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Tag: Chief Audu Ogbeh

  • FG sign pact to deliver 10, 000 tractors to rural farmers in 774  

    ….Firm unveils plan on local tractor assembling

     

    The Federal Government Thursday signed an agreement with an international tractor manufacturing firm to provide 10, 000 tractors for rural farmers in the country.

    The project will ensure effective delivery of the tractors to farmers in the 774 Local Governments through 2,500 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises (AEHE) to be established in the LGs.

    At the pact signing among the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigerian Agricultural Mechanization and Equipment Leasing Company (NAMEL) and John Deere in Abuja, the Agriculture Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh said for over 30 years, the federal government repeatedly made efforts to addressing mechanization challenge in the country which unfortunately failed and contributed adversely to development of the sector.

    Describing the initiative as first segment of the AIMS scheme, Ogbeh explained that the project will be closely monitored as farm inputs are being distributed across the local governments.

    He said the solution newly invented will help increase food production with expectation to realize 1 million tractors in 15 years.

    “We have invented something because I do not see any country in Africa that wants to grow its agriculture that can avoid adopting the method Tractors Owners and Hiring Facility Association of Nigeria (TOHFAN) have perfected in the last four years. Managing to rise from five tractors to almost 600 is a feat. If you want to know how difficult it is to own and operate a tractor, try and buy one,” Ogbeh said.

    Read Also:Herdsmen kill three police officers, eight farmers in Nasarawa

    He applauded the farm equipment hiring associations for their ingenuity stressing need to improve on the relationship with John Deere.

    “In the next 15 years, we should be looking at something close to a million tractors in this country because dry season and irrigation agriculture has to grow. Not every farmer needs a tractor, not every farmer should or can afford a tractor and since the bulk of our farmers are small holders, they rely on the services you provide,” he added.

    The minister appealed to the firm to consider establishing fabrication and assembling plants in the country adding that the country had renewed efforts to fix the local steel industry.

    He argued that the population of 450 million people in 30 years is a good market for the firm to explore.

    The Managing Director in charge of Sub Saharan Africa for John Deere, Mr. Jason Brantley at the meeting disclosed plans by the firm to set up assembling plants in Nigeria and ensure technological transfer.

    Brantley said the Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement is expected to ensure easy deployment of high quality mechanized equipment to the farmers with support from the AEHE .

    Through smart campaign, the partnership according to him was to expand farmers’ access to farm machines in order to improve yields and make more money.

    “On access to financing, we will offer local currency financing under 10 per cent which is almost unheard of. The reliability and support is built into the machines so that they run – tractors don’t run or feed anybody, they have to run and it takes a significant investment we prepared to make that a reality.

    “Every of these tractors will have hello tractor telematics solutions to enable efficient management, operation and maintenance. We have plans to train the operators and technicians. That’s what we are bringing to the table,” Brantley said.

    “It is part of this agreement; we will all establish assembling facility in Nigeria for John Deere equipment.  Plans are on the way to do that is quickly as possible. So we will begin assembling all the tractors and implements. They will be put together by Nigerians in the country and we will be adding value. That creates a foundation we can continue to grow as the industry grows,” he added.

  • FG to reopen existing grazing reserves to address farmers/herdsmen crisis

    The Federal Government says it will reopen the existing grazing reserves to address farmers-herdsmen clashes across the country.

    Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this while speaking to newsmen on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the agriculture sector in three year.

    Ogbeh said that although some of the 415 gazetted grazing reserves in the country had been encroached on, there was still about three million hectares of land available for cattle grazing reserves.

    “We have to get it sorted out and we are starting work in another week or two to reopen the old grazing reserves.

    “At a time at the end of the first republic, there were 415 of them even as far down as the South West and South East.

    “Today, they have been encroached upon (but) we still have three million hectares available for cattle grazing reserves, that is more than the cattle in Nigeria needs.

    “The problem is that over the years, we forgot that these herdsmen were going to become a problem.

    ”Later in life and especially, this new attitude by herdsmen that when they enter your farm, they should be free to eat your crops and you have no right to challenge them.

    “That is a new phenomenon which we find extremely disturbing that when they do so, if you complain they can shoot you.

    “That was not so many years ago which is why we simply have to deal with the matter now.

    “But the final message to Nigerians is that we have no choice but to produce enough food to feed ourselves so that the average family does not spend more than 20 per cent of its earnings buying food.

    ”As it is, it almost 60 per cent that people spend buying food. It is too expensive and its not sustainable.’’

    The minister said that the government would bring in cashew nuts processing machines to enable the country double her export earnings from N800 million dollars to 1.7 billion dollars annually.

    “We send raw cashews to Vietnam and India; they process, create jobs and make two and half times the profit that we make.

    “Vietnam earns 3.5 billion dollars a year from cashew nuts bought from Africa from Nigeria, Ghana, Cote de’Ivoire, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and Tanzania so, why can’t we process.’’

    Ogbeh said the Federal Government had launched a programme known as `LIFE’, to empower the rural areas by providing processing machines to women and youths cooperatives to add value to what they produce. (NAN)

  • Farmers-herdsmen clashes: Army deploys special forces

    Farmers-herdsmen clashes: Army deploys special forces

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, says the Nigerian Army has deployed Troops to help stem the clashes between farmers and herdsmen across three states and stabilise them.

    Buratai said this at the official inauguration of the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranch and Presentation of Farm Implement to the Army by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Giri on Tuesday.

    He listed the states where the troops had been sent to as Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa, noting that the Army would support the Federal Government to stem the clashes.

    According to him, once the nation attains food security, all other forms of insecurity including insurgency in the North-East, militancy, kidnapping and other forms of security issues would be reduced.

    Buratai said the Barracks Initiative Programme which was initiated by him, was aimed at cultivating the culture of investment in the agricultural value chain by officers and soldiers of the Army and their families, as well as providing jobs for the youth in the barracks.

    “As at today, we have almost 1000 herds of cattle within the Nigerian Army Barracks and formations. This is one of the ranches scattered in all the Nigerian Army formations.

    “We are ready to support the Federal Government to stabilise the farmers’ herdsmen clashes across the country.

    “We are tasking our Special Forces to ensure that everywhere they are deployed across the country at short notice, they stem the conflict.

    “We have properly deployed across Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States within the axis where we have the conflict. Once there is peace, the development of agriculture will thrive for the good of our country.

    “Areas such as ranching, fisheries, poultry, production of eggs and meat, greenhouses and plantation are now practised in most barracks of the Nigerian Army,’’ he said.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, commended the Nigerian Army for its agricultural initiative.

    He assured them of the ministry’s commitment toward providing them with farm implements as well as equipment to boost both milk and meat production for their animals.

    “This is can be done because the Army has done it. We can’t thank you enough.

    “I have been telling people that this kind of initiative is a solution to these farmers-herdsmen clashes.

    “We will stand by you; we will plant trees for you. When cows roam in the bush, they come in contact with different diseases.

    “One of the reasons we don’t have enough meat and milk is because our cattle roam. This is something for us to be proud of as a country.

    “We will bring you more machines for making feeds.

    “We will send our team to you to commence artificial insemination to improve the breed of the cattle and milk production.

    “To farmers, politicians, journalists, this is an example to follow,’’ Ogbeh said.

    The minister handed over 25 tonnes of compounded ruminant feed, reaper, crushing machine and pasture seeds to the Army to assist them in the venture.

  • Killer Herdsmen: Fed Govt set to establish Cattle colonies

    Killer Herdsmen: Fed Govt set to establish Cattle colonies

    In order to check herdsmen farmers persistent clashes, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said the  Federal Government is ready to establish cattle colonies.

    The initiative is expected to provide sustainable solution to the herdsmen/farmers killings across the country.

    Ogbeh disclosed this yesterday during a 2-day retreat organised by Synergos for special advisers and directors in the ministry in Abuja.

    He assured that needed facilities and supports such as water and grasses would be provided for the herdsmen and their cattle.

    The Minister explained that the cattle colony project would commence immediately following the offer of five hectares of land from  16 state Governors in the country.

    He added that President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to help the ministry with needed fund for the project, adding that no other sector is capable of creating jobs for the unemployed.

    While he debunked claims that 4 million jobs were lost last one year, Ogbeh argued that over 6 million jobs were created in the agric sector only, adding that Hibiscus also known as Zobo earned the nation’s farmers about $35 million last year as demand continues to increase.

    “On the issue of cattle we have to start immediately, 16 states have given us land to work on. The programme is not going to be cheap. Mr President has personally informed me that if we seek help from him he will give it to us over and above the budget we have, and when that budget is released I plead with all of you to come on board to work hard to achieve results.

    “We are talking of cattle colonies not ranches so to speak, where we will provide water, grass, training for herdsmen, cattle breeding and insemination.

    “We have to deal with an urgent problem, cattle rearing and the conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, and actually bring it to a halt. I know that some people argue that the culture of open grazing is our culture, but when a culture begins to develop dangerous trends leading to warfare between people and bloody clashes and death that culture is due for re-examination; if it is harmful we reform it.

     “Nigerians are getting extremely uncomfortable with these killings and we may make political statements and issue palliatives and ask the police and army to go after killers. Let us do our own duty by eliminating the conflict by creating cattle colonies.”

    According to the Minister 2018 Frontiers for the sector will focus on new plantations for cashew nuts, also relaunch of cocoa that will move the country up from number seven to number one in the next five years, improve fertilizer blending, which micro nutrients will be included.

    The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Bukar Hassan, in his remarks revealed that Nigeria will soon export organic fertilizer to Europe in February 2018, Hassan made this known while he called on ministers’ aide and civil servants to work together, because the ministry has enormous work to deliver Buhari’s change agenda before 2019 elections.

    In his remarks, the Synergos Country Representative,  Adewale Ajadi, called on directors and political advisers in the ministry to synergise and work assiduously and not to allow politics distract what has commenced.

    Ajadi urged the federal, state and local governments to work together and have proper coordination of activities and policies in the sector.

  • Miyetti-Allah seek Minister’s support on Cattle tracking bill

    Miyetti-Allah seek Minister’s support on Cattle tracking bill

    The National President, Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore Fulani cultural association, Alh. Bello Bodejo has called on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh to support the bill for an Act to establish the National Animal Identification Bureau.

    Bodejo during a briefing, Monday at the National headquarters of the association in Nasarawa, said it would address lingering crisis confronting the livestock sector, especially the clashes between farmers and herdsmen when passed into law.

    He explained that the bureau would encourage innovations such as tracking, identification and labeling of cattle among other functions.

    The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development recently, through Senator Abu Ibrahim, sponsored a bill that will ensure animal tracking, registration and identifications but was rejected by the Minister on the basis of dual responsibility, as a department of livestock already exist in the ministry.

    Bodejo said: “The idea of creating an agency is to ensure there is identification, tracking and management of livestock in this country. It is an internationally best practise because if that agency is in place, every Cattle you have in this country will carry a chip. So the question of someone trespassing into a farm and you don’t know him will no longer be there.

    “It will address the security problem. If you say Cattle has trespassed into a farm, arrest one and then the chip will identify the owners and if they rustle Cattle, it’s just to activate and you know where your Cattle are.

    “All abattoirs will not accept Cattle that are not tagged. The technology will address lack of accountability and this issue of unknown gunmen.”

    Reacting to claims that there is an existing department in charge of livestock and Poultry in the ministry, which caters for concerns of the pastoralists, he emphasised that the department already failed in its duties.

    Describing the situation as a deliberate sabotage, he claimed of an underlining politics stressing that most officers in charge of policies in the livestock department had background in crops production.

    “They have this bias on livestock. The Minister should see that policy as a complementary one because there are technological companies that have this innovation to tag Cattle for the identification purpose,” Bodejo added

    In his remarks, Secretary of the association, Engr. Alhassan Saleh insisted on their disapproval on the Anti-Open Grazing law.

    He said it was a deliberate action to chase the pastoralists out of Benue, stressing that both farmers and pastoralists are interested in the equal share of the natural resources.

    Saleh, who blamed the Federal Government of being partial in the share of budgetary allocation called for proper attention to the livestock industry.

    He said the industry was not getting needed attention both from local and international partners aside from government bias.

    Speaking on the livestock bureau, he said the department should be unbundled from the ministry and created as an independent body.

    “As it is today, the psychology and body language of Audu Ogbeh is not ready to bring any positive support to the pastoralists and that’s the truth.”

    National Coordinator, Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Garus Gololo accused the Benue State Government to have sidelined the association before implementing the anti-open grazing law.

    He called for an holistic approach to solving problems of both pastoralists and the farmers.

  • Minister mischievous against Cattle tracking bill, Says Miyetti-Allah

    The National President, Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore Fulani cultural association, Alh. Bello Bodejo has said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh is either mischievous or ignorant of the essence of the bill for an Act to establish the National Animal Identification Bureau.

    Bodejo during a briefing, yesterday at the National headquarters of the association in Nasarawa, said the Minister should have supported it rather than condemning the bill.

    He noted that the bill when passed into law would address lingering crisis confronting the livestock sector, especially the clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

    According to him, the bureau would encourage innovations such as tracktracking cing and labelling of cattle up to the abattoirs.

    The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development recently, through Senator Abu Ibrahim, sponsored a bill that will ensure animal tracking, registration and identifications but was rejected by the Minister on the basis of dual responsibility, as a department of livestock already exist in the ministry.

    Bodejo said: “The idea of creating an agency is to ensure there is identification, tracking and management of livestock in this country. It is an internationally best practise because if that agency is in place, every Cattle you have in this country will carry a chip. So the question of someone trespassing into a farm and you don’t know him will no longer be there.

    “It will address the security problem. If you say Cattle has trespassed into a farm, arrest one and then the chip will identify the owners and if they rustle Cattle, it’s just to activate and you know where your Cattle are.

    “All abattoirs will not accept Cattle that are not tagged. The technology will address lack of accountability and this issue of unknown gunmen.”

    Reacting to claims that there is an existing department in charge of livestock and Poultry in the ministry, which caters for concerns of the pastoralists, he emphasised that the department already failed in its duties.

    Describing the situation as a deliberate sabotage, he claimed of an underlining politics stressing that most officers in charge of policies in the livestock department had background in crops production.

    “They have this bias on livestock. The Minister should see that policy as a complementary one because there are technological companies that have this innovation to tag Cattle for the identification purpose,” Bodejo added

    In his remarks, Secretary of the association, Engr. Alhassan Saleh insisted on their disapproval on the Anti-Open Grazing law.

    He said it was a deliberate action to chase the pastoralists out of Benue, stressing that both farmers and pastoralists are interested in the equal share of the natural resources.

    Saleh, who blamed the Federal Government of being partial in the share of budgetary allocation called for proper attention to the livestock industry.

    He said the industry was not getting needed attention both from local and international partners aside from government bias.

    Speaking on the livestock bureau, he said the department should be unbundled from the ministry and created as an independent body.

    “As it is today, the psychology and body language of Audu Ogbeh is not ready to bring any positive support to the pastoralists and that’s the truth.”

    National Coordinator, Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Garus Gololo accused the Benue State Government to have sidelined the association before implementing the anti-open grazing law.

    He called for an holistic approach to solving problems of both pastoralists and the farmers.

  • Achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2018

    One of the promises of this administration which many Nigerians have held on to was that of making Nigeria self-sufficient in the local production of rice by the year 2018.

    The government, which was worried that Nigeria was fast becoming a dumping ground for different types of rice from various parts of the globe, was determined to change the tide.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh in March, said “Nigerians have discovered that Nigerian rice is better than rice from Thailand and Vietnam, which are the largest producers of rice in the world.

    “We are in a rivalry with the two countries for now and we will soon overtake them in rice production and take over the market from them.

    “People in Thailand do not eat parboiled rice but white rice. So, all the parboiled rice they produce is exported to Nigeria. Nigeria is the biggest consumer of imported rice in the world.” he added

    The government then introduced various measures to encourage and boost local rice production while efforts were also made to check influx of foreign rice importation into the country.

    Apart from hoping to save foreign exchange for such rice importation, the government also planned to create jobs opportunities for Nigerian youth through such rice cultivation, packaging, storage, distribution and sales.

    The government, through the processes, specifically aimed to crash the price per bag of rice in the country.

    But few months to the 2018 target year for rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, many factors are still working against its realization.

    Despite the fact that many Nigerians have gone back to farming including rice production, stopping rice smuggling into the country has remained a major challenge.

    While the product still easily find its way to the Nigerian market through the country’s porous borders, the price of the product has remained relatively high in the last two years.

    Ogbeh last Wednesday hinted that new measures will be taken to check influx of foreign rice into the country in order to achieve government target in rice production.

    He said “The other issue was the question of smuggling. In Mr. President’s speech to the National Assembly yesterday, he gave very strong warning about smugglers who bring in unauthorized commodities through the unauthorized borders into the country.

    “We have to deal with that because, while we are making a great deal of progress in our grains productions, smugglers are busy compromising the success we have achieved.

    “Between September 2015 and now, rice importation through the ports has dropped from 644,131, tones to 20,000 tones in September, this year.

    “This means that by the early part of next year, we can literally say, that we are closed to total self-sufficiency in rice.

    “On the other hand, to the west of Nigeria, rice importation has increased to 1.33 million tones. At the Republic of Benin, they don’t eat parboiled rice but the white rice. So, every grain of rice landing there is heading for Nigeria through illegal smuggling.

    “Some of it also come in through Niger Republic. These are issues we have to deal with because we are creating jobs through our local rice production. There are 12.2 million rice farmers in the country now.” he added

    On specific measures to tackle smuggling, he said “There is an MoU between Nigeria and Republic of Benin, entered into, when former President Obasanjo was in office, that we would work together not to compromise each other,s interest.

    “That MoU has not been implemented fully, so we are going to take it up. Already, the Vice President has been working with the Committee which he heads and he is working with the Minister of Finance, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service and also the Ministry of Agriculture.”

    Speaking on the price of locally produced rice, he said “I was in the largest mill in the country in Kano two days ago, they were selling rice for N15,000 for 50kg.

    “You know your country very well, there are middlemen who do all kinds of things and I told the millers to increase the number of their distributors because there is no point saying it is N15,000 in their factory when out there, somebody is hoarding.

    “The same thing happened to maize. Some people filled their warehouses with maize and shut the place so that the prices were so high that poultry farmers could not get access to maize in the market.

    “So, people went to import, crash the prices and they started complaining. There is no where rice is selling for N20,000.” he said

    It is hoped that the new moves will be successful as many Nigerians are anxiously waiting to experience and benefit from Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in rice production.

    They also want to see crashing of the prices of the various kilograms sacks of rice and more employment opportunities generated in the agricultural sector.

    Also, they want same treatment extended to other agricultural produce in the country in order to make living  more bearable.

    To many of them, that is the actual signal that will show that Nigeria has truly exited economic recession.

    For now, many are confused and found it difficult to reconcile how Nigeria could be out of economic recession with prices of goods and services still very high.

     

    Buhari and 2018

    Budget presentation 

    Not a few Nigerians were thrilled by the presentation of the 2018 Budget proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari to the joint session of the National Assembly last Tuesday.

    They were mainly thrilled by two things concerning the 2018 Budget proposal presentation.

    The first issue was how President Buhari stood at a stretch for about one hour and seventeen minutes reading the budget speech. For the President to have spent a better part of half of the year on medical vacation in London and the various reports on the social media on his ill health, it beat the imagination of some Nigerians who were shocked that a ‘sick’ man could stand for long.

    After standing for that long during the budget presentation, those in doubts concerning the President’s health before last Tuesday must have come to terms with the reality of the President’s fitness.

    While the President was receiving standing ovation from the lawmakers at the end of the budget presentation in the chamber, his supporters outside were glorifying God for His miracle in the President’s life.

    Others also could not help but attribute the President’s fitness as exhibited last Tuesday to his military training and background.

    The second issue that marvelled some Nigerians about the budget proposal presentation was the effort to return the budget cycle to January – December.

    Even though some Nigerians believed that the focus of the government should be on full implementation of the 2017 Budget as the year runs out, the government for the first time ensured that the 2018 Budget proposal was ready for presentation to the National Assembly by October 2017.

    In the past, budget proposal presentations were often done in December while they were usually passed by the National Assembly between February and May the following year thereby making full budget implementation between January and December difficult to attain.

  • British experts to train Nigerians on yam exportation – Minister

    British experts to train Nigerians on yam exportation – Minister

    The Federal Government says it will invite British experts to train exporters on best export packaging requirements to reduce cases of yam rejection at the international markets.

    Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this during a meeting with yam exporters in Abuja on Thursday.

    Ogbeh said the training, to be funded by the Federal Government, would enable the experts to educate yam exporters on what they want, how they want it and the rules to reduce challenges faced during the trade.

    The minister appealed to yam exporters to always ensure that their products meet the required standard before exportation, adding that the future of the country depended on agro-exports and solid minerals.

    He apologised to the exporters for the pains experienced during exportation of yams to other countries.

    “I was talking to the British and they said they would come here and discuss with us on how to package exports.

    “We will invite them at our cost and invite all of you from all over the country.

    “Maybe we will meet in three locations, go through two or three days workshop on what they want, how they want it, what the rules are.

    “Once we reach an agreement, we will eliminate all obstacles in the way of exporters,’’ he said.

    On negative media reports concerning yam exports in the country, he said “he was going to continue with his work adding that he believed he was doing the right thing.

    “Nigerians want good governance and they want their leaders to perform and when you start to do it, then they will say that you are now a criminal.

    “A society that doesn’t have interest in history can’t make any progress. We are trying to create new avenues to earn foreign exchange and what all see is a lot of irritating materials in the media.”

    The minister said that the country produced 70 percent of the world’s yams while Ghana accounted for only 5 percent.

    Ogbeh advised exporters to begin talks with some courier and shipping agencies like DHL to facilitate yam exports.

    He said that the Federal Government would address issues surrounding the increasing number of regulatory agencies at the ports to ensure the smooth transition during export.

    Earlier, Prof Simon Irtwange, the Chairman, Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme, lamented the high cost being experienced by yam exporters.

    He expressed the readiness of exporters to adhere to the yam export requirements to meet international standards.

    Irtwange said that British Airways had given the committee a bill of N680, 000 per tonne for the transportation of yams to the U.S. and N330, 000 per tonne to the United Kingdom.

    The chairman appealed for support of the Federal Government to reduce the expenses.

    Dr Vincent Isegbe, the Coordinating Director of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), said that the service would soon release bulletins to educate exporters on conditions to be met before yam exportation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), NAQS, were represented at the meeting.

  • FG to arrest operators selling sub-standard seeds to farmers

    FG to arrest operators selling sub-standard seeds to farmers

    The Federal Government (FG) will henceforth arrest operators of companies which sell fake and sub-standard seeds to farmers, Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, says.

    The minister made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

    Ogbeh regretted that continuous use of poor and sub-standard seeds and poor agronomic practices were the reasons for poor yields experienced by farmers.

    He added that “seed companies must know that if they sell anything fake and the farmer plants it and we discover that it is not genuine, they can be arrested.”

    He said the government would establish extension offices and train 10 officers from each local government areas across the country to teach farmers to sound agronomy practices.

    “We will have input suppliers or agro-dealers in every local government council; we will advertise for the private sector to come and open centres where farmers can get seeds, chemicals, fertilisers, tractors and other equipment.

    “We are asking council areas to help us before we start building. Once that is done, every farmer will know where to buy seeds.

    “These input dealers will link up with seed companies and research institutes, take seeds from them and sell to farmers.”

    According to him, it is important for extension officers to show farmers how to plant seeds.

    “There is also the need for them to educate farmers on the kind of fertiliser to apply, how to irrigate where irrigation is necessary and the kind of pest control chemicals to use.

    “There is no reason why farmers should fail to have a good harvest.

    “We just have to get away from hunger as quickly as possible; we have to move away from this anxiety about whether we can feed ourselves or not.”

    Ogbeh said Federal Government would also engage the various seed research institutes and Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) to engage in large-scale production of improved seeds and training of seed breeders.

    The minister, who announced that Federal Government would not adopt Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in its agriculture policies, for now, noted that engaging in hybrid and improved seeds production was the only option.

    He said “Nigerians are not yet comfortable with GMO seeds. We are using high breed seeds. There may be future for GMOs, but debates are still on.

    “Europeans are not comfortable with that; Americans and Brazilians have no quarrels with that and they are doing very well.

    “And someday, maybe we will resolve it but Nigerians are extremely sensitive about GMOs, so I rather be on the side of Nigerians for now.

    “ FG will not adopt GMOs in agriculture policies for now, but we are watching to see if we can one day take a position on whether we are going GMO or not.”

  • Ogbeh wants NPS to embark on agriculture to boost inmates’ feeding

    Ogbeh wants NPS to embark on agriculture to boost inmates’ feeding

    The Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has appealed to the Nigerian Prisons Service(NPS) to aggressively embark on agricultural production to improve feeding of inmates.

    Ogbeh made the appeal at a sensitisation workshop for officers of the service organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Abuja yesterday.

    The minister, represented by Alhaji Muyiwa Azeez, the Director, Agribusiness, Processing & Marketing in the ministry, said the workshop was aimed at building a world class economy through agriculture.

    The minister said that adopting all-inclusive agricultural practices, which should involve both retiring and serving officers, would help in boosting food production and cut costs for the government.

    According to him, Section five of the 1999 constitution allows government officers including civil servants to go into agriculture without interference.

    He said: “We have 79 million hectares of land but less than 40 per cent of them are being utilised. We want to equip you to be prepared for a better life in and out of service.

    “We want you to go into livestock farming, crops farming, fertiliser manufacturing, storage and processing of agricultural produce.

    “We will train, help and assist you to access loans to achieve this.’’

    The Comptroller-General of the Service, Mr. Ja’afaru Ahmed, commended Ogbeh for the initiative aimed at involving military and para-military officers in agriculture.

    Ahmed was represented by Mrs. Dorothy Atajiri, the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of the Directorate of Health and Social Welfare in the service.