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Tag: Farming

Ogun civil servants to be allocated land for farming

Ogun State civil servants are to be allocated land for agricultural purposes.

Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, stated this while speaking to reporters during the visit of the Presidential Task Force on Agricultural Commodities and Production led by Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Dakingari.

Amosun said the government took the decision as a way to improve food production, ensuring food security and improving workers’ personal income.

He added that the civil servants will only be free to work on their farms after office hours and public holidays as they will perform their duties during the statutory five working days.

Amosun, therefore, counselled the state civil servants to take advantage of this opportunity when the scheme is fully on board.

Explaining the government initiative further, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Steven Ipinniwa, said each interested civil servant will be allocated two hectares of cleared land at designated sites while government will also assist them with input.

December 23, 2016
NDE trains 600 youths in farming

No fewer than 600 youths from 12 states are being trained on off-season farming by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). The training is part of measures towards ensuring food production all year round and to provide employment for unemployed youths.

The Director of the Rural Employment Programme Department of NDE, Hajiya Hawa Kulu while flagging off the training programme in Minna, the Niger State capital, said the states involved include Niger, Abia, Benue, Kwara, Ondo, Zamfara, Delta, Cross River, Jigawa, Gombe, Ogun and Anambra.

She said that the training duration will be for three months out of which one month will be used for theoretical tutoring while two months will be used for attachmenmt in designated well established farm centres.

Kulu said the skills to be taught include marketing, gardening, poultry production, small ruminant production, aquaculture and processing.

She said the economic recession is taking its toll on the nation, giving rise to high rate of unemployment.

The Director added that the restriction on the importation of several food items is having effect in the increasing pricing of food shortages pointing out that the shortage and increase of food prices have become a strong catalyst to increase rural agricultural activities.

The state Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment, Engineer Abdullahi Mohammed said 50 youths were selected from 12 local government areas of the state.

He added that after the three months training the youths will be empowered with start-up loans to enable them start up their own businesses.

November 22, 2016
Food crisis: Lawmaker urges Nigerians to return to farm

A lawmaker, representing Doma North Constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Mr Mohammed Okpede, on Monday in Nasarawa, urged Nigerians to return to farm as a way of quickly addressing the nation’s food crisis.

Okpede, a large-scale farmer, said he cultivated over 90 hectares of land to boost food production in Nasarawa State.

The lawmaker, made this known while inspecting his farm on Doma/Yelwa road in Doma Local Government area of the state where crops like cassava, maize, Beninese, yam, guinea corn and some economic trees were grown.

It was also observed that some of the farm labourers were busy harvesting maize, yam and other crops.

Okpede, who is also the Chairman, house Committee on Health, said he decided to embark on farming to complement the Federal Government’s efforts in diversifying the economy.

He urged youths to go back to the farm to become self-reliant and fight poverty, unemployment and boost the socio-economic development of the country.

According to him, for the country to achieve food sufficiency and overcome the present hardship, youths and other Nigerians must go back to the farm.

“I want my people and other Nigerians to know that farming is the only common activity one can do to sustain his living, that is why I am into farming for my constituents to see and emulate.

“No society can live comfortably without agriculture; agriculture is the major source of livelihood of every family, nation and its importance cannot be overemphasised to the development of any society.

“Apart from ensuring food security, farming also provides job opportunities boosts the revenue of the state and the country at large.

“If youths and other Nigerians go back to farm, it will not only reduce overdependence on oil but will also fight poverty, unemployment, youths restiveness and other social vices.’’

The lawmaker, however, appealed to the government to distribute fertilisers and other farm inputs to farmers to meet the requirements in tackling poverty and ensure food security in the country.

October 25, 2016
‘Fishery, farming key to economic recovery’

A fish farmer in Effurun, Delta State, Mr. John Ahonuelo, has urged people to return to fish farming and other agricultural ventures, to overcome recession.

Ahonuelo, a member of the United Ufuoma Fish Farm at Ekpan, said the oil boom was over, adding that people should embrace either fishery or other agricultural ventures, to cushion the effects of recession.

Speaking with The Nation at Ekpan, the fish farmer said overdependence on oil as the mainstay of the economy was responsible for the crisis, stressing that if the country had focussed on agriculture, it would have developed.

Ahonuelo said the fish farm was established with little or nothing a few years ago, “but now has over 500 fish farmers producing fish daily.”

October 13, 2016
Making a fortune from turkey farming

A Lagos-based mini-livestock entrepreneur, Mr. Lamson Opeyemi, has earned himself fame and fortune from rearing turkeys. Turkey farming, according to experts, is a higher income yielding venture than other forms of poultry farming, especially chicken rearing. DANIEL ESSIET reports

In the Southwest where he grew up, turkey meat is a delicacy eaten mostly by the rich. Perhaps that was what caught the attention of Mr. Lamson Opeyemi, who saw the near exclusivity in the consumption of turkey as a good investment opportunity.

He seized the rare opportunity to venture into the busniess, apparently to earn income from meeting the culinary needs of the rich, most of who prefer turkey meat to chicken’s.

For most Nigerians who prefer the bird, its unique nutritional values are, perhaps, too tempting to ignore. But, for Opeyemi, the income from turkey farming remains the attraction. He has since been smiling to the bank with proceeds from each season’s sale, especially during festive periods, such as Christmas, Easter and Muslim festivals.

However, setting out for the business was not easy for Opeyemi. Apart from the start-up capital, he spent time and resources learning its rudiments. “The initial cost included getting a male and female turkey for production as well as a pen to house the birds ,” he said.

For instance, the average start-up cost for the business, besides structures is N478, 000. Also, acquiring a 200 day-old turkey, known as poults, at N350 each, translates to about N70, 000. The cost of feeding each poult to maturity is put at N2, 040 X 200 for 26 weeks (182 days) is N408, 000.

However, Opeyemi was not deterred. He has been able to recoup his investments within six months, even making profits, particularly after Christmas and New Yaer sales when demand is usually high.

Interestinly, the poultry meat from turkey, the fertilised eggs, feathers and the droppings are all marketable, according to the budding entrepreneur.

Sharing his experience in the busniess, Opeyemi said all that is required to raise turkeys is to tenderly love and care for them, especially in the first four weeks of their life span when moratlity rate of the birds is high.

According to him, the average mortality rate of turkey is six to 10 per cent . He said part of the care involves raising turkey under a roof rather than the free range system where a rearer or farmer needs one acre of fenced land to raise 200-250 adult free roaming turkeys.

Also, feeds, according to him, should be given in feeders, not on the ground. Turkeys, he said, require clean water supply all the time.

Opeyemi said if the birds are well fed, they start laying eggs from when they are about five months, though the male take a longer period of about eight months to mature.

He has peices of advice for aspiring livestock entreprenuers. First, would-be farmers must create time and be involved in nurturing the birds. This, according to him, is neccessary for the farmer to reap bountifully from the agribusiness venture.

That is not all. The innovative farmer also recommends following low-cost practices. He said to get to where he is, he followed selective mating, selection of eggs, simple incubation techniques, early care of chicks, preparation of feed mixture and health care.

He also invested his time and resources in research to ascertain the health risks, feeding regime and even market for eggs and meat from turkey.

Opeyemi explains: “Turkey rearing starts from day old, which should be kept in a brooder house under appropriate temperature for about five weeks. Then the birds will be separated into different houses, one for the males that are fast growers; the second pen/house for females, which grow slowly.”

He said the birds may stay there till maturity, which is 20 weeks before the farmer can sell them for money or leave them for production of eggs. He also said the fertilised eggs are hatched at another farmer’s hatchery on payment “You don’t need to have your own hatchery before you can produce day old turkey,” he said.

Opeyemi is not done with his recipe for being a successful turkey farmer. He admonished those wishing to venture into the business that adequate feeding of the turkey is key.

Hear him: “The feeding of turkeys is very important, as the amount of feed it takes to make one pound of meat on the fowl makes the difference. If you intend to put eight pounds of meat on a turkey in eight and half weeks, it will take 13 pounds of feed. During this period, the turkey exceeds any other fowl in growth.”

To make good money within the first year, Opeyemi suggested starting with 200 birds, made up of 112 females, 56 males and 32 extra males. The extra males are to make up for the shortfall that may arise from the mortality of the birds.

He, however, said with an investment of N600,000 in buying day olds and feeds, a farmer can make up to N500, 000 within six months.

A farmer and consultant, Mr. Gbenga Boluwajoko, said turkey business generates more income than other poultry farming.

Boluwajoko, a crop and animal farmer in Ibadan, Oyo State, said the business he started with N50, 000 has grown by more than five times.

But it has not been a savoury experience for Opeyemi, Boluwajoko and, indeed, other investors in the turkey farming. For them, the fear of disease outbreak is the beginning of wisdom. Listen to Boluwajoko: “I gave someone to help me brood 265-day old turkeys and there was a transfer of disease from a near-by farm and we lost all the animals. So, I discovered that it is better to be in charge.”

His advice: “Do it by yourself or be involved to some extent. Then go for training or buy an ebook from practical farmers if you are far from the person who will train you.”

August 10, 2016
Food security: Integrated farming to the rescue

The University of Ibadan is running a model of integrated rice-fish–poultry–pig farm that will boost food production, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

At the rice-fish-poultry-piggery farm of the University of Ibadan, students master the act of growing rice and animal husbandry in the same place. It is an integrated farm. The fish eat weeds, bugs and molluscs that carry pests; their waste acts as fertiliser while they stir up sediments that release nutrients which help the rice grow.

The model is unique, involving fish farming, poultry keeping, rice production and piggery. The pond meets the needs of the fish as well as enables the rice to be grown on-site, while complementing the rearing of poultry birds and pigs. There is a small mill & mix plant housed in the feed store which produce feeds for the unit. The university ensures that the pigs are fed with meals to boost their iron sufficiency.

Zinc oxide is added to the feed to reduce digestive upsets. The complex relies on natural ventilation for cooling. The finisher pens are not slatted, instead the floors are cemented with concrete, with manure swilled off twice daily into muck channels that run down both sides of the house.    A big part of the business is the fish farm. The large fish pond is stocked with catfish. After harvesting, the catfish are smoked or sold fresh. The complementarity of the system is ensured with the use of rice grain and bran as feed for the poultry.

On the project, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof Bamidele Omitoyin, said the rice planted in the fish pond benefits from nutrients, in fish excreta. In addition, he said the aquatic weeds of rice are reduced due to fish presence. In turn, he said, the fish benefit from the favourable micro climate created by the rice plants. However, he said rice requires nutrients in the form of inorganic fertilisers, which the fish waste provides whereas fish needs nutrients in organic form. The essence of integrating them, he explained, is to allow the circulation of nutrients in various forms. He said poultry waste from the farm is recycled into the fish pond. The droppings of poultry birds, he added, are used to fertilise the pond.

To achieve this, he said the chicken waste from the poultry unit, built near the pond, is washed down through the delivery channel as organic fertiliser for the growing of rice. This, he added, helps farmers to avoid spending money in buying chemical fertiliser.The ponds also receive pig dungs. This waste, he explained, acts as excellent pond fertiliser and raises the biological productivity of the pond and consequently increases fish production and boost rice growth. To help the process, the pigsties are constructed in such a way that the washings are drained to the pond through a delivery channel. Omitoyin said the project could be started on one acre of land. According to him, would-be fish farmers will be taught to integrate rice with fish, poultry or piggery to increase production of yields. This model would help farmers realise so much profit from their investment than running a simple fish farm.

The integrated system, Omitoyin noted, provides benefits that each component by itself would not be able to achieve, creating more than the sum of its parts.

He explained that under normal conditions the expected harvest is rice and fish. With this system, he added that the farmer is   not provided with a single product, such as rice, but a range of integrated products including fish, poultry and pig. At present, the farm serves as a rice-based integrated farming system model that other farmers can replicate. The project occupies an expansive area.

Farmers, students and researchers say it is a model integrated fish farm with rice grown inside a fish pond. It has been attracting local and international tourists, who come to see a demonstration farm where fish bred and integrated with some agricultural products such as rice, pigs and poultry to optimise yields.   He said rice-fish cultivation is a viable business and the university is determined to promote the adoption of the system among farmers to improve food security on small, subsistence family farms and encourage efficient and effective use of water.

Because of the success of the project, the university has invited stakeholders and farmers to come and see the demonstration farm. The farm is used to train extension officers, farmers and students on aquaculture. Agriculture and fisheries students also go to the farm for school attachment.

Omitoyin noted, however, that space, labour and capital must be integrated and properly utilised for optimum farm output. He stated that fisheries and aquaculture are a big source of income, adding that there are lots of business opportunities in fish farming.

The project signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) on fingerlings multiplication and dissemination of the integrated fish farming across 12 states in Nigeria.

August 5, 2016
Sultan urges Nigerians to embrace farming

•Emir of Zazzau: preaches tolerance

•Uyo Chief Imam hails Fed Govt’s policies

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III,yesterday advised Nigerians to embrace farming to produce adequate food for local consumption and for export.

Abubakar gave the advice in Sokoto while delivering his Eid el-Fitr message to the Muslim Ummah to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan fasting.

He said: “Nigerians are really facing difficult times, occasioned by the global financial crunch, due to the falling prices of oil.

“But happily, God, in His infinite mercy has endowed Nigeria with vast fertile land, with each region having its own peculiar comparative advantage.

“We should, therefore, collectively go back to the farms, and engage in both rain-fed and dry season farming.

“With this, we can produce adequate food to be locally self-sufficient and even export the surplus.’’

Abubakar, who said Nigeria had no business importing food, appealed to Nigerians to be patient and to continue to pray fervently for the country’s unity and progress.

The Sultan also appealed to Muslims to sustain the virtues of Ramadan, namely: patience, piety, and assisting the needy.

He condemned the recent blast in the Holy Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Medinah.

“Islam is a religion of peace and it preaches peace and unity. Violence breeds only violence and underdevelopment.

“It is only the bad eggs among the Muslims who are perpetrating such heinous acts, and the Muslims are not fundamentalists.”

The Sultan praised Governor Aminu Tambuwal, for spending more than N250 million on the Ramadan Feeding Programme.

He also lauded him for his efforts at revamping the education sector.

Abubakar called on parents to enrol their children in school to enable them to acquire both Western and religious education.

“Education is the only key to success and no nation can fully develop without according it the priority attention it deserves,’’ he said.

In Zaria, Kaduna State, the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, described religious tolerance as a critical element necessary for national integration.

Idris, who is also the Chairman, Kaduna State Council of Emirs and Chiefs, expressed the thought after the Eid el-Fitr prayers held at his palace in Zaria.

He said: “No nation has ever witnessed development in an atmosphere of rancour, acrimony, disunity, and war.

“We, therefore, call on our subjects in particular, and Nigerians in general, to shun all forms of rumour peddling as it will certainly breach the prevailing peace.’’

Idris appealed to Nigerians to pray fervently for Nigeria’s leaders to enable them to lead the people with the fear of God

In Uyo, the Chief Imam of the Uyo Central Mosque, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, urged the Federal Government to come up with policies and programmes that would help revive the nation’s economy to reduce the suffering of the people.

Adamu gave the advice while speaking with reporters after the Eid el-Fitr prayers to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan fasting.

He applauded the Federal Government’s policies and programmes and expressed the hope that they would improve the living condition of citizens.

“We all know we are experiencing hardship; so we have prayed to Almighty Allah to bring succour to all of us.

“Government should expedite action in revamping the nation’s economy.

“Citizens are going through very difficult times that must be addressed promptly,” Adamu said.

He called for peaceful coexistence among the different ethnic, political, and religious groups in the country, saying that development would continue to elude Nigeria if its citizens did not live in harmony with one another.

In Gombe State, Alhaji Alkali Pindiga, the Chief Imam of the Gombe Central Mosque, called on the Muslim faithful to continue to pray for the peace and stability of the state and the country at large. Pindiga, who was speaking in his Sallah sermon in Gombe, said there could not be any meaningful development in the country without peace and stability.

“We need to continue to pray for peace to reign in Gombe and the country at large,“ he said.

Meanwhile, in Enugu, Lt. Col. Abubakar Tahir, the Imam of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, has called on Muslims to use their wealth to improve the lives of the under-privileged.

He gave the advice after the Eid prayers held at the division’s praying ground to mark the end of the Ramadan fasting.

Tahir also called on Muslims to always give alms to the needy and to always remind them of the need to be honest in all they did in life.

“God created the rich and the poor for the purpose of those that are rich to use their wealth to help the poor ones.

“Be contented with what you have and be a source of happiness to others.

“Be mindful of God and do not follow your heart’s desires,’’ he advised.

The Imam advised Nigerians to be security conscious always and not to relent in being their brother’s keeper.

July 7, 2016
‘Farming is highly lucrative in the north’

Haruna Bitrus is Zonal Manager, Bank of Agriculture Limited, North East zone. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf he speaks on the prospects and challenges of agricultural development in northern Nigeria. Excerpts:

WHAT has been the intervention of the Bank of Agriculture Limited to rural farmers in the last few years since you came on board?

You know the bank has been in the forefront of financing agriculture across the country and we’ve financed various agricultural projects, particularly livestock projects because you know the environment in the north is livestock-friendly. We’ve done a lot in that area in terms of financing production. We’ve also supported maze, rice, cotton and production of several crops. We’ve participated and partnered with organisations like the Nigerian Cotton Growers Association. We’ve participated in cassava bread production through financing. We’ve partnered with All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria, we gave them some loans. We’ve also supported the Flourmill Association of Nigeria. We’ve given out loans and we also partnered with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and state governments to give loans to women through the Women Economic Finance Programme. So l can say we’ve done quite a lot.

What is your assessment of farming business around the northern part of the country, especially within the zones you cover?

Farming is very lucrative in northern Nigeria and it is because there are so many things that the south depends on around here. Most cattle are moved from the northern part to the south and so on. And it is an area where farming is considered good business for cattle rearing and as such, a lot of people here go into cattle fattening. You know once they fatten these cattle and add value to them they’re moved to the south. In fact, l can tell you that a lot of the cattle we eat here are not as nourishing as the ones they bring to the south to sell because it takes time to fatten the cows. So farming is a big business and like I said earlier, cotton, sesame seeds, wheat, rice are grown in abundance and a lot of agricultural activities that have potential for exports are also grown around here.

In terms of recovering these soft loans that you give what has been the performance like with BOA?

You know l’m the Zonal Manager in the North East and l cover six zones. I know that there are areas that we’re seriously affected by insurgency. The farmers had to abandon not just their businesses but their homes and some of them are our beneficiaries. Whatever repayment rate l give you now may not be very realistic in view of the happenings. And this is an area that I think even intervention agencies should look at because we’re mostly in business and if something like this happens and these farmers for example have nothing to fall back on and they are still indebted to us, and the loans are not paid it affects the organisation and what can we do to get them to pay when they have nothing. So we’re seriously affected by these occurrences and it’s even something l think some of these organisations should lend assistance to the farmers to clear their indebtedness so that the bank will remain strong.

The repayment rate assessment as it is when you remove all those that have fully paid and you’re now rating yourself only based on the people that are not able to pay, that’s percentage of those who have paid the amount outstanding vis-à-vis what they’ve paid, it won’t give you a clear picture of what you have done. Because if you have 400 farmers and 50 of them are fully paid nobody is putting those 50 into consideration.

May be where you scored 100% and they are just rating you on the remaining 50, it doesn’t really give a true picture of your performance. So we’ve a lot of farmers that have fully paid to us and have done well and we’re processing new loans for them. Because of what I said repayment rate sometimes becomes not really attractive. But nevertheless we’re still doing our best in areas where the operations are still ongoing and the business of farming is still on.

Talking about risks, are there no insurance mechanisms for crop farming for instance?

It’s true. All our projects are insured by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC). But NAIC does not cover things like insurgency. That is why l’m calling on the donor agencies to come in and assist because we’re just a development finance institution (DFI). And if there is a problem that affects us it should be of concern to everybody. So we hope the donor agencies’ intervention or whatever can come in and help these farmers offset these loans so that the bank can continue its developmental activities.

Can you give us a conservative estimate of the investment at risk right now?

You see because most of the areas are not accessible until now, we’ve not completed that assessment yet. This is simply because they are areas that you can’t even go to not to talk of knowing what level of damage has been done. It’s just now that some of the areas are becoming accessible like even now, we cannot say what is happening in Bama or Gwoza, both in Borno. We’ve not really compiled these things.

What has been your collaboration with the Rural Finance Institution Building Programme, RUFIN?

Personally I have a passion for what RUFIN is doing. I recall when I was a manager on my own l used to organise cooperative loans to farmers. Around here, some of our farmers don’t consider farming as a business as such they are not properly guided. Except you consider farming as a business you cannot be serious about the farming in a way that is profitable. For instance, some of our women would be frying bean cake and they see somebody they know passing by and they say come and take some. (Laughs.)

The more of such you have the more of your profits that is taken away. Because at the end of the day she would just say we thank God for what we’ve. So there is no accountability. This kind of programme can guide and inculcate basic accounting knowledge to them and let them understand better what they are doing. That’s the only thing that can bring improvement to their lives and improve the standard of living generally for the rural poor. One thing I know about dealing with the rural people is supervision to ensure that there is no diversion or distractions.

What kind of business activities are you favourably disposed to?

The mainstay of people mostly within the rural setting is agriculture. And we know that cotton is an international commodity, groundnuts, walnuts, beniseed is also an international commodity, sesame seeds so there are specific crops that when you focus on apart from the stable value, that have high potential for exports. In terms of off farm business, in the north there are lots of things you can do. Some of them are into mat weaving, cap weaving, tailoring and lots of others.

What would you consider safe investment for you in the coming season?

The thing is we support agricultural financing once there are off takers. What that means is that before production you already know your prospective buyers and that makes it easy. Because of the value chain once there are established off takers for any production we will definitely go for it.

June 19, 2016
Orji gives farming a push

Former Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has provided farming inputs for growers in his constituency.

Orji, who now represents Abia Central District at the Senate, gave out fertiliser-spraying tools to farmers as he concluded the first phase of his constituency outreach.

Speaking at the ceremony in Umuahia, he said he was simply demonstrating why his people sent him to the Senate, adding that he hoped beneficiaries would make judicious use of the equipment.

He said, “This item is fertiliser-spraying equipment which is used to spray the farm with liquid fertiliser instead of the normal hand application of fertiliser.”

The senator told the farmers to try the implement out on their farms to see if they work well, in which case, they should request for more.

Orji said, “Those who will get any of the several empowerment items should use them judiciously, while those who may not get should wait for another outreach.

“This programme is a continuous exercise, as there will be more empowerment programmes from me,” Senator Orji said.

He noted that he is at the senate for their own good and that whenever anything comes out from the National Assembly which is meant for them, he will be there to get their own for them without any delay.

The senator explained the essence of the programme, for which he set up a committee.

He said, “I charged [the committee members] to go to the rural areas to get those who are really in need of the items and will make use of them and not those who will get them and turn around the next day to sell them.”

Earlier in his speech the chairman of the ceremony, Chief Uzodinma Okpara said that they are not surprised that their senator is empowering the people of his constituency, as he had done the same while he was the governor of the state.

Okpara, the son of the late Premier of the defunct Eastern Nigeria recalled that while Orji was the governor he brought security, peace and political stability to the state, “which were the several reasons we decided to send him to the Senate”.

He charged those who will benefit from the empowerment programme to make good use of the items to enable them to be self dependent and also help them to ensure that their families are well fed.

In their various speeches Chief Allen Nwachukwu who spoke for Isiala Ngwa North and South and Osisioma council areas said that within the few months Orji has been at the senate, “He is doing this, then when he stays four years and more there will be a tremendous change in our areas”.

Col Austin Akobundu (rtd), who spoke for Umuahia North and South and Ikwuano council areas, described Orji as a senator very dear to their hearts and assured his people that more good things are still on the way with Orji as their senator.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu described Orji as the pillar of democracy and equity in the state, stressing that his political ingenuity led to his emergence as the governor of the state.

Ikpeazu who was represented by Chief Henry Ikoh, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said Orji’s empowerment programme is not a surprise to him.

“It is part of dividends of democracy and I urge the beneficiaries to make good use of the items,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Samuel Enyeribe thanked the senator for the gesture of which the physically challenged also benefitted.

Some of the items given out to the people included two buses, 15 wheelchairs, 15 motorcycles, 21 sewing machines, 100 fertiliser spraying machines, eight tricycles, 21 grinding machines and 20 power generating sets.

April 22, 2016
Rekindling hope in small scale farming

While agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economy, its performance has lagged. The relatively low rate of agricultural productivity is caused by many factors, including poor seeds and fertiliser supply. Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness in Nigeria (MIRA-NIGERIA), in collaboration with Nigeria Agricultural Business Group (NABG) and other stakeholders, is taking steps to strengthen public-private implementation partnerships to improve food production. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Life is improving for many farmers in Bauchi State and other parts of the North due to private efforts supporting local agriculture by the Nigeria Agricultural Business Group and other organisations. The establishment of new food processing businesses and farming ventures in the region has forged new pathways for rural families to stay on the farm, attracting new producers to farming and food-related businesses. It has also brought about a new appreciation for rural production and entrepreneurship among food companies, large and small.

But the situation has changed in the last three years. This followed the insurgency in the North-east, where farmers are unable to cultivate their land. The threat forced them to abandon their fields. In most cases, the insurgents destroyed infrastructure, increasing the suffering of the people.

The hike in fuel, fertiliser and labour prices, occasioned by Boko Haram attacks, didn’t help the situation. The situation was pretty chaotic with all crops. Significantly, the overwhelming insecurity broke the supply chain and farmers couldn’t overcome the perils and costs of cultivating in a conflict zone.

Other problems were input, such as seeds, and then there is the issue of transport and distribution.

Lamenting the situation, the Coordinator, Nigeria Agricultural Business Group (NABG), Mr Emmanuel Ijewere, said farmers in the North are facing a big challenge of having to transport their products over roads that have become battlegrounds.

Addressing a stakeholder’s consultative workshop on Micro Reforms for African Business in Nigeria (MIRA) in Lagos, Emmanuel Ijewere said tackling insecurity in the Northeast has become a critical issue for the government if it is to help frightened farmers willing to step up output to boost food production in the midst of increasing security threat.

Calling on the government to boost security to help farmers keep their lands in production and prevent the situation from deteriorating, Ijewere added that food markets and distribution systems have been severely disrupted.

With targeted support and favourable policy conditions, he expressed hope that farmers could increase their productivity and contribute to hunger and poverty reduction goals. He stressed that improved government’s investment in smallholder farming, will result in increased agricultural productivity and output.

In the era of planned development, Ijewere wanted commercial banks to play an active role in the agric development process rather than being a passive agent for providing financial services.

For him, Nigeria provides huge opportunities for food supply chain stakeholders.

To this end, he said NABG is partnering with MIRA to support government to make and implement policies that will help farmers improve yields and increase profitability.

On security of input meant for farmers, the Director, Farm Input Support Service, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Jatto Ohiare said the government was making efforts to address security challenges by providing escorts to accompany farm input to farm locations in threatened areas.

The National Coordinator, MIRA-Nigeria, Dr. Tony Bello, noted that some of the challenges the farmers were facing include poor access to capital, poor infrastructure, inadequate market structure and low levels of public investment – all exacerbated by ineffective policy making and implementation.

Faced with these challenges, he stressed that improving policy-making is imperative.

He maintained that the purpose of MIRA is to promote policy formulation that will transform agriculture to a ‘productive, high-value, market-orientated’ sector through a number of interlinked interventions and policy reforms. These, he listed, to include the intensification of crop production, the organisation of farmers into cooperatives, and facilitating access to inputs.

Consequently, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has formed new implementation partnership platform with NABG, Seed Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) and Fertiliser Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN) on micro reforms, especially for smallholder agribusinesses in Nigeria.

Bello said AGRA is committing $700,000 to Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness in Nigeria, an initiative that will boost the operational position of small farmers in business.

Bello said by working with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, NABG and others, AGRA could help facilitate micro reforms for agribusi-nesses as it affects smallholder farmers in the country.

Former Head of Agric Finance Department, FirstBank, Ernest Ndubuisi Ihedigbo, stressed the need for the government to promote an integrated approach towards addressing constraints on the agricultural extension system.

On financing agriculture, he said the nation has a robust finance system that is positioned to support the financing of smallholder enterprises.

The Executive Secretary, Seed Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, restated the commitment of the association’s members to continue to support the current drive towards boosting agriculture in the country.

He assured that the association’s members were capable of producing seeds to meet national needs, thereby guaranteeing food security in Nigeria.

He reiterated readiness to support reformed policies and regulations to local and international private sector investors in order to create awareness about improved business enabling environment in seed production and supply.

Executive Secretary, Fertiliser Suppliers Association of Nigeria, (FEPSAN), Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu Kwa said there are efforts to promote better access of small farmers to fertiliser.

Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing at TAK Agro & Chemicals Limited, Gideon Negedu, said better access to credit, for smallholder farmers, could bring about a revolution in agriculture.

Among others issues, the workshop urged the government to strengthen cooperatives as a vehicle to extend credit to farmer groups.

The workshop recommended the creation of an efficient system of agricultural finance and the development of a sound co-operative credit structure.

The workshop recommended the establishment of a private sector driven agric bank to meet agricultural credit needs. Several speakers during the forum focused on improving agriculture financing, promoting sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support, related services, institution development and other innovative initiatives.

April 8, 2016