The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • Imo gives 1,000 rice farmers inputs

    Executive Assistant to Imo State Governor on Poverty Alleviation Dr. Edwin Uche said the government distributed inputs and paddy rice to 1,000 rice farmers.

    Uche, who coordinates the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri the measure was to boost rice production.

    He said: “Besides providing farmers with high-yielding rice seedlings, inputs and finance, we engage experts, who will put them through the process.

    “There is arrangement for off-takers to buy off what they will produce.

    “We believe through this approach and financial checks by officials of Bank of Agriculture, the sky will be the limit of farmers venturing into this agribusiness initiative.’’

    The executive assistant said the government planned to join the league of commercial rice producers.

    “Imo has the potential to be among the net producer and exporter of rice because of factors counting in its favour,’’ he added.

    NAN reports that Okigwe, Ideato North, Oguta and Ihitte Uboma are fertile for rice cultivation.

    Uche noted that Nigeria made impact in rice production on the continent and Imo would key into the drive.

    “Agriculture is a sector capable of providing employment.

    “This is the new drive being pursued by the Federal Government and the Governor Rochas Okorocha administration,’’ he said.

    The executive assistant advised the beneficiaries of the programme to utilise the opportunity because it could transform them into rich farmers and employers.

  • Farmers commend Obaseki’s wife for empowerment

    The Edo chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has commended wife of Governor Godwin Obaseki, Betsy, for empowering women through Agriculture Initiative.
    The initiative, they said, would boost food production in the country.
    The state chairman of AFAN, Chief Emmanuel Odigie gave this commendation during an interview with newsmen in Benin last week.
    Edo Women for Agriculture Initiative was recently launched by Mrs. Obaseki in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, Investment Trust Company (BOI-ITC) to engage women in agribusiness ventures.
    The initiative started with the training of 500 widows on poultry production who were empowered with 20,000 chicks and feeds to start production.
    Odigie said the initiative was a welcome development as the role of women in agriculture production could not be overemphasised.
    He said that the initiative would not only serve as empowerment for the women but also make them employers of labour.
    ”The poultry initiative is laudable as the demand for poultry products such as eggs and chicken in the country is very high.
    “If the producers are able to remain in business, it will lead to job creation for more peoples who will be involved in the marketing and sales of the poultry products.
    ”It will also open new markets for poultry products in the state and discourage quest for imported frozen poultry products,” he said.
    He also suggested the incorporation of other lucrative agribusiness ventures into the initiative.
    He said: “Arable crop production should be incorporated into the agriculture programme as there are lots of arable lands in the state.
    “Snailery production is also a profitable business; with less than N10, 000 one can start a small scale production”.

  • 500 widows become poultry farmers in Edo

    500 widows become poultry farmers in Edo

    Edo State governor’s wife Mrs. Betsy Obaseki has distributed birds to 500 widows to become poultry farmers.

    She said this was part of the government’s campaign promises.

    The widows, who were given feeds that would enable them feed the birds for three months, were trained in how to rear birds.

    Mrs. Obaseki distributed the birds when she launched the Edo Women for Agriculture programme as part of activities to mark the International Women Day.

    She said the empowerment was to give widows monthly stipends and boost the production of rural women, to tackle food shortages and poverty.

    The first lady said

    the programme was for everybody, irrespective of political leanings.

    She said: “We will create a revolution in rural poultry production that will increase productivity and income for rural women and empower them to transform access of poor households to source animal protein.

    “I brought the best company in poultry business to ensure food security. The demand for chicken and eggs is very high. We will create market for the widows to sell the birds.

    “After we succeed with this, we will extend it to thousands of women. I will churn out initiatives for women to have opportunities to be rich.

    “We are not doing politics, we are doing governance. Edo indigenes are allowed to join this administration. We will not behave like people with small minds. This is no time for politics.”

    Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu said the government would identify people with good initiatives and empower them.

    He said vulnerable persons would be empowered.

    The deputy governor said the people might have been expecting to go home with sewing machines, motorcycles and hair dressing machines, but the first lady, working in line with All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) mantra, change, gave them chickens, which they could rear and make money.

    Some of the beneficiaries said they could become millionaires.

    They said they were trained in how to market birds.

  • Niger: Farmers lose crops worth millions to army worms

    Farmers in four local government areas of Niger State have lost crops worth millions of naira to army worms, the  Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Kabiru Abbas Musa, has said.

    Musa said the state government had taken steps to prevent the spread of the worms to other local government areas.

    The United Nations had alerted countries including Nigeria about the invasion of army worms which were destroying crops worldwide.

    Musa stated this at the commencement of this year’s fertiliser distribution for dry season farming by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at Tungan Kawo in Wushishi Local Government.

    He said the local government areas affected were Wushishi, Masegu, Mariga and Magama, adding that necessary measures, which included distributing insecticides, had been taken to ensure the invasion did not affect wet season farming.

    “The army worm have ravaged farms in four local government areas. We are taking steps towards curtailing it. We have to make sure it does not spread.”

    He warned the farmers not to sell the farm inputs being given to them adding that any farmer caught selling the inputs will never benefit from any programme and intervention promoted by the state government.

    Musa then stated that the state government is working hard towards ensuring that fertiliser and other inputs get to the farmers at the grassroots before the commencement of the rainy season to enable the farmers get bumper harvest.

    The Coordinator of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Matthew Ahmed, said 550 farmers from 12 cluster groups have benefitted from the programme, adding that each farmer would be given four bags of NPK, two bags of urea, herbicide and seedlings.

    He said IFAD has succeeded in increasing the yield of rural farmers in the state. “In the past, the average yield of farmers was 1.8 metric tonnes per hectare but now, they have started harvesting about three to six tonnes per hectare due to our intervention.”

    Ahmed lamented that most of the farmers sold the inputs given to them instead of using it on their farms. He said this would affect the expected yield.

  • Making farmers agropreneurs

    Making farmers agropreneurs

    Through the Agribusiness Supplier Development Programme (ASDP), a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative, which is at the pilot stage in six African countries, farmers are empowered to turn subsistence farming into a profitable venture. DANIEL ESSIET writes.

    Agribusiness Supplier Development Programme (ASDP), a United Nations Development Programme initiative on a pilot test in six African countries, has been supporting Nigerian farmers  within  the cassava value chain.The goal is to help them turn their subsistence farming into for-profit businesses.

    Addressing the inclusive business acceleration for cassava value chain forum in Ibadan, Oyo State, the  Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh,  stressed the Federal Government’s determination to make the nation  self-sufficient in food  production.

    Speaking through the Director, Policy and Planning, Alhaji Anwal Ahmed, Ogbeh said  efforts were being made to ensure supply of fertiliser and reduce the risks farmers face. He pledged to improve infrastructure in the sector through the provision of irrigation systems, among others.

    Agribusiness Specialist, Inclusive Growth Unit, UNDP Nigeria, Dr. Nelson Abila, stressed the need to enhance the sector and boost socio-economic development.

    He said Nigeria has made commendable progress in making cassava an industrial crop with the establishment of major starch, ethanol and flour factories across the nation. However, Abila noted that a lot needs to be done to ensure that extra productions are utilised, and that there is further stimulation of production and productivity based on current and projected capacity for increasing cassava production and productivity.

    On expanding the gains in cassava industrialisation, he  called for extension of the revolution to low-end products that will provide opportunity for the participation of as many small-scale processors as possible.

    He said this was crucial as the demand for low-end products, such as the low grade cassava chips, was on the increase, particularly the utilisation of same in livestock feed production, among other uses.

    Abila explained that the ASDP business meeting was organised to help get many more people involved in the production of chips and address some of the concerns in chips production, including profitability for small-scale processors. He expressed the hope that the replacement of maize with cassava in livestock feed would remain a permanent feature, that would guarantee market for cassava roots produced by millions of farmers across Nigeria.

    He said ASDP was a regional initiative of the UNDP with a mandate to promote the development of the supply chains of rice and cassava in Nigeria, adding that ASDP Nigeria was being implemented jointly by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing Systems for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    To help foster the growth of the segment of the cassava value chain, he said ASDP, a UNDP regional initiative which is on a pilot test in six countries across Africa has decided to partner with the AFEX Commodity Exchange Limited. The goal of the collaboration, according to him, is to jointly work together to bring about an inclusive business acceleration for cassava value chain in Nigeria.

    He said AFEX has the market reach and contact, as a major private sector concern in commodity marketing in Nigeria and beyond.

    Country Manager, AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited, Mr. Ayodeji Balogun, said the   organisation is working with banks to provide the much-needed financing to farmers and food producers to boost growth and jobs.

    Balogun said bold steps were needed to transform agriculture into a dynamic market-oriented one. The Afex boss said the organisation is working to provide   finance to promote increased access to trade finance for micro, small and medium enterprises entrepreneurs in import/export sectors to enable them explore market opportunities.

    He said the organisation is  determined to work with farmers to enable them access financial services to help them increase productivity, raise incomes and improve living conditions for their families.

    He said AFEX sees cassava as a strategic crop and a value chain that has immense potentials for inclusive growth, job creation and poverty eradication across Nigeria.

    Balogun said Nigeria’s future economic success will depend on allocating capital and resources to the agric sector for its most efficient and productive use, adding that the cassava sector needs support to create high-skilled and high-value jobs, cultivate, innovate and bring innovation to scale.

    He said one important strategy for achieving rapid growth across the sector is to create the right conditions to ensure that farmers and processors are engines of innovation and hence improve productivity and efficiency.

    According to him, trade activities in key commodities have grown steadily in the past few years, and there is more opportunity for trade increasing further, boosting economic growth and job creation, which he hoped banks and entrepreneurs can take advantage of with the right tools. So far, he said his organisation has started domestic trading of maize, soybeans and cassava. Once these and the related deliveries are settled, he said Afex will   introduce other key agricultural commodities.

    He   added AFEX is primarily interested in helping farmers and production while making markets more efficient. These include improving warehousing, storage, logistics, crop quality and farmer financing.

    According to him, trade activities in key commodities have grown steadily in the past few years, and there is vast opportunity for further  increase, boosting economic growth and job creation, which he hoped banks and entrepreneurs could take advantage of with the right tools.

  • Lagos assures farmers of safety

    Lagos assures farmers of safety

    •‘Our N20b investment threatened’

    Farmers in Epe, who are being terrorised by kidnappers, have nothing to fear, Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Adebule assured them yesterday.
    Mrs Adebule gave the assurance during a meeting with representatives of the farmers of Igbodu/Isiwo axis of Epe who were at the Governor’s Office to protest against the scourge of kidnapping and demand government’s intervention.
    The farmers carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Help us from kidnappers.” “Save farmers, save the nation,” “Please, flush out the creeks,” “Food security is threatened’, “Save our Investments.”
    A statement from her office said despite the government’s efforts to make the state safe for residents and investors, some scrupulous persons still making life difficult for people.
    It said: ‘’Let me assure you that the government is not resting on its oars. We are doing all we can to guarantee the safety of lives and restore peace in the area.
    ‘’Currently, the government is speaking with the Federal Government to see how they can work with us to combat the problems of insecurity because we cannot do it alone.
    ‘’As a matter of policy, government does not pay ransom, but will ensure that it provides the security agencies with necessary equipment and support to contain the situation and rescue the kidnapped.
    ‘’We sympathise with you and we beg for your understanding. I will relay your complaints to Governor (Akinwunmi) Ambode for further and appropriate action on the matter.”
    The farmers’ spokesperson Ayokunle Ore, said their farms had been under kidnappers’ attacks since last September.
    Ore urged the state to seek the Federal Government’s support to extend the mandate of the Joint Taskforce (JTF) to Epe to curtail the high rate of kidnapping.
    He said the issue should treated urgently as their investments were suffering and their lives at risk.
    He said: “With the desire to contribute our quota to national food security and sufficiency, we have invested our lifetime savings and borrowings from banks to the establish farms in the agricultural belt created by the state.
    ‘’Some of us even relocated from abroad to come and invest in farming to respond to government’s call for diversification of the economy.
    ‘’We estimated over N20 billion investments by small, medium and large scale farmers in the area and now it is at grave risk.
    ‘’We urge Governor Ambode to intervene urgently and come to our rescue by seeking the support of JTF in the area to destroy the camps of these kidnappers
    ‘’They should extend the mandate of the JTF (Operation Awatse), currently in Ikorodu and Festac to also cover the Igbodu/Isiwo axis and adjoining creeks.”
    Ore said over 50 farmers had been kidnapped and millions of naira paid as ransom.
    He noted that because of poor security, farmers are abducted at will, adding that “last September 16, three female farm workers and a six-month-old baby were kidnapped. Two months later, precisely, November 16, four farmers were kidnapped from farmville. Also, on November 21, five workers were kidnapped from Kodjo Farms. On January 19, we also recorded another incident when two farm workers were kidnapped from Tanda Farms.
    “The kidnappers also visited Elysian Farm, the farm managers and a customer were kidnapped on the same day. On February 14, the kidnappers returned to Elysian farms and kidnapped four workers, a casual worker, two vigilante group members. As at the last count, kidnappers were demanding N5million for each of the kidnapped seven people who are still in their captivity.
    “As criminal continue to ravage our communities and our farms, we have met with the police commissioner, unfortunately whatever efforts the police must have made so far could not yield any result as the spate of kidnapping is on the increase. Even our private efforts in engaging community vigilantes to support the police have also not yielded any reprieve. Sometime, we have had to pay heavily for police to come to our farms.”

  • Farmers trained in Niger

    How do we ensure food security in the country? That has been the question farmers have been grappling with lately. Well, the answer is obvious: produce more food. But in Niger State, growers are more interested in how. That was why they turned up at a workshop organised by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) where they were educated on integrated soil fertility management and how to manage and conserve soil to improve crop yield.

    The Head of Land Water Resources Management Programme, Dr. Oluwafumilayo Ande recommended integrated soil fertility management as a panacea towards ensuring food security in the country.

    She said that much is being said about the soil which is one of the main components that ensures sustainable soil production adding that there is the need to classify, characterize and map the Nigerian soils for adequate agricultural production and land use planning.

    “A lot is being said about crops but nothing is being said about the soil. Nigeria soil is degrading and that is the reason why we have not achieved foo security in the nation. For us to be declared food secured, we must manage our soil effectively. Lack of adequate information on land resources has led to land degradation, poor yield and loss of prime land.”

    And he suggested that the combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizer, improved seed varieties, improved fallow and residue management will help farmers get increased yields of farm produce.

    She pointed out that the reason for the training was to build the capacity of the farmers in soil and water management for sustainable crop production.

    Speaking further, he said the Institute has been able to classify the soil in Katcha into seven series of soils and the farmers will be educated on the characteristics of each soil types and how to effectively manage it.

    The state Coordinator of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Matthew Ahmed said that soil and water management is key to growth in the agricultural sector, adding that most farmers are not educated on this which is the reason why they end up having low yield at the end of the harvest season.

  • Army worms wreck Niger farmers

    Army worms wreck Niger farmers

    Niger State farmers’ worst fears have caught up with them. The dreaded army worms have invaded their farms and chewed up their crops. Now the farmers fear not only for themselves but also for the entire country which is in dire need of food security.

    The United Nations has alerted countries including Nigeria about the invasion of army worms which are destroying crops worldwide.

    In Nigeria, 24 states are battling with the insect, Niger being one of them. Four of its local government areas have been ravaged by the invaders.

    The Niger State Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kabiru Abbas Musa disclosed that farmers in four local government areas of Niger state have lost crops worth millions of naira to the invasion of army worms. He said the worms have eaten up large amounts of crops in the four councils.

    The Commissioner said that the state government has taken steps towards preventing the spread of the army worms to other local government areas.

    Musa confirmed the invasion of army worms during the flag-off of fertilizer distribution for 2017 dry season farming by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at Tungan Kawo in Wushishi local government of Niger state.

    He said that the local government areas affected includes Wushishi, Masegu, Mariga and Magama adding that necessary measures which includes distributing insecticides is being taken to ensure that the invasion do not affect the wet season farming.

    “The army worms have ravaged farms in four local government areas. We are taking steps towards curtailing it. We have to make sure it does not spread,” he said.

  • Farmers protest kidnap of 50 colleagues

    No fewer than 50 farmers at Igbodu-Isiwo in Epe, a Lagos suburb, have been kidnapped in the last few months.

    Farmers and residents, who spoke on their harrowing experience, expressed concern at the spate of kidnappings in the area.

    The farmers said their kidnapped colleagues were usually released after payment of ransom.

    A statement signed by their representative, Ayokunle Ore, claimed that the police’ response to their plight “has been very poor”.

    “As you are mostly aware over the last couple of months, the Igbodu/Isiwo farmers have been under attack by hoodlums. They have successfully kidnapped at different times over 50 people and only released them after payment of huge ransom by the family members.

    “The most recent was on Tuesday, February 14, when seven people were kidnapped from a poultry farm. As we speak, they are yet to be released and the kidnappers are asking for a huge ransom for their release.

    “We have engaged the police and the response has been poor with minimal results as each attack by the hoodlums has been effortlessly successful.

    “On this note, we are planning to have a peaceful protest at Alausa, in Ikeja on Monday, February 20, to make our grievances and helplessness known to the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who also happens to be an indigene of Epe. He needs to come to our aid.

    “To make the right impact, we are imploring all our fellow farmers to join us for this cause on the said day.

    “Remember that most farms are usually located outside cities and if this trend is not immediately curbed it will spread.”

  • Dangote, farmers, Sokoto sign rice growers’ agreement

    Dangote, farmers, Sokoto sign rice growers’ agreement

    THE Dangote Rice Limited yesterday signed a tripartite agreement with out-grower rice farmers and Sokoto State to create 16,000 jobs.

    Parties to the agreement pledged to ensure the success of the scheme to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice cultivation.

    The agreement was signed during the launch of the Dangote rice outgrower Scheme in Goronyo, Goronyo Local Government, Sokoto State.

    The event was witnessed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar. Farmers were presented with rice seeds, fertilisers, nets and agro chemicals.

    Chairman of Dangote Rice Limited Aliko Dangote said he decidedto go into rice cultivation because of the genuine interest of the Federal Government to revive agriculture as the mainstay of the economy and reduce importation of foods that could be produced locally.

    He lamented that Nigeria consumes 6.5 million metric tonnes (Mtn) of rice, which costs the nation over $2 billion annually.

    Dangote added that it was encouraging the Federal Government now has policy direction that encourages private sector’s participation in agriculture.

    “Buoyed by the policy direction of the Federal Government, we at Dangote decided to key into this by establishing Dangote Rice Limited to partner with states to redress the present situation, where a huge sum of forex is spent on importation of rice…

    “This scheme will help to diversify the economy, alleviate poverty and reduce the nation’s import bill. The scheme has been designed as a one-stop solution for the rice value chain,” he stated.

    The Dangote Rice Project Director, Robert Coleman, said the Sokoto State operation was a demonstration phase to familiarise the farming community with the programme, train extension workers and lead farmers as well as test modern technologies.

    He noted that they will have 25,000 ha cultivated by nearly 50,000 outgrowers in 2017 in addition to hundreds of jobs expected to be created by the end of the year.

    Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal hailed at the event, saying the coming of Dangote to invest in the state was as a result of his sustained effort towards inviting prospective investors.

    He said the state under the scheme, just as it had done with the Federal Government, would distribute nets, water pumping machines and fertiliser at subsidised prices to help the farmers have good yields.

    Sultan Abubakar, however, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for his diversifying efforts, urging Nigerians to pray for him.

    He lauded Sokoto State for supporting the outgrowers’ scheme.