The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Ibrahim Nanono in agreement with the Executive Secretary (ES), Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Prof. Garba Sharubutu have both disagreed with the general assumption of many research findings that are said to be on the shelves of research Institutes, just as they commended the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology for its contribution to food security through generation of skilful manpower into animal and livestock value chains productivity since inception about 57 years.
The
minister who was ably represented by the South West Director (SWD) of the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ( FMARD), Dr. Marcus
Ogunbiyi stressed the need for effective utilization of the research findings from our research Institutes through best
agronomics practices by our farmers and
other end users as rightly pointed out by the ES of the ARCN, saying it would
be out of place to say our improved technologies are on shelves in view of many
available research findings in the hands of our farmers towards commercial foods
productivity.
He
commended the effort of the college for being able to generate thousands of
middle level man power agricultural experts in the field of animal and livestock
value chains towards the fulfillment of the FMARD’s mandate on ensuring food
security and sustainable productivity, added that the college in view of many
of its challenges has been a very supportive co partner to the Federal
Government (FG) in her vision to use agriculture to create wealth and job
opportunities for Nigerians.
Nanono
through his representative emphasized the need for more training of farmers
towards best application of improved technologies for high productivity, stressed that the
research Institutes’ findings have been very impactful in checkmating many
diseases that would have devastated many agricultural produce with an example of tomato ebola popularly known as
Tuta absoluta disease as one of the intervention National Horticultural
Research Institute ( NIHORT)) averted in Kano and many other places till date
since its first outbreak.
The minister
said that ‘’ I am glad to say that the Federal College of Animal, Ibadan has
been a co partner in the achievement of the goal of FMARD in ensuring food
security and wealth creation. The graduates of this college have been modeled
to be self independent even before leaving the college in the field of
agricpreneurship as they engaged in the field of practical farming which is
evident in some of the agricultural produce the college is already producing
into the market for consumption by the students as practical skills’’
He added
that the ministry is very much aware of all the achievements of the college as
being mentioned by the able provost, but stressed the need for the institute to
do more for greater heights as the ministry would be ready to give support to
mitigate challenges whenever such request is presented.
The ES
ARCN, Prof. Garba Sharubutu who was the
first to challenge the popular position on research findings being kept on the
shelves of Research Institutes, posited
that the statement cannot be true, but rather the technologies are in the hands
of farmers who did not have sufficient agronomics capacity to optimally utilize
them for maximum productivity, adding that there would not have been
organizations like National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology
(NACRAB), National agricultural Seed Council ( NASC) and National Committee on
Varietal release if there had not been any new released technologies.
Prof. Sharubutu
who commended the college’ achievements under the leadership of Dr. Adekoya
Owosibo pointed that it would be a misplaced of statement to agree with the
popular adage of research findings being kept on the shelves when considering
the restless activities of the colleges of agriculture and animals science in
producing middle level man power in food value chains system cum our research
institutes that have worked tirelessly to ensure availability of new improved
technologies to enhance sustainable food system in Nigeria.
ARCN boss
said that ‘’ it is going to be a shame
for us to say we have research Institutes and associated colleges that are
responsible for training human and extension workers, and yet accept the
mis-representation that research findings are on shelves. No they are not on
shelves, they are with the farmers, and that is because of the work of those of
us in the research institutes and colleges of agriculture and animal science.
Go to Institute of Agricultural Research & Training (IAR&T) and see the
type of work it has done that are never on the shelf. If they are on the shelf,
then there will be no need for NAGRAB, NASC and no need for varietal release.
We have all these organizations and we are saying they are not doing anything.
No they are doing something. What we lack is the capacity of the person working
outside as off takers on these findings through seeds multiplication. Our
research findings are there, people have heard about new varieties of maize,
release of feeds for animals, rice and tomatoes. If the product of that
research by NIHORT was on shelf, the problem of Tuta absoluta will still be
there till date’’
In his
address, the Provost/ Chief Executive (ED) of the college, Dr. Owosibo said
that the school was established in 1st April 1964 to meet the need
for livestock assistants in order to cope with the ever increasing demand for
assistance in the practices of veterinary profession, added that the college is
an integral part of IAR&T with power to run about 14 programmes both on
National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) as allowed by National
Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Dr. Owosibo
pointed that the founder’s day was to create more awareness about the college
and to reward some of the alumni that have excelled in the practice of animals
and livestock agric-preneur value chains
system of sustainable food productivity and job creation, saying over 6,000
have graduated from the college since inception.
He said ‘‘many
of such graduates are self- employed while some are in the government owned
agencies. Some have proceeded further in academics and have even become
professors. The products of the college stand the chance of mitigating gaps in
extension workers to achieve FMARD vision of national food security’’ adding
that the ‘‘college operates livestock farm like poultry , rearing of cattle,
sheep, goat and rabbit among others for students’ practical purposes. Also the
college runs a veterinary clinic and diagnostic laboratory for analyzing
samples from sick animals’’
Both
speakers who spoke on different theme ‘‘Nigeria: Food Security, internal security
and feedlot system’’ and ‘‘Improving Livestock Productivity and Health in Post
pandemic era’’ emphasized extensively on the potential of a secured environment
for sustainable food system with emphasis for proactive steps towards
competitive agricultural productivity.
The
Registrar/ CEO, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) Prof. Eustace Iyayi
in his keynote paper tilled ‘’ Nigeria:
Food Security, Internal Security and Feedlot system’’ described Nigerian food
system as inadequate to people in term of availability, accessibility, and
affordability, saying this was also the position taken by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nation (UN).
Prof. Iyayi
stated further that the food insecurity has worsened by the activities of
banditry, Boko Haram insurgency and herdsmen/ farmers’ conflict thereby
increasing human displacement from the source of their livelihood and creation
of more increased poverty in the country especially in the North East, as he
pointed that 65% of northerner have migrated to the south because of insecured
environment.
NIAS
Registrar in his conclusion and commendation for solution stated the following
1. A step up of intervention by the
security agencies to put the insurgency in the North east and banditry and the
kidnapping in the North Central and North West to an end.
2. Immediate conversion of the gazette
grazing reserves (145 of them out of the 405 grazing reserve) mostly in the
North with only 2 in the south (Oyo state) into ranches.
3. Immediate resuscitation of the Mokwa
and other ranches set up in the first republic in the south west beef or milk
production.
4. Development of a commercial pasture
production value chain.
5. Resuscitation of the livestock
breeding centers’ by the FMARD.
6. A special reserve fund out of the
recently approved Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) by the senate.
7. Engagement of the Nigerian Institute
of Animal Science as experts in the revitalization of our livestock sector,
especially in ranching, community animal husbandry services, feed development
research and production.
Also, Prof.
Oyewole Olufemi in his paper titled ‘‘Improving livestock productivity and
Health in a post pandemic era’’ pointed that 65% of global economic decline has
been attributed to the Covid 19 disease with 41% drop in world export, and 60%
drop in demand/ supply, pointed that the consequences of imbalanced
agricultural production system are inadequate foods supply, increasing hunger
and malnutrition.
Prof.
Olufemi hinted that 115 million Nigerians live below poverty level of $2:00 per
day, thereby making the figure increase from 87 million people as a result of
covid-19, adding that the World Food Programm (WFP) has predicted that COVID 19
would cause pervasive poverty, poor healthcare infrastructure, lack of robust
social safety nets, acute hunger, breaking food supply chains, lowering food
prices and importantly recession in the economy.
He gave the
following as ways to improve live stock productivity
1. * Ensure that support measures
intended to provide temporary relief to farmers and other food system
stakeholders are consistent with wider socio- economic groups and contain clear
exit strategies
2. * Consider wider opportunities to
repurpose agricultural support in ways that provide clear public goods, in
particular in the form of climate change mitigation and improved environmental
outcomes.
3. * Secure and build on positive trade
facilitation steps that have been taken to reduce distortion at the border to
reinforce the role that global markets can play in ensuring secured and stable
food supplies.
4. * Continued effort to build and
maintain mechanisms to ensure transparency and policy dialogue on food systems,
such as Agricultural marketing information system (AMIS), to build confidence
in global market and cooperation.
5. In moving forward, consider how
adopting an integrated approach can help ensure the resilience of the global
food system. With enhanced resilience the food system will be better able to
deliver on the triple challenge: providing safe, affordable food for a growing
world population and livelihoods for the many people involved in food around
the world (including the majority of the world’s poor who live in rural areas),
while ensuring environmental sustainability in the face of complex environment
challenges and climate emergency.
6. Concluding, epidemics and pandemics
constitute major problems in livestock production. The emergence and re-
emergence of these pathogens have constituted hindrances to livestock industry
with attendant loss. In most countries including the developed countries, there
has not been any preparation in anticipation of pandemicity. However, mass
slaughter of livestock in an attempt to control disease spread has usually been
useful even expensive. Vaccination, improved livestock breeds and resilience in
productivity and adoption in integrated can help in overcoming the huge loss in
livestock production.
No comments:
Post a Comment