FG TO PARTNER WITH CHINA TO DEVELOP AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The Federal Government has disclosed its intention to partner with China in developing Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc Sonny Echono, disclosed this recently while receiving the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Gu Xiaojie, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, the development model of China best suites Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) aimed at commercialising the country’s agriculture.

He explained that Nigeria was working to improve its milling capacity for rice and cassava in order to reduce the country’s current demand for foreign produce.

Echono informed the Chinese delegates that Nigeria needed support in the establishment of ranches, poultry and textile. While urging investors from China to invest in these sectors, he identified infrastructural development as another area where Chinese investors could come in and invest, as he noted that Nigeria was working hard towards increasing productivity.

LATE RAINS CRIPPLE FARMING

Mr Victor Olowe

Farmers in the Southwest are combating water shortage during this planting season – no thanks to late rains.
The Programme Coordinator, Farmers Development Union (FADU), Mr Victor Olowe, referred to small yams that have been harvested by farmers as evidence of the water problem.

The problem farmers are facing with climate change was visible in most part of the country where farmers are reviving their agricultural heritage.

According to reports, farmers can only cultivate paddy, millet, beans and other commodities in the few areas of land due to late rains. Crops are limp, while livestock are struggling to find feeds as farmers anxiously await rains.

Despite a reasonable start in the season, many crops are drying off from lack of substantial follow-up rain.
While it is not happening everywhere, farmers in the Southwest are concerned with the problem.
Observers believe productivity this year will be reduced drastically.

The Provost, Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igbo Ora, Oyo State, Prof. Gbemiga Adewale, said bad weather could cripple harvests, adding that this could affect food prices.

He urged farmers to focus on tackling climate change, saying it is crucial to tackling miserable harvests.
Vice President, Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Mr Stephen Oladipupo warned that, without government action on feed shortage, consumers and producers will experience devastating effects, from the farm to the meat aisle.
He said that the cost of animal feed is getting higher by the day.

However, the farmers cannot adjust the prices for poultry or cattle according to the rising input costs due to competing with imported products and the demand from domestic customers.

Across the fisheries sector, fishmeal has become a “high-price” strategic marine protein. This follows the increasing local demand for fishmeal, driven by the growth of the aquaculture industry — while supply is declining, prices are naturally expected to rise.

Operators say fishmeal is in short supply due to shortages in key feed components. Clearly, with a volatile but long-term declining supply and rising prices, local fish business operators are rationing the use of fishmeal and fish oil.

Plans to Ensure Food Security

Governor Akinwumi Ambode

In a bid to ensure food security in the State, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to embark on massive production of rice.

The State governor who disclosed this recently at a public forum in Lagos said the governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu is seeking the collaboration of women in Kebbi State and Lagos State to explore economic opportunities in the production and distribution of high yield quality rice.

Ambode stated that in order to achieve this, the State government is putting plans in place to assist those who are fully engaged in rice farming as a profitable and strategic venture.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Olajide Basorun, noted an urgent need to promote local products like rice in order to boost competitiveness in the sector.

Basorun pointed out that the recent rice fair held in the State will in no doubt increase awareness about Nigeria’s rice brands in the market, adding that the fair would afford major rice dealers, distributors and consumers the opportunity to interact and network.

He highlighted that Nigeria imports about 2 million metric tons of rice per annum based on the statistics of rice consumption, with Lagos State consuming at least 1 million metric tons, representing 50% of rice importation.

“As you are aware, Lagos State has the highest population of 21 million people and a population density of 5,000 people per square kilometer which makes the demand for food and other agricultural products enormous.

“Most of the food requirements of the populace are met through food produced outside the State; the goal, therefore, is to make Lagos State not only food secured, but also to scale up our food self-sufficiency from the present 10% to about 25% by 2018.” the Permanent Secretary noted.

Basorun further disclosed that the State government, as part of its quest to achieve food self-sufficiency, has developed a road map for food security, adding that the development of the rice value chain will play a prominent role in the road map, since Lagos State is currently the highest consumer of agricultural products in the country.

FG Urged To Protect Soil, Water and Forest Resources against Degradation

organic resources

In time past, farmers who used traditional methods of farming that entailed organic resources, were known to produce enough food not only to feed themselves, but also used as surplus for barter.

This is the view of a Professor of Agronomy at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUA) Umuahia, Abia State, Dr. Dominic Aja Okpara. According to Okpara, the population at that time was low, while the traditional farming systems that involved shifting cultivation or bush fallowing was fully capable of restoring soil fertility naturally because fallow periods were long enough.

He said, “The situation is now different and the major cause of the present low crop yields or low productivity of soils in South Eastern Nigeria is the high population, which has put considerable pressure on land.

“The present challenge is made more serious due to increasingly short fallow periods, soil degradation and erosion, which pose a problem to food security in the region.”

The Professor described Organic Farming as a production system, which excludes the use of synthetic and chemical inputs like fertilizers; pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives, adding that most farmers in Africa practice non-certified organic agriculture, partly because they are poor and due to the quality of the products which are tastier and free from chemical residues.

Okpara, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University, while delivering the Institution’s 23rd Inaugural Lecture on “Crop Interactions and Nutrient Management: Implications for Food Security in Degraded Ecosystems,”
noted that South Eastern Nigeria has high population densities and high level pressures on land, he held that the agricultural system has been undermined and the land degraded to the point, where the components of our agricultural system have been upset.

The second is the integration of herbaceous and tree legumes into the system, which he said should involve government in the protection of soil, water and forest resources against degradation.

He added that the presence of trees has a positive effect on many crops, either as a result of its contribution to soil fertility, retention of water or because of the resulting microclimate.

Okpara’s recommendation was that farmers should be willing to incorporate trees into their farms, as this has several benefits. He noted that a good agro forestry programme in which forestry species are grown in compatible arrangements with food or export crops, should be adopted.

He also added that the promotion of integrated systems of production, where the principles of synergy, complementarity and supplementarity, are at play in organic system, which will convert waste to wealth and the integrated nutrient management of the farm, would ensure sustainable production of the systems.

Okpara further stated that integrated crop/livestock agriculture will improve soil fertility, increase yield, produce a density of foods and improve land use efficiency.

The Songhai Integrated System, he advised, should be adopted or replicated in the States of the Federation, in order to create products and services that hold the potential to dramatically increase productivity, ensure nutritional quality and eliminate waste and pollution.

Safeguard Your Farms against Bird Flu – VCN Urge Farmers

BioSecurity

The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) has urged poultry farmers in the country to safeguard their farms against bird flu by applying the appropriate bio-security measures.

The Registrar, Dr Mrcus Avong, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, while reacting to the recent outbreak of bird flu in Lagos State.

Avong stated that not all strategies mapped out for the containment of the disease were being implemented hence the need for individual farmers to safeguard their farms.

He noted that active surveillance and restriction of poultry, poultry products and by-products had not been implemented hitherto.

“The Lagos outbreak is not a new one; it is part of the ongoing spread of the disease because it started in a few States, then spread to 18 and now 21 States.

“We have not controlled the disease to the extent of declaring Nigeria free of the problem; it is still going round’’ he explained.

Avong, therefore, urged farmers to take adequate measures that would discourage wild birds and other organisms such as rodents and pests from invading their farms.

According to him, these organisms are responsible for the spread of the disease from one farm to another through their movement.

He further urged the Federal Department of Veterinary Services and its State counterparts to collaborate with the Nigerian Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in conducting proper surveillance toward inhibiting the spread of bird flu.

Plateau To Embark on Potato Farming

In order to explore the potential that abound in Plateau State as regards Potato farming and to create employment opportunity for the youth, some potato farmers are set to embark on large scale potato farming and processing in the State.

They will also engage in providing high technical knowhow and input supplies to the industry in terms of equipment leasing and hiring as well as provide storage and processing facilities with the capacity to store 12 metric tons of potatoes and process two tons per hour.

Disclosing the steps taken so far to realize the plans, the Chief Executive Officer, Vicampro Agrochemical Company, Engr. Michael Agbogo explained that Nigeria has what it takes to be the leading potato producer in Africa ahead of Egypt, who is currently the largest potato producing country in Africa.

Agbogo lamented the country’s over-dependence on oil stressing that “the need for food overrides the need for energy; we need to diversify our economy and get serious with agriculture because as the population of the World increases, food and water would become scarce.”

He noted that security of lives and properties as well as cheap, available and sustainable food supply are critical components to having a better World.

Sokoto State Procures N1.2bn Fertiliser

Sokoto State Government said it has procured more than 9, 000 metric tonnes of assorted fertilisers worth N1.2 billion for distribution to farmers for 2015 farming season.

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, who disclosed this at a meeting with members of commodity associations in Sokoto on Sunday, said that the fertiliser comprises of NPK and Urea.

The governor also promised that the state government would continue to provide adequate subsidised fertiliser and other agricultural inputs to farmers in the state.

”This is considering its importance in the agricultural value-chain,” he said.

Tambuwal expressed the determination of his administration to boost food production, increase farmers’ income and ultimately improve on the quality of farm yield from the state.

According to the governor, the ultimate goal is to stimulate economic growth and ensure reduction in poverty level among farmers and rural populace.

”All over the world, governments come in to assist farmers with various subsidies, as such Sokoto Government will not allow market forces to determine price of such an important commodity (fertiliser).

“In that regard, the state government has procured about 9, 000 metric tonnes of assorted fertilisers which comprise NPK and Urea at the cost of N1.2 billion for distribution to farmers for this year’s farming season,” he said.

Tambuwal said that the NPK would be sold at a subsidised rate of N1,700 while Urea is to cost N1,800 per bag.

He said this year’s supply had doubled the amount given to the state last year.

The governor urged the people, especially the youth, to avail themselves of those opportunities available in the state and embrace farming. (NAN)

FADU Charges Cocoa Farmers on Increased Yield

Cocoa

Farmers’ Development Union (FADU) has advised Cocoa farmers in Ondo State to allow all the training and techniques acquired reflect in their production output.

The programme coordinator of the union, Victor Olowe stated this at the Annual Farmers’ Day celebration held in Akure, the State Capital.

In justifying the training received, he charged farmers to strive towards surpassing their 250kg per hectare to 1000kg per hectare of cocoa harvest.

He explained that the social lives of the farmers will improve when their income is enhanced, adding that this can only be achieved if the output of the produce increases.

“It is our desire to see you live good and fulfilled lives like other professionals and business men in the country” Olowe said.

The Programme Coordinator of the Union, commended the Federal Government over its various intervention activities geared towards ensuring production of good quality and certified cocoa to meet the global growing demand.

He therefore appealed to cocoa farmers to cooperate with government, in order to actualize the 1000kg per hectare target before the end of the year.

According to him, the overall objectives of the project is to create a growing, sustainable and efficient value chain for certified cocoa, thereby improving economic, social and environmental conditions of the Nigerian cocoa farmers in Ondo and Osun State.

“The project came up as a result of poor handing of Cocoa production in Nigeria. You will recall that Nigeria before now was the leading producer of cocoa in the World but today all our neighbors in the West Africa Sub-region have exceeded our production level” Olowe noted.

Don clamours for Relief Package for Livestock Industry

Livestock

Federal Government of Nigeria has been called to increase financial support package for the livestock industry in the country in order to save it from critical situation and imminent bankruptcy.

Making this call during a chat with AgroNigeria, a former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abiodun Adeloye observed that cost of animal feed has risen relentlessly while demand for poultry products has slowed down, which is now forcing many farmers to leave the industry in droves.

While urging the government to help struggling farmers cope with disease outbreaks, falling prices and lack of resources, he pointed out that livestock producers were feeling the pinch of prices of corn, soybeans and other livestock feed that increases on a daily basis, with severe losses which has never being experienced in the sector, staring them in the face.

“There is need for tripartite links between livestock farmers, feed suppliers and banks to help the livestock sector solve long lasting problems such as increased input costs, unstable prices and outlet for their products.

“The livestock sector, mostly consisting of small-scale house hold farming, out dated techniques and a shortage of investment for farming, has been experiencing a difficult time, as farmers struggle to access loans and could not conform to environmental protection regulations”  he said.

Proffering solutions, Adeloye advised financial institution to offer farmers loans with preferential interest rates, considering their strategic importance to the economy coupled with the fact that today, increased in our population growth does not commensurate with food production.

The Digital Farmer

The Digital Farmer

I walked into his Uyo office, on a warm Tuesday afternoon, a little ahead of schedule to keep an appointment for a chat to know him better. A sonorous and resonant voice of a radio presenter, full of energy and passion filled the office and captured my attention:‘’…a training will be given to some on farm … management solutions. So we will turn out farm…solution specialists. We have soft wares and security solutions that can manage farms and change agriculture into an enviable venture…. This is E-Commerce Crew on Planet Radio 101.1 fm Uyo; my name is Nsikak Usoro’’. My host, Mr Nsikak Usoro, who is in his late thirties was live on air training Nigerian youths and the general public on the new focus that is taking agriculture to an enviable height – digital agriculture.

Who is Nsikak Usoro?
Mr Nsikak Usoro is a young successful agricultural entrepreneur, a computer scientist, a graduate of the University of Calabar, an e-commerce consultant, a radio programme presenter, a born horticulturist; an indigene of Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He is the state facilitator of Dream to Destination Project and has a training outfit, Untteligs Nigeria Enterprise which focuses on Information technology training, enterprise education, and Farms. The enterprise with a farm of its own, is involved both in actual agricultural production and in training.

Involvement in Commercial Agriculture
Mr Nsikak Usoro is a born horticulturist who embraced flower propagation from childhood. However, his entry into commercial agriculture took place a few years back when he came back to the state in response to a call by the state government for computer scientists to come home and support an IT project aimed at linking the thirty-one(31) local government areas of Akwa Ibom State to the web.

He came back for IT services but picked interest in commercial fishery and pepper cultivation at the end of his participation in Integrated Farmers’ Scheme of the Akwa Ibom State government, Batch 6. He has participated in and benefitted from a number of agro training programmes since then and these include National Directorate of Employment (NDE) training, 300 Unemployed Graduates Training by Mobil Producing Nigeria, and also had hands-on experience in the University of Uyo Farms. He is the proud owner of Untteligs farm which focuses on fishery and fish processing.

Enthusiastic Agricultural Entrepreneur
High and self-sustaining returns brought about by the application of new technology in agriculture keeps him fulfilled, optimistic and excited about agriculture. Before the last administration in the state, most Akwa Ibomites viewed agriculture as the vocation of the underprivileged and untaught but now, according to Mr Usoro, there has been a re-orientation. The immediate past government coined the expression ‘Digital Farmers’, a legacy to the nation, and drummed it into the citizens of the state that where there is a change of attitude, many things change and one consequently, can change the nation.

Even as change of attitude is needed in the fight against corruption in the country, same is needed in agriculture. There must be a complete paradigm shift from traditional agricultural practices and mentality to technologically driven agriculture in all areas of farming – production, processing, marketing, and utilization.

For every agricultural activity, there is a better way that eliminates drudgery and a digital farmer, instead of abhorring farming explores such opportunity through mechanization, use of improved seeds, fertilizer application, and efficient farm management.

Dream to Destination Project, great Opportunity for Nigerian Youths
Nigerians have dreams but most business dreams simply end up in the cooler -unfulfilled. Dream to Destination Project International is an initiative, a non-governmental intervention working with entrepreneurs to ensure that their business dreams come to reality. They offer trainings on Enterprise Education in Agriculture, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, Mentorship and the Development of Entrepreneurs, Business Plan Writing among others.

They also provide information on current sources of funds for agribusiness and in partnership with Aquila-Track Nigeria are providing soft wares on farm management solutions to graduates and young school leavers. This is a new technology coming into the country which will enhance farm management consultancy services.

Technology increases agricultural output on a geometric progression and consequently guarantees upsurge in marginal profit and returns on agro investment. Discover and embrace new technological approach to agriculture and become a part of Nigerian youths who have realized that agriculture can be both exciting and lucrative. Be a farmer, be digital!

Data-Driven Agriculture: Key to Youth Involvement in Agric

Youth Involvement in Agric

New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are driving change in agriculture by providing farm related data and information to help producers and farmers increase yields and improve income, but the absence of infrastructure and low level of literacy is hampering the deployment of such technologies across the agric value chain.

ICTs, such as mobile phones, satellite data, among others – are transforming agriculture. With gadgets, such as mobile phone, computers and others, farmers receive data on crop prices and market information. They also enjoy stable year-round prices, while eliminating middlemen and lowering transaction costs.

The Chief Executive Officer, Hastom Global Services Limited, Mr Debo Thomas, is one farmer who is benefiting from accessing data online.

He is into cashew and plantain farming in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. Thomas accesses data on commodity prices, and other agricultural services through his smart phone and tablet. For him, Information and Communication matter in agriculture for those growing crops, raising livestock, or fish farming. This is because farmers seek information from one another and from other stakeholders across the value chain.

Apart from personal contacts, Thomas has used his phone to seek information on the most effective planting strategy, where he can get improved seedlings and feeds, and how he can acquire farmland. With data gleaned from his phone or laptop, he is on top of the situation as up dated agric information helps him to cope with market changes.

He believes that provision of agricultural services through ICTs could be a game changer that will attract young people to farming. He explained that having better market information would help young farmers to decide what to plant and where best to sell it. While the government may not be able to attract everybody to farming, he noted that youths who decide to go into farming can serve as good ambassadors for farming, aided by the increased use of ICT that creates a more favorable image of farming activities.

Thomas, however, lamented that farmers in the rural areas are cut off because of no internet connection. For him, lack of connectivity means that they may be unable to market their products sufficiently or access market data or agricultural research provided through online and telecommunications platforms.

He is of the opinion that farming policies should be part of a wider agenda for rural development by creating an enabling social environment with services to make rural areas good places to live in. Thomas said agricultural technologies and innovations are important for rural development and food/nutrition security.

Besides, the sector needs better policies to attract young people to stay in the rural areas, in addition to providing better infrastructure and internet. The CEO sees data driven agriculture as vital for youth employment and food security, noting that once farmers have the information they need to improve their productivity, access to financial transactions, they will be able to make much money from farming ventures.

He also noted that lack of adequate data in agriculture would hinder foreign direct investment and the government’s   efforts to reform the sector. To them, quality data yield not only has sectoral benefits, but also real economic returns.

Thomas therefore urged the government to promote suitable agricultural technologies that can be used by farmers and agro-entrepreneurs to boost food production and development.  From mobile technologies that easily connect markets to agricultural products, to identifying agricultural value chains, the stakeholder believes that the agriculture sector must of a necessity identify ways   of scaling up existing technologies to connect farmers to opportunities and investors.

FG Urged To Build Cocoa Industries

cocoa

The Federal Government has been urged to build cocoa factories to address youth unemployment and food security in the country.

The Operating Officer (COO), Centre for Cocoa Development Initiative, Inc, Robo Adhuze, gave the urge recently at the Just-International Cocoa Conference in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital.
He said establishing new cocoa processing industries and revamping others would increase economic opportunities through sustainable and competitive cocoa production, marketing and agro-enterprise development.

Adhuze  lamented  that cocoa processing has declined substantially, appealing to the government to breathe a new life into the industry by making dedicated attempts to revitalize the processing segment through financial support to  ailing businesses.

He called on the government to create the foundation for a modern, viable cocoa industry that will flourish and attract new investors, enhance rural livelihoods and encourage self-employment, and maximize the country’s opportunity to receive a premium price for the product in the World market.

The COO urged the government to take steps to boost cocoa production by supporting farms to move from traditional crop growing agriculture to agro-processing.

He added that the level of public sector investment was low, reflecting that the government is not committed to boosting cocoa production.

Adhuze, therefore urged the government to support farmers, by providing more access to extension services and training in best practices, adding that it would have an impact on the domestic cocoa industry.

According to the President of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), Organisers of the event, Sayina Riman, the conference was convened to help critical stakeholders in the industry discuss price risk management project, which had over the years critically impacted against smallholder farmers and other developing economies globally.

Executive Director, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Prof. Malachy Akoroda, said cocoa had great economic potential for the country given the high demand for it around the world.

“Cocoa is number one non-oil export earner for Nigeria even when it is not enjoying desired state support, push and encouragement for local farmers. The product has great hope. There are great demands for cocoa bye products in Western and Eastern countries but capacity to supply is limited,” he said.

Akoroda noted that the quality of cocoa produced in Nigeria, is the best globally because of the high-breed species.

He said it had been impossible for farmers to plant, nurture and have high-yield specie in six months, adding that even in 18 months, there could be unimaginable and bounty harvest compared to what can be obtainable with old species.

“Anyone can plan this specie and make real good profit, so say, in five years, it is possible for the farmer to make as much as N15 million in profit”, the expert said.

He, however, lamented that pricing had been the major challenge because of factors such as fertiliser, transportation and politics, in the World market.

Riman said cocoa business could change the economic fortunes of Nigeria, adding that it is more sustainable than oil because there is possibility that oil can dry up but cocoa will not.

BOARBI: IFAD/FG Partner for Financial Inclusion

From Left: Executive Directors, Bank of Agriculture Ltd (BOA), Muhammad Adamu; Babatunde Igun, and IFAD Country Programme Manager, Atsuko Toda

 

Determined to expand the scope of Nigeria’s financial inclusion, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is collaborating with the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) Ltd to implement the Bank of Agriculture Rural Business Initiative (BOARBI).

The Initiative seeks to strengthen Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) and other member-based Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) in such a way as to enhance access of the rural population to the financial services of these institutions in order to expand and improve agricultural productivity and Macro-Small Rural Enterprises (MSREs).

Given its mandate, IFAD had instituted the Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) with a loan agreement of US$27.2 million between it and the Federal Government in order to alleviate poverty with a particular focus on rural poor, especially women, the youth, and the physically disadvantaged.

Speaking with newsmen in Kaduna during the stakeholders meeting, the Executive Director of BOA, Mr Babatunde Igun said “as part of ways of enhancing our resources, we partner with various organisations, government and international institutions. We are here today to witness a top level discussion between us and one of our partners – IFAD under a programme called Rural Business Initiative (RBI) which is anchored by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria. BOA is one of the key institutions providing the basics for the implementation of this project. Currently we have BOARBI and we are putting plans in place which will enable us reach the poorest of the poor in the rural areas.

“The general impression in Nigeria or anywhere is that the rural dwellers are poor – the rural poor and the urban poor.  This programme is to introduce the poorest of the poor to access micro-credit with some as low as five thousand naira to ten thousand naira with which they can do businesses as this will help to deepen financial inclusion which is one of the programmes of the Federal Government.

The programme is being implemented alongside three participating institutions namely: the Bank of Agriculture (B0A) Ltd, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Federal Department of Cooperatives (FDC),” Igun said. “We use peer pressure that is why we are encouraging them to be in groups.” On the interest rate, he said “interest rate is just about 2.5 percent and the loan is collateral free.”

According to IFAD Country Programme Manager for RUFIN, Atsuko Toda, BOA has its usual lending operation in the rural areas. “BOARBI is a special initiative where we promote a much more interactive interface with the rural population. We will have smaller loans as entry level and we will work with groups ensuring we closely monitor repayment. The whole idea is to build the trust between the BOA and its clients in the rural areas through the Rural Business Initiative.

“Our projection is that if we can establish a relationship with trust, using the rural business plan we can extend financial services through the rural area, as financial inclusion in rural area is still a massive challenge. There are 40 million people who are bankable at the moment and currently the bank of agriculture has 350,000 clients in the rural area, which is just a drop in the water. We believe that the bank of agriculture can play a much larger role to reach out to this rural population,” Toda said.

It is important to stress here that the objective of the programme is to develop and strengthen member-based MFIs and establish linkages between them and the other formal financial institutions in order to expand and improve agricultural productivity and boost micro/small rural enterprises.

It is estimated that about 345, 00 households of which at least 138, 000 (40 %) will be households with a woman as head will benefit directly from the programme. These families include smallholder farms and rural entrepreneurs such as farmers, craftsmen and petty traders, women, the physically challenged and the youth.

The programme covers 12 states which include: Adamawa, Bauchi, Kastina, Zamfara, Benue, Nasarawa, Lagos, Oyo, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Edo.

Stakeholders in Oyo State Eulogize AgroNigeria Stance on Agricultural Revolution

Group photograph of participants at the AgroNigeria Town Hall Meeting held at Mini-Hall, UI Hotels, University of Ibadan, Ibadan Oyo State

Group photograph of participants at the AgroNigeria Town Hall Meeting held at Mini-Hall, UI Hotels, University of Ibadan, Ibadan Oyo State Considered as the cradle of agricultural revolution and home to some of the notable agricultural research institutions in Nigeria such as IAR&T, CRIN, IITA, NCRI, NIHORT to mention few; penultimate weeks, it was the turn of Ibadan City in South-West to host the regional AgroNigeria Agricultural Stakeholders meeting aimed at creating enduring template for the sector and at the same time set an agenda for the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration.

Firing the first salvo, the Editor In Chief, AgroNigeria who doubles as the Director General, Nigeria Agricultural Award (NAA), Barr Richard-Mark Mbaram castigated the handlers of Export Expansion Grant (EEG) for ripping investors of their hard earned capital over the incentive on Agro-industrialization program.

According to him, companies that invested in export oriented activities in order to take advantage of the initiatives, later discovered that the whole thing was a scam and that the project has been turned to corruption haven by greedy Nigerians.

The stockpiled EEG which has remained so for years without being paid to beneficiaries, in his view, had denied many opportunities to leverage on benefits that the programme would have offered.

Promising to relay stakeholders’ view of any misdeeds to appropriate quarters, the CEO said this is the time to permanently kill corruption in the agric sector and that the medium has therefore provided a platform for farmers and stakeholders alike to lean, on so as to collectively salvage the sector.

Towing the line of the first speaker, the representative of the Dean faculty of Agriculture, Professor Rasheed Adewoyin hailed AgroNigeria magazine for leading a campaign to bring agriculture back to its glorious past.

Clamoring for a well-organized market system as obtainable in Kenya and other Africa countries where farmers and not middle men dictates the market trend, Adewoyin said the fact that many agric produce especially those not processed do not carry price tag, does not mean that it should experience serious price-down fall like we are presently witnessing.

On food sufficiency, he observed that many countries in Africa, Nigeria inclusive do not take their food security policy seriously which could spell doom as time goes on.”With the influx of the teeming youth  taking into farming activities like cropping, fishery and even poultry production, effort should be made to make it more attractive for them by easing the risks and challenges associated with it” he added.

Describing FADAMA as a community-driven development programme, the Oyo State Coordinator of FADAMA, Nathaniel Olayinka advocated for continuous increase of capital being allocated to the laudable programmes which were conceived to help grow farmers future and equally open up their rural communities to ease conveyance of agricultural harvests and produce with social amenities support that goes with it.

On revamping of crop processing zone and ramping-up of staple crops production, he said; “States in Nigeria should concentrate on production of crops where it has comparative advantages. For instance, cassava is now a market-driven commodity in South-west in which off takers are abound to take advantage of its by-products for industrial use. In this regards, government should strive to open more doors for investors, credit and grant givers to come in, just like the World Bank $200million credit granted Nigeria a while ago,” he added.

An agricultural activist and the Executive Vice President, Pro-Green Award, Comrade David Kayode Ehindero condemned lack of human face that has over the year characterized successive government’s agricultural policy. He bemoaned seeming silence of farmers and stakeholders in the sector which in his opinion has continually made bureaucrats and their political collaborators have a field day thereby denying farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural value chain their deserved benefits as players in the sector.

“Stakeholders in the sector should keep talking. Time for paper agriculture has passed and now is time for practical agriculture. Take the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) as a case study; if you approach them for a loan, they will deny you only to give same to one oil magnate who for them would bring good returns, just because they do not believe in agriculture. Most a times too, they would reel out stringent conditions which ordinarily cannot be met by poor farmers thereby rendering such financial assistance elusive; imagine what could a graduate offer as collateral,” he argued.

Still on public service bureaucrats, Ehindero cautioned them from their habitual act of developing reports to convince donor agencies with cooked up statistics, such era he said is fast ebbing out and that perpetrators of such evil in the set up should get ready to be mauled down by emerging forces in the sector.

While urging the present administration to consolidate on ATA programmes like GES, youth entrepreneurship empowerment, equipment hiring service, he charged the government to as a matter of urgency, treat migratory fulani herdsmen as an integral part of agriculture and a pastoralists as it were, this for him would go a long away in giving them a sense of belonging and incessant clashes with farmers across the country would be a thing of past.
The CEO FAGNA Consult, Ajadi Bolade, urged government to look into the issue of off-takers so as to discourage drudgery being experienced ceaselessly by players in the sector. He said that if truly government is responsible and responsive NALDA, DFFRI scheme of the old should be prototyped so that land can be procured and cleared for our crop of youth willing to practice any agricultural vocation of their choices.
Lending his own voice, an agricultural graduate operating under the auspices of Graduate Youths in Agriculture, Ayo Oladare charged the Nigeria Government to take a cue from India where they package and make fortunes from herb production.

He opined that Nigeria has not carried out enough research to tackle the menace of seasonal perishable produce which has led to drastic profit reduction. To him, bottom to top approach strategy which could enhance adequate feed-back should be adopted by the government while technocrats in the agricultural sector like former Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina should drive it.

Another participant, Ifeoluwa Opasina was of the view that the school farms of old should be brought back in order to not only create awareness but also inculcate the culture of farm cultivation in the minds of the new generation of farmers. He also said that farm settlement scheme of the old should be re-introduced.

Like the Ajumose Vegetable Model Farms where government empowered farmers with inputs, Abimbola Dauda said it could be replicated throughout South West, so that common vegetables like tomato, onion and other veggies can be grown there rather than solely relying on vegetables from north which would have lost its quality and palatability before getting down south. “A case in point was during the “Tuta Absoluta” breakout when Tomato got temporarily scarce and elusive. Short supply-induced price sky rocketing suddenly took a centre stage and consumers down here paid dearly for it” said Dauda.

In capturing more farmers via the GES, Dr. George Sheguna CEO, Aquatech advised government to re-jig the program while NEMA and other agencies should be pro-active in their dealings so as to minimize seasonal disasters that plagued our crops thereby threatening food productivity and food security policy thrust of the sector.

For Adekoya Adetomi, dearth of extension agents normally deployed from the ADPs to rural farmers was disturbing. Considering their relevance in transferring technologies and new initiatives, she said, “The extension officers should be provided with good take home with incentives in order to sustain the current trend. Nigerian farmers no longer feel the impact of extension officers in their rural areas and we are all pretending as if everything is alright”

Policy formulation to support the use of natural crop improvers on our farms could also reduce over dependence on inorganic fertilizer while value added produce like breadfruit can be promoted as indigenous food for local consumption and for exportation.

LCCI Agro Sector Decries Inconsistent Policy on Agriculture

Mr Wale Oyekoya

The Chairman, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Agro and Non Oil Sector, Mr Wale Oyekoya,has advised the Federal Government to stop its inconsistent policies on agriculture.

He gave the advice in an interview with newsmen recently in Lagos while reacting to the likelihood of government reversing the restriction of buying foreign exchange to import certain food items like rice, fish and wheat, among others.

According to him, the restriction is already causing price hike on the affected food items.

“This is one of the government policies that the organised private sector is talking about; some of the policies are not sustainable.Government formulates a policy and barely one year it is already contemplating to change it.

“I believe that government should carry stakeholders along when formulating agriculture and other policies that affect everybody, especially food security in the country.

“The right thing is for government to have given importers up to three years to bring in some critical food items and at the same time encourage the local production of such items,’’ the chairman said.

Oyekoya remarked that it had been difficult for investors to set up full agro processing factories because of the government inconsistent policies.

He noted that potential investors were afraid of the high risk of investing in a nation that is not consistent with its economic and agricultural policies.

Oyekoya said that agriculture stakeholders were eagerly awaiting the appointment of an agriculture minister to know the next policy direction for the sector.

World Bank to Support Lagos Farmers

Lagos farmers

The World Bank is to help Lagos farmers increase agricultural productivity and enhance market access.
The  State Project  Coordinator, Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP), Mr  Kehinde Ogunyinka  who  spoke  yesterday in Lagos before the award of certificates to participants at its women and youth empowerment  training,  said  55 persons will  be  sponsored  by  the World  Bank  to start  their  businesses in areas such as rice cultivation, poultry farming and others.

He  said 55 persons, which   include  women and youths were chosen  from  125  persons  who were interested  in participating  in the  training  programme.

The Bank, according  to the report,  would  support  the  farmers  in three value  chains  to create  agro-business  ventures  that  will  be  better managed as a step toward boosting livelihoods.

According to him, the World Bank through CADP has helped to lay the groundwork for vitalization, offering technical expertise, bringing international best practices and engaging stakeholders on building a shared vision to renew agro business development.

To achieve this, Ogunyinka said the bank and the State government are determined to improve every element of the value chain, from cultivation, harvesting, to packaging and logistics, to marketing.

The bird flu reapperance

Chicken

The bird flu reapperance yesterday at Ikorodu area, Lagos state shows that our farmers are not doing enough as regards ensuring the cleanliness of their poultry sites thereby not conforming to many of the awareness being created through several trainings and sensitization programmes of the government since the source of this zoonotic is majorly dirt which constant cleaning of the poultry environment can checkmate.

Farmers should be more conscious about reality of liability towards proper care to their birds rather than probably assuming government taking responsibility in terms of compensation. I hope other states should be alerted for containment.

Wake up and sell more coffee

coffee farmers

ON A hillside about an hour’s drive north of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, is a visible demonstration of the difference between the miserable reality of smallholder farming in Africa and what it could be. On one side of the steep terraces stand verdant bushes, their stems heavy with plump coffee beans. A few feet away are sickly ones, their sparse leaves spotted with disease and streaked with yellow because of a lack of fertilizer.

Millicent Wanjiku Kuria, a middle-aged widow, beams under an orange headcloth. Cash from coffee has already allowed her to buy more land and a cutting machine that prepares fodder for a dairy cow that lows softly in its thatched shed. Her bumper crops are largely a result of better farming techniques such as applying the right amount of fertiliser (two bags, not one) and pruning back old stems on her trees.

Simple changes such as these can increase output by 50% per tree. Her income has increased by even more than this, because bigger berries from healthy trees sell at twice the price of their scrawnier brethren, says Arthur Nganga of TechnoServe, a non-profit group that is training Mrs Kuria and thousands of other smallholders in Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. This year’s crop will pay for a pickup, she says, so she no longer has to hitch rides on a motorcycle.

Mrs Kuria’s success invites a question. If it is so easy to raise a small farmer’s output, why haven’t all the small farmers managed it? To say that the answer matters is a wild understatement. Africa’s poorest and hungriest people are nearly all farmers. To lift themselves out of poverty, they must either move to a city or learn to farm better.

It should be possible to grow much more in Africa. The continent has about half of the world’s uncultivated arable land and plenty of people to work it. It is true that erratic rainfall adds to the risks of farming on large parts of the savannah, but switching to drought-tolerant varieties of plants or even to entirely different ones—cassava or sorghum instead of maize, for instance—can mitigate much of this problem. Indeed Africa has in the past given glimpses of its vast potential. Five decades ago it was one of the world’s great crop-exporters. Ghana grew most of the world’s cocoa, Nigeria was the biggest exporter of palm oil and peanuts, and Africa grew a quarter of all the coffee people slurped.  

Since then it has shifted from being a net exporter of food to an importer. Sub-Saharan Africa’s share of agricultural exports has slipped to a quarter of its previous level; indeed, the entire region has been overtaken by a single country: Thailand (see chart). This is largely because Africa’s crop yields have improved at only half the pace of those elsewhere and are now, on average, a third to a half of those in the rich world. Farmers in Malawi harvest just 1.3 tonnes of maize per hectare compared with 10 tonnes in Iowa.

economist

There are several reasons for the stagnation in African agricultural productivity but poor policies have played a large role. In many countries state-owned monopolies for the main export crops were established either before independence or soon after.

 The prices paid to farmers were generally squeezed to create profits that were meant to be invested in other, sexier, industries. Such policies failed to spark an industrial revolution but succeeded in making farmers poorer.

 In Ghana, for instance, the colonial administration and first independent government taxed cocoa exports so heavily that farmers stopped planting new trees. By the 1980s cocoa production had collapsed by two-thirds.

In the 1990s many of these policy mistakes were compounded when, urged on Western donors and aid experts, many African countries dismantled their agricultural monopolies without giving time for markets to develop or putting in place institutions to link farmers to them. This was good for commercial farmers in places such as South Africa, where output soared, but cut off remote smallholders. Farmers in Zambia, for instance, now pay twice as much for fertiliser as those in America.

Yet this Cinderella sector is now being seen as an opportunity rather than a “development problem”, says Mamadou Biteye, who heads the African operations of the Rockefeller Foundation, a charity. Money from organisations such as Rockefeller, the Gates Foundation and do-gooding companies such as Nestlé is pouring into supporting small farmers.

The first benefit is improved productivity. Farmers have been shown how to increase crop yields sharply simply by changing their techniques or switching to better plant varieties. A second is in improving farmers’ access to markets. Progress here is being speeded along by technology. In Nigeria the government has stopped distributing subsidised fertiliser and seeds through middlemen who generally pocketed the subsidies: it reckons that only 11% of farmers actually got the handouts that were earmarked for them. Instead it now directly issues more than 14m farmers with electronic vouchers via mobile phones.

economist

Or take Kenya Nut, a privately owned nut processor. It is using technology from the Connected Farmer Alliance to send text messages to farmers giving them the market price of their produce, so they are not ripped off by the first buyer to show up with a lorry.

After years of underperforming, Africa’s smallholders have a lot of catching up to do. The World Bank estimates that food production and processing in Africa could generate $1 trillion a year by 2030, up from some $300 billion today. Yet many remain sceptical that Africa’s small farmers will achieve their potential. To some, the rewards on offer seem too good to be true, like the $50 on the pavement that the economist in the joke walks past because “If it were real, someone would already have picked it up.”

Yet the success of projects such as those run by TechnoServe and Olam (a commodity trader that helps farmers grow more cashews, sesame seeds and cocoa in Nigeria) suggest that there may well be $700 billion on the pavement—or rather, in Africa’s fields. Instead of subsidising steel and other big industries, African nations should wake up and sell more coffee—not to mention cocoa, nuts and maize.

Nigeria’s N630bn annual food import bill worries Emefiele

Emefiele,

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin  Emefiele, has reiterated his concern over the country’s position as a net importer of agricultural produce with import above N630 billion.
The country imports food products such as wheat, rice, flour, fish, tomato paste, textile and sugar in large quantities annually.

Emefiele, stated this in a keynote address presented at a training workshop on innovative agricultural insurance products held in Lagos Thursday. The forum was to activate the insurance pillar of the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).

He pointed out that Nigeria is currently confronted with a wide range of development challenges, especially with the dwindling global crude oil prices and the nation’s dependence on it as its major source of revenue. To this end, he stressed the need to diversify the mono-cultural tendencies of the Nigerian economy by developing other sectors of the economy especially agriculture.

He recalled that before the oil boom, the Nigerian economy was mainly sustained by agriculture.  In the 1960s the agricultural sector contributed up to 60 per cent of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and was the most important in terms of contribution to domestic production, employment and foreign exchange earnings.

The country was then known to be exporters of cocoa beans, gum Arabic, groundnuts, cotton, palm oil and many other agricultural commodities.

“But now, we import most of the agricultural commodities that we can produce because of the neglect of the sector in addition to rural migration to cities in search of white collar jobs.  The agricultural sector provides up to 70 per cent of employment in Nigeria and accounts for about 42 per cent of the country’s GDP.

“In Nigeria today, rural farmers contribute to about 70 per cent of the food produced which they do mainly by subsistence farming. These farmers with their small land holdings of 1 to 3 hectares are producing sub-optimally due to lack of adequate inputs, insufficient exposure to good agronomic practices and limited access to finance and credit.

“It is due to this subsistent level of farming that farmers do not see the importance of insuring their farming activities. Currently, Nigeria’s formal financial system is lending about four per cent of all formal credit to the agricultural sector compared to three years ago when only about one per cent of all credit went to agriculture. Lending is still low because of the lingering perception by banks that agriculture is highly risky,” the governor who was represented at the workshop by the acting Managing Director, NIRSAL, Mr. Edwin Nzelu, said.

According to him, the development and expansion of the agricultural insurance sub-sector would go a long way in mitigating against natural disasters and eventually encouraging banks to lend to agriculture.

He added that agricultural insurance had been proven to be instrumental in transferring risks and stabilising farmers’ income, noting that in Nigeria, it remains one of the less developed line of business.

“Therefore, there is need for insurance companies in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to develop innovative products that will carter for the needs of farmers in their provision of agricultural insurance.

“Over the years, only the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) was licensed to underwrite Agriculture insurance in the country, until two years ago when NAICOM liberalised the insurance subsector for conventional insurers to underwrite.

“I urge Private insurance companies to take advantage of this opportunity and consider extending insurance cover to the agricultural sector to create a competitive market which will eventually increase insurance penetration to rural areas,” he said.

Nigeria to produce bioethanol from cassava.

Cassava

The Nigerian Cassava Growers’ Association (NCGA) has partnered with the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), an international private infrastructure financier, to set up a bioethanol plant, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

National president of NCGA Segun Adewumi says the plant, which is to use cassava as feedstock, will also serve as a bioenergy and power generation plant for ten states of the West African federal republic.

‘NCGA is planning to establish ethanol factories across the nation that will produce millions of litres of ethanol in a year. We are focusing on ten states and the requirement is that we will get 6,000 hectares of cassava farm in each of the states,’ Adewumi says.

The land to be purchased will be demarcated into blocks of ten acres and allocated farmers, who will sell their cassava to the ethanol plant.

Adewumi says the project is being spearheaded by the E-Debit Corporation, a consultant company, to facilitate developmental programmes and connect financial institutions to manufacturers and farmers.

Impact of Fertilizer Quality Control System in Nigeria

fertilizer quality control system in Nigeria

In a bid to ensure fertilizer quality control system in Nigeria, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has join forces with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), to put in place policies that will ensure better agricultural yields through quality control.

Speaking at the launch of the AGRA-supported project with the theme “Establishment and Implementation of Fertilizer Quality Control System in Nigeria”, the Permanent Secretary of the FMARD, Arc Sonny Echono, represented by the Director, Farm Input Support Service Department of the Ministry, Akinbolawa Osho, said “fertilizer is a crucial input in crop production, and its importance in crop productivity, and food security of the country cannot be over emphasized”.

He also disclosed that the legal and regulatory framework for fertilizer quality control would enable the Federal Government Inspectors to undertake periodic quality control at fertilizer production plants, ports of discharge, and market outlets.

The Permanent Secretary disclosed that fertilizer samples would be drawn by inspection officials for laboratory analysis. He said that government has identified some violations in the sub-sector which include plant nutrient deficiencies, misbranding, adulteration, short weight of bags, bagging quality, operating without certificate of registration or with expired certificate of registration.

Echono, however, condemned the activities of some unscrupulous players who have been ripping farmers off the benefit accruable from their investment in fertilizer. He maintained that the obligation of the government under the policy statement is to ensure and enforce quality control of fertilizer through the establishment of a market-friendly, legal regulatory framework that is adopted and legislated by the ministry.

He said, “the legal and regulatory framework for fertilizer quality control will provide the Federal Government Inspectors the power to undertake periodic quality control at the fertilizer production plants, fertilizer samples to be drawn by inspection officials for laboratory analysis, payment of inspection fees, and guidelines for proper labeling,” among others.

Meanwhile, Echono assured that a draft Fertilizer Bill sent by the Ministry to the National Assembly had passed the first reading and it is expected to be passed into law soonest. He maintained that the present administration’s drive in the agriculture sector of the economy is geared towards employment generation, food security, and poverty reduction.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Deputy Director, Quality Control, FMARD, who is also the Project Manager, Chinyere Akudinobi, stated that the project was aimed at developing and implementing a functional fertilizer regulatory system in the country which she said would address the problems of fertiliser quality in Nigeria. Making a presentation on the project, Akudinobi noted that while fertilizer consumption was estimated at about 790,000 metric tonnes annually, 280,000 metric tonnes was blended locally while the rest was imported.

Stakeholders Urge FG to maintain Public-Private Initiatives

Stakeholders on yam production have called upon the Federal Government to support the setting up of public-private initiative to facilitate an emerging tissue culture based yam seed in the country.

This was contained in communiqué arising from a Yam Seed Production workshop held at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state and made available to the newsmen recently.

The three-page communiqué was signed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), University of Ibadan, Prof. Gbemisola Oke, and the workshop facilitator, Dr Morufat Balogun, Geneticist in the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology.

The yam stakeholders noted that there was limited availability of yam seeds from Temporary Immersion Bioreactors, adding that scarcity of planting materials is a major constraint to yam production in Nigeria.

“In order to allay fear or reservations towards acceptability of tissue culture produced seed yam among other farmers as well as the general populace, there should be advocacy for acceptability of the technology through different media.’’, it said.

The communiqué stated that stakeholders had observed that there was need to use TIBs to speed up the production of planting materials also known as clean seed yam.

According to the communiqué, yam is an important food crop in Nigeria and the country is the world’s largest producer.

“Having identified possible market glut that might result from rapid propagation technologies, the workshop opined that NRCRI and National Stored Product Research Institute (NSPRI) should develop and advocate for improved harvesting, post-harvest handling and storage’’
The workshop also called on the Federal government to as a matter of priority; revitalize the yam export market in line with the alternative revenue drive of the present administration.

It equally canvassed for youth training and development, using National Youth Corps members in other to overcome inadequate skill and low farmers’ level of education on the novel seed production system.

This, the communiqué added, would reduce rural-urban drift and expansion of farmland in seed yam production.

“As part of strategies to reduce cost and fatigue associated with yam production, gender responsibility should be identified, so that there will be more interest in farming’’, it added.

The stakeholders also recognised irregular electricity and availability of materials and reagents as threats to sustainable adoption of the technology.

To this end, it urged researchers to seek alternative, environment-friendly and cheaper sources of power and reagents.

“In addition, there should be specialization for different levels of production chain to accommodate high, medium and low skilled labour’’, the communiqué stressed.

It also called for increased automation in the technology to reduce possibility of human error which could cause huge losses and also identified lack of sustainable availability of funds to maintain the technology after set-up as a main threat to its use.

The workshop recommended that the government should put in place policies to support farmers’ cooperatives while also removing bottlenecks in assessing the existing agriculture loans.

“The workshop recognised farmers as being disadvantaged by lack of price regulation and low bargaining power and recommends the creation of yam marketing board, which will, among others, regulate the price of yam, and incorporate government interventions’’, it added.

Fabricated Tools Will Boost Agric Says NCAM

mechanization

The Federal Government has been urged to make use of the fabricated agricultural machines produced by indigenous engineers at the National Centre for Agriculture and Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, to boost agriculture in Nigeria.

According to the Acting Director of NCAM, Yomi Kasali, many countries with bilateral relationships with Nigeria had since adopted some of the tools manufactured at the centre with tremendous improvement on their Agric yields.

Kasali, at the opening ceremony of the Marketing and Processing Demonstration Training hosted by NCAM, said the era when agriculture thrived under hand tools should be a thing of the past in Nigeria if the nation would attain self-sufficiency in food production.

The programme was organised by the Federal Government and involved six states of the federation namely Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba. It was packaged to reduce poverty among Nigerians and to stimulate the much needed economic growth.

For the NCAM boss, “It is a pity that most projects in Nigeria are not sustained, but we hope this will be held on a sustainable basis. We learnt it was packaged to favor the nation’s agric policy under a value change system with zeal for marketability. After all, what is the value of produce without a market for it?”
Kasali described the available human and material resources at the institute as “the very best” for the proposition by the government to ensure prompt marketing of agric products in the country.

According to him, “NCAM is not new to organizing this type of training programmes for donor-assisted projects. For five years, the centre organised training/workshops and provided technical back stopping for the processing and market expansion component of Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP).”

Among others, NCAM had fabricated machines such as cassava lifter, (hand-operated), tractor drawn tuber harvester, improved cassava peeling tool and cassava washing machine, motorized cassava grater, manual-operated tuber dicer, cassava mash sifter, multi-purpose mill and hydraulic press for cassava.

Kasali while praising the Federal Government policies on cassava growth and consumption said the same system should be adopted for the growth of rice as “locally produced rice has more nutritional values than imported ones.”

He added, “Cassava and rice which are among the most important staple crops in Nigeria are the crops whose value chain developments are being considered in this training. The importance of these two crops in food security and generation of income for the farmer and the nation needs no emphasis.

“The recent Federal Government policy on 10 percent inclusion of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) in confectionery baking is expected to stimulate huge investment in the cassava sector, including the major activities in the cassava value chain, especially the downstream.”