Editorial: From Agriculture to Agricbuss

  

The practice of farming being seen as culture instead of business is what we are looking at in this edition.

Agriculture being practised as culture has denied Nigeria much gain the sub sector would have brought to the table in economic wise.

All the efforts of Government to migrate "Agriculture" to Agricbuss has not been that easy because of facilities that would have supported and ensured such are not just available. Anyway our focus here is not to discuss lack of electricity or any of the infrastructure that would enhance processing and reservations but rather to expantiated on making people seeing agriculture as a business.

How do we encourage farmers, processors and markers to invest in the sector for their own interest. How can farmers use their money to research into a privately bred improved seed variety for their own benefit. How can farmers come together to contribute for the procurement of a tractor for massive land clearing? How can processors put their resources together to generate energy for processing and value additional. All these are what must be imbibed for us to be able to rip the dividend of Agricbuss. And government must be very feasible in all these by ensuring effective policies and implementation process that allow the sub sector do well. Movement of produce must not be hindered by many road blocks and multiple taxes for getting to final destination. All these count again effective process and all efforts must be geared towards Agricbuss and not agriculture anymore.

Our farmers' disposition to accepting new technologies have not been that rapid as government subsidies have even worsened the whole thing instead of helping the sector into growing as Agricbuss.

 Although government has be trying to change this perception of Agriculture to Agricbuss with little acceptability because bulk of our farmers are small holders farmers who are farming a less than one or two hectares of land, and they are the actual people feeding the nation. Agricbuss is only the concept that can input cost effective into the business as the case maybe. How can we increase volume of the commercial integrated farms in the country where structural employment can be generated with friendly policies for foreign investors in big time farming.

Wheat, 1.3 million Metric Tons projection is achievable says..LCRI ED

The Executive Director (ED) Lake Chad Research Institute ( LCRI) Prof. Baba Gana Kabir has argued contrary to some views that opposed the Federal Government's ( FG) projection of 1,250.000 million metric tons of wheat production per year towards food security.

Prof. Baba Gana Kabir said this in an exclusive interview with Foodfarmnews yesterday through a telephone conversation.

The LCRI ED pointed that the projection of the FG as stated by the Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS), Sen. Abubakar Kyari may not be arguable if agricultural best practices by timely planting with appropriate fertilizers and adequate waters are applied.

Prof. Kabir pointed out that Borlaug 100 wheat variety can potentially give 8.2 metric tons per hectare with farmers' best agronomics practices through timely planting as default after December may lead to the death of the planted seeds.

According to him " The 8.2 metric tons of wheat from one hectare of land from Borlaug 100 wheat variety is achievable if our farmers can adhere to best agronomics practices of timely planting coupled with adequate fertilization and crop protection practices"

The FG has projected to harvest yield of 1.250.000 metric tons of wheat yearly at the rate of 8.2 metric tons per hectare through 150,000 or 250,000 wheat farmers across the producing states with 50% subsidy on inputs.

The producing states are Bornu, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Plateau states.

The FMAFS minister, Sen. Abubakar Kyari in a press release said that the year 2023 dry season farming is expected to produce a high yield of approximately 1.3 million metric tons with about 150,000 or 250,000 farmers that would be well supported.

Responding to late rain being experienced in November around Federal Capital Territory and Niger state, and its likely effect on wheat productions, Prof. Kabir said there is no reason for panic because the core wheat producing areas are not affected, adding that rain can only have a heat effect around February and March after planting.

Recall at the wheat farming flag off in Kadune, Hadejia local Government area, Jigawa state this year that Sen. Abubakar Kyari has said the government is determined to support 150,000-250,000 farmers with 50% inputs, and expected yield of 1,250.000 Mt tons from the cultivation of 200.000 - 250.000 hectares of land.

He added that the program would be technology driven with transparency and accountability in the provision of the subsidy and other support services like extension, insurance and additional finance.

IITA describes outgoing Agric PS as a solution provider, bids him well...

The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, (IITA ) has described the outgoing Permanent Secretary (PS) Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) Dr. Ernest Umakhihe as very proactive to finding solutions to critical agricultural challenges just as he was bade farewell in his future endeavors. 

This was said in a press release made available to the media by the Assistant Director, Information, FMAFS, Mr. Ezeaja Ikemefuna on Dec 15, 2023 after a dinner organized by the management of IITA to honour the outgoing PS.

Part of the press release read thus " The farewell dinner organized by the Institute was to honour the Permanent Secretary for his immense contributions to IITA. 

Speaking during the farewell dinner, the Institute Director, Dr. Simeon Ehui, stated that no Nigerian Government representative on the board of the Institute made the contributions. Dr. Umakhihe made during his tenure. He pointed out that Dr. Umakhihe‘s tenure as the board saw quick resolutions of challenges like financial matters in terms of Nigerian government statutory contributions to IITA, one CGIAR agenda, CGIAR Integration Framework Agreement, IITA Revised Bylaws and the Unified Governance Review issues, where IITA had to take pertinent decisions in arriving to an amicable resolutions for the benefit of the Institute.

" Responding, Dr. Umakhihe, expressed gratitude to the Management and staff of the Institute for honour done on him.

He reiterated his commitment towards improving the livelihood of the good people of Nigeria wherever he found the opportunity to offer his service"

It would be recalled that Dr. Ernest Umakhihe assumed the position of IITA Host Government Representative and member, Board of Trustees by virtue of his appointment as the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on the 29th December , 2020"

FACAN implores FG to establish digital task force for Agric monitoring

The Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) has urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) to embrace using digital technology to ensure food system monitoring towards achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of food security in Nigeria.

The FACAN Secretary General, Dr. Nuhu Dogondaji said that the Nigerian agricultural system has been  long over due for digitalization towards efficient sustainable food security, adding that his organization is well disposed to improved technologies for enhanced productivity capacity of farmers.

The Project Director, ACVEP limited, Dr. Aloefuna Ekenechukwu, emphasized using digital potential to enhance food production, facilitate inputs distribution, and encourage value addition adding it would result into food system accurate delivery with easy access to getting financial funds.

Ekenechukwu stressed that adoptation of  digital technology to monitor agricultural system would enhance Nigeria being able to achieve 2030 SDGs for food security.

He said his firm is ready to partner with FACAN in view of their farmers' data base that would be useful to ensure efficient information and inputs distribution for produce' high productivity.

Ekenechukwu said that "  more farmers will be reached in the area of input distributions, value addition that will open up opportunities to financial institutions based on the trends of activities made by the farmers through data analysis shown on the technology application that is built to revolutionize the agricultural value chain to boost the economy” 

Responding, the FMAFS Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ernest A. Umakhihe acknowledged the potential of using modern technologies to drive agricultural system towards an improved economy saying that Agriculture being an important sector of the economy needs digitalization.

The PS representative, Mr. Ibrahim Tanimu, the Director of Planning, Policy, and Research, emphasized the sector's potential to contributing significantly to the country's economic growth through the adoption of advanced technologies.

Tanimu said that the agricultural sector is one of the biggest sectors capable of increasing the economic growth of the country and that can only happen through the use of technologies that can be easily used to measure and give accurate information to farmers.