Farmers demand Bt Cotton to attract dollars

There are strong indications that Nigeria may lose out in the race for foreign exchange earnings accruable from exportation of the agricultural biotechnology cotton simply known as Bt cotton, which some African countries are already reaping from.

This is as a result of complaints by cotton farmers, especially in Northern Nigeria, that they have been recording low yield and are currently farming without gain. This development, the farmers said, is already forcing many of them to shift to the cultivation of other crops and may finally abandon cotton farming. 

One of the farmers, Malam Kabiru Shehu, said he got little from the cotton he planted last year and has decided to shift to maize and guinea corn in order to generate more income.

“We have been farming cotton because we inherited it. I can no longer continue farming cotton at a loss. I will now cultivate maize, guinea corn and other crops to get enough money to take care of my family and pay other bills,” Shehu disclosed. 

He added that the country’s cotton output will continue to drop drastically if high yielding, pest and disease resistant variety such as the Bt cotton is not quickly adopted by Nigeria and made available to cotton farmers.

Reports indicate that the Bt cotton, which is genetically modified by agricultural biotechnologists to confer on it some advantages such as bollworm resistance and high yield, is being embraced by Burkina Faso, Senegal, Kenya and Mali, among other African countries for some years now, but Nigeria is yet to see the need to join the race.

This year makes the eightieth that Burkina Faso’s farmers will be cultivating Bt Cotton and they have benefited significantly from it. This is not the case with Nigerian cotton farmers as their contribution to the country’s GDP dropped significantly from 25 per cent in 1980 to only five per cent in recent times.

Available data on benefits from Bt cotton in Burkina Faso include an average yield increase of almost 20%, plus labour and insecticide savings (2 rather than 6 sprays), which resulted in a net gain of about US$95.35 per hectare compared with conventional cotton.

It is estimated that Bt cotton has the potential to generate an economic benefit of up to US$70 million per year for Burkina Faso.  Other African countries that have adopted the Bt cotton are also earning millions of dollars from the crop.

Analysts maintain that Bt cotton can provide solution to the challenges faced by Nigerian cotton farmers, but government apathy for agricultural biotechnology promotion has led to non-existence of bio-safety laws in the country, and this has remained a serious impediment over the years. 

“If not until proper laws and regulations are put in place, Nigeria will continue to be flooded with GM foods, even as the country is losing a lot of foreign exchange by not adopting Bt cotton and other GM crops,” Mr. Kehinde Johnson, a Business Development Manager with Monsato International maintained.

An agricultural biotechnology expert, who is the Country Coordinator of Open Forum On Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Nigeria, Mrs. Rose M. Gidado, pointed out that the major obstacle to the release and commercialization of agricultural biotechnology crops including the Bt cotton in the country is  bio-safety law.

“Our farmers need to use GM crops including the Bt cotton if not, they will continue to record low yield due to pests, disease and other factors,” she said.

Another expert who is a plant breeder with the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR),  Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Malam Muhammad Lawan Umar, said cotton farmers and the country at large stand to benefit a lot from the export of cotton if Bt cotton can be adopted.

He said the Bt cotton is safe and capable of improving yield, income and livelihood of cotton farmers and urged the government to work out modalities to introduce the crop so as to assist the farmers and the nation as well.

Reports indicate that the bio-safety bill, which has been lying at the National Assembly for several years, has been passed by the law makers and signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan at the dying minutes of his administration. 

Now that the major obstacle to the application of agricultural biotechnology in Nigeria has been removed, the next hurdle is the time it will take the country to adopt Bt cotton and other GM crops so as to boost production and export.

Inputs: Oyo farmers pray for Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide

 The farmers in Oyo state have specially prayed for the Minister of State, FCT, Oloye, Olajumoke Akinjide for her untiring support through agricultural inputs’ supply despite the outcome of the election in the state whereby her party did not get the expected result.

Speaking at the event organized for the handing over of the agricultural inputs bought by the Olajumoke foundation for farmers, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) chairman, Oyo state chapter, Engr. Olumide Ayinla said they were so grateful for her magnanimous character of always willing to help the grassroot producers adding “ she is one human being with large heart despite the recent election in the state which does not turn out as expected, one would have thought she would have been tired but rather it was another surprise of input support she is giving to farmers, this is a true reflection of the love for farmers”. Despite all odds based on the last political incidence, she can still remember farmers in term of empowerment. She really deserve prayers”

Oloye Olojumoke Akinjide’s passion for the eradication of poverty among the poor is being executed according to her Special Assistant, Agric, Dr. Oyeleke through the minister’ foundation, and it has helped so many farmers’ groups in the state with fertilizers, improved seeds, chemicals and tractors for mechanized farming towards ensuring growth from subsistence to commercial agriculture adding that training on improved technologies is part of the services rendered for farmers in the state.

Speaking on the occasion, one of the foundation officials, Madam Nancy Nathan said the purpose of the meeting was to carry out the usual train the trainers’ exercise that is always conducted at the beginning of every planting season so as to ensure maximum yield during harvest saying “this is always the wish of the minister for the farmers”.

In the same vein, Dr. Shuiab in his demonstration of using improved inputs of farming for better yield enjoined the farmers to embrace these new technologies pointed that the adoption of them would make their produce more competitive in the market in terms of price adding any maize affected by aflatoxin is not always marketable.

Dr. Shuiab emphasized on the techniques of inter cropping for maximum yield on a piece of land therebyenjoined the farmers to cultivate the habit of going to the right source for their improved seeds, chemicals and fertilizer so as to avoid buying fake or adulterated ones.

On the occasion the women groups of the farmers in the state got the Federal government tractor allocation on behalf of all farmers and the minister had already paid N7.5 million as pay down for her own support.

Fish Import: Nigeria spends N125 billion annually

 

With a national fish demand of about 2.1 million metric tonnes per annum and a domestic production estimated at about 800,000 metric tonnes, Nigeria has a shortfall of about 1.3 million metric tonnes. This situation has left Nigeria with the option of importing an estimated 1.9 million metric tonnes of fish valued at over N125 billion per annum.

Policies put in place over the years by successive administrations to boost local production through artisanal and industrial capture fisheries and aquaculture production have fallen short of tackling this ugly trend that has continued to fritter away Nigeria’s foreign exchange.

Fisheries sub-sector analysts maintain that fish farmers and fisher folks have not been adequately motivated and assisted by the government to go all out to the field and put in their best to pull the country out of dependency on Asian countries and others that flood Nigerian market with all sorts of frozen fishes.

Some of the imported fishes are said to be poisonous and pose a serious threat to health of Nigerian consumers who are not even aware of the status of the fishes they are consuming.

A former President of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Dr Abba Y. Abdullah, told our reporter that some of the imported fishes have been found to contain some poisonous substances and as such importation of fish should be discouraged so as to encourage local production stressed that bridging the fish demand and supply gap in Nigeria requires a lot of commitment from the government and other stakeholders.

“Mere calling people to come and invest in the fisheries sub-sector will not work. Proper fisheries policies, adequate laws and regulations among others must be put in place by the government to attract investors into the sub-sector. Investors want to be sure that their businesses are protected,” Dr Abdullah stressed. 

 But the Agriculture Minister, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, maintains that even in the face of the wide demand and supply gap, the government has put in place the right policies and created enabling environment targeted at shoring up local production. “We don’t have to import what we can produce on our land,” the minister said.

Reports indicate that a new policy thrust fashioned out by the government has mandated companies importing fish into the country to demonstrate their commitment towards local production by investing in the Nigerian fisheries value chain.

In line with the policy, Triton Group, a foreign conglomerate operating in 10 countries, has unveiled its plan to invest about $64million in Nigerian aquaculture in the next five to seven years.

Disclosing this recently in Abuja at a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Triton Group, Ashrin Samtani, said the investment will initially take off with $4.1million in Lagos and Oyo States saying that “ the money will be invested in tilapia production in cages, catfish production in ponds, fingerlings production in state of the art hatcheries and feed milling among others”

He urged the government to put in place the right kind of environment and support for the company and other investors coming on board to achieve their targets.  “Triton’s contribution to Nigerian economy through the initiative will be local production of 70,000 metric tonnes of fish annually, generation of 3,000 jobs and foreign exchange conservation of $85million per year.”

Cottage industry: Fed Gov gives 45% grant, advises owners to ensure loan repayment

The Federal Government in her spirited effort to power the micro economics of the country through non oil sector of processing and packaging agricultural produce for both local and export market has initiated a platform whereby the private sector will have a paradigm shift of doing agriculture as business with the use of small cottage processing factories of N10m payable loan within 5yrs at single digit of 8% and grant of 45%.

In a first of its kind stakeholders meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) at NACBRAB, Ibadan where various speakers extensively educate cottages owners under the project partners initiated by the organizer that the proper maintenance of the factory with mindset of doing thing rightly to meeting global standard was hammered as it will enhance the economic growth of the nation and create job at the grass roots. 

In his address on the occasion, the Permanent Secretary FMARD, Architect Sunny T. Echono said the cottage crops processing factory programme’s objective is to advance local standard products for global market and to overcome rejection by the other countries saying that “This forum aims at activating the collective efforts in standardization of processed agricultural crops that will break the barriers of trade for the nation to prosper. It should be noted that if quality infrastructure improves across the states there will be better products and winning of more buyers from within and beyond, this will help to generate employment for the teaming unemployed youths” 

 

Architect Echono urged the cottage crops processing factory owners to become visible as a business group that will be well supported with government policy towards ensuring economic boost through meeting global market demand adding that “ it should be noted that cottage crops processing factory as a subset of SME is a vital national economic growth engine contributing to vital economic indicators such as employment generation and gross domestic product with 70 percent of the rural people being active in the formal and informal cottage  crops processing”

He pointed that loan challenges from the commercial banks will be reduced through this means saying “the field survey has shown that growth possibilities are hampered as significantly low numbers of startup who apply directly to the commercial for medium/longer term financing could not benefit due to stringent measures being put in place, and majority of this bottlenecks are being addressed by the cottage crops processing factory programme”

Shedding light on the design of the programme, the Head of the project in the ministry, Engineer Owolabi said the component involved FMARD, Bank of Industry who is the loan provider, developers and the investors who are farmers, groups, individuals and Non Governmental Organizations that have shown interest by paying 10% of the total loan of ten million naira as government is giving 45% as part of friendly policy.

Engineer Owolabi pointed the loan is given at a single digit that will be paid back in five years as attention is being given to rice, palm oil and cassava cottage processing factories where economic activities will be done in a standard way to attract global market as all post harvest will be processed through using of modern machines as government provides infrastructures for the purpose thereby taking agriculture back to its place of bride saying default will be zero tolerant. 

 

He added that a cassava cottage processing factory in this project will include (1) Motorized stainless steel cassava graters (2 in numbers), (2) Cassava Dewatering press with 30 ton hydraulic press to specification. (3) (2nos) stainless steel fryer 250kg/ day 1200mmx 24000x2.5mm with stand. (4)Mechanical shifters with removable wire mesh screens (1 in Nos), (5) Sealing Machine (1nos), (6) Platform weighing scale (1000Kg), (7) Generating set 10KVA Diesel (1nos).

For rice a cottage there will be the following- Paddy milling machine 300kg/hr (1 nos), Paddy rice parboiler (2nos), Pre-cleaner (1 nos), Bag stitching machine (1 nos), Weighing Scale (1 nos), Thermometer ( 1 nos), Probe Moisture meter (1 nos), Milled rice destoner (1 nos), General (1 nos)

Finally for palm oil, there will be a stripper (1 ton/day) with Shp Diesel engine (1 nos), Cooker (1 no), Palm oil vertical Digester with 8HP diesel engine (2 ton/day), Clarifier with steamer (1/2ton/batch (1 no), Dryer/shell fired (1/2ton/batch) (1no), Oil Presser with 30tons hydraulic (1 ton/day).

Speaking on the condition for parting in the process, Engr stated that letter of expression of interest must be presented which will be followed with an acknowledgement and allocation of factory by the FMARD through an agreement signing document adding that other signing document will be completed in the Bank of Industry through confirmation from FMARD.

“ eligibility to particapte in the cottage crops processing packaged factories involves payment of commitment fee of N500,000.00 bank draft, provision of accessible land with tilled whether state/local government or chiefs, description Map/sketch of the site location and production data of the specific crop (s) in the locality” said Engr Owolabi.

He further emphasized that government’ s role is to ensure the success of the programme through policy as the private sector are the ones to drive the industry to a point of finishing their loan repayment to become a full owners and also allow to enjoy the benefit.

1.       RT-LT- Dr. Isa Kolo, NCRI Badeggi, Isaac Eni, PPP&MA Coordinator, SG2 2000 & Food Farm news publisher, Mr. Ayeni Oladehinde at IAR 2015 cropping scheme.

One of the beneficiaries in the oil palm cottage factory, the Chief Executive Officer of Jimak Nigeria Limited, Mr. Akintoye Akeem who spoke with us said the programme was well designed and good stressed the need for more policy like this that will proactively stimulate the nation economy of the non oil sector adding his company will not fail the government in achievement the aim and objectives of the project.

In his paper presentation, Mr. Williams Ezeagu of the Export Promotion Council encourages the cottage owners to ensure standard products saying on this basis more incentive from his organization are bind to be given towards encouraging them to embark on export adding the potential in the non oil sector of agriculture has not been tapped to maximum level as compared to Thailand, India, China and the rest where they made billions of dollar.

Mr. Ezeagu pointed that the organically grown agricultural product is the most acceptable in the world market adding Nigeria with all these potentials has not benefitted enough in the dollar exchange especially in some of the produce which are the best in the world due to processing and packaging gaps this forum is meant to address.

The Bank of Industry official, Mike Oye advised the stakeholders on the need for farmers to embrace capacity building in their businesses pointing that many commercial banks may not feel comfortable giving loan to someone with less capacity of skill. It is believed this project is menat to address all these challenges towards doing agriculture as a business.