The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • How Anambra avoided farmers/farmersby Obiano

    How Anambra avoided farmers/farmersby Obiano

    Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has explained how he staved off clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

    Obiano spoke at a news conference to mark the state’s 25th anniversary in Awka at the weekend. The governor said he set up a strong security committee, which he mandated to ensure that both farmers and herdsmen did not take the law into their hands.

    He said: “In May 2015, I set up a security committee to ensure that farmers and herdsmen keep the law.

    “They (herdsmen) agreed that if they destroyed any farm in Anambra they will pay compensation. And they have paid 11 times…. If our people kill their cow we will pay compensation as well. And we have paid five times that happened.”

    Obiano also spoke on the effort of his government to make Anambra State an agricultural hub, and on the prospects of the state in the next 25 years.

    “Anambra State will be the food basket of Africa in the next 25 years,” he said.

    “In the next 25 years Anambra will not depend on federal allocation. It will be known as a state that transited to become the Taiwan of Africa.

    “We are No. 1 among states  created 25 years ago. We pay salaries as and when due. We are the safest state, and we have attracted billions of dollars in investment to the state.”

    The state was created on August 27, 1991, and Saturday marked the 25th year of its creation.

    A line of activities has been scheduled to celebrate the silver jubilee of the state.

    A dinner was held yesterday, and other events have been scheduled to take place throughout the year to mark the occasion.

  • Southsouth women farmers brainstorm to improve welfare in Calabar

    THE Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) met in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, to rub minds on how to improve their farming skills.

    Facilitated by Action Aid International, the women farmers sought means to improve their capacity to understand and push for improvement.

    National Secretary of Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria Mrs Ejim Lovely in Nnenna said: “We are in Calabar to sensitise the rural women farmers in Calabar and to make them have an interface and synergy with their duty bearers so that they would know that they can relate with the top authorities who have what they need to do their farm activities.

    “We are targeting to get as much as we can, rural women farmers in the agricultural sector for them to come out of their shackles to know they are important and needed in this country. 80 per cent of the workforce is women, so we want to bring them out of their shackles to let them know where they belong. We also to make the country sufficient in having what to eat because our major problem now is food. We want to flood our markets with what we produce, so we would not have any need to go outside before we eat. Again we need to make our youths understand that this phase of adults will one day go and it would only be left with them. So let us go into agriculture as the only best alternative and try to propagate the new policy about the agricultural development of this country. So that we all together will make it happen. Oil is fast going down. Agriculture is the target, so let us do it.”

    On challenges they face as small-scale women farmers, Nnena said, they include access to land, funds and government policies.

    “Land is a major challenge. Funds is another. Again government policies is a challenge because they do not call us to sit when they are deciding. So we feel that when they are making these policies, we should be involved because it is us they are talking about. Also when the policies are made, in the process of implementation they should let us know and call us into it, because it is what itches you that you know how best to scratch.”

    The chairperson of SWOFON coordinating committee in the state, Maria Ekanem AyiUkpayang, also said: “The purpose for this forum is to bring all small scale women farmers of Nigeria in the south-south region of Nigeria to x-ray what has been done by SWOFEON committees, get to know ourselves and then forge the way forward. We want to get engaged with government, particularly in the agricultural sector and make government really aware of small-scale women farmers.”

    International Manager for Public Financing for Agriculture, Action Aid, Ms. Constance Okeke, said, they were focused on building capapcities for small women farmers across Africa.

    “We are building them to understand policy processes especially in terms of budget. The idea is basically aimed at supporting the women farmers to understand how a policy is designed and how the policy processes run in terms of finances of agriculture in their different countries.”

    A representative of the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Justina Ulafor,  promised the state would continue to support women farmers.

  • Youths seek end to herdsmen, farmers clash

    Ilorin, the Kwara State captal was agog for the maiden National Economic Youth Dialogue organised by the North Central caucus of the Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP). The event was held at the state Banquet Hall.

    Leader of NYP in the zone, Umar Etudaye, said the objective of the event was to raise awareness among the youths on the need to desist from crime and engage in agriculture and entrepreneurship.

    Participants, including Corps members and students, discussed burning national issues, which borders on security and economic matters. They condemned the incessant clash between farmers and herdsmen, calling on the government to fast-track the proposed biometric capture of cattle owners to stop the bloodshed resulting from herdsmen and farmers’ clash in rural communities.

    The youth also appealed to the Niger Delta Avengers to go on dialogue table with the government, saying blowing up the oil installations would only result in collective loss and pose great environmental challenges to the region.

    They advocated for cooperation between the presidency and the National Assembly, saying the subtle crisis of confidence between the executive and legislature could erode the core values of democracy.

    They unanimously endorsed the diversification of economy by the Federal Government, stressing that agriculture remained the solution to drive the needed economic revolution.

    The youth resolved that Kogi, Benue, Niger and Kwara states should be engaged by the Federal Government for the take-off of its Agro-allied revolution, which will provide jobs for the youths in the region, and give them opportunity to acquire professional skills.

    They said data collection of jobless youths to be trained in agro-business would start in October via online registration.

    Etudaye hailed the chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for sponsoring training of youths for agro-allied business event and for his commitment to making the nation a business hub.

    Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, one of the organisers, Titilayo Yusuf, praised the participants for attending the summit, advising them to return to their communities and share the message with other youths.

  • Olam supports 10,000 cocoa farmers

    Olam Nigeria, one of the world’s largest buyer of agro commodities, has  trained 10,000  farmers  and  supported them with  seedlings to replace the current aging trees.

    Vice President & Head Corporate and Government Relations, Olam Nigeria, Ade Adefeko, explained that I0,000 farmers  were trained in good agricultural practices (GAP) across 200 cocoa growing communities in three states,while 185, 399 cocoa seedlings were distributed.

    He said his organisation’s  assistance is aimed at removing difficulties in cocoa planting. As part of  Olam Livelihood Charter (OLC) to invest in the rural communities of emerging countries across the world, he said, 10 borehole projects were provided last year to supply clean drinking water to rural communities previously relying on streams.

    On rice, he said, his organisation has created direct linkages between it and the farming community from seeding till purchase of paddy at collection centres, adding that the rice was bought at a competitive price from the farmers.

    Last year, he said 4077 farmers were mobilised during the wet season in Nasarawa State alone.

    On cashew, Adefeko said 5000 farmers received GAP training while it partnered Techno serve to trained 5000 farmers.

    To boost sesame production,  he said seeds were distributed to  10000 farmers, while 1800 sesame farmers participated  in GAP training. The farmers, he added,  benefitted from credit facilities for inputs such as fertilisers, sickles and sieves.

    He said his organisation  is  providing  high quality seeds (675 Hectares) to small holding rice farmers to discourage the use of grains as seeds year after year, which lead to yield and quality depression over successive generations.

  • Farmers decry high feed prices

    Record-high feed costs this year have not been kind to many farmers who raise poultry, livestock and those in the feed processing business.

    A significantly lower than anticipated supply of corn (maize) has continued to drive an increase in corn prices.

    As a result, domestic prices have increased per tonne. Consequently, poultry producers are struggling to maintain operations due to inflated feed prices.

    Speaking with The Nation, Vice–President, Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Mr. Stephen Oladipupo,  said higher maize costs and low quality products have forced livestock farmers to consider a multitude of various ingredients for animal feed. Some  farmers, he explained, now  use  a mixture of products, including oil seed products and house hold wastes.

    Corn and Soybean prices, he noted, have soared following the prospect of higher-than-expected demand. Farmers across the country, he added, would struggle to achieve profitability this year with high prices of corn and soybeans.

    He said the poultry industry is confronting great challenges as feed accounts for roughly 70 per cent of production costs. He expressed concern that what the industry is witnessing is not an occasional spike in corn and soybeans.

    As a result, Oladipupo said producers have continued to face persistent tighter profit margins. He said producers are seeking alternatives to corn feed with limited success. Some farmers, he maintained, are using low-quality feed as they cannot raise domestic prices for poultry to offset feed costs.

    With increased production of livestock products, farmers have expressed fears that the industry will be confronted with decreasing supply of animal feeds across the country. Minimum poultry production costs, which encompass primarily, feed and energy expenses, have increased.

    A prolonged rise in their prices has squeezed farm income, forcing some producers to cut spending or turn to their banks for help.

    Oil seed product is now prominent  as farmers are constantly seeking ways to boost poultry production at a cheaper cost. But they cannot drop prices because the most essential input in the quality and quantity of raising animals is animal feed.

    On average, poultry feed accounts for 70 per cent of total production costs.

  • Kaduna farmers get rice seeds to boost production

    A kano-based company,  Popular Farms and Mills, in collaboration with Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has distributed certified rice seeds to 400 local farmers in the state to boost rice production . The rice seeds were distributed to the farmers at a subsidised price.

    The seeds were distributed in the presence of Kaduna State Commissioner for Agriculture Daniel Maigari Manzo. Popular Farms General Manager AmitRai, who distributed the seeds, said his company was ready to solve the rice farming problem in Nigeria by motivating the local farmers to plant more rice in the state.

    “We have the technical advancement and the chemical advisory method to address the rice farming problem in the state and in Nigeria. We are here to help your local farmers to plant more rice in the country,” said Manzo.

    He also added that the company has introduced farming schools where local farmers can acquire knowledge about modern techniques of rice production. Manzo noted that local farmers need to embrace commercial farming.

    Popular Farms and Mills has been working with the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) to integrate 20,000 rice farmers into sustainable and competitive business models that will lead to increased paddy production as well as improvements in quality.

  • I’ll apply force to stop insecurity in Benue – Ortom

    I’ll apply force to stop insecurity in Benue – Ortom

    To end insecurity in Benue state, the Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Thursday said that his administration will apply the “stick approach” to solve the problem in the state.

    Violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers have been very rampant in the state.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Ortom said that the approach is following the “carrot approach” that was introduced at the inception of his government.

    His administration at the inception, he said introduced an amnesty programme designed as a carrot and stick approach to ending insecurity.

    But he noted that the first approach succeeded to some level with some people surrendering their arms, while many others have returned to their old ways as they are not sincere.

    Their insincerity, he said, has necessitated the use of force.

    He said: “The carrot approach succeeded to some extent with may people surrendering arms. But some went back to their old ways because they are not sincere.

    “We have now adopted the stick approach. All security agencies in the state must restore safety to the state.

    “The state must be secured from robbers, kidnappers and assassins. We need to get rid of criminals from our society.

    “We also intend to encourage investors and they will not come if the state is not secured.” He added

    The governor disclosed that the state government has started receiving expression of interest to invest from Asia and Europe.

    He pointed out that the government’s inability to pay salaries was still a problem as the state was still generating incomes not adequate to pay local government workers.

    Noting that the nation has so far paid lip services to agriculture development, he commended the Federal Government’s new agriculture initiative.

    He said that his administration’s decision to declare Fridays as public holidays is to allow civil servants embrace agriculture and has been yielding results.

    “It is the right way to go. If we do not have money to do other things, we should have money to sustain ourselves,” he said.

    He regretted the defeat of the Dream Team VI by Germany at the semi- finals of the Olympics men’s soccer event on Wednesday.

    But he was optimistic that the team would do better next time.

    He said that his government has commenced a sports programme aimed at catching the youth while still young.

    “We have the talents, with little improvement of their skills, they will do us proud. We will do better next time,” the governor said.

    According to him, he was at the State House to brief the Presidency of efforts being made to tackle the insecurity situation in the state.

    Briefing the Presidency, he said was important so that the Federal Government would be aware of the efforts being made with a view to ensuring co-operation between the two arms of government.

  • FAO seeks $10m for 385,000 farmers in Northeast

    FAO seeks $10m for 385,000 farmers in Northeast

    About $10 million is needed to provide emergency agricultural support to farmers who are internally displaced in the Northeast, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.

    It said urgent action was needed to provide farming and livelihood support to 385,000 farmers in parts of the Northeast where food insecurity is rampant.

    According to FAO, the resumption of agricultural activities in those areas is of utmost priority to ensure that people can produce enough food for themselves.

    “These populations need assistance to boost their livelihoods, which are mainly crop farming, artisanal fisheries and aquaculture and livestock production. For the last four years, this has not been possible due to the conflict,  Bukar Tijani, FAO assistant director-general and regional representative for Africa, said..

    Over three million people are affected by acute food insecurity in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

    FAO has launched a full-scale corporate response to the crisis. In the meantime, the organisation is preparing its response for the main agricultural season, for which even more resources are required.

    “This year, significant territory previously controlled by Boko Haram has been rendered accessible to humanitarian assistance, so we have a critical opportunity to tackle the alarming levels of food insecurity in northeast Nigeria,” said Tim Vaessen, FAO’s Emergency and Response Manager in Nigeria.

    “With funds received to date, FAO has reached over 123,000 people to improve their food security by enabling them to grow their own food during the ongoing rain-fed season. While this assistance is crucial, it reaches just a fraction of those in need of support, and now FAO is seeking funds to support irrigated crop production, livestock restocking and animal health treatment, including disease control and supplementary feed, in the newly liberated areas,” he added.

    Three consecutive planting seasons have been lost due to the fighting in Northeast. Moreover, large influxes of people escaping repeated Boko Haram attacks have put extreme pressure on already poor and vulnerable host communities and their fragile agricultural and pastoral livelihoods, exacerbating the already precarious food and nutrition security situation.

    Failure to rebuild the rural economy will translate into lack of employment opportunities with possible harmful consequences including youth radicalisation and enrolment into armed groups, resulting in continued civil unrest, FAO warned. In contrast, restarting food production in the newly accessible areas will have the additional benefits of encouraging displaced populations to return to their homes, while contributing to their improved health and nutrition.

    FAO has provided agricultural kits to vulnerable internally-displaced people with access to land and host families. The kits included improved varieties of millet or sorghum and cowpea seeds – a locally adapted and highly nutritious pulse – and fertilisers, enabling beneficiaries to grow their own food during the ongoing rain-fed season. The harvest is expected to start by the end of September and will allow beneficiaries to cover their food needs for up to 10 months.

    It is targeting additional 85,000 people to prepare them for the next irrigated season.

    “Growing their own healthy and nutritious food reduces the need for future external food assistance. Families who have access to land and are ready to farm can harvest in six to eight weeks,” Vaessen said.

    FAO’s activities in Nigeria are constrained by lack of funding. To-date, FAO has received just $4.9 million, of which almost 20 per cent  came from FAO’s own Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities.

    FAO’s programme in the northeast is  funded by Japan, Belgium, the European Commission (ECHO) and the United Nations Central Emergency Fund (CERF).

  • ‘How Osun farmers can access agric loans’

    In a bid to boost food production in Osun State and reduce the hardship that farmers go through in accessing agricultural credit facilities, the Osun Ajo Se Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in partnership with Association of Grain Processors and Allied Produce Farmers of Nigeria (AGPAPFN), organised a seminar in Oshogbo, to educate farmers on how to take advantage of agricultural credit facilities.

    The state Chairman of AGPAPFN, Agboluaje Mudasiru, said farmers, who should be the beneficiaries of agricultural credit facilities were either unaware of existing loan services or do not have information on the terms of loans. He gave such terms as loan requirements, interest rates, loanable amount and mode of repayment.

    Sterling Bank Plc’s Southwest Agric Officer, Latona Olabode Felix, who represented the Group Head, Agric Finance, revealed that the bank is a major financier of agriculture in Nigeria and is ever ready to partner with major stakeholders–both private and public in the sector to bring about agricultural development in Nigeria.

    Olabode highlighted the various Sterling Bank Plc Agric Credit Schemes and how farmers can access them. He, however, advised them to always ensure that they have their farm records ready, adding that farm records are not only useful in managing farm budgets but will also be needed to determine if farms are performing well, as required when applying for agric loans.

    The Chairman of Osun Ajo Se Foundation, Mr. Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, who commended Sterling Bank for its contribution to the growth of agriculture in Nigeria, said agriculture still remains a mainstay of the state’s economy, adding that if well developed, will provide the majority of the populace with employment, income and food. He said Osun Ajo Se Foundation is keen to ensure that farmers in Osun State are empowered.

    Over 2, 000 farmers have registered with AGPAPFN.

    Osun Ajo Se Foundation is a non-political organisation established by some indigenes of Osun State for the unity and economic development of Osun indigenes worldwide.

    Olugboyega Alabi, Chairman of Osun Ajo Se Foundation is an indigene of Ikire in Osun State. He was the  Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Eliezer Group, the companies he started from nothing to be leader in facility management industry in Africa before leaving to pursue his interest in agriculture and empowerment of people through Osun Ajo Se Foundation

  • ‘How Osun farmers can access agric loans’

    In a bid to boost food production in Osun State and reduce the hardship that farmers go through in accessing agricultural credit facilities, the Osun Ajo Se Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in partnership with Association of Grain Processors and Allied Produce Farmers of Nigeria (AGPAPFN), organised a seminar in Oshogbo, to educate farmers on how to take advantage of agricultural credit facilities.

    The state Chairman of AGPAPFN, Agboluaje Mudasiru, said farmers, who should be the beneficiaries of agricultural credit facilities were either unaware of existing loan services or do not have information on the terms of loans. He gave such terms as loan requirements, interest rates, loanable amount and mode of repayment.

    Sterling Bank Plc’s Southwest Agric Officer, Latona Olabode Felix, who represented the Group Head, Agric Finance, revealed that the bank is a major financier of agriculture in Nigeria and is ever ready to partner with major stakeholders–both private and public in the sector to bring about agricultural development in Nigeria.

    Olabode highlighted the various Sterling Bank Plc Agric Credit Schemes and how farmers can access them. He, however, advised them to always ensure that they have their farm records ready, adding that farm records are not only useful in managing farm budgets but will also be needed to determine if farms are performing well, as required when applying for agric loans.

    The Chairman of Osun Ajo Se Foundation, Mr. Benedict Olugboyega Alabi, who commended Sterling Bank for its contribution to the growth of agriculture in Nigeria, said agriculture still remains a mainstay of the state’s economy, adding that if well developed, will provide the majority of the populace with employment, income and food. He said Osun Ajo Se Foundation is keen to ensure that farmers in Osun State are empowered.

    Over 2, 000 farmers have registered with AGPAPFN.

    Osun Ajo Se Foundation is a non-political organisation established by some indigenes of Osun State for the unity and economic development of Osun indigenes worldwide.

    Olugboyega Alabi, Chairman of Osun Ajo Se Foundation is an indigene of Ikire in Osun State. He was the  Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Eliezer Group, the companies he started from nothing to be leader in facility management industry in Africa before leaving to pursue his interest in agriculture and empowerment of people through Osun Ajo Se Foundation