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Tag: Agric

  • ‘Govt committed to sustainable agric’

    The Director of Events, West Africa Exhibitions and Conferences (WAECON) Dr Kune Igoni said the government, through the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and Federal Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, is determined to revamp agriculture by supporting activities that will reposition the sector for job creation.

    He said in a statement that there were efforts to get more Nigerians employed as input suppliers, farmers/out growers, off-takers, processing/production units, distributors, wholesalers and retailers.

    He said his organisation is organising an agric trade show to open a new vista in the promotion of agric business as stakeholders converge to deliberate on how to enhance the potentials of agric business in the country.

    “The Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and other stakeholders including Federal Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, and all state governments are determined to enhance the growth of agric business in the country going by their approval of major initiatives instituted towards realising this objective.”

    According to him, many government agencies have given support to a maiden agrictrade show billed for between August 26 and 28 in Abuja.

    Igoni said with the approvals received so far it is obvious that relevant agencies in the sector were willing to come together on a common platform to deliberate, collaborate and pool ideas together on how to make agric business more productive and attractive in the country.

    “We are getting more endorsements day in day out as we inch closer to the D-day for our trade show. I think these endorsements are borne out of the desire to harness the inherent potential in agric business. We now have increased consciousness to boost the agric sector by making it more business oriented and commercial. For instance, I can proudly say that state governments have been showing interests for the trade show with various endorsements coming from them.” The latest endorsement is from the Edo State government where the governor had given his assurances for the trade show by directing his Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources to act as deemed appropriate.”

    He added that the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) is one of the Chambers of Commerce that has thrown its weight behind the trade show as evidenced by its President’s acceptance to be a resource person.

  • ‘Why agric development is slow in Nigeria’

    The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Gbenga Kaka, has said the development of agriculture in Nigeria has been slow because mechanised farming has not been fully embraced by farmers.

    Kaka noted that with the vast resources at Nigeria’s disposal, the country ought to have gone beyond small-scale farming to embrace full-scale mechanised farming.

    The Senator, who spoke in Abuja at the weekend, noted that small scale farming alone cannot meet the food demands of the country.

    He said, “Agricultural development is not moving at the expected pace for a big country like Nigeria.

    “With vast arable land, large number of the cheapest labour in the world and with the resources at Nigeria’s disposal particularly from crude oil, we ought to have maximised our diversification into agriculture especially when you juxtapose all these with the fact that over 70percent of our people are employed in agriculture.

    “We ought to have gone beyond all these small-scale implements (hoes and cutlass) into mechanisation and applying modern-day technology.

    “The bits and pieces coming from our farmers can never be enough to run a viable agro-industry that will be capable of employing our teeming unemployed youth.”

    While lamenting the poor budget allocation to the sector, the lawmaker berated the government for failing to meet the Maputo Declaration which calls for 10 percent of budgetary allocation to agriculture.

  • Don makes case for national agric census

    A don, Dr Ademola Adeyemo,  has called on the Federal Government  to   conduct a  census of agriculture to provide a direction on what the nation has to provide the base on how  it can  achieve the dream of becoming  the food hub of West Africa.

    Adeyemo, the Deputy  Director, General Management Division, Agricultural and Rural Management and Training Institute (ARMTI),  said  a census would  provide data on agricultural holdings, such as farm size, land use, land tenure, livestock numbers, and the use of machinery, as well as crop and livestock distribution nationwide.

    With  the government urging  the  private sector to partner it to implement the agricultural transformation agenda (ATA),Adeyemo  said  the information provided by the census would  have many uses. These will  include information on agricultural produce that can be raised in Nigeria and where, how and by whom they were grown.

    The data, according to him,  will help the national, state and local government, farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and others make decisions.

    Compared to others, the don  said  the  census will provide  a uniform, comprehensive and impartial agriculture data down to the local  governments, adding that  it  would   help to shape programmes and initiatives that benefit young and beginning farmers and ranchers; expand access to resources that help women, and help farmers diversify into new markets, including local and regional food systems, specialty crops and organic production.

    With the government’s  effort  to boost food production, he said   there  is  need  for agricultural statistics to  monitor  and  reflect  current agricultural and food supply conditions and to provide information to help governments and others in short-term decision-making. To this end, he said agricultural statistics has  to  be  produced on a regular basis.

    One feature of a census of agriculture, he  explained, is that it involves the collection of data at the individual holding level.

    On crops, he  said the  census  will  provide data on where crops are planted, the number of holdings with each crop, the distribution of crop area, and the average crop area planted, among others.

    He  said  the census  provides the most reliable data available on production of crops and  a base for estimating crop area and production in the following years.

    He said a census of agriculture is one of the largest national statistical collections undertaken by a country.

    Right now, he  said, livestock production statistics are weak because of inadequate data, adding  that a  census can help in this regard.

  • How to engage youths in agric

    How to engage youths in agric

     As the youth population rises and employment prospects become more limited, the development of strategies to engage young people in agriculture has become pertinent.This formed the focus of  a workshop at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

    After decades of neglect, the agric sector is attracting attention from both the private and public sectors not only because of its potential to solve the problem of youth unemployment but because of the increasing need for food security.

    While there is tremendous effort to  boost youth  involvement in agriculture, there is however a huge   number of bright, educated and ambitious young people who still do not find farming attractive. The challenge therefore is to make them aware of the opportunities  and provide them with entrepreneurial attitudes, skills and resources they require to move into farming.

    This formed the focus of a three-day Youth in Agribusiness workshop organised by the International Institute of Agriculture and Alliance  for  a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

    The forum was essetially designed  to generate new ideas on how to engage the youths in more diverse and productive roles in agriculture and also offered secondary benefits to the larger communities.

    With almost 200 participants  from about  20 countries, including policy makers, donors – African Development Bank (AFDB), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation), International Fund  for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Alliance  for  a Green Revolution  in Africa (AGRA) and non-governmental  organisations (NGOs), it was a gathering of men and women with ideas.

    Other partcipants include CGIAR, youth groups  from different  countries, regional research organisations and  the National Agricultural Research  and Extension Systems (NARES) in Africa.

    IITA’s Director–General, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, set the tone for the gathering when he reiterated the importance of the idea of engaging the youth in agribusiness as one of the ways to solve the high rate   of unemployment   and contribute to enhancing food security in Africa.

    He described unemployment as a  time  bomb waiting to  explode, warning that the socio-economic  implications of such an implosion may be difficult to contain in Africa.  Therefore, he enjoined all to brainstorm and come up with solutions on how African countries   could engage and integrate the youth into agribusiness and financially support the programme.

    The Director, Agriculture  and Agro Industry Department, Dr Chiji Ojukwu stressed that holding the interest of the African youths  and women in agribusiness development is crucial if Africa is to meet the growth target of six per cent under the Comprehensive  African Agricultural Development (CAADP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    The workshop, he noted, would not have come at a better time than now, given the high level of unemployment among the youth and women in various African countries.

    “Some of the highest rates on the continent are in Southern Africa, where  51 per cent of young women and 43 per cent of young men are unemployed,” he said.

    Recent information, he  said indicates that the youths have the potential to increase the delivery of the transformational impact expected of a project such as Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SDRC-SC) and that IITA’s youth in agribusiness model has demonstrated this over the past 15 months.

    According to him, IITA’s Youth in Agribusiness team have been successful in the multiplication and wide dissemination of improved crop varieties under the SARD-SC project. Ojukwu, said the bank was pleased to be associated  with IITA ‘s initiative to advance  youth employment  in agriculture and agribusiness in Africa, “because  unemployment  in general, and  youth unemployment  in particular, is becoming  a serious  challenge to African countries, development planners  and  institutions.”  Thus, Ojukwu  believes that  such an initiative  aimed at harnessing, exploiting  and channeling  opportunities  to enlist and hold  the interest  of the  youth  and women in agribusiness development  is  crucial  if Africa  is to  meet  the agricultural  growth  target  of six per cent  under  the CAADP and the poverty  reduction  target of  eradication  of  extreme poverty and  hunger  under the MDGs. Thus, he  said the  foresight  and thoughts of IITA and AGRA squarely  tally with the mission  and vision  of the AfDB in agribusiness development  for broad based  economic  growth  and development  for  youths and women.

    He said recent information from the IITA to the bank indicated that the youth have  the potential  to increase  the delivery of the transformational impact expected of  a  project  such as the SARD-SC  and that the IITA’s youth  in agribusiness   model  has demonstrated  this over the  past 15 months. “For instance, IITA ‘s  youth  in Agribusiness Team  have been  very successful in the multiplication  and wide  dissemination  of improved  crop  varieties under the SARD-SC project,” he said, and commended the agripreneurs for their strides in agriculture.

    To  boost  agribusiness, he said the  bank has  supported  projects aimed  at  the reduction of post-harvest losses, inputs, processing and packaging techniques and marketing. In addition, it has improved  benefits for value chain stakeholders.

    According to him, the AfDB, through its investments in rural infrastructure (rural access roads, water management systems for irrigation, electricity generation/distribution and proper storage facilities); agricultural productivity enhancement through support to research; and sector capacity-building and knowledge-sharing on appropriate development policies for the sector in Africa, has helped to improve agricultural productivity and competitiveness.

    The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina said  the  government  prioritised integration of youths into agric business  through  facilities that can  improve farm  production, processing, and market linkages and incomes  which are critical for enhanced productivity along the continuum from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

    He reiterated government’s   determination to   boost the nation’s agriculture sector by accelerating the development of infrastructure.

    According to him,  the potential of the sector’s contribution to growth and development has been underexploited due to a variety of challenges, including the widening technology divide, weak infrastructure and declining technical capacity. These challenges, he noted, have been exacerbated by weak input and output marketing systems and services, and limited access to affordable credit.

    Through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), Adesina  said   the government is addressing  constraints along the entire value chain, focusing  on human capacity building in agribusiness, facilitating  the formation/development of more efficient production clusters geared towards establishing a reliable supply of the commodities (rice, cassava and sorghum) to industries.

    He said increasing youth productivity in agriculture is critical for sustainable development and poverty reduction.

    He said  the government was determined to improve  capacities across the  agricultural value chain, entailing  all the activities from the field to the fork, and encompasses the steps from primary production, processing, storage, transportation, and marketing/export to consumption of commodities.”

    Adesina  pledged $500,000 to support the IITA programme on engaging the  youth in agribusiness.

    Addressing the workshop, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof Buba Abubakar, represented by Director, Gender & Youth in Agricultural Research and Innovation, Mrs Deborah Ogbede  said youth employment  was  of great concern to the continent and Nigeria in particular.

    To this end, he  said the Federal Government has introduced many interventions and among which is the  ATA aimed at job creation and poverty reduction.

    Having recognised the role of youths, he said ARCN  is committed to their  engagement in agriculture and is providing quidance, training, extension and career development  through the 15 national agricultural research institutes and the 11 federal colleges of agriculture.

    Further, he said the council intends to have a core of young professionals who can be given mentorship and career development  as well as  an entrepreneurship/agribusiness development scheme for youths to be empowered in agriculture.

    At the event, Dr Namanga Ngongi, a member, IITA Board of Trustees  gave the keynote address, Dr. Awa Bamba, Advisor to the Special Envoy on Gender, AfDB,  delivered a paper titled: AfDB’s Gender strategy and  the Implications for the youth engagement programme. Ministers of Agriculture from Guinea Conakry, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, DR Congo sent good will messages.

  • Blumberg plans $250m investment in agric

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, yesterday said, Blumberg has concluded plans to invest $250 million in the Agricultural sector in other to establish one of its processing plants in Nigeria.

    Adesina said the $250 processing plant was part of series of discussions he had with Managing Directors of Multi-national companies at the just concluded World Economic Forum Africa, held in Nigeria.

    According to Adesina, the investment will help to prevent 40 per cent of post production loss which the country currently witness due to lack of warehouse to store perishable goods.

    The Minister stated this in Abuja during a visit by Commissioners of Agriculture from the South- West region under the Development Agenda of Western States in Nigeria.

    He urged them to ensure priority is given on revival of the farm Estates in the region which would boost agricultural production in the region and the country in General.

    Adesina said: “Agriculture is the only sector that you know that can have an inclusive growth. I encourage the government of the south western states to involve the private sector in the production and processing of cocoa.

    “The Federal Government should be willing to work with you in having good ICT infrastructure and other social infrastructure investment to attract younger ones in the sector.

    “In 60s, when Agriculture was the mainstay of the country’s economy. We are set to restore that glory now through your collaboration.”

  • FAO wants more budgetary allocations to agric

    The Food and Agriculture (FAO) representative in Nigeria, Ms. Louise Sethswaelo, has urged African Heads of State and Governments to increase their budgetary allocations to agriculture to achieve set goals. She made the call in an interview in Abuja.

    According to her, this has become necessary in view of the declaration of the year as the ‘Year of Agriculture‘ by the Heads of State and Governments at a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January.

    “It is for the governments to increase their budgets on agriculture to have a facilitative role in promoting agriculture in the agriculture transformation in the African region. The private sector will then come in; but when they see us just talking, there is no demonstration in terms of providing resources, in terms of making sure that all the instruments that need to be put in place are there, then it just becomes talk with no action and very little result on the ground, “ Sethswaelo said.

    She commended African leaders for demonstrating the political will by the various declarations on agriculture, thereby increasing the sector’s visibility. She however, regretted that African leaders failed to backed the declarations with resources to facilitate agricultural development on the continent.

    “We have had so many summits by the African Heads of States and Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). I think that what we need more is to make sure we implement the programmes because the declarations have been made. Whether I should call it the political will, maybe it is, but it needs to be backed up by resources to facilitate agricultural development in the African region. This is something that is still lagging behind,” she argued.

    Continuing, Sethswaelo said: “That is why for so many years after signing the CAADP and approving it, we are still lagging behind in terms of implementing the CAADP programme that was developed then and approved by the Heads of States and Governments.”

  • Bayelsa eyes agric, tourism to boost revenue

    Bayelsa eyes agric, tourism to boost revenue

    Its revenue has been going down in a scary manner in the last few months. Bayelsa State’s share of revenue from the Federation Account has dropped by between N4 billion and N5 billion monthly in recent time, prompting the urgent need to look inwards for alternative revenue sources. Cyril Akika, Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, confirmed that much when he said that fluctuations in oil price as well as dwindling allocation from the Federation Account has put tremendous pressure on the state’s fiscal system hence, the resolve to drive the development of its economy by growing the SME sector in collaboration with members of the private sector.

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson believes the way out of the quagmire is to diversify the economy. In the last two years, he said he has devoted attention to various policies and projects aimed at diversifying the economy of the state away from oil and gas. Consequently, the state government has made deliberate interventions in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector where it is grooming a new crop of entrepreneurs to drive post-oil Bayelsa State, including other revolutionary investments in agriculture, culture/tourism, entertainment, and infrastructure development such as building roads, airport, seaport, and industrial parks.

    For instance, to underscore the shift towards the SME sector as one of the growth drivers and alternatives to oil & gas revenue, the state government, in collaboration with members of the organised private sector (OPS) is raising a N10 billion SMEs Development Trust Fund to encourage small and medium scale entrepreneurs. While the state government, according to the governor, would source for 40 per cent of the fund, members of the OPS would provide the remaining 60 per cent and also manage the fund. The Nation learnt that while the governor has supported the Trust Fund with an initial sum of N250 million, the Bayelsa State Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC) did same with the sum of N100 million. That was last year. Beneficiaries, especially land and property owners in the state with relevant Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), after presentation of their title documents, would have the opportunity to access the fund after thorough screening.

    The BDIC is a privately run state enterprise set up in August 2012 with the mandate to, among others, promote the state’s public private partnership (PPP) initiative, which seeks to create the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive; act as holding company for all the state’s assets, manage them and bring in income and dividends to the state, as well as act as catalyst for social and economic development. Apart from the critical focus on tourism and agriculture, the BDIC is also focusing on areas of comparative advantage in oil and gas, marine and logistics. The BDIC is also donating the sum of N50 million to support the 20th International Conference on SMEs scheduled to hold in Yenagoa, the state capital, between March 28 and May 1.

    To enlist the support of members of the OPS, Dickson, on March 9, led his commissioners to a pre-event luncheon with business stakeholders ahead of the 20th International Conference on SMEs. At the event, the governor called for the active participation of local and foreign investors in the economic development of the state, urging investors to take advantage of the numerous business and investment opportunities that abound in the State. He identified some of the areas of the state’s economy begging for private sector partnership with the state government to include agriculture, aqua-culture, tourism, waste management, housing and the construction of a new airport and deep seaport. The administration, as part of its sensitisation programmes, would organise a special road show within and outside the country on the deep seaport project located in Agge in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the State.

    Also, preliminary engineering works have been concluded for the construction of an airport. “We have started and we hope that in the next two years we should be able to deliver on the airport project. The area has been acquired, preliminary engineering works concluded. Bulldozers have been brought in,” the governor informed. When completed, the Bayelsa airport would create a direct link to Yenogoa, thus bringing to an end the about two kilometer drive by road from Port Harcourt Airport. “We are also working on setting up an industrial park within the vicinity of the airport,” he said, adding that the state government is also investing massively in infrastructure such as roads and bridges. “Before I came into office, it was taking us one hour from Yenogoa to Amazoma, the university community, which is almost where you are not just talking of a congenial, right investment climate, you are also talking about the presence of supporting infrastructure,” the governor said, with glee.

    He further disclosed that the state is building a tourism development school, probably one of its kind in the country, “because we want to train tourism practitioners who would service that robust economy. He said the state is leveraging the tourism sector to diversify the base of the state’s economy beyond oil and gas, which is why month after month it sponsors major local and international events in collaboration with the private sector. “If you are interested in investing in the tourism sub-sector, Bayelsa is the place to be,” he declared, assuring that investors would get a C of O within 60 days for any piece of land acquired for any tourism related investment. “The reason is that we don’t have enough hotels in Bayelsa so, we are looking for people who would take advantage of that. About a month ago, I launched the automated title certification system; it is not just for people who may be interested in the tourism and hospitality industry, but also for any other kind of investment that you can think of,” he explained.

    Another major plank of the state’s inward-looking strategy is agriculture. As the governor explained, Bayelsa State has a comparative advantage in agricultural long before the discovery of oil in commercial quantity. He recalled that the whole of the territory known as Bayelsa and its environs was originally known as the oil rivers protectorate, but because of crude oil but oil palm. He therefore, disclosed that the state government is poised to resuscitate palm oil production and several other derivatives along the entire value chain. “We shouldn’t just be focusing on producing primary products, we should be thinking of doing it down the entire value chain, which again presents several opportunities to investors,” he said, pointed out for instance, that the swampy nature of the state, “we have no business importing rice into this country when you have a place like Bayelsa. I want to see big time investors, people who would come and take over the massive farmlands that have been earmarked already for rice production.”

    The need to boost human capital development is not lost on the state government, which is why there has been emphasis on manpower training. At present, the state government is sponsoring about 150 doctor of philosophy (Ph.d) and 400 Masters Degree students in various top-notch universities across the world, according to governor Dickson. Also, about 25 model secondary boarding schools have also been built across the state. “There is no state in this country that has made the type of investment we have made in education. We are making this kind of revolutionary investments because unless you have an educated population and workforce your society and the economy have no capacity to develop; we are absolutely going to have a combustible society, the type that can blow up anytime,” he explained.

    Apparently buoyed by the structures so far put in place to unlock the enormous investment potentials in various sectors for the purpose of preparing Bayelsa for the post oil regime, the state government has set for itself the lofty ambition to become the ‘Dubai of Africa’ in terms of physical infrastructure and business opportunities. “We are already on the journey of becoming the new Dubai,” governor Dickson declared, noting that “this is why you see major international events holding in Bayelsa. In the past two years, Bayelsa has become the home of hospitality and tourism and entertainment capital of Nigeria and the entire continent.”

  • Farmers allege fraud in agric programme continues

    Farmers allege fraud in agric programme continues

    In September 2010, the Ministry of Niger Delta Report sent 86 farmers from the Niger Delta to Israel and Port Novo, Republic of Benin for various courses in mechanised farming. Over three years after, beneficiaries were handed cheques of N750,000 each to start their farms. SHOLA O’NEIL reports that rather than be impressed by the gesture, the farmers say they are short-changed.

    The mood at Ishaka Hotel, Effurun, Delta State a fortnight ago was a very happy one. The trainees were bubbling and looking forward to start or improve their new farms. The day took over three years to come, but there were no complaints, as according to one of the beneficiaries from Bayelsa state: “It is better late than never”. During the time, it was learnt that two of the 86 beneficiaries died.

    But by the end of the event on Saturday, January 18, when the graduands were returning home, the tune was different. Some of the aggrieved trainees, who spoke with Niger Delta Report, were so unimpressed that they called for a probe of the over N840 million allegedly budgeted for the programme.

    Their journey to Ishaka Hotel and dream happy future started sometimes in September 2010 when 86 men and women from across the zone were selected and dispersed to reputable farming settlements in Israel and Republic of Benin to learn how to farm with mechanical equipment. The ‘ambassadors’ were seen as the future of the nation’s agriculture development and key elements in President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda.

    Niger Delta Report learnt that the beneficiaries were trained at Galilee International Institute, Israel and Songhai Integrated Farms, Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin, in many areas of farming, especially in poultry and fishery under the ministry’s skills acquisition training programme.

    One of the beneficiaries said: “In September 2010 we were selected to go for an overseas training by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Abuja. We were 86 in number; 34 of us were sent to Israel and the rest (52) were sent to Port Novo in Benin Republic. We spent one month learning mechanised and commercial agriculture.”

    Our source said shortly after they returned they were asked to present N5m business plan adding that trouble started brewing when the promised empowerment failed to materialise as soon as they had thought. The paltry N750,000 cheque was therefore the last stroke for the aggrieved trainees.

    “Since three years after undergoing training the officials of the ministry have been playing us like we are fools. Yesterday (Friday, January 17) they organised an empowerment programme in Warri, where we were supposed to get our funds.”

    At the ceremony held at Ishaka Hotel, Effurun, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, disbursed the cheque of N750,000 each to the trainees. Orubebe, who was represented by one of his aides, Mr Sam Osasa, explained that the purpose of the grant, was to make them self-reliant and self-dependable in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    He said, “Let me make a passionate and patriotic appeal to all beneficiaries, that, as pioneer/pilot products, you are expected to make judicious application of the financial empowerment that would be extended to you to justify government’s intention and investment and ensure the continuity and sustainability of the scheme to afford others the opportunity to benefit as well.”

    Speaking in the same vein, the Director in charge of Economic Empowerment Department in the ministry, Mr. Gboyega Olawoyin, said the ministry conceived the scheme to enable the beneficiaries to “become employers of labour and not job seekers.”

    He added: “With wise investment and prudent management of the resources at your disposal, you will go to places.”

    Immediately after the ceremony, a trainee from one of the eastern states hinted of insincerity in the programme. Our source said he and his colleagues suspect that the ministry’s officials were not telling them the whole truth about the programme.

    “All through our stay (in Israel and Benin Republic) we were always at loggerheads with the staff of the ministry over our daily allowance and upkeep. Little did we know that (it) was the beginning of massive lies, deception and corruption from the ministry.

    “The Federal Government budgeted over N900m for this program yet we were treated like animals. The officials made so much money from this program through inflated budget and outright deceit.

    “To our greatest disappointment we were given only N750,000 thereby deliberately short-changing us (of N2.25m). We were threatened not to go to the media to complain.”

    However, independent findings by our reporter revealed that the cheque presented to the beneficiaries in Effurun (Warri) could be the first of several payments as the ministry had promised to provide additional funds for beneficiaries upon satisfactory appraisal of their performance and the use of the initial grant.

    Osasa, who represented Orubebe, said: “As their (beneficiaries) process continues, they all will be evaluated at periodic intervals to ascertain possible areas of assistance to them. It is hoped that these measures would guarantee sustainable livelihood and add value to the human capital development efforts in the Niger Delta in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan administration.”

    In spite of the assurance, the farmers were not impressed. One of those from Bayelsa state hinged their disbelief on the dillydallying and bureaucracy that took over three years for their business plans and feasibility studies to be evaluated before they were paid the N750,000

    “Upon our arrival (in 2010), we were told to write business plans and feasibility study report of N5m for each of our projects. We wrote and submitted. We were shocked that it took years before they could settle us and then only for them to pay us a paltry sum of 750,000 each. How can one engage in mechanised farming with such an amount bearing in mind what we learnt in Israel? Nigeria is struggling to get out of subsistence farming and these officials who should know better are dragging us back to subsistence farming,” he added.

    Besides, the trainees wondered where the funds, which they claimed were budgeted for since 2010 had been kept while they waited to be paid. “Who have been receiving the interests?”

    “Please ask these pertinent questions: Why would the ministry spend so much money to train us abroad only to give us a very poor start-up fund? This should be seen within the context of operating the mechanised form of agriculture as our program schedule stated. What happens to the balance when very close to one billion naira was allocated for this programme? If the crisis is not resolved, we will not release the money.”

    The way things stand now, the last certainly have not been heard of this matter.

     

     

  • Osun Farmers’ Festival reflecting govt’s success in agric

    Osun Farmers’ Festival reflecting govt’s success in agric

    Rounding off the year 2013, in a grand style in Osogbo, farmers in Osun State have held their annual festival and food fair tagged farmers’ show.

    The ceremony held at the sprawling football field of the Technical College in Osogbo, the state capital last week was huge success. Farmers across the state came with their farm produce, raw and in processed form.

    The governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, his deputy, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and the Head of Service, Mr. Sunday Olayinka Owoeye, and the chief host, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Wale Adedoyin among others were in attendance.

    According to the Coordinator, Quick Intervention Programme (QIIP), Mr. Dele Ogundipe, the farmers’ show was a reflection of the Aregbesola administration’s success in agriculture.

    He said: “Governor Rauf Aregbesola has assisted farmers a lot. His administration had used many platforms like Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme (OREAP), Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP), Osun State Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEP) and many others to make farming attractive and lucrative. If we look at the number of participants at this year farmers’ show we can say without a contradiction that things have significantly improved in agriculture in the state. People were not forced or dragged to participate; they came of their own volition. For instance, rice would be grown twice a year unlike when it was once a year.”

    Enjoining more people, particularly youths to participate in farming, he said the state government’s resources are more focused than ever before on ensuring that farmers and the state are better off. By 2014 I can confidently say that there will be increase in agricultural production.”

    To achieve optimum result in supporting farmers, the state government has encouraged framers to form cooperative groups. Under QIIP, no fewer than 77 of such cooperative groups known as cluster farmers are in existence. In Ife Odan, 28 of such groups plant yam which are later processed into elubo (yam flour.)

    In Onilapa/Songbe, Egbedore Local Government Area, 22 cooperative groups of farmers plant rice. In Kuta, Ayedire Local Government, farmers in 20 cooperative groups plant vegetable and in Oyan, Odo-Otin Local Government, 20 cooperative groups of farmers plant sweet potatoes.

    When the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with his entourage was going round the pavilions to inspect product on exhibition, farmers interacted with him and some of them, apart from hailing him brought their challenges before him. Farmers in Iwo Local Government, who speacilaise in planting and exporting foreign vegetables like cucumber, water mellon, marrow, tonquer, candle, golden melon, sweet pepper and so on demanded marketing and financial support from the governor. Their leader, Mr. Kehinde Amuda, told Ogbeni Aregbesola to empower them because their products bring quick returns that youths are attracted to.

    In Ife East Local Government, farmers, who mainly specialise on cocoa production, told the governor that there was increase in their yield in the last two years, attributing the development to government’s favourable policies, availability of farm inputs like fertilisers and herbicide.

    However, an agricultural extension worker, who preferred not to be mentioned complained that there are lots of “political farmers,” who deprived the real farmers access to inputs and consequently reduce the farmers’ productivity. He advised that when the government is giving out loans and other inputs the agricultural extension workers should always be involved because they are the ones who could identify the real farmers.

     

  • ‘Let’s prioritise agric, industries’

    ‘Let’s prioritise agric, industries’

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has appealed for the rejuvenation of agriculture, local industries and commerce as a way of ending the nation’s over-reliance on crude oil as its main source of revenue. The governor pointed out the danger of shunning agriculture, indigenous industries and commerce in preference for exhaustible oil.

    The governor called on the federal government and other state governments in the country to think about the next generation by diversifying the economy away from the oil sector.

    Okorocha made the call while addressing some traditional rulers who paid him a solidarity visit at the government house, owerri.

    He was not happy that many people have abandoned agriculture which according to him had accounted for more than 80% of the country’s foreign earnings and attributed this to the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in the country.

    Governor Okorocha said that the country had depended on the revenue from the oil sector for a long time saying that if nothing was done to improve the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors with the oil money, there will be no hope for future generation of the country.

    The state chief executive announced that part of the programme of his administration is to provide an enabling environment for private individuals who want to establish industry and is determined to establish at least ten industries before the expiration of its tenure.

    He further announced plans to revolutionalise agriculture in the state by ensuring that the state becomes self sufficient in food production and also boost the production of palm produce to improve the country’s foreign earnings.

    Governor Okorocha then called for the cooperation of all in the state to enable his administration take the state to the peak of infrastructural and economic development.