Searching for Agric Intervention fund

The Agricultural Intervention Fund (ATF), an executive bill presented by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the National Assembly for signing into law is yet to come to pass since the departure of His Excellency in 2005 and there seems no one talking about it.

 

 The motivation behind this sector having an intervention fund like education is premised on the time bound nature of agriculture to food security which requires that delay may be very dangerous coupled climate change impacts that is becoming more very obvious on productions of both animals and crops as these produce are being lost to un repairable vagaries day by day.

Many stakeholders in the past had frantically condemned the poor funding of agricultural sector in the Nigeria saying the paltry fund allocation may not give food security to the nation, among such people is the Prof. P.O Donli of the Action Aid who said in one of his paper presentation sometimes that the present budgetary allocation for the sector may not assist the realization of the commercial food production that will alleviate poverty, and presently the funding challenges of the GES programme may not be too far from her position.

Prof. Donli stated that “although the Nigerian government has increased its attention to agriculture in the recent years by introducing a range of policies to increase productivity, yet her budgetary allocations and actual spending on the sector is woefully inadequate to reduce poverty especially on the key services needed by smallholders’ farmers. Nigeria spends very little on agriculture; the figures for the states are also low varying from 2.0-5.9%. Not only is spending low, it is extremely erratic”  

 The 2015 Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) inputs distribution for the raining and last year dry season planting could not take place as money to execute the project are not available thereby making the most popularized programme of the immediately past administration of agriculture under Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina beginning to face fund challenges which ATF would have given a backup in case it was put in place.

A lot of agricultural challenges was addressed in this executive bill among is the funding of the three marketing commodity companies which had already been registered and become operational until it was being ordered to fold up due to lack of funding and other obvious policy summersault reasoning.

Already the usual funding challenges in the sector is not sparing the present Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) as many of the agro dealers who supplied the 2014 dry season inputs are yet to be paid up till now just as 2015 wet season inputs of Growth Enhancement Support (GES) could not be given to farmers at all the select value chain crops and livestock, and this is a signer to food insecurity next year 2016 except something proactive is done for this year dry season farming.

 All this brought to mind the where about of this executive bill that is meant to address major challenges in agricultural sector, and hoping the resounding of it into the ears of President Mohammud Buhari might worth its being represented to the National Assembly for consideration into law to be signed for effective funding the sector towards economic diversification from oil occasioned.

The last administration of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not mention anything in the direction of funding back up for the sector in case of any emergency need. It could be recalled that President Olusegun Obasanjo could not signed the bill due to some clauses that were removed from it by the then National Assembly which led to being re represented before the whole thing just went under the carpet.. 

The present level of food security delivery need to be step up with funding intervention that cannot lead to abrupt stop of any agricultural project or delay that may affect  targets which are always the case in Nigeria agricultural sector with evidence of what the present GES is facing financially.

In the spirit of giving more attention to Agriculture as one of the promises of President Mohammed Buhari, his administration needs to put in place a proactive special intervention funding bill for this sector for the purpose of being able to deliver timely when the need arises. 

There might be need to call for the copy of the presented executive bill from the National assembly or the Ministry of Agriculture where the bill must have emanated. This is very important because there were lot of stakeholders’ consultation meetings during the era of President Olusegun Obasanjo than any other regime after him, and this must have informed the putting in place an intervention bill for the purpose of responding to immediate challenges. 

We must not chile away from the reality of putting our agricultural sector in the right footing based on the world economic trend demanding standard products for market competiveness as the Europe sanction of Nigeria agricultural produce will continue to make a threat if we fall to do the right thing that we have capability of doing through political will power of both the Federal and States through more funding into green revolution.  

The impact of intervention fund created for educational sector cannot be under estimated, and such could be effectively derived in agriculture as part of effort to diversify our economy from oil based to other alternatives of the real production of crops, animals, fishes that are in high demand in the world market cum job creation. 

 
Also the low budget allocation for agriculture must be reviewed to meet 10% Maputo declaration which Nigeria is a signatory with attached project model and implementation process that could be explained towards a target and at a glance time frame. The Federal, states and local government authority must be ready to give extra political will to agricultural survival in this country in the face of employment challenges and dwindling of crude oil in the world market

Former NIAS President proffers grazing reserve policy to end crisis between pastoral and farmers

Former and pioneer president of Nigeria Institute of Animal Science, Professor Placid Njoku has called for the implementation of Grazing Reserves and Livestock Routes Policy which was first legislated in 1965 and subsequently legislated into law in Kaduna State as a panacea to end incursion of nomadic herdsmen into crop farms, and consequent resulting to destruction.  

 

Professor Njoku noted with regret that most northern states where the problems of farmers – herdsmen clashes are predominant were where the grazing reserve routes are not properly managed for use. 

He therefore advocated for a revival of grazing reserves to discourage seasonal migration of herdsmen to areas of sustaining pastures with potential malady of pastoral/crop farmer conflicts and threat to peace of the nation.

Speaking when the Nigerian Institution of Animal Science in collaboration with University of Agriculture Makurdi organized a one-day conference to brainstorm on the way out of the endless farmers- pastoral feud at the Aper Aku Auditorium, North Core of UAM, the pioneer NIAS President described the event as significant to proffering solutions to this constant crisis which has always been threatening the peaceful co-existence of Nigeria as nation. 

This is contained in a Statement issued to Food-Farm News by Mrs. Rosemary Waku, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the University as the university emeritus stated that the problem of desert encroachment must be addressed to guarantee the sustainability of reserve routes adding that Government could overcome pastoralist-crop farmer conflicts with establishment of Green belt across North West and North East States to reduce desert encroachment and increase water retention.

Similarly, the former President of NIAS listed the setting up of Grazing Reserve Commission by each State of North-West and North-East Zones of Nigerian with mandate to set up grazing reserve and fodder banks like Standard abattoirs for slaughters; Processing and cold chain distribution of the meat across Nigeria; Mini to large ranches in North Central States and non-coastal South-East, South-West and South-South States of the country among others. 

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Makurdi Professor E. I. Kucha had in his presentation lamented over the dreadful loss of lives and property amounting to billions of naira over the years due to incessant farmers- herdsmen clashes, attributing the ugly trend to competition for limited resources of land, water and vegetation.

Professor Kucha praised the uncommon desire and rare determination of NIAS to find a lasting solution to the problem of farmer pastoralist clash which has assumed a major national security challenge and a threat to food security in the country.

He posited that the problem requires a scientific innovation and modern techniques of animal husbandry, agronomy and agro-forestry to solve.

Executive governor of Benue state Dr. Samuel Ortom who declared the conference open sued for education of the nomads to understand and appreciate the value of destruction of crops by their animals. 

The Governor who was favorably disposed to views that Universities are better positioned to guide Government on proper governance through research information, urged the organizers of the conference to take further steps by interfacing with Government to ensure speedy implementation of research findings and recommendation by the various presentations. 

The Governor was represented by the Deputy Governor Engineer Benson Abounu.

National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS): - Six Decades of Farmer Education, Farm Broadcast and Agric Technology Dissemination (Continuation Part 2)

 

Administrative Structure and Operation

 

NAERLS is headed by an Executive Director who controls the institute administration with a deputy director, two assistant directors, an institute secretary, heads of programmes, departments and units. NAERLS has more than one thousand employees distributed into Academic, Non-Academic and Technical categories.

Basically, NAERLS carries out research in technology development, transfer, adoption processes and extension methodology, tools methods and strategies. It collaborates with other research institutes in Nigeria and outside the country to conduct subject matter research. The institute also coordinates the production of television, radio, and documentaries on agricultural activities. 

It coordinates national/zonal agricultural capacity building targeting farmers, policy makers, investors, students, extension personnel and corporate bodies. NAERLS has consistently been known for its field problem identification and reporting especially by international organizations, government agencies, private investors who are ready consumers of its extension materials (journals, bulletins, guides, television and radio programmes.

In order to cover Nigeria better, NAERLS strategically operates six (6) zonal offices. The North East Office is in Maiduguri; the North West in Kano; the North Central in Bedeggi, Niger State; the South Westin Moor Plantation Ibadan, the South East in Umudike, Enugu State and the South-South (which came up in 2013) is operating from PortHarcourt.

For internal operation, the institute functions under six thematic programmes (four research and two extension training and outreach). They are: Agricultural Performance and Evaluation; Agricultural Extension Researches; Agricultural Economics, Policy and Resource Management, Agricultural Communication Research; Agricultural Extension Training and Outreach and Library Documentation and Information Resource programmes. Above these programmes are professional departments which include: Agric Media; Agricultural Extension and Economic Planning; Agricultural Engineering and Irrigation; Crop and Forestry; Food Technology and Rural Home Economics and Livestock Fisheries. Overall, the programmes and departments work in collaboration with specialized units such as: Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Adopted Village and Outreach Centres; Printing Press; Skill Acquisition and Development Center’ Farm Broadcast Studios (Radio & TV); Web and Multimedia and Information Communication Technology. The operational relationship goes further to engage some service support units, these are: the Public Relations Protocol and Advancement; the Transport and Transportation; the Residence Procurement/De Process; the Work andMaintenance; the Resident Internal Audit; the Staff Canteen; the Security and the Store Unit.

To date, NAERLS has had ten directors. 

The tenth director (current) Ismaila Ilu is an Agricultural Economist who has served the institute in numerous capacities. Ilu was the Assistant Director, Extension, Training and Outreach with the immediate past administration. 

The institute has contributed immensely to the development, promotion and adoption of best practices like the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM), Community- Based Agric Extension Approach, (Warehouse Receipt System, many labour saving devices (irrigation/ Grand nut oil processing machines), production and distribution of more than 3 million copies of agricultural publications and  more than fifty completed research reports.

The Vision

To be the foremost institute for agricultural extension research and capacity development for effective service delivery increased agricultural productivity, sustainable agricultural growth and wealth creation.

Mission

Develop, collate, evaluate, disseminate agricultural technologies and conduct research in agricultural extension methodologies and policy; and provide leadership in capacity building of stakeholders to meet the present and future agricultural and development challenges of the country.

How missionary farmers have been contributing to food security as association

FCT Coordinator/ President Founder of Missionary Farmers’

The Christians faith is repositioning members towards using agriculture for more earnings and ensuring food security according to the FCT Coordinator/ President Founder of Missionary Farmers’ Cooperative Society (MFCS) Pastor Akin Davids Tinuala who took us round their farms.

Pastor Tinuala said in an effort to boost the standard of living of the faithful especially the missionary workers in the villages where there are enough land to farm as necessitated the establishment of the association saying they have been getting government support in terms of loans and inputs as a group to augment living standard farmers.

According to him “ what are missionary are taking as salary is very small and most of them have land that they are already farming, and this gives us a concern of organizing them into an economic group so that they will be able to attract government support in terms of inputs and financial loan. By the grace of God we have been able to secure for each of our members a soft loan of N150, 000.00 from BOA for about 34 of them to cultivate improved quality vitamin A cassava from IITA through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. As we have individual farm land of members, we also have corporate cassava farm of about 10,000 hectares in Gaba village around Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Also we are expanding our membership support to other interested individual farmers within and all states of the Federation. Our other members are into Ugu, okro and waterleaf vegetable”

Speaking on the re payment of about N5.1 million BOA loan, the President of the Missionary farmers’ cooperative said that as a registered Christian cooperative with integrity “ our members are already paying back  since they have six month moratorium and one year to pay back at a single digit loan of 5% despite that the we are yet to harvest”

 On FMARD cottage industry Pastor Tinuala said that “we are part of the cottage programme of FMARD as we attended the meeting organized in Moor plantation at Ibadan and we have applied for the cassava processing cottage and we have paid the counterpart fund of N500, 000.00 to get a grant of N10millions while beneficiary will only paid back N4.5 million. Allocation has been given to us and already waiting for Bank of Industry to come with their builders to start work on the processing factory” 

Pastor Tinuala enjoined all other big churches to encourage their members into farming saying this alleviate poverty in the country adding the area of white collar job is gone, a position that was buttressed a member of the association by Mrs Rebecca Irobo who proudly said farming has helped a lot as there is always food to eat through the year without buying anything.

Mrs. Rebecca Irobo in her chat with Food Farm News said she diverted to farming based on high cost of shop rent saying “when I came to Abuja in 1999, I have nothing to do as I was into fashion but I cannot afford the high cost of shop rent , so I diverted to farming . Today in my family, we do not lack anything from January to December apart from meat, I have yam, beans, garri, beans , ugu vegetable and fish. I have goat but I have stopped poultry because of space”