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| Chief AuduOgbe |
It is indeed a great honor for me to perform this all-important
2016 cashew planting season flag-off. I am particularly happy for your presence
despite other pressing challenges.
2. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Cashew
(Anacardiumoccidentale L.) is
increasing in its importance as an export oriented cash crop since 1990s. It is
becoming an important source of non-oil export earning estimated to represent
15% GDP based on export data of 2015. Cashew development started in Nigeria in
the early 1950s and today it is grown in 27 states including FCT. The producing
states includes Abia, Adamawa, AkwaIbom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross Rivers,
Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara,
Lagos, Nassarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara and FCT.
3. Cashew Value Chain
is among the crops commodity promoted in 2013, under the Agricultural
Transformation Agenda of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development. The Ministry carried out a number of activities in the work plan
within the budgetary allocations available to the Ministry. The Ministry has
consolidated on the achievement recorded in 2013 and implemented similar
programs in subsequent years (2014 and 2015).
4. Currently Nigeria’s
production is estimated at 175,000mt on 100,000ha, providing livelihood for
over 300,000 families, generated about $253 million assuming the 2nd
non-oil export foreign exchange earner for Nigeria.
5. Ladies and
Gentlemen, this auspicious occasion wouldn’t have come at a better time than
now when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammad
Buhari has promised and reiterated that his administration will focus on
diversifying the Nigerian economy away from crude oil towards agriculture and
solid minerals.
6. You all will agree
with me that, given the reality of the global financial situation, the time has
come for Nigerians to do more than pay mere lip service to agriculture, as
crude oil and gas exports will no longer be sufficient as the country’s major
revenue earner.
7. It is against this
backdrop that my administration is set to develop strategic crop commodities
with high economic potentials, great potential to reduce unemployment, enhance high foreign exchange
earner, create wealth and cashew is one of such
commodities.
8. At
this juncture, I am pleased to inform you all and Nigerians in general that in
my bid to strengthen the production and processing
sector aimed at re-positioning the Nigerian cashew industry, I Chief Audu Ogbe, Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has initiated the
Cashew Value Chain Expansion Programme. This program will among others support
and promote the introduction of a high yielding, early maturing and disease
resistant Brazilian jumbo and Indian variety cashew seeds capable of raising
production from 175,000mt in 2016 to 250,000mt in 2020 with yield enhancement
from 450kg/ha to 600kg/ha with 2million Cashew stand each for the next 4 years
beginning from 2016.
9. Under this
programme a number of projects are under way towards sustaining the development
in the cashew sub-sector. Such projects includes:
- Establishment of 2million cashew stands annually for the next 4
years (Cashew plantation Development)
- Establishment of 5 cashew processing equipment's annually in major
cashew producing States starting with Kogi, Kwara, Benue, Abia and Ogun State.
- Enhancing the capacity of cashew farmers, nursery operators,
processors and exporter through Train the-Trainer programme
- Rehabilitation of existing cashew plantation through the provision
of farm inputs at subsidized rate. Such inputs includes; Fertilizer,
Agrochemicals (Glyphosate) and Solo Pumps.
- Introduction of Bee hives in the already existing 100,000 ha
cashew plantation to facilitate cross pollination which enhances cashew yield
per hectare.
However, plantation development does not stop at provision of only
farm inputs (Seed, Fertilizer, Agrochemicals etc). But, with the drudgery of
manual farm labour (the use of raw human power) and the burden of high cost of
equipment hiring associated with farming has made plantation development a
herculean task. It is important to note that previous administration paid
little or no attention to assisting farmers in tractorization/mechanization
(Land Clearing, preparation, pegging, alignment and digging) even when
available activities are not coordinated. The Cashew Value Chain under the
Cashew Value Chain Expansion Programme will be collaborating with the privately
operated eighty (80) Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise (AEHE)/One Stop
Agro-Input centers Established by the Ministry and concessioned to identified
private partners to provide agricultural equipment hiring to farmers at a
subsidized rate.
10. This auspicious
occasion has offered me the opportunity to call on Nigerian cashew farmers and
intending farmers “Youth Especially” to key into this Cashew Expansion
Programme being provided by Cashew Value Chain of the Ministry as being done by
His Royal Majesty the Ooni of Ife through committing over 2,000ha land for
cashew plantation development which led to today’s Cashew Planting Season
Flag-Off.
11. Ladies and
Gentlemen, let me use this opportunity to thank the Government of Osun State
for giving us the opportunity to hold this all important occasion. The choice
of Osun State is not an accident. Osun is among the major cashew producing
State in the Country. As such it is apt for us to gather here to Flag-off 2016
Cashew Planting Season.
12. The team of
officers from the Cashew Value Chain of the Ministry, officers from Cocoa
Research Institute of Nigeria, College of Agriculture Kabba Kogi State, Efugo
Farms Nig. Ltd.NCAN and other relevant stakeholder from the industry, will work
in collaboration to see to the success of this laudable
effort aim at re-positioning the Nigerian cashew industry.
13. Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby declare the 2016 Cashew Planting Season Open and
hoping to meet you again in 2017. Wish you all fruitful Cashew Season.
Thank you.
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