The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • UNN trains farmers, others on climate adaptation

    The Africa Climate Chance Adaptation Initiative (ACCAI) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has held training for community leaders and farmers in the host community on how they can adapt to climate change and mitigate its effect in farming.

    The body also trained Nsukka Local Government legislators on how to bring about policies and laws to check activities causing bad climate.

    Speaking at the training held at Nsukka Township Stadium, ACCAI training co-ordinator, Prof Benjamin Ogwo, said the training was aimed at sharing research information with farmers on the impact of climate change on plant and livestock productions. He said there was need for government officials to enact laws and policies that will mitigate the impact of bad climate on the community.

    Ogwo said Nsukka was chosen as take-off community for the initiative to gauge the responses of farmers and lawmakers to the adaptation and mitigation programmes, stressing that the training would be held in other parts of the country in its second phase.

    Dr Anselem Eneja, a facilitator, who lectured the farmers on the management of adaption gender perspective, expressed satisfaction on the response of the farmers on the topic.

    “The response is tremendous. I did not envisage that the farmers would respond the way they did, particularly the women among them,” he said.

    Some farmers whose views were sought after the training applauded the exercise, saying that they had better understanding of the causes of some changes they noticed in the output of their crops and animals.

    Mrs Grace Onyishi, one of them, said: “I have learnt a lot today, I now know how climate change can affect my crops and animals. Before this seminar, I was aware that climate changes, but I did not link the poor agricultural yield to it. Now, I know the best time to plant my crops is dependent on weather conditions and how best to adapt to climate changes.”

  • ‘Cocoa farmers getting fairer share of international market’

    Mr Dimeji Owofemi is the Executive Vice Chairman, Multi Trex Integrated Foods Plc. In this interview with SINA FADARE, he says the cocoa industry is the only panacea to employment generation in the country. Excerpts.

    What is the implication of Nigeria exporting about 70-80 per cent of cocoa produced in the country?

    All the factories in Nigeria are not processing more than 20 per cent maximum and  about  80 per cent is been exported as raw beans. It is only in this country that people who export raw beans are the same foreigners who have setup factories in Cote Dovire, Cameroun, Ghana and Indonesia.  This is the area we are not clever as a country.

    Sad enough, government is again in its wisdom, paying grant to somebody taking raw materials out. Now in the countries where they are taking these raw materials to, they don’t charge them import duties but the little 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes that we are exporting as semi finished products to those countries, they are taxing it. Can you now see our dilemma as a processor?

    We are not competitive, we come back home; there is energy, road and  multiple taxation problem, there is government in ability to control lending rate for industry, so factories are borrowing money  the same way traders are borrowing money.

    The traders does not create jobs, it is the farmers and factories that create jobs. Traders is going to do his own business alone, but in factory like this you have at least 50 people for the smallest size, at a point we have about 116. Now if you have 10 factories,each with 300 people it means you have employed 3,000 people, those are the people that are directly involved. Aside this you still have those that are not involved in production such  casual workers and people who trades semi finish product that we do. So there is multiplier effect when you take things from farm land to factories, rather than from farm land to the port in the raw form.

    Therefore those are the people to pay attention to,   farmers and factories. If you take care of those two, all will be well.  But if we neglect those two sectors, we are shooting ourselves on the foot as a country.

    Aside this, what other areas did you think cocoa can be best utilised?

    Farming is a creator of employment.  Yoruba have a say that Igbe lowo wa, meaning there is money in the bush, it is better the government adopt a policy that will re direct and re focus our youths towards agriculture because that is the only sector that can accommodate all the army of youths we are producing in the university in droves without anywhere to secure or guarantee their future.

    There was a time you canvassed  the return of cocoa board. Can it better the fortune of the industry?

    I said government should create institution that would structure the value change and that is what Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development is doing now. I don’t want us to go back to that era, but to create an institution that will regulate the operation of the industry so that it will not be an all comers affair. And is usually government operated. You can see what is happening in Ghana now. They are facing similar challenges as well.

    If I have my way, I will pray and fast for six months if God will answer my prayer to dry off our oil, so that we can face reality. This issue of going to Abuja every month to collect oil money has blindfolded us away from agro allied sector that can drive our economy.

    Do you think Nigeria can produce 500,000 tonnes of cocoa by next year with what is on ground?

    No, that 500,000 tonnes cannot manifest in one year with what is on the ground. Despite the distribution of new improved cocoa varieties to farmers a year ago, it is difficult to meet such a target. These crops will take about 18months to mature at the point of putting it in the soil. Meanwhile, it is a process. You get the seedlings within nurseries, put them there, nurture them, before you transplant them. I will say three years down the lines. Akwa Ibom and Rivers states are already producing massively.

    Some of the problems we have is a good data base that can guide our operational system. As of now there is no reliable statistics and most of the farmers cannot be identified talk less of monitoring their production for record purpose

    In the past, a tonne of cocoa was about N4,000, today it has raised to about N400,000, would you say cocoa farmers are enjoying?

    When I entered into this industry in 1987 it was not N4,000, it was N1,800, and so it jumped to N4,000 per tonne. Today it is about N 540,000, so you cannot say the farmers are not fully compensated.

    Against this backdrop will you say Nigerian cocoa farmers are adequately compensated?

    Nigerians cocoa farmers are getting the highest share of the international market. Between 65 and 75 per cent of the international value, much more than what the farmers in  Ghana are  getting and  more than what Ivory coast farmers are  getting, but they don’t get that, they are involved with the provision of all the things that farmers need. Whereas, we can’t pursue that in Nigeria here it is impracticable, it is too late.

    From your experience, will you say, agro allied industry can give us the lead way in employment generation?

    You don’t have any other industry that can give you that; oil industry can’t. The best way is to support Nigerians involve in agriculture so they can create more employment. This can be done by government in different ways. You  can help to get loans that attract little interest and propagate policies that are industries friendly.

    For instance, those who need energy could be assisted. For instance; the pipe gas is right in front of our factory. We signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigeria Company. It is  nearly 40 months, they haven’t turn up to do the project for us, which has potential to reduce the cost of energy consumption to a minimum of 60 per cent of what we are spending today.

    We are using 66,000 litres of diesel every week, if we can solve the energy crisis; we could have increased our capacity base by employing more workers. Most of the industries along this Lagos- Ibadan express way are facing similar problems.

     

  • Women farmers in Kwara get attention

    Women farmers in Kwara get attention

    How to bring succour to small and subsistence women farmers took the centre stage in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The event, which attracted participants from the state House of Assembly, Ministry of Agriculture and women farmers from three local government areas, was organised by the Centre for Community  Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    After the event, the participants concluded that women farmers are in good stead to ensure the much-clamoured food sufficiency in Nigeria.

    At one of the interactive sessions, Chief Executive Officer, CCEPE Alhaji Abdulkareem Sulaiman, said the forum aimed at bringing the right holders and the duty bearers together.

    He said the right holders are the government while the duty bearers are the farmers.

    He said: “We just brought them together so that the government and other stakeholders that are in charge of these women farmers can be abreast of their problems and challenges and how to assist them so that they could produce more than what they are doing now.

    “We know they are the people feeding the cities and they are in the rural areas. They have a lot of problems such as bad roads, lack of basic necessities of life and inputs to their agriculture work such as fertilizers and tractors. They even had not seen extension workers around here. The extension workers would advise them on what to do and how to take their cases to the government.

    “That is why we brought these two parties together: the famers and the people representing the government from the House of Assembly and the Ministry of Agriculture, so that they will have direct contacts and direct discussion with one another and from there they can move forward.

    “Women farmers are the producers of what we eat in the cities. If you go to those communities, you will see that women are better farmers than many men. That is why we focus our attention on small holder farmers. They are small holder farmers because they do not have access to huge resources to go into mechanised farming. They are very fundamental and relevant to food security in the country.”

    Contributing, Senior Programme Officer of the NGO, Ayuba Akindele urged the state government to always factor in the women farmers in its annual budgets.

    “Women should be given special priority and the government should create enabling environment.  We need women budgeting, gender sensitive budgeting, budget that will take care of the concern and challenges of women farmers. Women farmers feed the nation,” he said.

    A member of the House Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources, Mrs. Segilola Abdulkadri expressed her happiness over the interactive session

    Mrs. Abdulkadir, who represents Ilorin Central in the House said: “I am happy that this group exists. They have been on their own for a very long time without anybody coordinating them. Now that they have an organisation coordinating them, at least they will have access to all helps that the government is putting in place in the budget for them.”

    She expressed her optimism that women farmers could serve as vehicles that would ensure food security and sufficiency in the country.

    She said: “You heard all of them introducing themselves as farmers. They produce so many food stuffs. They are not limited to little products such as pepper and tomatoes; they said they produce cassava, soya bean and others.  Who else are potential beneficiaries?

    “I think they have started now. I believe that by next year, they will have more voice to talk and more people will get to know them. I have solicited from the ministry that they should add some money in the next budget. The same will apply to the Federal Government. By the time the state starts, I am sure that the Federal Government and even the local governments will have some packages for them.”

    Director, Agriculture and Engineering Services, the state’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Oyedele Abifarin said the state plans to make every farmer a mini-commercial farmer.

    He said: “The N250 million loan that was granted to the farmers this year has already been disbursed to 172 farmers.

    “If these people are willing to pay, the governor had promised that he will expand it from the pilot scheme to a full blown one where everybody will become mini-commercial farmers, because the determination of what you are going to grow will be from the beginning, knowing your off-taker and knowing where you are selling.

    “This year’s loan facility is already gone but by the time they register, we will know them and we will be able to plan for next year. The ministry has been assisting women in their agricultural development activities. But it can never be enough.

    “We will continue to strive to develop our women because they are the other arm of men. Women are very useful to the family.

    Since women are in agriculture, we know that our family will be properly fed. As a result of this, we will continue to empower them.

    “We have advised them to form co-operative societies; because it is through the society that they can access loans. Government, as a facilitator, will continue to provide grants in order to develop agriculture and to ensure that they get what is required for them to develop our agriculture.

    “If they are in co-operatives, the banks will be able to listen to them. With government’s off-taker-driven agriculture, this allows the producers which are the farmers, to be able to determine and know what to produce even before they start.

    “From there, if they articulate it very well, they would have known the person to buy their product, who is the off-taker and the price to sell to be able to determine their gains. This will develop our agriculture very well and there would be no wastage.

    “The era of when you produce and you do not have somebody to buy the produce is gone. We are to determine who will buy it before the farmer produces. That is what Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is doing.”

     

  • Cocoa farmers’ many challenges

    Cocoa farmers’ many challenges

    Nigeria and other West African countries supply two-thirds of the world’s cocoa. But getting  the benefits to trickle down to local  farmers is challenge, writes DANIEL ESSIET.

    Bernard Ukata (not real name) owns a three-hectare  cocoa farm in Edo State. He inherited the farm from his father and applied the farming techniques he learnt from his father . He spends an average of N350,000 annually to maintain one of the three hectares .

    Although he is known as one of the most experienced farmers in his community, he has never achieved the expected yield. He works  hard, but continuesto struggle to maintain the farm and protect it against pests and diseases’ attack.

    He employs good agricultural, environmental and social techniques as strategies. At the end, he sells his produce for export and makes about $3,500 per tonne, hardly making  good profit. Hampered by his limited bargaining power with cocoa buyers, Ukata and other farmers are  forced  to accept whatever price they are offered at the farm gate.

    Low cocoa prices, combined with poor productivity and vulnerability to price downturns in volatile commodity markets, often make Ukata and others struggle to make enough income to cover production costs. Ukata is one of the several thousands of farmers, who have   taken   to  cocoa production  because  of  the  reported  good  earnings  from its export, but only to discover  that it was not  as easy as they thought.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Chief Executive, Centre for Cocoa Initiatives, Mr Robo Adhuze said the  cocoa sector is facing sustainability crisis.

    Cocoa farmers, according to him,  face challenges that make it difficult for them to realise the true potential of cocoa farming. The fragile nature of cocoa tree makes it vulnerable to pests and diseases. Each year, farmers lose between 30 per cent to 100 per cent of their cocoa farm to pests and diseases. The limited number of improved seeds or planting material also means that farmers are harvesting from old trees that  produce low yields.

    The limited knowledge of new, more efficient farming techniques has reduced crop yields and incomes, just as lack of organisation among farmers’ groups has limited their ability to purchase supplies at a lower cost. It has equally hampered them from accessing helpful market information and secure better prices for their produce.

    Cocoa, he explained,  is still nursed in primitively as against mechanised way. Farmers’ families work together with varying roles from planting  seedlings, clearing the forest canopy, pruning and watching over the trees, to harvesting and breaking the pods, fermenting the seeds and drying the beans. Other tasks include ferrying the dried cocoa beans bags on their backs  to the buyers, which may be some kilometres  away.

    Experts said the booming consumption in Asia  is expected to increase the demand for cocoa in the $100 billion chocolate industry by about one  million tonnes, or around a quarter of world’s production by 2020.

    Adhuze said while it is difficult  for small farmers to cope with the influence of chocolate companies  in  dictating the prices of cocoa,   majority of them work on small farms of not more than two hectares, which are too small to guarantee better returns.

    According  to  him, cocoa prices are being dictated by the global chocolate industry.

    The farmers, he  said, have little chances of getting a fair price for their produce if they don’t know how much other markets beyond their villages are willing to pay.

    Since income from cocoa farming is generally low and unpredictable farmers are finding it difficult to invest in their farms and businesses.

    Consequently, he said, there is  need for the industry to  work out methods to  protect small farmers.

    Calling for   fair pricing, he stressed the need to link the chocolate manufacturers directly with cocoa growers and allow messages about techniques and labour rights to be more easily discussed and monitored.

    The President, Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr Victor Iyama said when an average world commodity prices rise, profits tend to go mostly to large trading companies, not to the small-scale farmers.

    He  added  that poor farmers don’t profit from price gyrations on the world market since they must sell at harvest because they can’t afford to stockpile. Most profits go to middlemen and traders.

    He said local farmers are being exploited by the foreign chocolate companies. These companies through agents purchase cocoa from farmers at a set price, distribute and sell it on the world market. This has left small farmers directly at the mercy of world market prices.

    According to experts, the cocoa future market, originally set up for large chocolate companies could guarantee their input prices for a season. To them, it has become an important commodities’ market where most of the trading are carried out purely on speculation. The result, according to them, has seen larger and more rapid price movements, which are extremely difficult for the small farmers to bear.

    According to the Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union(FADU), Mr Victor Olowe,  farmers  are paid poorly for cocoa they harvest, carrying heavy loads, using machetes to clear their land and inhale harmful pesticides in their daily work schedule.

    Pesticides are commonly used to control bugs and viruses that harm the cocoa plant.  Most of the farmers use pesticides, which have been found to cause headaches, nausea, diarrhea, liver and kidney complications and cancer.

    According to him, cocoa farmers  live in poverty as prices paid to them by buyers are often incredibly low.

    He noted that his organisation was making effort to get  premium prices for cocoa farmers.

    In the words of Olowe, farmers, who have  gone  through certification programmes would receive higher prices than conventional ones.

    On the whole, Olowe said fair trade standards support farmers’ long-term development by fostering strong producer organisations, sustainable farming practices and social compliance.

    As a requirement, he said, cocoa producers must meet all core criteria, but can prioritise the development criterion that is most important to them.

    Through  such  a training, he  said,   farmers improve productivity and quality; have a sustainable tree and pest management; anti-child labour and environmental protection.

    For transformational change to come to the cocoa sector, the  President, Association of  Small business Owners of  Nigeria(ASBON), Dr  Femi Egbesola  said it would involve the participation of all actors.

    According to him, there should be  a renewed interest in shoring up agriculture as an avenue for economic growth and, more broadly, for development of the continent. He  said  the  government  must invest in small cocoa farmers and not the big ones.

    He  believed  a total revamp of the agricultural sector would bring about a return to the old days when Nigeria  was producing enough to feed herself, and agriculture contributed about 40 per cent  of the country’s foreign exchange earnings through exports.

    Analysts say it is practically impossible for farmers to meet the target of tripling output to 500,000 tonnes by 2020 given the situation of things because  trees require six years to hit the peak in production.

    Meanwhile, the  Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce(NBCC), has blamed the bad image given locally produced cocoa in the world market, on activities of the get-rich-quick exporters.

    Speaking at the launch of the Ondo Kingdom Chamber of Commerce (OKCC), NBCC President, Prince Yemi Adefulu, said standardisation and quality control were thrown out of the window when the marketing boards were scrapped. The country, he noted,  has not recovered from the reputation damage arising from the misdemeanor.

    “Nigeria earned a reputation for poor quality from which we suffer to this day. Prices of Nigerian cocoa crashed and farmers became discouraged and lost the incentive to plant new cocoa seedlings or expand existing plantations. Consequently, many abandoned the farms.

    We are probably now the 10th producer of cocoa in the world. It is, however, not only farmers and cocoa merchants who suffered, the local economy which was buoyant in the days of the cocoa boom became dislocated,” he said.

    He added: “Traders, transporters, labourers, the local government, the state and the nation all suffered in the process. But the greatest loss of all was the reputation damage.”

    According to him, such a calamity could have been avoided if there was an effective Chamber of Commerce in Ondo State. Every major step which changed history, according to him, was be an appropriate and timely  response to a challenge.

    He said: “It could have fought the abandonment of standards and if the government did not listen,  it could have created and established an Ondo Standards, which if well protected and projected, could have become a recognised global standard of quality.

    “There are chambers of commerce, which issue export documentations and help to authenticate standards. It is all part of being the watch-dog of the concerns and interests of the business community and reaching to government at the highest levels and affecting trade policy development.”

    He said a properly managed Ondo should be exporting cocoa butter, creams, chocolates and other cocoa based products from cottage industries.

  • Farmers explore rice wastes as power source

    Farmers explore rice wastes as power source

    Although the Federal Government has adopted a number of policy reforms to increase power generation , the impact has not been felt by rural farmers who live far away from the national grid.  Farmers  are  exploring  the  possibility  of  converting rice husks into  electricity to reduce diesel consumption and save money as well as the environment. But how far can this go? DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    At Songhai farms in Porto Novo,  Republic of Benin, none of its farm produce is considered a waste. This is due to skillful management of agric waste through recycling.

    Consequently, Songhai integrated production system which is based on diversified agriculture  thrives on expertise in animal husbandry and fish breeding as well as conversion of wastes and use of bio-gas for power generation for the farms has become a model for farmers and  agribusinesses to copy.

    The  centre, under the leadership of its  President, Reverend Father Nzamujo,  has  not only  achieved high  yields from its  production, it has also applied bio waste to generate  electricity.

    Indeed, the major challenge for most rural farmers in Nigeria is how to generate electricity at farm mills. Not  helping  the issue  is the  fact  that a  large numbers of farmers  are  not   connected  to the  national grid.

    Minister  of Agriculture and  Rural  Development, Dr  Akinwumi Adesina said  agricultural productivity growth is vital for stimulating growth in other parts of  the economy. But  achieving  accelerated growth requires effective power support to the millions of  small  farmers,many of them in remote areas.

    For this reason, he said the government would focus on pragmatic  ways to  promote  high-value agriculture linked to a dynamic rural farm sector.

    Ultimately, to experts, success will also depend on concerted action to confront the challenges of power supply at the farms  as  well  as technologies for  food staples production.

    To  this end,  experts  have  identified  various agricultural residues within  the  country   which can be used for electricity generation.

    One is rice husk. Rice husk is the outer cover of rice that accounts for about 20 per cent  by weight of the rice.

    One  of  the  promoters is   Chief Operating Officer, Wems Agro Limited, Mr  Henry Bagenal who  is  convinced about the country becoming the  future  hub  for  rice husk generated  electricity  on  farms.

    To  demonstrate  this, his  organisation is  acquiring  a  5400 hectares  in Akotogbo, Ondo State  for   rice production.

    The farm is going to be  a centre of excellence in sustainable farming practices, including  soil conservation, power generation and intermediate technology.

    Akotogbo will become a focus for sustainability based on the demonstration farm for power generation that will be created within the farm settlement.

    The company has a strategy aiming at increasing the use of alternative energy to power its operations. From  2016, the  operation will be powered by rice husk. The operation, however, requires 2,000 tonnes of 5300 tonnes produced. Of this, what is left will be used to produce electricity through a steam driven turbine for farm use and for local community.

    He  sees a  lot  of  farmers  buying   into  the  project   as  rice mill owners  face problems disposing husks. Although, five per cent of the quantities of husks have been utilised for bedding by the poultry farmers and between 15 and 20 per  cent  as cooking fuel, however the remaining between 75 and 80 per cent goes to wastes.

    Work will initially take place in Akotogbo but the technologies will be made available to other places. The use of husk power, he   noted, allows cheap electricity to reach farms without relying on expensive and polluting electricity.

    He noted that the long-term goal of the company is to impact positively on the livelihoods of rice farmers.

    Its Executive Director and Chief Executive, Mr Rotimi Akinsola said  green economy investments, initiatives and policies are making headway in developing countries and emerging economies.

    Akinsola said a technology that converts rice husk into electricity is gaining ground in some farm  settlement across the world.

    The technology is simple, and well-suited for small rural villages with limited technical capabilities

    For this reason, he said making rice husk -based power generation technology indispensable in farmlands around Ondo State will be helpful to the local  economies.

    Aside from  creating   job opportunities for the locals, he   said biomass gasification plants are eco-friendly as they replace diesel and petrol with carbon-neutral biomass-derived electricity.

    In Ondo State, a large portion of the electricity production is from fossil fuels causing concern for energy security as well as environmental emissions.

    To this end, his organisation is proposing biomass as one of the alternative (renewable) energy sources of energy which can offset the use of fossil fuels.

    Akinsola said the company is committed to producing rice profitably and making it affordable for the man on the street.

    He said: “All rice will be produced sustainably, using the system of rice intensification and other innovative and modern farming practices, while creating over 2500 jobs and providing a range of social benefits for the people of Akotogbo. It is hoped that this project will act as catalyst for the region to become a hub of sustainability.

    “The project will grow from 600 ha in year one to 5400 ha (double cropped) in year five, and produces profits from year one.”

    According to him, there is up to 25,000 hectares available in Akotogbo and Wems Agro has secured a long-term agreement with the landowners.

    He reiterated  that  the  company  intends to take advantage of the  market opportunity and help Nigeria become self sufficient in rice, and to develop a profitable agricultural industry in Ondo State.

    He  said  greater investment to double rice production is needed to reduce dependence  on  Thailand  rice and  improve livelihoods. He  believes that rice can help move people out of poverty, beyond food insecurity.

    He   said  Nigeria  is  a net importer of rice with nearly 40 percent of the total rice consumption coming from the international market. In the medium and long term, tax on all critical inputs, basic agricultural machinery and equipment and post-harvest technologies needs to be reduced. Poor uptake of improved higher-yielding rice varieties has also kept production low.

    He  said  long-term focus should be on increasing productivity. “Land extension accounts for only 30 per cent of the productivity gains,” he said.

    He said his company is joined together with  the Ondo State government  in an  agricultural collaboration to help farmers. The collaboration will focus on instructing farmers in improved production, post-harvest handling and marketing methods.  He said the  centre will act as a sustainable innovation hub where low-tech solutions could be developed, created and displayed with the help of the community.

    This demonstration farm should act as a centre where the aims, values and benefits of the project are showcased.

    Its Director,  Human  Capital, Mrs Sally  Bagenal  said the  project  will  create  jobs  and  inject $2.7million into the local economy in wages over five years.

    According  to her,  local representatives of the  community  would  be included in the stakeholder consultation process and the  people  are   in favour of the project because of the added income to local farmers.

     

  • Fed Govt urged to support cocoa farmers

    The Federal Government has been urged to support farmers to reposition cocoa in the international market by improving on quality to prevent rejection by chocolate producers.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Cocoa Initiative, Mr Robo Adhuze, said multinational firms interested in secured supplies of the commodities had announced that they would no longer accept uncertified cocoa produce from West African farmers by 2020.

    He noted that the quality requirement for food produce exports into major markets were becoming increasing stringent with demand for certifications which the local producers cannot afford.

    For this reason, he advised farmers to act fast and improve the quality of the produce to export high priced cocoa that will led to increase in revenue.

    While steady growth has transformed the chocolate industry, he said farmers were still given peanuts as earnings.

    According to him, growers still receive less than the final value of a chocolate bar.

    The lower prices paid to farmers result in lower productivity and poverty in farming.

    He urged chocolate firms to improve  on the prices afforded farmers by offering them fair trade rates.

    According to him, fair trade value will boost income levels for rural households, making a notable difference to quality of life for farmers who under the cocoa industry.

  • ‘Empower cocoa farmers’

    The key to alleviating hunger, poverty and combating climate change may lie in fresh, small-scale approaches to cocoa  farming, the Programme  Coordinator, Farmers Development Union(FADU), Mr. Victor Olowe, has  said.

    Addressing the  Second   Kokodola Farmers’ Day, in Ilesa,Osun State, Olowe  called for small-scale initiatives that take poverty and hunger relief.

    He  noted  that farmers  need  all the  incentives to produce more food to meet the growing population needs, a more effective way to address food security issues and climate change would be to encourage self-sufficiency and waste reduction, in wealthier and poorer nations alike.

    On  the  exhibition hosted by  his  organisation,Olowe  explained that it  meant to  showcase  local efforts by  farmers  to  improve  cocoa production.

    According to him,   FADU is  involved in  promoting  community credit associations to  enable  farmers  access credit.

    To  enable  cocoa farmers  add value  to their  cocoa beans and earn more  income, Olowe said  his  organisation  partners  Sygenta, CRIN, Continaf, Oxfamnovib and other  international  organisations to  train  farmers  on  responsible  farming  practice.

    In particular, he   said  small   farmers stand to gain from improvements in  certified  cocoa production  as  an integral part of strategies to promote agricultural output andproductivity growth. To achieve this, he  said his  organisation is  constraintsas well as disabling issues  that undermine the development of the  sub sector.

    The Managing Director, Continaf Nigeria Limited,Mr. Arajulu Olatunbosun, noted that   when his  organisation  started the Kokodola project, farmers were skeptical about it.

    According  to him,  it was difficult for most of the farmers to adopt the changes  the  project brought.

    He   said  they  were  reaping  from the  reward of  responsible  farming  practice as  they  witnessed improved  productivity and  increased  income. One   problem  facing cocoa farmers,he  noted,  was  how  to  transport  the dried cocoa bean  from farm settlements to the warehouse. He promised that Continaf would provide vehicles to ease transportation.

    He praised the cocoa farmers for their immense support which  led  to the success of the project.

    A representative of Oxfam Novib, Mr. John Ajigo, reiterated  the  commitment  of his  organisation  to fight  the use of  child labourers  on  the  farms.

    While  he  supported  early  introduction of  young people  to agriculture, Ajigo urged older  farmers  not   to deprive their children of education which is the bedrock for their future.

    The Farmers’ Day is an occasion where farmers are brought together to interact and share the success stories and challenges faced in carrying out their farming activities, with the hope that they will copy good practices from each other.

    About 500 farmers got premium during this Farmers’ Day. To add colour to the day, farmers exhibition tagged farmers’ market was put in place.

  • Seminar seeks end to herdsmen-farmers’ clashes

    Seminar seeks end to herdsmen-farmers’ clashes

    With a view to stemming the recurring violence between the Fulani herdsmen and the farming communities in the Southeast, a security/sustainable development seminar has been organised in Enugu. The seminar was put together by the African Centre for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development (AFRISDEV) in collaboration with the Catholic Institute for Development, Peace and Justice (CIDJAP).

    The Fulani, led by Ado Saidu Baso, Bala Ardo and Yusuf Sambo turned out in their numbers. They were excited by the prospect of peace that would soon reign between the two parties. There were also pastoralists led by Chief R. C. Oguejiofor as well as resource persons from the ministries of Agriculture, Health and Judiciary.

    The theme of the seminar was “Fulani Herdsmen Versus Farming Communities: Seeking Peaceful Co-existence for Sustainable Development in the Southeast.”

    In his presentation, the Director of CIDJAP, Prof. (Msgr) Obiora Ike who was represented by Rev. Fr. Anthony Ezekwu said the seminar was timely “since it is like a ticking time bomb. Many lives of humans and cattle have been lost. Properties have been destroyed and a lot of harm done.”

    He said: “CIDJAP stands to promote the pastoral and social teachings of the Church, giving succour to the downtrodden, inculcating the spirit of hard work and dignity of labour, urging for peace in communities, dialogue, tolerance and freedom of existence,” adding that the “era of nomadic practices of roaming villages with cattle and sheep was over and must be approached differently.”

    He, nonetheless, stressed that the “Fulani are not Boko Haram. They are humans, friends and brothers. They need us and we need them.”

    Prof. Ike, who is also a member of the just-concluded National Conference, revealed that while deliberating on the issue of nomadic life, the confab resolved that “all herdsmen and cattle shall stay in identified ranches and grazing centres. They will stay where they are welcome. Their cattle shall receive scientific feeding and shall be well cared for as an agricultural project by either the state or the Federal Government.

    “Nomads shall be integrated into civilisation, shall be educated and receive better standards of life.”

    In his opening address the executive director of AFRISDEV, Dr. Ben Simon Okolo said the seminar was borne out of research and analysis of the security challenges in Nigeria, especially in the Southeast.

    “While the theme seems to centre on the Fulani herdsmen, it must be stated upfront that, the Fulani is not the only tribe that engage in nomadic pastoralism in Nigeria. In the Southeast for instance, we also have the Shuwa Arab as nomadic herdsmen. However, the vast majority of the populace does not know the difference between the Fulani and the Shuwa Arab, hence the “generic name Fulani.”

    “We equally recognise the existence of other security challenges, which we shall be addressing in forthcoming seminars. While the government has the primary responsibility of ensuring peace and security within the Nigerian state, it is equally our responsibility to contribute to our individual and collective security,” he said.

    According to Okolo, the media had been awash with news of pre-meditated and massive violent attacks by supposed herdsmen on host communities, particularly in the North Central geo-political zone.

    “While this has not been a main feature of interaction between the herdsmen and the host communities in the Southeast, there are very genuine concerns, especially with reported cases of skirmishes between the herdsmen and their host communities in the farming areas,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “There is a school of thought that views the sudden rise of these attacks by the herdsmen on their host communities as a pre-meditated act targeted at the communities, with a more sinister intention than just, “quarrel over grazing land.

    “Some have, therefore, couched these attacks as part of an overall plan of terrorising the original inhabitants of the communities and dispossessing them of their lands. The recent decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) to establish “grazing reserves across Nigeria” seems to strengthen the above argument.

    “Some have even suggested that these attacks, especially given the nature of the sophisticated weaponry they employ, could be targeted at further destabilising the country politically.

    “Of major concern to the Southeast, and more particularly Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states, is that they share borders with Benue and Kogi states, where such targeted attacks have been recorded. The continued violent attacks that have been ongoing, especially in Plateau and Benue states, and the audacious attack targeted against Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State, is a serious cause for concern. “Some have, therefore, advocated a complete expulsion of the herdsmen from the Southeast; a position that AFRSIDEV does not share, as this is not a constructive solution and cannot lead to sustainable development.

    “Sustainable development, however, cannot be achieved in a climate of fear and insecurity. No doubt, the Southeast needs the services of both the herdsmen and farmers to achieve sustainable growth in agriculture. This, therefore, calls for constructive acts towards building a peaceful co-existence between the herders and the farming/host communities in order to forestall such attacks that might envelope the Southeast.

    “This seminar will give rise to the development of well-thought out policy options for dealing with this salient security cum environmental challenge.”

    Contributing, the Director of Vetinary Services in the Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture revealed that the world over, the movement of pastoralists are controlled, adding that despite everything, the movement of the Fulani herdsman within Enugu State shall be controlled.

    “Before now, these herdsmen carry only sticks. But today, they carry Ak47 rifles. We believe these come from crisis-ridden neighbouring countries,” he said.

    Although the Fulani did not make any contribution, they were all satisfied with the conduct of the seminar. Bala Ardo, who is a graduate and holds a post-graduate diploma interpreted and explained the presentations to his kinsmen.

  • Aregbesola faults CBN’s delay of farmers’ incentive

    Aregbesola faults CBN’s delay of farmers’ incentive

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has decried alleged delay by the Central Bank in operating Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) for the state’s farmers.

    The governor spoke at the weekend at the third anniversary of the Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP)and turning of the sod for the state Soil and Food Laboratory Complex.

    He said: “We have embraced the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), which unfortunately is being unduly delayed. This unproductive delay has its root in the non-operation of NIRSAL. For our counterpart fund of N300 million in the N600 million QIIP 2, we made available our N9 million NIRSAL Premium for its first year of operation.

    “Unfortunately, NIRSAL, which was supposed to be in operation, was not and could not avail the premium and the money had to be returned to our treasury without the supporting benefits we intended to get for our farmers and for which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) earlier assured us.”

    Aregbesola called on the CBN to “speedily” ensure that NIRSAL begins operation before the end of the year.

    He said an effectively functional programme as NIRSAL would boost and speed up agric-financing by the financial institutions.

    The programme, he said, would encourage financial institutions to support a large number of small and large-scale farm-holders and “promote revolvability of loans and build up the necessary wide pool of agric-financing expertise in our economy for consistent and sustainable growth and development of agriculture.”

    The governor added that in addition to the loan scheme, QIIP had worked to implement other projects.

    “One of them is the Osun Modern Beekeeping, Queen Honey Bee Rearing Project (O-Honey.) We have established a modern apiary with queen bee rearing capacity and extractor – the first  in sub-Saharan Africa. It is expected that this will boost production and plant pollination in the state, specifically at Odo-Otin Local Government Area.

    “The focus of the project includes training of unemployed youths in modern beekeeping and queen honey bee rearing, production of honey and wax, distribution of starter package to beginner beekeepers, increasing bee pollination for increase in crop yield and export of honey. Compensation has recently been paid to the land donors at Oyan, and work is ongoing to complete the construction of the factory and the installation of the honey processing equipment.

    “Let me also add that programmes like O’REAP (Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme), O’REAP Youth Academy, the Osun Broilers Out-Growers’ Production (O’BOPS), the Osun Fisheries Out-Growers’ Production (O’FOPS); the Osun Beef Value Chain project (O’BEEF), and the Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEALS) have effectively seen to the empowerment of many of our people,” he said.

    Aregbesola added that through the Osun Agricultural Development Corporation (OSADEC), the government distributed 10 sets of garri processing machines, 10 sets of cassava chips machines and three sets of yam flour processing machines at subsidised prices to interested cooperative groups and other members of the public.

    He noted that farmers have also benefitted from highly subsidised fertiliser, solid herbicides, liquid insecticides, solid insecticides, fungicides and other agro chemicals.

    On the Soil and Food Laboratory, the governor said the programme would move the state forward in its quest to “become a formidable emporium of food production, food security, and economic growth.

    “This momentous initiative is a product of the collaboration between our state and the State of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. Our German partners designed the complex whose foundation we are laying today.

    “When completed, this laboratory will be a key resource for increasing the quantity and quality of food production in the state, as well as provide jobs for some of our unemployed scientists and technologists.”

  • Bayelsa farmers lose N400m to ‘loan scam’

    •DSS arrests suspect

    Farmers in Bayelsa State have accused Mr. Kofi Osademe of defrauding them of N400 million.

    They said Osadame collected the money after convincing them that he was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to disburse N1 billion loan to farmers.

    Osademe has been arrested by officials of the Department of State Security (DSS).

    Osademe was said to have assembled farmers under “the Lord’s Vineyard Agricultural Transformation Programme” in eight local government areas.

    The suspect, who was said to be the chief executive officer of the programme, reportedly collected 25 per cent of the loan requested by each farmer.

    Things turned awry when the cheques he issued to some farmers for the loan were dishonoured.

    One of the victims, Mrs. Preye Joseph, said Osademe kept shifting the date when it was time for the farmers to collect their loans.

    She said after some pressure, he issued the dud cheques to them.

    Mrs Joseph said: “I paid N250,000 to access N1 million. When the time came to get the loan, he kept saying he was still working on it. That was the story he told us until out of pressure, he issued the cheques that landed him in the cell.”

    Another farmer, Mr. Morris Funpere, said: “Osademe got himself into trouble when he got carried away by the money people were giving him. He thought he could do it and get away with it. I applied for N1 million and when he gave us the cheque, I felt I had won a jackpot.

    “But I felt like the world should fall on me when I got to the bank and discovered there was no money in the account. People can be very wicked. Why would a man do a thing like that to many innocent Bayelsans who are struggling to survive?”

    The state Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Amaran Suoyo, said the union was not aware of the development.

    A worker in Osademe’s office on Captain Ayeni Road in Yenagoa, who did not want to be named, said the loans were genuine.

    The worker said: “Our boss was arrested by the SSS. They said he was issuing fake cheques to people after collecting their money. What really happened was that the cheques the bank gave us were not enough and we asked for more.

    “The bank delayed the delivery of the cheques to us for about three weeks. During the three weeks, we did not give out the ones we had because we wanted all to be issued at the same time.

    “In the fourth week, we decided to give out the once we had and people went to the bank to claim their money. The loan scheme is real. We had an understanding with the CBN to disburse the funds to farmers registered with us.

    “Every year, the bank gives out loans to farmers, but in Bayelsa, we don’t get the loan. The government will sit down with its friends and share the money.

    “It is the commissioner for agric that is causing this problem for us. He is angry that a private firm could access the loan while he could not.”

    DSS State Director Everest Dawa confirmed Osademe’s arrest, saying: “We arrested him based on complaints we received. We are still investigating to get details of the allegation and his involvement. We don’t know how much is involved yet.”