The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • FADAMA gives input to 8,000 farmers

    Niger State Fadama 111 Additional Financing Project have distributed farm inputs to over 8,000 farmers this year to boost agricultural produce in the state.

    The state Project Coordinator, Aliyu Usman Kutigi made this known  at the opening of a workshop on ‘Developing the Rice and Sorghum Value Chains under the Niger state FADAMA project” in Minna.

    According to him, the farmers who were mainly sorghum and rice farmers were supported with the inputs in the bid of developing and supporting the rice and Sorghum value chains in the state.

    Kutigi also said that over 2, 000 farmers have been trained and desks officers have been trained in various capacity building trainings which was aimed at strengthening their capacities in the execution of their primary functions.

    He urged the participants of the workshop to utilize every medium in towards improving their productivity to enable them bring positive changes into the spectrum of rice and Sorghum value chain and disemminate vital agricultural information to the farmers.

    The Coordinator expressed the determination of FADAMA in improving the overall agricultural productivity a d the general improvement in the socio-econnomic well-being of small farmers throughout the state.

    In his address, the Executive Director of Nagarta Nigeria Limited, AlhajiSalihu Yusuf said that the e capacity workshop of the desk officers and farmers in order to keep them abreast of world best practices.

  • Poultry farmers moan over feed cost

    With feed accounting for between 60 and 70 percent of production costs, poultry farmers are struggling with  high costs, Group Head, Policy & Strategy, Amo Byng Nigeria Limited, Francis Toromade, has said.

    He noted that corn and soybean meal — two key ingredients that make up almost 80 per cent of poultry feed — are volatile commodities.

    A tonne of locally-produced maize, he said, sells for N130,000 while the imported ones goes for N105,000. Because of this, he said poultry farmers had resorted to importing corn.

    Speaking in Lagos, Toromade said the industry’s challenges were unprecedented as the business was more complex, with the challenge of increasing corn export to neighbouring countries.

    The impact, according to him, has led to a drop in profits, pushing some farmers out of business. Eggs and chicken are among the cheapest and most-widely consumed protein staples in Nigeria.

    In the meantime, the Coordinator, Natnupreneur, Mr. Gbolade Adewole.  said his organisation was working with local farmers to increase domestic poultry production.

    According to him, a spell of bad weather or shortage in production wyll send corn and soybean meal prices rocketing.

  • Kogi farmers, govt bicker over N2m Anchor Borrowers’ scheme

    There appears to be a sharp disagreement between some farmers in Kogi and the state government in the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) Anchor Borrowers’ programme. There are allegations that beneficiaries are being shortchanged.

    Some of the farmers under the scheme are crying foul over the programme implementation, alleging that they were denied the N2 million grant component of the scheme about a year after farming equipment were released by the state government.

    They claimed that soon after the takeoff of the Anchor Borrowers’ programme, the government announced a slash in the grant to N200,000 and later to N75,000, adding that they were however yet to access any of the money.

    Speaking with The Nation in Lokoja, the state capital, one of the aggrieved farmers, Mr. Francis Angulu said that the government has put them in a dilemma, “having invested so much in the enterprise”.

    He further alleged that farming inputs, including seedlings were sold to them at exorbitant rate by the government appointed consultants.

    He listed some of the rates at which they bought the input to include: Rice seeds – N20,000, NPK (four bags) – N34,000, urea (two bags) – N17,000, emstate (three liters) – N6,000, AgricShop – N6,000, Ag-zyme – N6,000, water pump – N55,650 and bird nets (six) – N27,000.

    The government in a swift reaction however debunked the allegations, saying that the farmers rather went about the Anchor Borrowers’ programne with an entirely wrong mindset.

    The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Kehinde Toba, said six months after the takeoff, the farmers were unable to show evidence of harvest from their rice paddies, while some of them outright sold the inputs provided them by the government, not minding that the programme is profit-oriented.

    He said, “I began as supervisory commissioner late December (2016). As at the time, Anchor programme was already on. I met them packaging it. There was dry season farming, and equipment given in February, and by June you ought to be getting harvest from the rice paddies.

    “When they took the input, some of them did not even plant, some were even selling the equipment. It is not a purely state arrangement, the CBN is backing it. And, with what they saw, the suppliers are asking for their money. So, we beckoned on them to return the equipment, since they are not using it.

    “That is something with some of them; they believe it is their share of the ‘National Cake’. They should even be sued for breach of contract. We can’t be wasting taxpayers’ money. How can I write to government to bring money; that is not how we run government here. How can they say there is foul play? There is no foul play here in Kogi State on the Anchor Borrowers’ programme”.

    Under the programme as rolled out by the CBN, six commodities, namely, rice, wheat, maize, soya beans, cotton and fish were to be cultivated by the farmers, and while their counterparts in places like Kebbi have been receiving commendations by their government over their success in its implementation, such appears not to be the case in Kogi.

     

  • Firm trains 650,000 farmers

    A multi-national non-governmental organisation (NGO), TechnoServe, in collaboration with Syngenta Agribusiness, has trained over 650,000 farmers in the 19 northern states to keep them abreast of modern agricultural technology best practices.

    The President of TechnoServe, Mr. William Warshauer, disclosed this during a tour of Bagwai and Bichi Local Government Areas in Kano State where he inspected the demonstration plots of farmlands grown by the trainee farmers under the programme which is based on the need to embrace the hybrid seedlings for improved production in tomato farming.

    Speaking on the activities of TechnoServe, Mr. Warshauer said, “50 years ago, TechnoServe was founded on the premise that enterprising men and women farmers in Nigeria and, indeed, across the globe, sometimes need just a little help to increase their income to little knowledge. We see a better way to apply the fertilizer today. Sometimes, they need a little access to market; they need someone to buy their crop. If you can help them in this way for a couple of years, they will earn more and their families would be in a better position. That is why we were founded 50 years ago and that is what we do, not only in Nigeria, but in many countries across Africa and the world at large.”

    On how TechnoServe has been touching the lives of farmers, he stated that, “well, over our 50 years of establishment, certainly, we have been able to touch the lives of millions of farmers and their families. We have worked in Nigeria now for about 10 years and we have covered most of the Nigerian states. Thousands of farmers are working on tomatoes and catfish and many other crops under the TechnoServe initiatives. Through our PROPCOM project, we have touched about 650,000 farmers in the 19 northern states of Nigeria.”

    The TechnoServe boss also said that the organization has not only helped farmers in capacity building, but has also linked them to direct markets opportunities where they buy their hybrid seedlings and also exhibit their farm outputs. According to him, “buying hybrid seedlings and marketing farm outputs is a common problem we see all over the world. However, there are a number of strategies that farmers can use in growing their crops in different circles and different season and harvesting at different times and thereby, finding better ways to store their products. We also help them in doing off-take agreement with larger buyers. It is a real problem but there are number of strategies that can be used to address it.”

    On TechnoServe packages to farmers, he said, “Our package is mostly about skills acquisition, basic knowledge of modern farming and market connection. We are not an agency that goes round giving away incentives which is sometimes unpopular, but we believe in the long run. People can acquire skills, they need to get the market connection, they need access to finance sometimes and that is what will allow them feed their families not just today, not just this growing season but for the years and decades to come.”

    He, however added that, “TechnoServe in Nigeria has been able to support farmers in the areas of accessing quality inputs in hybrid seedlings, training and agronomy practices and also support farmers in Nigeria on harvesting, market linkages, as well as post-harvesting, in which most of the farmers are almost abandoning the old practice of using seedlings that are not of hybrid quality on their farms.”

    Warshauer, further explained that the organisation has set up 16 demonstration plots on rice and tomatoes production, where over 1,500 farmers, including women, have been trained on the hybrid farming project which lasted for one year.

    On his assessment about Nigerian farmers, Mr. Warshauer stated that, “as I see in Nigeria, there is great energy and determination. I feel encouraged after the visit today. Though tomatoes are still early days but they look healthy and there should be a very good yield for farmers so I am very encouraged from what I have seen on ground today. You see, Nigerian farmers are very hardworking people. I have worked with them and I can say that they are always ready to learn new agricultural technologies. They can embrace positive changes in agribusiness and I think I am proud of them because their future and the future of agriculture in Nigeria are bright.”

    The TechnoServe president added that the organisation’s activities are mostly funded by Syngenta, a global agribusiness that produces agrochemicals and seeds. He described TechnoServe as an international nonprofit that promotes business solutions to poverty in the developing world by linking people to information on how to develop capital and markets for their agricultural products.

    The District Head of Bagwai town, Alhaji Nura Shehu Ahmad, said, “We are happy to feel the presence of TechnoServe in our town. Your intervention has not only brought joy to our farmers and families, but has also increased economic activities in our town. Before now, we record a lot of wastages of our farm produce because of lack of knowledge in processing and storage as well as lack of market; but now, we have overcome all those challenges with the help of TechnoServe. We are, indeed, very grateful.”

    The farmers expressed joy for benefitting from the TechnoServe training. One of them, Alhaji Yusuf Jadda, who spoke on their behalf said, “We are happy with this intervention. We are grateful to TechnoServe to have introduced us to the hybrid seedlings and other modern farming techniques. With this TechnoServe initiative, we now see farming as a serious business. We earn a living through commercial farming as we have been adequately trained on the nitty-gritty of modern farming and its best practices.”

  • ‘10,000 farmers can’t access N350m donor fund’

    •Govt: allegation untrue 

    Ten thousand farmers in Edo State cannot access the N350 million donor fund, Edo North Coordinator of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Alhaji Mohammed Oshiobugie has said.

    Oshiobugie, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, said the government failed to pay the N94 million counterpart fund for Fadama III and Rural Finance Institution Project (RUFIN).

    He noted that while other states enjoyed additional financing from FADAMA III , this doesn’t apply to Edo.

    The AFAN coordinator said a similar thing applied to RUFIN where government had not remitted the N12 million counterfund.

    “The challenge this poses to farmers is that they have been denied access to about N350 million.

    “The effect of this is that 10, 000 farm families have been left on their own.

    “I wonder if this is the government’s plan for farmers; its plan to create 200,000 jobs in next four years,” he said.

    According to Oshiobugie , majority of those being planned for employment are from the agriculture sector.

    He said farmers did not understand the policy direction of the government, as it concerned agriculture.

    The coordinator urged the government to involve farmers in agric policies, to give farmers a sense of purpose.

    He noted that most agricultural policies failed due to non-involvement of farmers.

    Oshiobugie said the government must adopt present trend of agricultural implementation; the Community Demand Driven (CDD) approach, same as the Bottom Top approach.

    “This enables farmers to be at the driver’s seat of agricultural programmes and project implementation.

    “This system ensures quality implementation and success of any proposed agricultural policy.”

    He lamented that the government is yet to inaugurate this year’s farming season and make fertilisers available to farmers.

    “As I speak with you, no farmer can boast of fertiliser in Edo. The government has kept us in the dark when and where fertiliser will be available.

    “It is regrettable that as the previous administration, agricultural policies seem to be announced on pages of newspapers and in the television. There is nothing to show on ground.”

    On the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, the coordinator said months after farmers registered and opened accounts with the Bank of Agriculture, the government had been inactive.

    He said the government was silent on the scheme being embraced in other states.

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Mr. Bashir Kadir denied the allegations.

    Kadir, in a telephone interview with NAN in Benin, said the administration did not deliberately refuse to pay counterpart fund for agricultural programmes, but was taking its time to get things right.

    He said the programmes were being reviewed to see if they would benefit the people, adding that if not, government will take action to change the situation.

    “These programmes are old;  running for years. We have a new programme, the Agricpreneur, where we’ll produce millionaires for the sector.

    “We are reviewing Fadama and RUFIN programmes with the new one we have developed.

    “It is not a closed door situation. If the benefit from these programmes that have been running is okay by the government, we will continue with them,” the permanent secretary said.

    As for the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, he said the government was trying to satisfy conditions set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    “We are carrying out integrity test on the data before us. We want to ensure that besides recouping loan, we are dealing with real farmers.”

    Kadir said 35,000 farmers had been captured, with about N5 billion facility being the target for it.

    He said the ministry was working with stakeholders in the agricultural sector, including AFAN, as regards policy direction and implementation.

  • Germany trains 230,000 farmers in Nigeria, others

    German Development Agency (GIZ) has trained 230,000 small farmers in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Cameroon.

    The farmers were trained under its Farmer Business School training (FBS).

    In collaboration with 20 local partners, the organisation said it developed the Farmer Business Schools’ training programme to strengthen entrepreneurial skills.

    According to it, 440 trainers and supervisors were trained to organise the FBS programme. GIZ said one-fourth of farmer business school graduates were women. GIZ explained that graduates were taught  to  plan their production, record their income and expenses as well as the use of agricultural input and labour.  Seventy to 99 per cent of the farmers polled, it said, have increased cocoa and other crop yields by between 50 and 100 per cent.

    More than 60 per cent, the organisation said, have opened accounts with rural banks, and their savings will serve as collateral for new loans. A third of the FBS-trained smallholders have joined producer cooperatives to improve their position in the market.

    Accordingly, yearly household incomes from agricultural production have risen: the recorded increases lie between EUR 160 and EUR 756.  The report said: “Incomes from non-cocoa products, primarily food production, have more than quadrupled, with recorded increases of between EUR 660 and EUR 830. With this additional income, the small businesses are better able to cope with fluctuations in cocoa prices and yields. The total income effects for Western and Central African smallholders are estimated to be EUR 12.5 million.

    The project, according to the organisation, supports public and private extension services to provide business training for small farmers in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria and Cameroon.

    During the FBS, the organisation said the farmers learnt how to better plan cocoa and food production, costs associated with improved production techniques, and how they can increase yields and incomes through targeted investment.

    The organisation listed the agencies involved in the programme to include: National Planning Commission, Nigeria; Ghana Cocoa Board, Ghana; Ministry of Agriculture, Côte d’Ivoire; Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development Cameroon and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Togo.

    In addition, the  organisation said the project cooperates with agricultural trade companies and microfinance institutions, which provide the farmers with technical advice and training, market information and financial services. They also offer advisory services and training on food production and healthy diets. The project which started in 2014 will end next year.

  • USAID: Farmers’ sales hit N396b

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Market II project designed to help rural farmers in the country has recorded sales valued at N396 billion in five years, a report presented by the USAID has stated.

    The report titled: Maximising Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites II (MARKET II) was unveiled yesterday in Abuja at the five-year project final event held in Abuja.

    USAID Nigeria Mission Director, Mr. Stephen Haykin said about 1.9 million rural households were supported to increase productivity and finance, with special attention on women and youths between ages of 18 to 29.

    Haykin explained that the project which commenced in April 2012 and expected to end in October, 2017 was able to link farmers to processors and off-takers, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing post-harvest losses.

    He described the market II project as deliberate plan to help realise the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the past administration and Green Alternative Policy of the Federal Government, contributing to food security and increasing incomes for rural households.

    According to him, the initiative attracted N4.9 billion private sector investment, N13.9 billion public sector investment and N52.9 billion worth of loans with 3,306,399 metric tons in volume of agricultural commodities sold by the benefiting farmers.

    Earlier, Managing Director, Market II Project, Harvey Schartup said the intervention was designed to support rural farmers in 25 states working on seven agricultural commodities and its value-chains.

    The states include Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, kebbi, Taraba, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Oyo, Imo, Rivers among others while the commodities are maize, cocoa, cassava, bee keeping, sorghum and others.

    He said with the intervention and adoption of improved seeds, participating farmers were able to engage in both wet season and dry season farming, especially in the area of rice.

  • ‘Plateau women farmers can’t access agric fund’

    ‘Plateau women farmers can’t access agric fund’

    Some women farmers in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have said it has been impossible for them to access the federal government’s agriculture fund. The women said they have been marginalised by government agencies.

    Operating under an organisation known as Small-Scale Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON), Plateau State chapter, the women growers said they were aware government launched a dedicated fund reserved for agricultural activities to be accessed through loans, grants or aids to farmers.

    The state president of SWOFON, Mrs. Mary Afan said, “As women farmers, it has been impossible to access the federal government agric fund; there is hardly adequate information to women on how to access the fund and other advantages provided by both state and federal government.”

    At a seminar, the group said, “SWOFON is a coalition of smallholder women farmers who formed themselves into cooperatives groups across the country, who are engaged in agricultural activities especially farming. Women farmers are not often involved in decision making and policy formulation at federal, state and local government levels, which is why women are not carried along in agric programmes in the country.

    “Agriculture, apart from the fact that it contributes 23% to Nigerian GDP, and also provides 88% of non-oil earnings, it remains the largest employer of labour with 2/3 of the country’s population. Women constitute 60-80% of the agro labour force in the country, yet women farmers have no access services of credit facilities, inputs, training, advise, technology, crop insurance, etc.

    “Women farmers are hardly considered to be given allocation of fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, feeds, seeds and seedlings. No capital, poor awareness, poor skills and technical support, poor excess to marker due to bad roads, and several other challenges.

    “Our predicament as women farmers originally began with access to land for farming, traditional, women in Nigeria have no right to land, land belongs to the men and women remain tenants in our own country. Even when we rent land to farm, women are so unsecured on the farm. We are being raped on our farms by men, we are being killed on the farm, this is more peculiar to states like Plateau where cattle grazers and farmers are at loggerheads,” she said.

     

  • Pro-Buhari group provides fertilisers for Ebonyi farmers

    Pro-Buhari group provides fertilisers for Ebonyi farmers

    A group, Initiative for Demonstrating Change, has distributed over 650 bags of fertilisers, in addition to cash, to farmers in Ikwo Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State.

    The gesture, national coordinator of the group Chinedu Ogah said, was to complement the efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in boosting food sufficiency.

    He stressed the urgent need to empower local farmers with incentives and financial assistance.

    The youth leader added that the beneficiaries were drawn from the 20 electoral wards in the council stressing that he would extend the gestures to other farmers in other council areas in the state.

    He disclosed that Initiative for Demonstrating Change was among the first groups that lent its voice to President Muhammadu Buhari’s transformation agenda and anti-corruption fight in the country and further urged the people to have patience with the Buhari’s administration as he fixes the ailing country’s economy and other dilapidated sectors.

    Ogah said, “Unless we empower and help these local farmers, there is no headway for this country. The only problem affecting the local farmers is the availability and accessibility of farm inputs. This is the time to help the poor farmers because the President has done so much for farmers.

    “The distribution is for all the local government in Ebonyi. This is the time to come home and help the powers. There is time to invest on the young farmers. Most of them have no money to buy fertilisers. We will continue to provide incentives and assistance for our poor farmers to strive”.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Chinyere Nwede commended the donor for his show of love and concern to help farmers in the state who have no money to buy farm inputs.

    Nwede said, “I am happy today. Our son has given us free bags of fertilizer. His philanthropic gesture is indeed inborn, that is the reason why God will continue to strengthen him. His giving has no bound. He has been doing exploits and he will continue to do it”.

    She urged the Federal government to support local production of foods by assisting farmers with grants and improved seedlings to enable them cultivate their crops.

    “His (Ogah’s) philanthropic gesture is  indeed inborn, that is the reason why God will continue to strengthen him. His giving has no bound. He has been doing exploits and he will continue to do it,” she added.

  • Cassava diseases decrease productivity, say experts

    Farmers and researchers are lamenting low cassava productivity attributed to the impact of major diseases such as Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Steak Disease (CBSD).

    CBSD leads to root rot and  shows in yellowing and wrinkled leaves.

    Its attack can  cause  losses of up to 100 per cent  and  reduce the crop’s market value.

    According to experts,  CBSD has become an extremely serious constraint to cassava production.

    Addressing a Cassava Stakeholders’ Workshop organised by Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, the team leader of West Africa Virus Epidemiology (WAVE), Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed, noted  that cassava, a major root crop is at  risk  with threats of possible outbreak of CBSD, if proactive measures are not put in place fast.

    He described   CBSD as a  dangerous plant disease,because  of  the impact it can have on food and economic security.

    According to him, Nigeria’s  cassava is vulnerable to CBSD  and a broad range of diseases as well as less known viral strains across tropical cassava-growing regions.

    He said WAVE  aims to tackle issues of cassava viral diseases which is currently ravaging the sector.

    He said:  “Although CBSD has not been reported in Nigeria, it has invaded Uganda.In view of Nigeria’s position as the world’s leading cassava producer, the accidental introduction of the disease to Nigeria could cause a devastating food crisis with severe consequences on the economy.”

    He said the aim of the sensitisation was  to ensure a clear understanding of the virus threat .

    On the control of the virus, he  noted that the use of uninfected planting materials was  important and also the use of resistant cassava varieties.

    The National President, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Mr Segun Adewunmi, says Nigeria can save N2 trillion from the importation of wheat, if appropriate measures are put in place to boost cassava cultivation.

    He said: “Cassava can actually trigger massive industrial revolution if the Federal Government can address challenges confronting the planting of cassava in the country.

    “There are over 20 products that could be exacted from cassava; Products such as  ethanol, industrial starch, glucose syrup and sweetener were incidental raw materials for numerous utility items with limitless market potential,’’ he said.

    He advised the Federal Government to support farmers by providing sufficient funds that could be used in carrying out research in tackling virus diseases ravaging cassava.

    The institution’s Vice-Chancellor,  Prof. Aderemi Atayero urged the government to work with farmers to reduce food prices amid fears many more people are dropping below the poverty line.

    Atayero,who spoke through the  Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof  Shalom Nwodo Chinedu noted that  increase in the price of  staple items such as garri.

    For instance, the don noted that the price of a bowl of garri has risen to N1000, which made it difficult for more families with less financial means to meet their basic needs.

    According to him, if the price of garri and other food items continue to rise, it will adds an extra burden on families who are struggling to meet other bills.

    He urged the government to  find ways to keep food costs down until the struggling economy get back on track.

    Team Leader, WAVE for Root and Tuber Crops of the university, Dr Angela Eni,  stressed the need to control  diseases affecting cassava productivity .

    Her words: “The kind of yield farmers get from cassava could provide food for over 800 million Africans.”

    Mrs Eni, an Associate Professor of Virolgy in the Department of Biological Sciences, who convened  the workshop, said  currently the first phase of the project was to address virus diseases affecting cassava productivity.

    Mrs Eni said: ”WAVE is preparing to respond rapidly in case the cassava brown stream virus spread to West African countries so that we do not have the repeat of Ebola crises.’’

    She added that the WAVE team will also share its major findings so far in each of its mandate States. Running concurrently in six West African Countries – Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire and Burkina Faso – the primary aim of the WAVE project is to work with cassava farmers and relevant stakeholders to develop a holistic strategy for improved cassava productivity.

    The Covenant University hub of the project has the mandate to undertake the project activities in the Southwestern and Northcentral states of Nigeria.