The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Food

  • Obasanjo, IITA seek end to food scarcity

    Obasanjo, IITA seek end to food scarcity

    •Promote Zero Hunger

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, are promoting a new initiative to provide adequate food for Nigerians.

    The project, christened Zero Hunger, is aimed at ending hunger in Nigeria by 2030.

    Leading a team of experts across the agriculture process chain and relevant government ministries and agencies, Obasanjo launched the project with a multi-sectoral stakeholders’ meeting at the IITA at the weekend.

    The meeting drew a roadmap to end hunger in Nigeria by 2030.

    The Nigeria Zero Hunger Strategy meeting, which received support from the World Food Programme (WFP), was organised in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) that seeks to end hunger by 2030.

    Addressing the meeting, the former President said the task of attaining the SDGs could not be left for the government, the civil society or the private sector.

    “It is going to take the collective effort of every Nigerian and our partners. It will require our collective change of mindset to identify the opportunities that abound,” he said.

    Although the MDGs may not have achieved all its targets, Obasanjo said the SDGs presented Nigeria another opportunity to drive its development agenda and end hunger.

    The former President said Nigeria’s continued import of food was unacceptable and requested that efforts be made to address the import bill.

    An angry Obasanjo gave a marching order to the stakeholders to come up with the roadmap on how the country would attain sufficiency in production of carrot and cucumber within 18 months.

    He said: “It is painful, disgraceful and unacceptable that the majority of carrots and cucumbers eaten in Lagos are imported from South Africa.

    “This should stop now. Nigeria has enough fertile land to grow these.”

    The WFP Representative, Stanlake Samkanga, said unlike the MDGs, which were driven by the United Nations, the SDGs would be driven by member-states.

    On the sidelines, IITA Director-General Dr Nteranya Sanginga praised Nigerians for their willingness to drive the initiative.

    He said IITA would provide the necessary support.

    A director with the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Chiji Ojukwu, expressed the commitment of the bank to initiatives that would help Africa feed itself.

    He said the bank was ready to work with Nigerian authorities through the commodity value-chain to end hunger and poverty.

    About 50 key participants from government, ministries, development organizations, international entities, and public and private sectors attended the strategic meeting.

    At the end of the meeting, nine sub-committees were set up to handle the various sub-sectors.

    Obasanjo said the initial target of achieving the goal is 2025, pointing out that the remaining five years could be used to address whatever gap is identified in 2025.

  • AfDB seeks $400b to reduce Nigeria’s, others’ food import bill

    AfDB seeks $400b to reduce Nigeria’s, others’ food import bill

    Africa Development Bank(AfDB) is seeking $400 billion over the next 10 years for an intiative known as Africa Feeding Africa to reduce food importation in Nigeria  and the rest of Africa.

    Currently,Africa spends $35.4 billion annually on food imports. Out of this, Nigeria spends $12billion on food imports.

    Addressing over 200 research and development experts at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State, the Director, Agriculture and Agro Industry Department, AfDB, Dr Chiji Ojukwu,warned that the continent’s import bill could hit $40 billion yearly if nothing is done to arrest it. Consequently, he said the bank,working with International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) designed the programme also known as Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)), targeted at eliminating extreme poverty, hunger, nutrition, achieve food sufficiency and turn the continent into a net food exporter.

    The plan is to spend $40billion yearly to build the critical value chains to achieve rapid agricultural transformation across Africa and raise productivity.

  • ARMTI launches village initiative to boost rural food production

    ARMTI launches village initiative to boost rural food production

    The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, has launched its Village Alive Development Initiative (VADI) to promote agriculture investments that have far-reaching impact on individuals and communities.

    At the launch  at  Omomere Oja in Ilorin South Local Government, and Amayo in Ifelodun Local Government Areas,  in Kwara State, ARMTI’s Acting Executive Director Mr Johnson Njoku said the initiative was part of  efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at increasing the capacities of rural dwellers to explore  available  agric resources and technologies to satisfy the demands of the growing population for food and other agricultural commodities.

    To this end, he said priority must be given to maintaining and improving the capacity of agricultural lands to support an expanding population.

    The main tools of VADI, he stated, are income diversification and improved management of inputs. Its success,  he added, would depend largely on the support and participation of rural people. Njoku said that under the VADI programme, loans given to each community would be repaid to their respective co-operatives. He expressed happiness that the intervention of the agency in turning around the fortunes of the local farmers had been yielding fruitful results.

    The Kwara State governor represented by his special assistant on agriculture, Mr Anu Ibiwoye, lauded the effort of the Federal Government through ARMTI, adding that the programme is in line with the effort of the state government to encourage local farmers in the state.

    A farmer, Idowu Magaji, was full of appreciation and described the training and loan provision as an impetus that would bring out the best in them and also make them self-reliant.

    He expressed hope that the initiative will improve farm production and farming systems through diversification of farm employment and infrastructure development.

    At the launch of the VADI in Kwara State, the people of Omomere Oja in Ilorin South Local Government and Amayo in Ifelodun Local Government Area were full of appreciation.

    Officials of ARMTI) handling the programme was welcomed with songs and dances.

    The scheme involves giving out N1 million  loan to each rural community to empower farmers to grow different crops and also teach them how to invest their profit judiciously.

  • Fed Govt to reduce food importation, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the Federal Government is determined to significantly reduce the very high bill for importation of food products to Nigeria.

    He made the remark at a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mr. Lars Rasmussen, in Washington DC.

    A statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that President Buhari also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the rapid diversification of Nigeria’s economy.

    He said: “We developed a mono-product economy and lost opportunities to diversify in the past.

    “We have great potentials for agriculture and solid minerals. We are now determined to exploit them to the fullest. Addressing the past neglect of these two sectors will help to reduce unemployment and make us a more productive country.

    “We will welcome more investment in our agriculture and solid minerals sectors from countries with expertise in the two sectors. We abandoned them for petroleum. Now, we have to go back.

    “Our bill for the importation of food and dairy products is very high. We want to cut it as much as possible by developing our local potentials,” the President told Mr. Rasmussen.

    He assured the Danish Prime Minister that the Federal Government will continue to work in partnership with other countries to further improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

    Buhari said that his administration was determined to stop the huge loss of revenue from crude oil theft and has received assurances of international support to curb illegal shipments of Nigeria’s crude oil.

    Stressing that his country is a major shipping nation, Mr. Rasmussen thanked President Buhari for Nigeria’s current efforts to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea.

    He assured the President that Danes will be very interested in investing in the development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector if the right policies and conditions are put in place.

    “We are quite experienced in agriculture. It is an area in which we can cooperate. If you pave the way and remove the obstacles, we will like to come in,” the Prime Minister told President Buhari.

  • We must produce what we eat -Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said that his administration will vigorously implement policies that will revive Nigeria’s  agricultural sector and reposition it as the mainstay of the national economy.

    Speaking at an audience with the new Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria,  Mr. Vesselin Blagoer Delcher, President Buhari said that his administration will evolve and implement policies that will help Nigeria become self-sufficient in food production because continued importation of food could expose the country to more external shocks.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the unbridled importation of food also contributes to the depletion of  the country’s foreign reserves and  deprives citizens of job opportunities.

    He said: ‘‘We must produce what we eat. We don’t have unlimited resources to continue the importation of  food items that can be produced locally.

    “Fortunately, some Nigerians have shown foresight by building factories that process agricultural products within the country.

    ‘‘They have created a value chain that boosts employment, protects our foreign reserves and safeguards the economy from external shocks.

    “We will do all that we can to encourage others to join in the effort to achieve national self-sufficiency in food production,” President Buhari said.

    His administration, he said, will also help and encourage Nigerian farmers to adopt modern, technology-driven methods that guarantee higher production and returns on investment.

    Buhari, who also received Mr. Paul Lehmann, the new High Commissioner of Australia, Hajiya Afsatu Olayinka Ebiso-Kabba, the new High Commissioner of Sierra-Leone and Thordur Aegir Oskarsson, the new Ambassador of Iceland, said that Nigeria will welcome the  further strengthening  of relations with their countries, especially in the areas of   agriculture, solid minerals and trade.

    He wished the four envoys, who were at the Presidential Villa to present their letters of credence to him, very successful tenures in Nigeria.

  • Agatu killings: Food crisis imminent

    Food crisis is imminent in the country, following attacks on communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    Since three weeks ago, the herdsmen have been attacking farmers, killing and torching homes and farmlands.

    The Nation learnt that the affected communities included Akwu, Aila, Okokolo, Adagbo and Ochonlonya.

    Many have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    Food items, such as yam, millet, cassava and groundnut kept in barns were set ablaze by the herdsmen, who were armed with Ak47 rifles, knives and axes.

    About 15,000 victims are taking refuge in three schools, namely LGEA Central School, Ugbokpo, Methodist High School, Ojantele and Methodist Primary School, Ataganyi, Ugbokpo, all in Apa Local Government.

    There is scarcity of water, food and toilet at the camps and fear of outbreak of diseases, such as typhoid, malaria and cholera.

    Officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have moved into the camps with relief materials.

    A 33-year-old mother of two, who lost her husband, Mrs. Ada Ogwuche, said she would be happy if the government could provide security so that they could return to their homes.

  • How food ration led to release of abducted girls

    Fresh facts emerged yesterday that the release of the three abducted girls from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS), Ikorodu was made possible by shortage of food in the kidnappers’ den.

    One of the abductors left the den to buy food and drinks when he was intercepted by a combined team of policemen from Lagos Police Command and Intelligence Response Unit from the Police Headquarters in Abuja.

    A dummy sold to the kidnappers that their parents and relations had been arrested and might be killed made them to hasten the release of the girls.

    It was also learnt that two of the abductors were from the same parents, signposting that they had turned kidnapping into a business in the family.

    The police are on the trail of some of the fleeing abductors.

    Besides the rescue of the girls, the police force stepped up investigation into the incident to stem the increasing tide of kidnapping in Ikorodu.

    A top security source,who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “Despite the heavy security build-up and surveillance in and around Ikorodu, the breakthrough for the release of the girls came when one of the abductors sneaked into the town to buy food and water for the hostages and the kidnappers.

    “With the tracking of all contact lines by the kidnappers, the food ration courier was intercepted and arrested by the police team.

    “The suspect admitted that he was a member of the ring and he came to replenish the stock in the den. He wasted no time in disclosing the location of the girls at Igbokuta area of Lagos State and how to get there.

    “But the police team was cautious in not invading the team based on the information from the arrested suspect.

    The police located one of the fathers of the abductors who was used as a bait to ask them to release the girls unharmed.

    “They were told that all their parents and relations had been arrested and might be killed if they don’t set the girls free.

    “They were shocked to hear that their parents and relations had been arrested and they had no choice than to ‘drop off’ the teenage girls.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The police team discovered that two of the abductors were from the same parents. We are probing whether or not they have been in kidnapping for long.

    “We have rescued the girls but we have not closed investigation. We will make sure all those connected with the kidnapping and their sponsors are arrested.”

  • ARMTI partners communities to boost local food enterprises

    The Acting Executive Director, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, Anthony  Njoku has reiterated the institute’s determination to help communities increase economic opportunities for local farmers and related businesses.

    Njoku, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the institute’s Training Workshop on Cassava Commodity Value Chain Development for participating communities in its Village Alive Development Initiative (VADI), said: “The Village Alive Development Initiative (VADI) is an action-research project of ARMTI to selected rural communities in our area of operation.

    “The initiative is aimed at creating a sustainable and self-reliant community-based organisation for rural dwellers to initiate and implement programmes, which will improve their standard of living and social status, by reducing their level of poverty. It also provides field practicum complement for ARMTI courses while also serving as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the institute.”

    He disclosed that ARMTI has just acquired and installed two sets of cassava processing equipment in two of the participating communities. “Now we are conducting this four-day training workshop on cassava commodity value chain development for all our participating communities. Having identified our area of comparative advantage as a state, we are committed to provide all the support needed to achieve maximum leverage and dividends from it,” he said.

    The institute, he explained, has embarked on a different, locally-driven approach to help people access healthy local food and supports new businesses in the villages that need investment. With technical assistance through the scheme; he said participants are taking innovative approaches to common challenges, like launching business incubators to support food entrepreneurs.

    So far, more than N10 million has being spent on eight rural communities in Kwara State under VALDI. The money was distributed by a commercial bank to villagers, forming contributory groups under a revolving loan arrangement.

    During the during the kick-off of seed fund disbursement to seven participating communities under VADI in Ilorin, in  2014, the  Kwara State Governor,  Abdulfatah Ahmed canvassed that modern and affordable technologies be made available for the nation’s teeming farmers, while more robust policies should be formulated to sustain the interest of the overwhelming population in both agricultural and other business practices.

    He noted: “This project is timely and would complement the new initiatives of the Kwara State Government as well as the Federal Government to shift the focus of citizens as beneficiaries of an oil-based economy to proponents of an agro-driven economy.

    “Ironically, our strengths happen to lie in the vast agricultural resource potential of the state and the nation, and with the adoption of modern agro technology and agronomic practices that will be sustained for devoted farmers and coherent and stable development policies, we are certain that agricultural growth is a realisable objective in the not too distant future.”

  • Food security: Finance of rural agric to the rescue

    Food security: Finance of rural agric to the rescue

    Experts are seeking innovative ways of financing rural and subsistence agriculture to boost food production, develop agriculture and transform rural communities, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Farmers in the rural areas are responsible for up to 70 percent of food production in most states. In recognition of this, many programmes have been developed to enable them grow food and feed more people. While efforts have been made to enable farmers acquire skills and improve on farming skills to improve farm production, organisations involved in micro credit provision are supporting them to improve their livelihood through expansion of capital.

    Several farmers have borrowed money to expand their operations and the results are good returns to raise their families and had a good life.

    One of such organisations is  Farmers Development Union (FADU); an Ibadan-based agric micro credit cooperative. FADUis a pro-poor financial institution committed to the empowerment of farmers through access to  micro credit.

    Established in 1989, the organisation has been involved in projects aimed at building capacities for wealth creation among the enterprising poor and promoting sustainable livelihoods in marginal and vulnerable populations.

    The major thrust of the organisation’s activities involves financial assistance to farmers, technical training to boost their skills and improve their production.

    At the beginning, its major areas of concentration were Oyo, Ogun and Osun States, but it has now expanded to 29 states of the federation.

    With a loan portfolio put at N357 million, the union has recorded an encouraging repayment rate of 98 per cent.

    FADU has two groups of loans- one for individuals and the other for groups. But essentially the organisation accords more priority to group loans due to the ease of administration and repayment.

    The approach has been profitable, self-sustainable, and very successful. This has helped it in achieving its social mission by obtaining very good results in terms of the extent, depth and quality of reach. Its major growth in points of service has been in the rural areas.

    Its Programme Coordinator, Mr Victor Olowe said FADU has mobilised and financially assisted many rural groups. In addition, the organisation has built self-financed grassroots bodies. Indeed, FADU has shown that it is possible for an agric micro-credit cooperative union to provide credit services to a significant number of farmers and to mobilise a large amount of savings.

    The success of FADU  model has encouraged the growth of many more microfinance organisations and cooperative societies. Over the years, FADU and other cooperatives and micro-credit unions have demonstrated that farmers are viable financial-service customers.

    One of the early strategies was lending to individuals. This has gradually changed because the cost of monitoring loans and enforcing repayments was high and most loans are now made to groups because the costs are lower when they are spread among groups rather than individuals.

    Despite FADU’s achievements, its Programme Co-ordinator  noted that there was  still a long way to go to fill the demand-supply gap, especially in rural areas where delivering financial services presents particular challenges.

    At the grassroots level, microfi-nance institutions (MFIs) are not expanding their reach, while commercial banks and other formal financial institutions are not moving into rural areas to reach farmers.

    For experts, with the state of the economy, the need to improve investment in rural agriculture is increasing due to a rising population and changing dietary preferences of the growing middle class in the urban areas.

    According to estimates, demand for food will increase by 70 per cent by 2050. At least $80 billion annually in investments is needed to meet this demand, most of which is expected to come from the government.

    While groups, such as FADU have made efforts to improve the conditions of local farmers and groups, nationwide funding sources available to farmers are limited. Whereas financial institutions are making funds to other sectors of the economy, farmers still experience higher financial exclusion and are discriminated against when they apply for loans. Because of this, most farmers are trapped in a cycle of poverty and subsistence living.

    Olowe said many local rural Nigerians, who engaged in farming, live in abject poverty and remain vulnerable. Since some 70 per cent of those in rural areas, engage in small-scale farming, he was of the opinion that the government needs to empower them to become drivers of economic growth and food security.

    To achieve this, he said farmers require improved financing to help them transform their farms, their lives and their communities as well as boost the future of food security.

    The Project Director of CAVA II, Prof. Kola Adebayo agrees with this position.

    Though credit unions and some non-governmental organisations help farmers to obtain small loans, Adebayo observed that the funding level was still poor to spearhead agricultural transformation.

    He urged the government to give enough allocation in the budget for agriculture that will boost farm growth and appeal to the rural farmers.

    Such budgets, according to him, should consider irrigation projects, increasing investments in rural roads to help farmers get produce to market and ensure all the country’s villages had electricity.

    Kola Adebayo referred to the commitment made by the African Heads of State to allocate at least 10 per cent of their respective national budgets to agriculture (Maputo Declaration). Unfortunately, he observed that Nigeria has not respected the pledge as there has been reduction in budgetary commitments to the agricultural sector.

    While provision of affordable financial services to the rural population was critical in the development strategy, Adebayo counselled that government and the financial institutions partner with farmers’ organisations when disbursing money to them to  reduce risks and defaults in repayment.

    He urged funding agencies to commit to a concrete, measurable target for increasing agricultural productivity and to support a system of public score cards to maximise transparency for farmers organisations they support.

    He called for the establishment of local banks and institutions to provide agricultural credit at grass root level and to encourage the cooperative societies’ structure in the country.

    The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, (FECA), Dr Samson Odedina urged the government, development agencies and other donors to develop a sound and sustainable agri/rural financial sector in the country.

    Odedina sought more investments in the rural areas to give farmers a sustainable means of livelihood and increase employment opportunities. The ultimate goal, he maintained, is to improve the farmers’ productivity, quality and security of their produce.

  • Consumers groan under rising food prices

    Consumers groan under rising food prices

    Prices of most staple food items have increased by as much as 60 per cent. The situation, triggered by prevailing economic realities, particularly crashing oil prices and weakening value of the naira, has left sour taste in the mouth of consumers. TONIA ‘DIYAN and TAIWO ADEYANJU report.

    Since mid-June 2014, when prices of crude oil started crashing, forcing the authorities to adopt measures to stabilise the naira, among others, prices of major staple food items in the market have hit the roof.

    Although checks by The Nation Shopping showed that prices of food items returned to normalcy shortly after the last festivity period, the continued drop in the exchange rate of the naira to other major foreign currencies especially the dollar, has seen prices of most food items rising by as much as 60 per cent.

    For instance, a bag of rice, which previously sold for between N8, 000 and N8, 500, now goes for as high as between N12, 500 and N13, 000, representing an increase of over five per cent. Also, a small bag of beans, which before now sold for between N11, 000 and N11, 500, has gone up to N12, 500. A big bag of beans, which was N19, 000 is now sold for N21, 000. Similarly, a big bag of garri costs N7, 500, while a small size bag costs N5, 000. groundnut oil, which sold for N9, 300, now costs N9, 500. From N1, 000, a five-litre pack of palm oil increased to N1, 400.

    Similarly, 10 bags of sachet water, popularly called Pure Water  goes for N1,000, up from the original price of N600. Same for a crate of eggs, which has gone up from N750 to N900. A 10- kilogramme of Honneywell wheat cost N1, 600, up from N1, 400.

     The Nation Shopping found that other food items have had their prices increase by about N500, depending on the market and the bargaining power of the consumer. The situation, according to some traders, who spoke with The Nation, is not likely to change unless there is significant improvement in the naira-dollar exchange rates.

    At present, the naira exchanges at between N260 and N250 to a dollar. Some traders say until there is a level of normalcy in the exchange rate, consumers would have to live with the price hike. Besides, they pointed out that there is need to finish selling items stocked during the dollar increment period before any relief can come to consumers. This means that Nigerians may have to tighten their belt, as the situation is not likely to abate any time soon. Although, there has been a slight increase in crude oil prices, the thinking is that the increase is not significant enough to inspire hope in consumers.

    The economic crisis is said to have pushed up the cost of production, forcing those producing and selling locally made items to increase prices. Some of them say because cost of raw materials used in production has gone up, and the raw materials are mostly imported, there is no way consumers would not be at the receiving end. For instance, producers of sachet water claim that the nylon used in packing the water is scarce and expensive, forcing them to queue up to purchase. This is why even drinking water is gradually getting out of the reach of the common man.

    The nation’s huge infrastructure gap is also not helping matters. Because of bad roads, for instance, cost of transporting these food items from farms in rural areas or their places of purchase to markets in urban centres where they are needed, has gone up. This explains why prices of some staple food items which ordinarily should be on the table of low income earners, have gone out of their reach. Some traders appear to have cashed in on the challenge of infrastructure especially road and electricity to sell at exorbitant prices.  Some of them argue that as long as the problem persists produce will remain high and out of stock.

    As a result  of hike in prices  of food items, owners and operators of restaurants and canteens have also jacked up their prices much to the agony of their customers. Some of them who spoke with The Nation Shopping, said they were left with no other choice than to increase the price of their meals since they purchase foodstuff at high prices. A food vendor at Ladipo in Mushin, Lagos, Iya Rukayat, said foodstuffs have become very expensive, attributing the hike to the unending fluctuation in the value of the naira.

    “Some food stuff merchants whom I patronise say they sell to make profit so, they will have to include all cost to the original price. I am left with no choice but to buy and also sell at exorbitant price to my customers,” she said.

    Iya Rukayat has reason to do so. Checks by The Nation Shopping on major markets within the Lagos metropolis showed that the price of a ‘paint’ of garri, which is regarded as a common staple food among low income earners, has increased. From its original price of N400, a ‘paint’ of garri sells for N500, depending on the brand. A full bag of yellow garri is sold for N7, 000. It was less than that few months back.

    As if the about 60 per cent increase in prices of food items is not enough to give consumers sleepless nights, food producers are projecting a more than 70 per cent increase by the middle of this year if the naira does not firm up significantly. The naira, having lost at least 30 per cent of its value against the dollar recently, is said to be largely responsible for driving up prices of most food items.