Using mechanization to remove drudgery from agric production and processing

Carbornator for juice

·   *FIIRO, NCAM, Fabricators react

 The use of crude implements and methods in agricultural production and processing have negatively impacted on Nigeria’s agricultural practices such that there is low productivity and  a  lot of wastages resulting in  high import bill on various types of  food crops and livestock to the tune of 50 billion dollar yearly, thereby hindering the country’s  development and job creation efforts.

In the recent time, the federal government recognizing the role of agriculture in national economy, has made effort towards mitigating the challenges of drudgery in agricultural production and processing of food crops into various derivatives of the foods for both local consumption and export, with many of its agencies researching into and developing simple, efficient and ecologically adapted tools and machines that can remove drudgery. But inefficiency and sub-standard equipment is very visible in the whole process which is a great concern to many stakeholders.

The recently concluded Science, Technology and Innovation for Nigeria’s economic Diversification organized by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology unveiled with high hope many innovative agriculture production and processing, proving that  Nigeria has what it takes to surmount the challenges that are frightening away our youth from the farm, even as both the public and private stakeholders at the expo agreed that the country had what it takes to move from subsistence farming to commercial farming  through simple, efficient and adaptable machines.

 Director General of Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr. Gloria Elemo revealed that many industrial food processing equipment are available waiting for investors and entrepreneurs for replication in commercial quantity saying a lot has been achieved by the Institute in the past 50 years with about 500,000 active entrepreneurs across the country using her technologies in the processing of locally sourced raw materials to exportable products.

Dr. Elemo elaborated some of the achievements of her Institute even with the fund dwindling for research in the face of economic situation saying “FIRO has achieved so well in the last 60 years using its mandate to assist in accelerating the industrialization of the Nigerian economy through utilization of nation’s raw materials and upgrading indigenous production technologies to develop several food derivatives for further uses. Some of the vivid R&D achievements of FIIRO are on sorghum-malt production which led to the ban placed on barley-malt in the brewing industry in Nigeria.”

She pointed out also that the institute’s research in cassava processing has made it a golden crop today with inclusion of 10% flour into bread and other confectioneries thereby reducing import bill on wheat adding that the proliferation of instant pounded yam flour production companies in the country was as a result of  effort of the Institute with over 5,000 jobs created alone on this just one crop through value addition and called for  substantial support be given to research because of what it take before a research work could be brought to product.

The narrative of National Centre for Mechanization (NCAM) through the Acting Executive Director, Engineer (Dr) M.Y Kasali at Ilorin confirmed what the Institute has in stock to mitigate farmers’ drudgery with simple, efficient and ecologically friendly machines and tools made available for small, medium and big commercial farmers thereby addressing the issue of affordability to agricultural productivity from clearing, harrowing, planting and harvesting.

Engr. Kasali pointed out that there a lot of simple, efficient and ecologically adaptable tools and machines the Centre had adopted and fabricated for reducing drudgery in agricultural activities that are gender friendly saying the small, medium and large scale were all considered for affordability.

Taking Food Farm News round the NCAM workshop, Engr. Kasali said that partnership with Nigeria Association of Fabricators in Nigeria has really assisted in the transferring of these improved technologies to the end users thereby advised that support should be given to the association because returns on agricultural equipment is not as fast as any other business.

He said:“Most entrepreneurs find it difficult to embrace agricultural equipment manufacturing because there is a very low rate of return due to farmers’ disposable income. Farmers have low disposable income, and an investor will like to put his money where there is a high return than production. As a result of low investment government needs to bridge the gap, which I think is what is being done through the Bank of Industry, to help the manufacturer entrepreneurs with loan support. The entrepreneurs need to be encouraged in agro-business because of the low return associated with sector as most people want quick money, and agricultural equipment does not fall into this category. So, government needs to do more.”

He said a lot have been achieved with many other improved manually operated and motorized simple machines and tractor of small and medium sizes that would soon be released into the market.

 Continuing, he said:“Most of our machines are gender friendly whereby we put into consideration tools and machines that can be easily handled by both men and women with less stress. We have low cost machines like cassava peeling tool that can easily peel without sustaining any injury. We have cassava planters which is a tractor mounted device that has the capacity of planting five hectares per day. It is a Brazilian type that has been adopted. 

There are multi- purpose thresher that can thresh different types of crops like cassava and the rest. We have cassava mounted harvester that can also uproot about five hectares per day. The rice trans planter machines will soon be available as it is ongoing, and as soon as is completed, it will be tested and certified for commercialization. There are both the motorized ones and the manually pushed ones”

The National Financial Secretary of Agricultural Machinery Equipment Fabricators of Nigeria (AMEFON) and Director, S. Adiss Agricultural Engineering LTD. Engr. Segun Bolaji was very passionate about Nigeria having her own certified standard that will be mainstreamed into the global one saying “government should be thinking through Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) on how Nigeria can have her own standard that will key into the international standard. What is SON doing as regards this? When you go to a country like China, she has her own standard, why can’t Nigeria have one?”

Engr. Bolaji said the machines fabricated in Nigeria are very durable and pointed out that “people are mixing two issues. There is difference between good finishing and durability. There could a machine with good finishing without durability. As far as Nigerian machines are concerned, fabricators are making very durable machines, but our problem is access to equipment that makes our machine neater”

The FIIRO exhibition stand had a quite numbers of technologies waiting off takers which included Fish smoking kiln, Tapioca or cassava peeler, okro slicer, Ginger splitting machine, Extruder flash dryer, rice DE stoner, gari fryer, Beni-seed oil Ex peeler and Electro planting equipment.

Interview