The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • ‘Granting farmers loans’ll reduce poverty, unemployment’

    The ‘Egbe Agbe Onigari, Akinle-Ijebu’ has called on the Federal and state governments to reduce poverty and the high rate of unemployment in the country by assisting cassava farmers with soft loans.

    The group said cassava is now a “golden crop,” adding that promoting agriculture could solve the challenge of hunger, poverty, increased social vices and unemployment ravaging the country.

    Speaking at the bi-Annual General Meeting of the association in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, its Chairman, Chief Baderin Parakoyi, said a critical analysis of the economic situation of the country revealed the need for diversification from oil to agriculture.

    The meeting, which has as theme: ‘Way out of the food and unemployment crises in Nigeria,’ was addressed by the Chairman of the Adenle Farms, Alhaji Wasiu Adenle.

    The major reason the government relied on oil money, the University of Lagos graduate turned cassava farmer, said, was the criminal neglect of the agric sector by successive administrations.

    “Cassava is now a ‘golden crop’ across the world, where over 2,000 different products can be extracted. Nigeria is currently the largest producer of cassava in the world with annual production of over 34 million metric tonnes. Yet, there is glut in cassava production in the country mainly because of the absence of adequate processing of the crop into many products,” he said.

    Assisting the farmers, he said, would encourage them to cultivate more, hence there will be increased farm activities, while hunger, poverty and unemployment would be reduced.

    However, Adenle identified paucity of funds and implements as the major problems confronting the farmers.

    He said they were interested in supplying several tonnes of cassava to many of the agro-allied industries in the country, such as Dangote Group, Flour Mills of Nigeria Limited and Okin Biscuits, which they could not do because of insufficient funds.

    At the meeting, the association released a 12-point communiqué on the way forward to boost food production in the country.

    These are: There is an urgent need for inter-agency interaction for expedited information flows, facilitated and desirable synergies; private sector and other stakeholders should build co-operative linkages with farmers to catalyse a paradigm shift built on greater productivity; entrepreneurship and technology infusion into the nation’s farms; government should streamline taxes to encourage agric enterprises through incentives; and the government, in partnership with the private sector should also provide adequate training for farmers to ensure international best practice.

    Others were that CBOS, NGOs and co-operative societies should be used to mobilise and direct agriculture since they are based at the grassroots; government should lease out storage facilities like silos, scattered over the country to farmers on group basis; government should create a fund to finance long gestation agricultural projects and managed through private sector involvement; both the federal, state and local governments must increase budgetary allocation to agriculture by at least 10 per cent initially and 20 per cent subsequently; agricultural loans must be kept at single dignity through strengthening agricultural credit guarantee schemes including incorporating appropriate incentives; priority attention must be given to the provision and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure most especially water, road and power to promote agricultural growth; and that federal, state and local governments must explore investment opportunities in agriculture; and that only politicians with good agricultural policies should be elected.

     

  • How to encourage farmers, by experts

    EXPERTS have called on the government to pay more attention to agriculture to boost income and nutritional needs of the people.

    They suggested building more storage facilities and granting credit facilities to farmers. This, according to the experts, would encourage them.

    To reduce poverty and earn foreign exchange, the Executive Chairman of Adetona Farms, Chief Waheed Adetona, said the government must step in to facilitate access to basic staples.

    He said such intervention should focus on raising farm output, increasing people’s income and facilitating constant supply of food stuffs to the market at affordable prices.

    He told The Nation that the availability of storage facilities in response to increase in farm output, would encourage more Nigerians to go into agriculture, and reduce the poverty level. Some farmers would engage in roots and tubers cultivation if storage facilities are available to keep their harvest, which makes up a large proportion of their income and diet.

    Adetona said: “Root crops contain about two-thirds of their weight as water. This gives two major problems: transportation and perishability. For example, cassava starts to develop a blue or brown discolouration after 24 hours. Within 48 hours, it starts to rot through the action of fungi and bacteria. If there are no storage facilities or central processing unit for cassava, yams and cocoyam, these tubers must be consumed soon after harvest within the producer’s own locality.

    “Distance to urban markets and the poor condition of rural roads, often mean that farmers have to accept poor prices offered by the local traders, hence the need for the construction of storage facilities very close to the farms where the crops are grown.

    “From cassava are staples like gari, fufu, lafun (cassava flour) and tapioca. Beyond their high caloric nature, they have more potential for yield improvement and conversion into a range of convenience products, but this will require research in food technology to design appropriate small-scale equipment for their manufacture.”

    He added: “In Nigeria, most of the population live in the rural areas and practise subsistence farming. Among the main crop grown for home consumption are root crops. Processing root crops into convenience foods will improve their being accepted by the urban population. This will lead to expanded markets and thus encourage the increased production of root crops.”

    Use of processed food based on local products to replace imported food stuffs, he said, would naturally, conserve foreign exchange.

    “During drought, cassava is often the only crop that survives. Unfortunately, root crops only attain special status in time of war, calamity and famine. Yet these are staple crops that farmers are already familiar with. Root crops have high tolerance for the poor soils resulting from reduced fallowing and population pressure on the land and, in the case of cassava, tolerance for periods of drought in encountered in arid areas. Processing of root crops could also provide cottage industry employment for rural people.

    “Cassava, when properly processed as gari, is safe and convenient to eat and may be stored for up to a year. Matured cassava plants can also be left in the round for up to three years. In Nigeria, cassava is usually the last crop in the rotation system, as it will produce reasonable yield on depleted land,” he said.

     

     

     

     

  • Farmers challenge govt on smuggling

    Farmers challenge govt on smuggling

    The Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Southwest Zone, Mr Olusegun Atho, has said unless smuggling is tackled, the policy on imported rice will yield no result.

    He identified smuggling as the major factor that would hinder the ban on the imported commodity, just as it had adverse effect on local rice production.

    According to him, “Government needs to come out and deal with the issue of smuggling, in order to encourage local growers.”

    The Federal Government recently announced the plan to ban rice importation by 2014, in order to develop local production of the commodity.

    But, Atho said in Lagos, that government needed to provide incentives to farmers to become self-sufficient in rice production.

    He also advised government to put in place proactive measures to meet the country’s rice demand before banning imported rice.

    Butresing the association’s stand, he said: “I don’t see any reality in this 2014 deadline. Not until when necessary machinery is put in place should government ban imported rice.

    “Government should equip farmers with the necessary tools, including tractors, organic fertilisers and give adequate training to farmers.”

    The RIFAN chairman also advised the government to provide adequate funding by way of grants or loans to farmers.

    “These factors are very important and must be put into consideration, before the proposed ban.

    “If these things are not in place, the ban cannot be realistic. Until when government begins to do something about it, that is when we can see the seriousness.”

    Atho also appealed to the government to construct more dams and provide mini-pumping machines for farmers to prepare them for irrigation farming as well as introduce modern rice production technology.

    “If government can provide all these to farmers, that is when government can boast of self-sustainability,” he said.

  • Fumman lifts farmers’ associations

    Fumman lifts farmers’ associations

    FUMMAN Agricultural Limited, manufacturers of Fumman branded fruit juice has reiterated its commitment to investing in agriculture through its active collaboration and support for farmers.

    The company has since built a synergy of cooperation with several farmers groups through direct purchase of fruit crops in large quantities, among others.

    The Managing Director of Fumman Agricultural Ltd, Mr Emmanuel Adeyemi, who gave this indication recently, disclosed that the company also has a farmer’s support scheme in place where it ensures large purchase of farm produce to alleviate the sufferings of the farmers, a development, he noted, has impacted positively on the businesses of the farmers.

    Besides, the company also provides the planting materials and varieties that it has on its farm for collaborating farms and farmers groups.

    This collaboration and support, the Funmman boss noted, has enabled the company made significant inroad into agricultural research since agriculture is the backbone of the industrial sector.

    Expectedly, Fumman has also intensified its role through active collaboration with the Nigeria’s Agricultural Research Institutes as well as the Nigeria Centre for Genetic Resources Conservation and Biochemistry (NACGRAB), Nigerian Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT).

    This collaboration, he stressed, has engendered the promotion of knowledge in the value chain of fruit crops research, planting, management, harvesting, processing and marketing.

    In genetic improvement, Adeyemi said Fumman has collaborated with Center for Environmental Renewable Natural Recourses Management Research and Development (CENRAD) and NACCGRAB. “Research is progressing on the popular “Ogbomosho Mango”, a preferred specie of Mango for Fumman Mango Juice with objectives of identifying inherent variations that can be genetically explored for genetic improvement of the crop, the propagation of identified desirable genotypes and to sensitize existing farmers and potential farmers to establish new plantation of the Ogbomosho Mango cultivation.”

    Beyond Nigeria, Fumman juice has preached its quality mantra to the West Africa sub-region. Fumman had presented papers at agricultural for a within and outside Nigeria from the viewpoint of private sector actor. We participated at the committee level of the Presidential Initiative on Dairy and Fruit Juices. And currently, our chairman sits on the chair of the ECOWAS Mango Stakeholders.

    Severally, Fumman Agricultural Limited has been recognised for its quality centric brand and indigenous collaboration. The award from Nucleus Estate Farmers group came in virtually every year. The Raw Materials Research Council gave Fumman the award for the best company utilizing local materials some years back.

    Adeyemi stated also that the organisation has adopted several strategies aimed at raising the bar of innovation through its deployment of modern technology and easy to use materials on its products. Fumman added the innovation of print on cans and easy-opening lids to its offer of fruit juices and canned pineapple pieces and slices, before progressing into cardboard packaging materials popular everywhere today.

  • Aregbesola urges brewery to support farmers

    The Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has advised the management of the International Brewery Plc., Ilesa, to consider backward integration in the company’s production of beverages and drinks.

    Aregbesola, who gave the advice at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the company held at Executive Council Chamber in Osogbo, said backward integration would assist farmers grow raw materials for the company.

    The governor also urged the brewery giant to help in the area of capacity building for the state manpower.

    Aregbesola disclosed that 10 years before his assumption of office, he and his team had conducted a study to know the critical needs of the people of the state, saying poverty, hunger and unemployment were top on the list.

    “During our campaign, we promised to work on these needs which we had already known through the survey. Ever since we came into power, we have been waging a war to banish poverty, hunger and unemployment. That is why education is among our cardinal programmes so as to get our people educated and informed,” he said.

    The governor promised to support the company because of the multiplier effect of its operation on the economy of the state.

    Earlier, the state Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, explained that the essence of signing the MoU is to industrialise the state.

    He noted that rather than going around the globe looking for investors, the Aregbesola-led administration has commissioned the Growth Investment and Development Limited to look internally for industrial captains to assist the state.

  • Experts laud official launching of the International Year of Family Farming

    Experts laud official launching of the International Year of Family Farming

    Thousands of farmers throughout the world have vindicated the role of family farming, through simultaneous activities on the occasion of the official launching of the International Year of Family Farming IYFF-2014, which over the weekend in New York.

    70% of the food consumed in the world comes from Family Farming and 40% of families live from this activity.

    For the World Rural Forum (WRF), coordinator of the Civil Society programme for the IYFF-2014 and promoter of its declaration, together with more than 360 organisations in five continents, the launching of this International Year opens up a unique opportunity to promote public policies in favour of the development of family farming, whose role and potential as guarantor of food security is not sufficiently acknowledged.

    A delegation of the WRF –consisting of its Executive Secretary, José María Zeberio, and the Coordinator of the IYFF-2014 Civil Society Programme, José Antonio Osaba– participated at the official launching in New York, together with top representatives of the United Nations, FAO, IFAD and various national governments.

    Strengthening Family Farming is the most efficient means to combat hunger and poverty. 70% of the food consumed in the world is produced by Family Farming, in all its diversity, and 40% of the families in the world live from this activity.

    “The most effective way to combat hunger and malnutrition is to produce food near the consumers, precisely what Family Farming does, not the large itinerant investors”, explains Jose Antonio Osaba (WRF), Coordinator of the IYFF-2014 Civil Society Programme.

    In his opinion, to strengthen the work of the millions of family farmers in the world (nearly 2,500 million people in rural areas live from agriculture in developing countries) it is necessary for countries to guarantee “the protected access to land, water, sea and other natural resources). In addition, “the right of people to produce their own food” needs to be acknowledged.

    Family Farming according to the FAO is a “way of organising forestry and agricultural production, as well as fishing, grazing and aquaculture, which is managed and conducted by a family and which largely depends on the family labour force, both men and women. The family and exploitation are linked, they co-evolve and combine economic, environmental, reproductive, “social and cultural functions”. When speaking of Family Farming we also refer to artisanal fishing people, shepherds, harvesters, landless day-labourers and indigenous communities.

    The IYFF-2014 is the first International Year preceded by a civil society campaign, promoted by the WRF and backed by more than 360 civil and farmers’ organisation in five continents. After its declaration by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the civil society promoted its celebration as a tool to obtain public policies in favour of the sustainable development of agricultural systems based on the family unit: all of this with a commitment and spirit of cooperation with the official programme of the United Nations, organised by the FAO.

  • Kolanut farmers bemoan govt policy

    Kolanut farmers have  identified lack of articulated policy as the bane of agriculture.

    They said even though the sector had suffered neglect following the discovery of oil, the past 14 years were enough to reverse the situation.

    Its Chairman, Chief Kayode Aladejobi, who spoke on behalf of other farmers told The Nation in Ibadan that, with  the return of democracy in 1999, “we should have been able to find our bearing and move forward as a nation in terms of our agricultural development. But it seems most of those in government are not interested in the sector.”

    He noted that there had been initiatives, plans and programmes which were implemented. “Governors, ministers and regimes came with policies and programmes in agriculture aimed at achieving personal interest and that is why the country is still facing food security problem,” he said.

    He expressed dissatisfaction that ‘high profile’ farmers were the main beneficiaries of most agricultural programmes of the past administration, noting that rural farmers were neglected.

    “It is unfortunate that most of the programmes put in place in the past eight to nine years just benefited high profile farmers and not the intended rural farmers who provide the food we eat in the country,” he said.

    To reverse the trend, he called for adequate funding of the sector.

    Ibidapo said: “The inadequate funding by the government cannot reflect the yearnings and aspirations of rural farmers. The funding was made just to benefit a few farmers.”

    Another farmer, Mr Adedayo Onalaja noted that the 2013 budget for agriculture fell short of the 10 per cent recommended by the United Nations (UN) even though the seven per cent allocation was the highest so far.

    “So, if we truly want to get to the Promised Land in terms of adequate food production, I don’t think that this type of allocation can take us anywhere,” Onalaja stressed.

    He urged President Jonathan to evolve a comprehensive food security policy which would be discussed by stakeholders, with a view to arriving at a road map for the sector.

    “Food security is not a matter of documentation but a matter of initiatives complemented by fund allocation and serious action.

    “All that Nigerians are looking forward to is that whatever policies and programmes of the government must translate to food on their table,” he said.

    Agriculture is a policy-based sector and measures must be taken in phases – immediate, short-term and long-term in order to provide adequate food for the country,” he said.

    According to him, a country that is not food-sufficient cannot grow economically, adding that Nigeria was confronted by this ‘dangerous’ situation.

  • Farmers attack Kwara’s agric policies

    Farmers under the aegis of Kwara State Off-taker Farmers Association yesterday criticised the government’s agricultural policies on credit facility.

    The farmers decried the failure of the state to redeem the pledged credit facility for its members.

    Chairman of the association Paul Adeshina, who addressed reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, lamented that they had incurred losses because the government reneged on its promise to them.

    He said his members had committed funds to their farms, hoping that the government would grant them credit facility.

    Adeshina explained that the government had selected 10 farmers each from the 16 councils to form cooperative societies under its Off-taker policy.

    The association’s chairmen from the 16 councils attended the briefing.

    He said the government instructed them to grow soya beans, maize, rice and cassava depending on thecouncil under the government’s policy.

    “On March 4, the government called a meeting and directed that 10 farmers from each council register a cooperative society to access government loan.

    “Baruten and Kaima councils were asked to grow soya beans; Edu and Patigi, rice; Kwara South, Cassava while Kwara Central is for maize.

    “Individual farmer was instructed to grow between 10 to 15 hectares with a promise that government would create a market for it in addition to the pledged loan facility,” he said.

    The chairman, however, decried government’s failure to honour its agreement.

    He added that “some of our members have developed hypertension because of the government’s action. We are now struggling to pay back the loan we accessed with high interest rate. This is unfair!”

    Spokesperson to Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed, Dr. Muideen Akorede, said: “At no point did the governor promise to give money directly to farmers.

    “The Kwara State government is unaware of any association called Kwara State Off-Taker Farmer Association and has, therefore, not pledged credit facility to any such body.

    “What the governor promised the farmers was access to critical farm input rather than cash.”

  • Delta empowers over 3,000 farmers with N600m loan

    Delta empowers over 3,000 farmers with N600m loan

    Delta State Government has empowered 3,921 farmers across the state with N600 million loan through its Farmers’ Support Programme in the last four years.‘

    Gov.Emmanuel Uduaghan made this known in Asaba at a four-day workshop on Bankable Proposals for Loan Facility Requirement and Repayment for Enterprise Development’ in Delta.

    Uduaghan, who was represented by Mr Valentine Okwuchi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said the workshop was aimed at assisting farmers expand their farms.

    He said that soft loans were given to farmers as well as farm inputs to improve their yields.

    The governor also said that 950 youths across the state benefitted from the youth empowerment through Agriculture and Farmers’Support Programme.

    He said that the empowerment programme had created jobs for youths in poultry production, fishery, piggery and snailery.

    Uduaghan said the government was committed to harnessing the abundance and energies of youths in the state.

    While commending the Delta Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (DACCIMA) for organising the workshop, the governor urged investors to take advantage of the abundance of natural resources in the state.

    He said besides the various windows designed by the private sector to grow businesses, the government, through various investment-friendly policies and programmes, was poised to make the state an “industrial and commercial haven of the nation.’’

    In his speech at the occasion, the President of DACCIMA, Chief Uju Udeme, said that the workshop would equip owners of projects with the techniques of presenting project proposals to potential sources of finance by proving the viability of such projects.

    He said the workshop would also equip the participants with management skills that would enhance their capacity and prevent default.

  • Farmers lament high cost of production

    The high prices of farming input are negatively affecting the capacity of small farmers to prepare adequately for the cropping season.

    The Programme Coorodinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Mr Victor Olowe, told The Nation that input financing has become a problem yearly, as the government’s efforts have failed to address the issue even with the promise of subsiding farmers costs by 50 per cent.

    High transportation costs and market access are two key issues faced by vegetable and root crop farmers. While many farmers were productive and harvested their produce in commercial quantities, the unavailability of markets was a big drawback.

    Another challenge was the high cost of transportation of having to spend at least two to three days in urban areas waiting for their produce to be sold and in the process, some of the ripe tomatos get spoilt.

    He said the food system is highly fuel and transport dependent. This makes the production system less secure and food less affordable.

    Meanwhile, many poor farmers who cannot afford machinery, fuels and commercial farm inputs find themselves at a disadvantage in the food economy.

    As a result, thousands of farmers suffer great losses.

    Olowe said farmers have to slash labour costs dramatically to have any chance of saving operations.

    He said labour costs was affecting farming operations nationwide.

    Early this year, fish farmers decried the continuous increase in cost of fish feeds in the market while the market price of fish falls yearly, leading to exit of many fish farms.

    According to them, the dependence on imported feeds has stimulated wide price fluctuation, leading to price inflation of feedstuff.

    At present, a bag of Coppen feeds, an imported feed, costs between N4,000 and N5,200 per bag as compared to the price of a live fish, sold for about N480.

    The government only regulates the commodity markets through import controls and price support through subsidies or direct government purchases and other policy instruments designed to support the feed manufacturing industry.

    Under the Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act, the manufacture of animal feeds was placed on the list of pioneer industries; this ensures a five-year tax holiday to new feed millers entering the industry and aimed at stimulating investment in the animal feed mill industry.

    Prices are fairly consistent with product quality and for some items pegged to those specifications that are most likely to vary, for instance the moisture levels for grains or crude protein levels for fish meals.

    The larger feed mills maintain laboratories that check raw material quality and monitor the feed manufacturing process, to help maintain the quality of feedstuff.

    Importation of feeds, according to fish farmers, is the major cause of the increasing price of fish feeds in the market, whereas importers of feeds attribute the price increase to the corrupt nature of law enforcement agents.

    President, Lagos State Catfish Association of Nigeria, Rotimi Omodehin, said the high cost of feeds have hindered many farming business and closed many farming enterprises.

    He urged the government to invest in animal feeds to help improve the productivity level of farmers.

    “Building of feeds mill will help the farmers, and farmers are willing to patronise government feeds because individual retailer’s price is killing the farmers,” he said.

    He reiterated that subsidy in agriculture is very important and removal by the government is to the detriment of the average farmer.

    A livestock farmer, Temitope Odetola, said the government had neglected livestock farming and little or no funds were made available for the farmers.

    He added that the small-scale farmers find it hard to get capital and bank loan is out-of-reach for them.