.

    Azubuike, explained that the varieties which were gotten from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, are TME 419 and Pro Vitamin A.

    He said the interest of the state government is on the stem which would be distributed to farmers because of its disease resistant, high yielding and more nutritious qualities.

    According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, the state is recruiting extension agents to be sent to communities to educate the people on modern ways of farming in a bid to sustain the project.

    Some residents of the host communities who spoke to newsmen commended the state government for such a giant stride and pledged total support for the project.

  • NEPAD stresses diversification through agric

    For Nigeria to effectively diversify its economy, emphasis must be placed on agriculture, the National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Mrs. Gloria Akobundu, has said.

    According to her, NEPAD under her leadership would adopt this strategy to ensure food security and reduce the restiveness in various parts of Nigeria.

    She stated this at her maiden briefing in Abuja, noting that the organisation had identified four major areas upon which it would launch a new approach to achieve its objectives.

    Mrs Akobundu said: “These areas include economic diversification with emphasis on agriculture and food security; rethinking and realigning our engagements with development partners and other parts of the world in line with the reality of dwindling oil revenue and receipts.”

    She also spoke about the plan to rebrand and relaunch NEPAD Nigeria “for greater meaning and efficacy in the lives of our people”.

    The NEPAD chief observed that the agency’s vision, as encompassing as it appears to be, might not have envisioned all the realities.

    These, she said, “have come as a result of our growing population, new habits, problems, such as Boko Haram insurgency and the Niger Delta armed struggle, all of which have left various fallout that have left us with an army of Internally Displaced Persons, the maimed, homeless and the likes.

    “All of these are what we seek to address in our new approach so that the vision of NEPAD will make meaning to the grassroots, to the trader or artisan in Monday Market of Maiduguri, Alaba Market of Lagos and even in Ochanja Market of Onitsha.”

    She explained that NEPAD’s vision  was to establish a veritable framework for the development of Nigerians in various sectors and areas of national life, ranging from trade and investment to the development of infrastructure across the country.

    “It is not part of my mandate here to question what we have achieved in the years gone by since this partnership was set up in the early 2000. What will occupy me in the months and years ahead will certainly be what we can do to leverage our common efforts to make NEPAD better,” Mrs Akobundu added.

  • Ekiti farmers benefit from Fed Govt’s agric subsidy

    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh,  has revealed that 94, 972 farmers in Ekiti State have been registered to benefit from agricultural input subsidies packaged by the Federal Government.

    Ogbeh, who stated this during the opening ceremony of Ekiti State Agricultural Summit in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was empowering farmers through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Agric Loan Disbursement Scheme.

    Represented by the Federal Director of Agriculture in Ekiti State, Dr. Oladipo Kolade, Ogbeh said the Federal Government was committed to diversifying the economy from being oil-dependent to agriculture-based, saying “a nation that cannot feed its people is a failed country.”

    He noted that Nigeria flourished when agriculture was the mainstay of her economy, adding that investment in the sector will earn the country more foreign exchange and provide jobs for millions of her citizens.

    Ogbeh said: “During those years, we could boast of good investment in groundnut, cocoa and palm oil. They were resources of our foreign earnings. There was pride and economic boom until things changed for bad.

    “But President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is supporting the farmers through the CBN agricultural loan disbursement scheme. About 94,972 farmers are to benefit under this scheme in this year’s budget. We want to improve agric business in Nigeria for us to move forward as a nation.”

    Governor Ayo Fayose urged the Federal Government to immediately declare emergency in agriculture sector to prove its seriousness in the much-proposed diversification of the economy.

    Fayose said: “The Federal Government should declare emergency in the agriculture sector. There must be a bailout fund for the agriculture sector. What Nigerians need is food on their tables.

    “It is sad that state governments can’t diversify again because they are financially incapacitated. So, the Federal Government must come to our aid. It must bail the people out. If emergency is declared in the sector and people are attracted into farming, they can use the gains to run around and better their lives.”

    Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, called for 50 per cent reduction for agriculture-related courses in Nigerian universities, to encourage youths in acquiring professional skills in the business of food production.

  • Lagos: commodity exchange ‘ll transform agric

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Abiodun Akinkunmi, has said   a virile commodity exchange will transform the agricultural sector characterised by low output and poverty among farmers.

    Globally, commodities exchanges offer more stable, more ethical trading platforms where farmers can benefit from fairer transactions.

    Akinkunmi, who spoke at the just- concluded stakeholders’ forum at the Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, said a vibrant exchange would help break the cycle of poverty of rural farmers caused by low incomes, poor productivity output and low-level investment in farming activities.

    A handful of African countries, according to him, have set up commodity exchanges to develop markets and improve food security.

    He said for instance, since Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) trading platform started in 2008, it has become transparent and efficient for farmers.

    Besides this, there is a functioning marketing infrastructure for farmers.

    According to him, a commodity exchange boost farmers’ earnings by helping to stabilise prices of commodities which tend to fall sharply during harvest when there is a supply glut.

    To promote entrepreneurship, he said Lagos  government established the N25 billion State Employment Trust Fund.

    The fund, Akinkunmi,  explained, provided an opportunity for entrepreneurs to take advantage and contribute their quotas to the socio-economic growth and development of the country.

     

  • How agric can rescue economy, by experts

    Concerted efforts are needed to revive the  economy by stimulating    agricultural growth measures, experts have said.

    According to them, the agricultural sector accounts for 70 per cent of the nation’s employment ratio, and it is a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Therefore, it requires support for expansion, including improving irrigation facilities, providing food security and creation of various funds and schemes.

    The experts include a professor of Rural Development Communication Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Kolawole Adebayo and former Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Prof Abiodun Adeloye.

    They stated that building roads, power plants, ports and other infrastructure was key to spurring economic activities and unlocking opportunities in agriculture across the country.

    In an interview with The Nation on the economic challenge, Adebayo said: “The best way out of recession is increased government expenditures in the sectors that create and retain jobs while developing infrastructures. So, if we pay local contractors to develop rural roads, we would not only generate jobs in road construction, but facilitate  transportation of agricultural products and improve people’s lives.”

    For Adeloye, agriculture is still the major source of income and employment for the population, adding that it has played the most important role in poverty reduction.

    With Nigeria’s GDP dropping due to the fall in oil price and output and increasing insecurity challenge,  he noted that it was time Nigeria built its economy on agriculture.  “So we need to get back there. Let’s go back to the farms and do the work. God has been good, the rain is much this year so why dont we key into the goodies of the abundant rainfall? Agriculture and export of agriculture produce are possible solutions.”

    He emphasised the need to tackle poverty as well as support growth of agriculture to boost domestic demand.

    International Society for Root Crops, Africa Branch President and Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Department of Food Science & Technology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Prof. Lateef Sanni, said Nigeria’s agriculture sector had to reform its production and business structure to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI).

    He said the agricultural sector  should restructure production and business, including solutions on attracting investment from home and abroad.

    Sanni said attracting FDI in the domestic agriculture sector required setting the goals to develop a more vibrant and diversified rural economy with sustainable agricultural growth, high-value creation, food safety in line with international standard, higher competitiveness and farmer income, and technology-intensive agriculture.

  • Agric school graduates 2,065

    The Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora has marked its 10th Founder’s Day, which coincided with its seventh convocation. MOROUNFOLU ADENIYI reports.

    It was all celebration at the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora as the school graduate its seventh set of students. The graduating students were joined by their parents and guardians to receive their certificates.

    The convocation, which coincided with the college’s 10th Founder’s Day, featured conferment of fellowship awards on notable individuals, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Governor Abiola Ajimobi; founder of BOVAS, Mrs Victoria Samson; Alhaji Adesope Fasaasi of Owotutu Group and Alhaji Raman Alayande.

    Graduates numbering 2,065 were awarded Diploma at the event held on the campus field. The event started with music performance by choristers of the Department of Music and Technology of The Polytechnic, Ibadan (IBADAN POLY).

    The Provost, Prof Gbemiga Adewale, said the college had bridged the gap of practical knowledge in the area of intensive agricultural technology training for the youth. He noted that the college was fulfilling its mandate as a special school for training students in modern farm practice, vocational skills and agricultural technology.

    Adewale said the college had contributed to nation building through teaching, research and community service. He highlighted some of the college’s achievements to include training of students in modern agricultural practice, computing, food processing, fish breeding and poultry keeping, among others.

    The provost revealed that the college embarked on research and collaborations with national and international agencies, which assisted the college in facilitating several community service programmes in its host communities, including integrated fish farming, cassava production and distribution of Vitamin A cassava stem to farmers free of charge.

    Adewale maintained that the feats were achieved because of the foundation laid by the founding fathers of the college. He congratulated the graduates, urging them to apply the knowledge gained in elevating modern farm practice and entrepreneurship to create job opportunities for their peers.

    The provost hailed the Visitor to the college, Gov. Ajimobi, for his “unflinching support” towards the college.

    Ajimobi, represented by Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adeniyi Olowofela, renewed the commitment of his administration towards elevating standard of teaching and research in the college.

    The governor advised managements of the state-owned tertiary institutions to raise the bar of excellence in order to attract research grants and funding from international education agencies.

    Ajimobi praised the OYSCATECH management for its efforts at promoting the college and for its contribution to the success of Oyo State Agricultural initiative (OYSAI).

    In her goodwill message, the college’s interim Governing Council Chairman, Mrs Aderonke Makanjuola, who is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, appreciated Ajimobi’s vision, saying the governor provided facilities which raised the standard in the college.

    The Best Graduating Student, Miss Damilola Adepoju, who spoke on behalf of others,  thanked the management and lecturers for imparting “quality knowledge” on them. She promised to be good ambassador of the college.

    Speaking on behalf of fellowship awardees, Mrs Samson thanked the college management for recognising their selfless efforts with the fellowship awards. She pledged commitment to the development of the college.