The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Food

  • Online food sale to hit $100b by 2018

    Britain is leading the way in the sale of food and groceries online and with e-commerce already accounting for some per cent of food sales, other countries, such as Nigeria, are catching up with online food store. They include Hello foods and Super mart. Experts predict that the global market will grow to $100 billion in three years.

    Big retailers have decided to invest in food selling online operations, with the hope that they can persuade consumers that they will add more profitable items such as clothes and computers to their orders of fruit, vegetables and other meals.

    According to findings, food is one of the last things to move online because complex logistics for fresh, chilled and frozen products makes it an expensive business particularly in Nigeria.

    However, most food retailers are now ramping up their online food offers to compete with foreign food online stores.

    An expert said, “It is notoriously difficult to make money selling groceries and food online. The reason people do it and need to do it have nothing to do with profit but the flare for it.”

  • Staple food prices go up

    The prices of staple food items have either increased or remained at their exorbitant rates. A bag of Aroso rice cost N9, 000, Agric rice, N8, 500, a bowl of garri is N300 and N400; these prices haven’t changed since December.

    Beans is N15,500 per bag; a carton of frozen turkey is N7,000, a frozen foods retailer at Ayobo, a Lagos surburb, Mrs. Ifomma Eze, said.

    It costs between N 7,600 and N8,000 for a carton of chicken; earlier, it was between  N4,500 and N6,000 for the small and big cartons.

    A tomato seller at Mile 12 market, Miss Joy Kalu, said a basket of the item that used to be N5,000 is now N8,000, attributing the increase to high cost of transporting the item and the insecurity the North.

    It is not a different scenario at Agege market. A bag of 25kg-Mama Gold rice is N6,000 and N11,000 for 50kg bag; a bag of tomatoes rice costs N 9,000, Royal Cow rice bag goes for N10,500, Special Rice bag, which used to sell for  N10,000, now costs N11,000. And for beans, the price goes for between N15, 500 and  N16,000. Also at the Agege market, a basket of tomatoes, which was sold for N4,500 before, sells for N8,500 now. At Mile 12 market in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, a bag of onions was N6,200, now it costs  N8,000.

    Traders said the hike in the price of this staple item as well as others is as a result of the elections and  insecurity in the North.

    A bag of Chili pepper, popularly known as dried pepper,  cost N25,000, now it is N27,000. This is attributed to scarcity of pepper at the Arewa market where it is transported from.

    “The price of red oil remains the same; it sells for N6,000 and N6,200.  A 25-litre of Vegetable oil is N6,200, a five-litre goes for N1,300.

    At Oshodi Market, a carton of tin tomatoes goes for N1,800 and N1, 700.

    A bag of rice, which use to be N9,500 or N10,000 is now between N11,200 and N11,500. The increase, it was learnt, was as a result of import duties and exchange rate.

     

  • Staple food prices go up

    The prices of staple food items have either increased or remained at their exhorbitant rates. A bag of Aroso rice cost N9, 000, Agric rice, N8, 500, a bowl of garri is N300 and N400; these prices haven’t changed since December.

    Beans is N15,500 per bag; a carton of frozen turkey is N7,000, a frozen foods retailer at Ayobo, a Lagos surburb, Mrs. Ifomma Eze, said.

    It costs between N 7,600 and N8,000 for a carton of chicken; earlier, it was between  N4,500 and N6,000 for the small and big cartons.

    A tomato seller at Mile 12 market, Miss Joy Kalu, said a basket of the item that used to be N5,000 is now N8,000, attributing the increase to high cost of transporting the item and the insecurity the North.

    It is not a different scenario at Agege market. A bag of 25kg-Mama Gold rice is N6,000 and N11,000 for 50kg bag; a bag of tomatoes rice costs N 9,000, Royal Cow rice bag goes for N10,500, Special Rice bag, which used to sell for  N10,000, now costs N11,000. And for beans, the price goes for between N15, 500 and  N16,000. Also at the Agege market, a basket of tomatoes, which was sold for N4,500 before, sells for N8,500 now. At Mile 12 market in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos, a bag of onions was N6,200, now it costs  N8,000.

    Traders said the hike in the price of this staple item as well as others is as a result of the elections and  insecurity in the North.

    A bag of Chili pepper, popularly known as dried pepper,  cost N25,000, now it is N27,000. This is attributed to scarcity of pepper at the Arewa market where it is transported from.

    “The price of red oil remains the same; it sells for N6,000 and N6,200.  A 25-litre of Vegetable oil is N6,200, a five-litre goes for N1,300.

    At Oshodi Market, a carton of tin tomatoes goes for N1,800 and N1, 700.

    A bag of rice, which use to be N9,500 or N10,000 is now between N11,200 and N11,500. The increase, it was learnt, was as a result of import duties and exchange rate.

  • National food safety workshop ends

    National food safety workshop ends

    A four-day national training workshop on food safety supported by the United States Government, through its Agency for  International Development (USAID) has   ended  in Abuja.

    The training was organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. It follows the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Food Safety and the National Food Safety Management Committee by the Federal Government in January.

    USAID Mission Director in Nigeria, Michael Harvey said the training was part of the U.S. Government’s long-term effort to support the National  Food Safety Management Committee as it puts in place a strong food safety regime to boost Nigeria’s export market, as well as the agriculture sector. “We are pleased to have USAID and the US Department  of Agriculture work together with Nigerian counterparts to hold this workshop,” he said.

    The workshop involved case studies quality management systems, risk analysis, food safety modernisation act, and monitoring and evaluation procedures.

    The workshop’s participants represented th si geo-political zones.

    Since 2013, the U.S. Government, through USAID and the US Department of Agriculture, has worked with Nigerian food industry stakeholders in the public and private  sectors, and with development partners to revise the national food policy and develop an implementation strategy.

    These efforts have laid the foundation for the work of the recently inaugurated committees that are charged with ensuring that food safety systems  in Nigeria are on par with international best practices.

    Interventions supported by the US Government will improve food safety, thereby helping Nigerians avoid food-borne and food-related illnesses.

  • U.S to boost Nigeria’s food safety, export

    U.S to boost Nigeria’s food safety, export

    Nigeria’s effort to improve food safety and boost the export market is to enjoy the support of the U.S. Government through its Agency for International Development (USAID). A statement issued by the U.S. Embassy said the support aimed to drastically reduce food-borne and food-related illnesses in Nigeria.

    The statement said USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture had been working with the Nigerian food industry since 2013 to revise the national food policy. “Since 2013, the U.S. Government, through USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has worked with Nigerian food industry stakeholders in the public and private sectors, and with development partners.

    “The aim is to revise the national food policy and develop an implementation strategy. These efforts have laid the foundation for the work of the recently inaugurated committees charged with ensuring that food safety systems in Nigeria are on par with international best practices,” the statement said.

    It said the interventions supported by the U.S. Government would improve food safety, thereby helping Nigerians avoid food-borne and food-related illnesses. According to the U.S. Government, additional support to the ‘farm to table’ food production and processing value chain will ensure that Nigeria’s agricultural exports conform to international standards and food safety requirements.

    It said the ‘farm to table’ programme would also create more profitable agricultural entities and contribute to the diversification of the Nigerian economy. The statement said that a four-day national training on food safety, supported by the United States Government, was ongoing in Abuja.The training was organised in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. The statement quoted the USAID Mission Director in Nigeria, Dr Michael Harvey, as saying that the training is part of the U.S. Government’s long-term effort to support the National Food Safety

  • Food Concepts partners Pioneer Foods in South Africa

    Food Concepts Plc; a market leader in the West African food industry with a basket of top brands, including Chicken Republic, Butterfield Bakery and Free Range Farms, has announced its partnership in its Baked Good Division, with Pioneer Foods, a leading South African FMCG company.

    Speaking on the deal, Phil Roux, CEO Pioneer Foods, said: “Butterfield provides an ideal opportunity to leverage our expertise to grow the bread category. Pioneer aims to be a leading FMCG company in Africa and Nigeria is a key market for any food company in search of growth.”

    Chairman, Food Concepts Plc,  Mr Deji Akinyanju: said the partnership will benefit from the combination of the respective strengths which will be used to tap into the vast opportunities in the Nigerian FMCG sector to deliver extraordinary value to customers

    Food Concepts was founded by Akinyanju, an entrepreneur, in 2001. The company, whose shareholders include International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank member, and Development Partners International (DPI), a UK based private equity firm focused on African investments, continues to evolve in a remarkable story of a revolution in the Nigerian food sector.

    The company recently demerged its Baked Goods Division into Food Concepts Pioneer Limited (FCPL). Pioneer Foods acquired 50.01 per cent of FCPL while Food Concepts Plc retains 49.9 per cent.

    FCPL will house Butterfield Bakeries, a baked goods business specialising in bread and sausage roll production. This will allow Pioneer Foods to leverage existing infrastructure and brand recognition — both crucial elements of consumer packaged-goods companies. Pioneer Foods will implement several operational changes to the Butterfield bakery to increase its efficiency and consistency.

    Pionner Foods PTY Ltd is a leading South African FMCG company with a market cap of $3b, it has globally trusted brands like Ceres Juice, ProNutro, Weet-Bix breakfast cereal etc. Pioneer already has a significant export footprint in a number of African countries, and the conclusion of this partnership with Food Concepts Plc creates an in-market presence for Pioneer Foods in Nigeria.

  • Lawmaker donates food items to inmates 

    Lawmaker donates food items to inmates 

    The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the National Assembly, Senator Philip Aduda, has donated food and home items to inmates of Kuje Prison.

    Some of the items donated to the prison inmates include mattresses, bags of rice, mats, slippers, bags of salt, sugar, while others are grinding machines, musical instrument, sowing machines, public address systems and some cash donation.

    Aduda who said the gesture was aimed at catering for the vulnerable, the poor and the needy in the FCT, stated that, he was happy to have the privilege to serve the poor, most of whom through no fault of theirs find themselves in the situation they are in.

    The FCT senator said he went through rough times in life, that was why he put himself in the position of the less privilege, in order to understand their plights, noting that he lost his mother, leaving his father with the task of bringing them up alone.

    Aduda added that he saw poverty in all its ramification, that he understands what it means to be in want, pointing out that, some of the poor people presently needs counseling, that he was glad that his experience has helped to inspire some of them.

    He urged the public to give generously to the cause of the needy, adding, no amount is too small to assist the poor.

    Senator Aduda also facilitated the release of 40 inmates who are awaiting trial and other minor offenses.

    Receiving the items, the Controller of Kuje Prisons, Mr. Suraju Olarinde said prison is a capital intensive all over the world.

    He expressed gratitude to Aduda for considering them among the numerous prisons to benefit from his kind gesture.

    Also, Venerable Irewa Isaiah of Anglican Communion Chaplain of Kuje Prisons Chaplaincy expressed solidarity in the transformation agenda of Mr. President, Goodluck Jonathan and encouraged him to continue in the great work of repositioning the nation.

    He thanked the senator for his collaborative and laudable gesture, thereby prayed for God’s blessings, love, wisdom and strength to enable them achieve more for themselves and the church.

     

  • ‘Food priority is part of national interest’

    ‘Food priority is part of national interest’

    Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources  Abdul Oroh speaks with  Femi Macaulay on a wide range of issues on agricultural development.

    What are the major issues in the sector, particularly concerning Edo State?

    We believe in Edo State that Nigeria’s system is better secured if we are able to feed our population. But if we are dependent on foreign imports, as we have now, especially as it affects those major crops that we can grow conveniently and cheaper in the country, we believe the present situation of dependence on foreign imports is not sustainable. We have a huge population, but we are also blessed with abundant fertile land, arable land all over the country, with a lot of river bodies, good vegetation, good weather and good ecological landscape that there is definitely no excuse for us to spend one trillion annually importing foods. If you talk about rice, we spend one billion naira daily importing rice; Nigeria is the second largest importer of wheat next to China.

    What is your ministry’s role, and how much has been achieved, in creating and sustaining an enabling environment for agricultural production and investment?

    We realised that Edo State is well-endowed in terms of good climatic conditions with various ecological conditions that are favourable. We have almost nine months of rainfall in the southern part of the state and we can grow virtually any crop. So, we felt we are in a very good position to focus on agriculture as the main driver of the economy. We also realised that if the federal government is dependent on import and a policy has been adopted in Abuja which we think is designed to change all that fundamentally and create the environment for agriculture to become a major for the purpose of growing the economy, then surely we have to focus on agriculture, working with the federal government.

    Our strategic plan is to ensure that we meet 25 percent of our local needs in some of the key areas where we have comparative advantage; we talk about rice, about cassava, talk about oil palm produce and then cocoa and rubber. And then, of course, we also look at fruits and vegetables, horticulture, grains; maize, soya beans and others. Edo State has three types of ecological zones; in the south we have the rain forest, in the central a little rain forest and savannah, and in the north savannah and rain forest but more of savannah.

    In the past, Edo State was directly and heavily involved in agriculture; we owned farm reserves, farm settlements, communal farms, and so on. But now we decided that we don’t want to be involved on such a scale, that the best approach is to create an environment for the private sector, even the small holders to improve on their holdings, set it up to produce more, earn more income and also to work towards developing the value chain of what they produce. For instance, if you are producing cassava and all you get out of it is garri, then you are only getting a fraction of what you could get out of it. And then also you grow rice, for instance, and you are unable to process and a quarter of it is lost through harvest inadequacy; then you are not getting the best from your investment. So, we looked at all that and then we are working with the Federal Government through the Group Enhancement Support to register our farmers.

    How many farmers have been registered?

    So far, Edo State has registered about 245,000 farmers. And we are giving them inputs like seeds free of charge, and then fertiliser and other chemicals for tree crops like cocoa and others subsidised at 50 per cent with the other half borne by the Federal Government. We are also working with the federal government to apply new technology, new seedling, new varieties that are disease-resistant, high-yielding and water-resistant. Even if you are a small holder and you apply it well and use the best method, definitely you will get a good result. All that we are looking at, while we are trying to bring in new investors, which we believe will have a multiplier effect.  If we give you 10,000 acres of land and you are able develop it efficiently using the best technology, using modern equipment and working with the local population, then the population will be inspired to develop agriculture along these new best practices.

    What are the major challenges?

    We realised that the main problem of doing that is availability of land; so we had to do a land bank by going round the whole state and identified lands that were lying fallow in various communities. We tried to study the soil to know what is good in a particular area which will put us in a position to advise an investor that is coming for land and also to make the land available quickly on short notice. As we are doing all these, we also follow the process of what we call free, prior and informed consent of the community. We try to get the people to be at the heart of the process; to be part owners of the process ab initio. We don’t want another ‘Niger Delta’ in our hands, so, now we say, if you desire this project, bring the people in who will  work with you. They will voice their opinions, give suggestions and share their experiences and then you know how to take it from there.

    Once you have an agreement and understanding of the people, you can now with their consent and the government with their consent acquire the land and leave it to the investor, thus creating an Edo State government-investor relationship. Now we are looking at the possibility of giving out about 200,000 to 300,000 hectares of land in the next two years. And we believe if we are able to open up new crop production to that level, it will be a major achievement.  It will be something that has never been done or seen in Nigeria before. So, we are preparing for that in Edo State and we hope that some of these investors that have approached us will deliver on their promises. Even if it’s 20 percent of the investment plan that we think can materialise in the next two years that materialises, we will still be happy that something and something important has happened.

    What is the picture like now?

    It’s not easy to raise the money, to convince your bankers and some financiers that you want to go into agro business. And some of the federal government policies in respect of lending, this free lending by the central bank and commercial banks, have not worked in a way that has met my expectation. We are confident that if we are able to do all these we have set out to do, Edo State, five or six years down the road, will be one of the richest states in Nigeria.

    Comparatively, how would you rate Edo State on agricultural development?

    We have done our home work; we have a good strategy, we have a good plan. We have a conducive, peaceful environment. We have a population that is open to investors, that is ready to embrace investment. We have a fairly well-educated population, fairly well-developed people; we have all the advantages you can think of. As I said, we have a good weather and good environment. But we also realised that Nigeria is a huge market and if you come in to invest in agriculture you cannot lose. This was said recently by Dangote; that he is not going into it because of charity, but he is going into it because he’s going to be bigger than cement and it will bring self-confidence to our people. Just removing rice alone from our import list or reducing it to like five percent will be substantial, and Edo State is ready to be part of that process. That is why it’s not so difficult for a person like Adams Oshiomole, out of the 150,000 hectares that is required to develop nationally in six states, it was easy for him to put Edo State first and also to give 50,000 out of that 150,000 as stake in Edo State agriculture.  So, you can see that we have an advantage and we believe that’s the way to go; Edo State is the place to come to.

    What more do you think could be done towards the realisation of the so-called Green Revolution?

    Let’s focus on growing those things that we need most as a people. Let’s us satisfy the internal market, because if we keep importing all the rice that we need, we are killing our farmers; we are killing our economy. So, let’s focus on rice as a priority because every day our people eat rice and every day we spend a lot importing it. So, why can’t we produce it locally?  If we are not serious as a people, if you cannot produce enough for your population, then you are not a secured nation. But if you can provide enough food for your population, even in times of war there will be food for soldiers, there will be food for civilians, there will be food for internally displaced persons; so, there will be food for everybody. Food priority is part of national interest.

    What about the areas of innovation and research?

    Clearly, we cannot continue to work the old way. Right now, there are nine varieties of cocoa beans developed by experts at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and Nigerian scientists. What is going to be the yield is unbelievable; they are more disease-resistant, they can produce more and they can last more, and they have higher content for industrial processing. If you want to process it to cocoa powder, starch and other variables that you use cocoa for, they are all available.

    Could you elaborate on the state’s natural resources and their socio-economic value?

    We have oil and gas, which is an advantage. We have good vegetation and our land is fertile; we can grow almost anything in Edo State and the population is about four million. If we were to look inwards, I think we can feed our population reasonably well. But we have to look at the broad picture – Nigeria. We have to look at the overall economy; that’s the situation.

    Is it wishful thinking to imagine that one day agriculture may become a major revenue earner for the country?

    No, it’s not wishful thinking; I think it’s a reality. We are heading towards that direction. As I said, it’s no longer sustainable for us to keep importing food on the scale that we are doing now, because the money we are using to import food will finish, it’s depleting. So, we have to face agriculture.

  • Food security: Smart villages to the rescue

    Food security: Smart villages to the rescue

    In  decades to come, the agriculture  systems will need to change to meet the challenges of rising demand for food, its accessibility, affordability, improved nutrition and health. Against this backdrop,  experts are canvassing the establishment of smart agricultural villages, DANIEL ESSIET reports. 

    Agriculture employs 70 per cent of the nation’s population. Experts say of this figure, nearly 80 per cent are small and subsistent farmers. With meagre land holdings and virtually no financial support, they have managed to survive. Nearly 60 per cent of them live in villages and are not making much profit. Given a choice, some of them would want to quit farming.

    But this will not make the Programme Co-ordinator, Farmers Development Union,Victor Olowe, happy as he sees agriculture as the ultimate indicator of economic growth. Like others, he is worried as markets have failed to infuse confidence through economic prosperity among food growers. This is as a result of the revenue farmers get from their commodities.

    The good news, however, is that agriculture is now a subject of national discourse. To make farming economically viable, Olowe called for the development of a new plan, under which the government would add fresh impetus to rural economic reconstruction programmes.

    By this, he means strong interventions in the rural areas with public sector investments.

    The government, according to him, has to do more to provide modern amenities in the villages. A beginning can be made by revitalising agriculture in a manner that brings back the smile to farmers’ faces.

    People in the rural communities, he said, comprised mainly small farmers, who need improved farming technologies, training, access to roads, transportation, markets, electricity, schools and health facilities to improve their livelihood.

    Rural roads, for example, Olowe said reduce transport costs and enable farmers to bring crops to market. They also increase access to hospitals, leading to improvements in health.

    Consequently, he aligned with the global crusade to establish smart agricultural villages, which would contain an array of techniques ranging from simple local crop and water resource management, that  offer scope for beleaguered farmers battling erratic weather patterns.

    Setting up a smart agric village, he explained, requires providing weather forecasts and crop advice; rainwater; harvesting; reducing water needed for irrigation;  conservation tillage and agro-forestry. Others will include site-specific nutrient management and precision application of fertilisers and ‘energy smart’ features through fuel-efficient engines and crop residue management.

    The villages will not only bring internet connection to the hinterlands, they will also provide support for sustainable agricultural practices.

    To make the villages work, he  said, Nigeria needs a network of small scale industries linked to agriculture, and a strong network of rail and road corridors with amenities such as education and health for all to transform agriculture.

    Smart agric village as a strategy for boosting food production is showing promising results in other parts of the world.

    A project of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) programme under Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR),  kicked off in India and Nepal in South Asia in 2012. The project is being expanded to four other Indian states of Bangladesh; Vietnam in southeast Asia; Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda in East Africa; West Africa; Guatemala and Nicaragua in Latin America.

    As part of the project, some villages are changing their cropping practices in various ways.

    According to experts, one of the new practice is to use direct seeded rice in which rice seeds are sown directly on a dry seedbed. This is in contrast with the traditional practice of sprouting rice seedlings in a nursery and transplanting them to tilled fields with standing water.

    Another technique, experts said, is to replace the traditional method of continuous flooding of rice field with alternate wetting and drying, using a monitoring instrument called a tensiometer that helps farmers decide when to irrigate their fields.

    One of the key approaches in turning villages ‘climate smart’, experts said, is crop diversification from rice-wheat systems, to include shorter-duration varieties and switching to maize, pulses and oil seeds that require less water.

    An innovative component of the project is the use of information communication technology (ICT) tools to disseminate ‘climate smart’ agro advice to farmers, by sending voice and text messages in local languages to farmers’ mobile phones. The messages include weather forecasts and recommended actions, information on pests, seed varieties and techniques for conservation agriculture.

    The important thing, however, is  that the system is credited with making food more widely available and affordable to large areas of the world.

    The Director,Africa Region, Cassava Adding Value to Africa (CAVA), Dr Kola  Adebayo,  said  there is  need for  government incentives to enable  farmers switch to various modes of agriculture, involving a workable mix of traditional and modern farming methods, including reviving local seeds, multi-cropping and smart water usage.

    Added to this is that Nigeria is in need of low-cost/energy efficient and ecological sustainable cold chain technologies.

    Farming the climate-smart way, he said, would give farmers shorter-cycle harvests, translating into higher income for them.

    Where they are supported, he said, farmers can use technologies to produce exceptionally flat farmland and  ensure equitable distribution and lower consumption of water.

    Adebayo   said there are tolls to help assess the exact fertiliser needs of his crops. Text and voice messages received on phones about weather forecasts, would help  farmers’ sowing and irrigation to perfection.

    To this end, he said, the government  has to support  farmers to adopt climate smart practices in villages.

    The challenge in inducting farmers into new models of agriculture is that the older generation has no faith in the new system, preferring “to stick to tried and tested methods practiced for generations”.

    A consultant  to  the  World Bank, Prof  Abel  Ogunwale,  said  with changing demand for food, there  is  need for  rural farmers to innovate.

    With smart agric villages, he said, the government will be able to address sustainable rural development involving economic and social infrastructure.

    Such villages, he explained, will promote agricultural innovation, ensuring that extension and advisory services, market institutions and infrastructure are inclusive.

    He said building smart agric villages will accelerate industrialisation, adding that there is need to further explore extension of workers’ role as a catalyst of transformational change.

    In particular, he said, additional efforts were required to enhance productivity by building up high-tech industries such as packing, biotechnology, electronics, ICTin such places. He believes smart agric villages provide the answer, emphasising how valuable it  would be in improving food production throughout the supply chain.

    As climate change threatens food production, countries fight back by arming farmers with precise advice on growing conditions.

    With weather extremes caused by climate change now widely seen as a major threat to food production in Africa and South Asia, a new report has shown that many countries are already providing millions of farmers with innovative “climate information services”, which allow them to anticipate and adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

    Countries are mobilising community radio stations, government meteorological services, religious groups, agriculture extension agents, schools and farmers to develop and distribute forecasts and farming strategies. These would provide front-line defence against the effects of climate change on food production, according to the study by the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

    Titled: “Scaling up Climate Services for Farmers: Mission Possible”, it is the first analysis of this new approach to adapting to the stress of climate change.

    “It’s encouraging to see climate information services emerging that are drawing from many types of experts and engaging a wide range of partners to devise effective strategies to help farmers cope with a changing climate,” said Dr. Arame Tall, CCAFS’ climate services scientist and lead author of the report.

    Tall added:“They are allowing farmers to protect themselves from the effects of weather extremes, such as droughts and floods, and also helping them take advantage of especially good conditions. The involvement of farmers in developing these climate services is essential to their success.”

    The CCAFS report features 18 case  studies from Africa and South Asia. It finds that countries are taking a variety of approaches to climate services, which generally involve developing high-quality, location-specific data on temperature, rainfall, wind, soil moisture and ocean conditions, among other things, that help farmers decide the best crop variety to cultivate and when to plant and apply fertiliser.

    The analysis revealed that the services work best when they involve broad collaborations between, for example, meteorologists, agricultural experts, farmers and agriculture extension agents. In many of the programmes, farmers practice a kind of citizen science, using rain gauges to collect data on precipitation and then feeding it into centralised data repositories.

    “The involvement of farmers in developing these climate services is essential to their success,” Tall said.

    Prior to the advent of climate services, farmers in most developing countries had been going it alone. And while indigenous knowledge often proves accurate, the shifts in growing conditions caused by climate change are increasingly moving beyond anything many farmers or their ancestors ever experienced.

    “The increasing vulnerability of small-holder farmers to climate risk is a major motivation for much of the interest and investment in climate services—not only to help farmers plan for tomorrow or the upcoming season, but to help them be better prepared for climate change 10, 20, or 30 years from now,” said Dr. James Hansen, a co-author, who led the CCAFS Climate Risk Management research team.

  • Declining food prices ‘very good’

    Declining food prices ‘very good’

    The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) monthly food price index was stable in October, as sugar and vegetable oil prices rose to offset declines in dairy and meat prices, the Rome-based agency reported today.

    The FAO Food Price Index is a trade-weighted index monitoring five commodity group price indices – cereals, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils, and sugar. In October, it dipped to 192.3, technically its seventh consecutive monthly decline, but a marginal 0.2 percent drop from the revised September figure.

    The ongoing slight decline in the index is “very good for food importing countries,” FAO senior economist Concepción Calpe said in a statement.

    Dairy prices fell by 1.9 percent, as butter and milk powder prices dipped due to increased output in Europe, where many producers are grappling with Russia’s ban on cheese imports. The sub-index for dairy products dropped to 184.3, down 3.5 points from September, and 66.8 points, or 26.6 percent down from October 2013.