Farmers Decry High Transportation Cost As Threat To Livelihood

As Nigeria faces soaring transportation costs due to the fuel crisis, stakeholders especially farmers in the agricultural sector have lamented over the impending threat of poor sales as the crisis intensifies.

This was disclosed by the Chairman, Yam Traders Union, Bwari Central Market, Abuja, Mrs. Amina Haruna, who commented on the adverse effect of the on-going situation on their fortunes.

Haruna particularly cited yam as one of the produce that has witnessed substantial drop in sales due to increased cost of transportation from the farms to the market which had affected the price, as traders had to hike up their prices in order to avoid losses and make some profit.

“Yam is our main food; we cannot continue to meet the growing demand at present within the area due to increased cost of transportation. It takes time to transport yams from the farm to the market and by the time we arrive they would have gone bad, thereby reducing the value in the market” she said.

Although yam is a major agricultural farm produce mostly cultivated by farmers in the area, the difficulty in conveying them to the markets has become a challenge which threatens the livelihood of the farmers as they record loss to spoilage if not transported for preservation or sales from the farms.

“This business is our only means of sustaining livelihood, especially at the home front for the 150 members that make up the Yam Traders Union in this market.” She stated.

Haruna urged the local council authority to assist them through the provision of adequate  vehicles to transport their yams from the farm to promote the growth of the business.

Borno: World Bank Supports Farmers To Drive Food Security and Sustainable Income

The World Bank Insurgency Relief Fund has provided N787million for four farming communities to invest in agricultural activities for sustainable income and food security in Borno State.

Presenting cheques for the amount in Maiduguri, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hajiya Inna Galadima, urged the benefitting communities to make use of the funds for the intended purpose as a guarantee to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

“By so doing, more credibility and assistance from donor agencies would be earned to promote agriculture in the state,” Galadima said.

According to her, the state government was ready for regular payment of counterpart funds for all partnership programmes, adding that the government would look into the issue of over withdrawal of funds meant for Borno state by other benefiting states through the National Fadama Coordination Office last year.

The State Coordinator of the Fadama III project, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Tijjani, said the Fadama III project was a tripartite project of the World Bank, Federal and State governments to stimulate agricultural growth of poor peasant farmers, disclosing that the state government had received $200,000.00 cash for disbursement under the World Bank Insurgency Relief Fund.

The beneficiaries include Shokwari, Masha-mari, Dusuman and Kirbiri Fadama community associations in Maiduguri metropolis and Jere LGA of Borno state.

FISH HATCHERY: AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF AQUACULTURE

The Nigerian aquaculture sector is growing at a very exponential rate and diversifying in a parallel manner. This welcomed trend still at its primordial stage is faced by numerous bottlenecks which if left unattended, will definitely shorten the lifespan of the success achieved in this economically viable aspect of the agricultural sector.

Of all the hurdles faced by individuals active in this sector, unavailability of viable fingerlings and juveniles has been the major setback. A greater percentage of aquaculture practitioners in the country largely depend on fingerlings and juveniles from the wild as stocking materials for their pond. In a modern and agriculturally competitive world, this practice cannot be sustained due to the fact that most fishes are seasonal breeders and there is always a scarcity of stocking materials also called fish seed when it is not breeding season.

It is necessary to bear in mind that the demand for aquaculture products is always on the rise both globally and locally. Hence, to maintain a constant supply of stocking materials for a fish farm, farmers resort to hatcheries to provide an all year round supply of stocking material.

HATCHERY
A fish hatchery is a special place where fish breeding; egg fertilization, incubation, hatching and rearing through the early stage of life into fingerling is carried out artificially. It is seminal in modern aquaculture as it allows regular supply of pond stocking materials for farmers and it also allows the improvement of the genetic and phenotypic traits of the cultured aquatic organism as desirable traits can be enhanced and undesirable traits checked or controlled through cross breeding.

In general, a hatchery can be situated on an aquaculture farm (incorporating a hatchery with normal fish production) with the sole purpose of providing fingerlings for the farm or it can be carried out in entirety on a farm (focusing solely on fingerling production).

REQUIREMENTS FOR FISH HATCHERY
Irrespective of the method of production – sole hatchery production or incorporated production, a fish hatchery requirement doesn’t change. Some of the major requirements for a fish hatchery include:

• Water: Abundance of water suitable for fish production all year round. The water should be monitored meticulously for negative changes in its chemistry and measures should be taken to counter such changes. The water should have a neutral pH, be well aerated and free from pollutants.
• Availability of feed: Although young fish generally feed on planktons, in a confined environment the supply of plankton may be limited and lead to the malnourishment of the stock. Hence, a farmer should adopt methods that will promote plankton division, proliferation and growth. Alternatively, he should ensure that there is ample supply of feed necessary for the feeding of his young fishes. The feed should be able to provide all the necessary nutrients required by the young fishes in appropriate quantity. Such feed can be purchased from an aquaculture feed store.
• Breeding fish: Breeding materials (breeding fish) should be available. Because of the sexual dimorphism in fish, it is required that farmers should obtain sexually matured male and female fish with favourable traits to serve his hatchery. Breeding materials should have a good history of rapid growth rate.
• Market: If the farmer is not operating the hatchery to feed his fish farm, there should be a ready market to patronize him of his stock.
• Equipment: There should also be hatchery equipment and supplies available. These include pond or tanks, buckets, chemical, containers, nets, aerators, filters, etc. Each of these equipment play a crucial role in the success of a hatchery. For example, a fish pond or tank is filled with water and is used to house the breeding materials and the eggs are placed in containers during spawning. For better observation of fish, a small tank is preferable. It is advised to keep male and female fish in separate tanks.

BASIC HATCHERY METHODS
Fish reproduction both in the wild and in confinement involves egg release, fertilization, incubation, hatching and growth. This process is what the farmer tries to mimic to the best of his ability in a fish hatchery.

Egg release: Egg release in fish can be natural or induced. In most commercial setups, egg release is usually induced by injecting hormones such as Suprefact and Ovaprim which cause the female fish to release eggs every three months. When a female fish is prepared to reproduce, she is filled with eggs and appears larger than normal because of her swollen abdomen. These eggs are released from the abdomen of the fish into its external environment awaiting fertilization by the sperm of the male fish.

In hatcheries, egg releasing is enhanced by the farmer who gently applies pressure to the abdomen of the fish in a downward manner that causes the release of the eggs through their genital opening. The released egg is collected in a container while they await sperm from the male fish.

Fertilization: Sperm is obtained from the male fish by slaughtering them and extracting their testis. The testis is then sliced into two or more quadrants and each placed in a clean, thin cloth material and squeezed to obtain the sperm in a container. The sperm obtained from the male fish is then introduced into the container holding the eggs and mixed to promote better fertilization chance of the eggs. Sperm from one male fish can be used to fertilize eggs from up to thirteen female fishes.

Incubation and Hatching: after fertilization has been carried out, the eggs in the egg holding container is covered with water and aerators placed in them to enhance aeration. This medium is now placed in a conducive environment usually 30°C for incubation to occur. Hatching usually occurs within two to three days in most fishes.

Growth: immediately after hatching, the young fish experiences rapid growth till they attain a certain size before they are removed from the container. Different fishes possess different growth rate depending on various reasons, hence, farmer needs to observe this phase meticulously to prevent the predation of larger fish on smaller ones.

NOTE: before embarking on fish hatchery operations, seek professional help to prevent total failure of the process as young fish handling and management can be very volatile and can lead to loss of resources if not carried out properly.

Food Poisoning: Farmers Call For Training Programme On Chemical Application

Some farmers in Hadejia, Jigawa, have advocated for introduction of modern preservation techniques to check spate of food poisoning.

A cross section of the farmers made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Hadejia on Thursday.

The farmers also called for a training programme to expose them to proper application of chemicals on agricultural produce.

Alhaji Abdulkadir Daudu, a bean grower, said the measure would encourage the use of safer techniques in food preservation.



Daudu said that poor farmer education and absence of such facilities were responsible for high cases of food poisoning.

“The Jigawa State Agricultural Development Progrmme should introduce modern ways of storing beans and other produce.

“It is desirable to encourage the use of improved polythene sack for storage of beans.

”No chemical is needed to store grain in the sack. It is simple and hygienic,” Daudu said.

A tomato grower, Baffa Hashim, said that effective farmer education would encourage proper application of chemicals on plants, check contamination and wastage.

“Tomato plant often wilts due to pest infestation and poor chemical application,” he said.

NAN reports that farmers in Hadejia had commenced planting of crops and expressed optimism of recording bumper harvest despite delay in rainfall.

Some of the produce include; rice, wheat, maize, groundnut, beans, sorghum, millet, tomato and other perishables.

Politicians, Bane Of Growth Enhancement Scheme?

The reforms in the nation’s agricultural sector began with the implementation of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, a federal government intervention scheme in which farmers access subsidised seeds and fertilisers through their mobile phones. Ruth Tene Natsa writes on the possibility that politicians, among several others, are working to compromise the success of the programme.

A major achievement of the immediate past government has been its renowned success in the nation’s agriculture sector through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).
The ATA, launched in 2012, is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development to support the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.

It further birthed the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme to provide farmers with subsidised seeds and fertilisers using their GSM phones also known as the E-wallet.

According to the former minister of agriculture and rural development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the GES is aimed at tackling the massive corruption practised in the system for over 40 years where less than 11 per cent small holder farmers had access to subsidised seeds and fertilisers procured and distributed by government. While stakeholders have commended the efforts of the government in ensuring that farmers get access to the government subsidised seeds and fertilisers at 50 per cent subsidy – whereby both the federal and state governments pay 25 per cent – it has come to light that staff of the various ministries and politicians are compromising the efforts by interfering in the process.

Also while the scheme has been largely termed a success, it has been severely challenged by late delivery of inputs, poor network in rural areas, omission of names from beneficiary lists and in recent times it is being threatened by politicians, civil servants and business men whose only interests is profit. In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP, a farmer, Mrs Mary Audu, lamented that after registering for the process in Kachia local government area of Kaduna State, she had only been able to access the scheme on two occasions as she never gets the alert anymore.

“When the scheme started, I was getting alert and was even able to access some subsidised seeds and fertilisers in 2012. But after that I did not get again. When I learnt that people were collecting, I went back to the centre were I had registered but was unable to get. Interestingly, they found my name on the list but I didn’t get the text message and could not access the fertilisers.What is annoying is that people I know who are not farmers are able to get their inputs even though they are not registered; they are connected and have people who put their names on the list. They buy at the subsidise rates and sell to us at higher rates while we the farmers can barely get those inputs.”

Also speaking with LEADERSHIP, the chief executive officer, Interproducts Link Limited, and national chairman, Agro Dealers, Alhaji Shuaibu Bello, revealed that over five million farmers had benefitted from the scheme in 2014 alone. Rating the scheme a success and giving it a pass mark, he observed that “while government had done all it could to ensure the success of the scheme, it was still challenged by late delivery and some manipulative politicians who send in dealers without proper screening.

“Even though I give the GES a pass mark, there are lapses, especially where alerts are concerned. Also some people want to take the work backwards because some of the dealers were allowed in without proper screening. Now politicians have started planting their own people who want to come in and do things their own way because they feel they have been put there by these politicians trying to compromise the GES and there is little or nothing we can do about it.”

Australia To Partner Obafemi Awolowo University in Agricultural Development

In line with the need to boost food production in the country, the Australian Government has proposed a partnership with the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State for the implementation of mechanized agriculture on its premises.

Disclosing the intention of his government during a courtesy visit to the University Vice Chancellor – Professor Bamitale Omole. the Australian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Richardson stated the decision was made based on the importance of the university to the overall success of the programme.
According to a statement released by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the University, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju the 1,240 hectares of teaching and farming land of the university under the programme, will be put to judicious use for mass production of food.

In commendation of the university management, Richardson acknowledged the inclusion of compulsory farm activities for the year four (4) students of the Faculty of Agriculture in the curriculum, thus exposing them to the beauty and gains of farming, as well honing their entrepreneurial skills.

Rice: Stallion Group Targets Over N30 billion in Production Investments

The Stallion Group, a major investor in the Nigerian rice industry in line with its commitment to align with the country’s food security agenda, has intensified efforts in expanding its operations in the country’s fully integrated rice value chain.

The Group according to a press statement, was leveraging on the policy impetus provided by the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, with a target investment exceeding N30 billion in the rice supply chain.

Speaking on their expanded investment efforts, Chairman of Stallion Group, Sunil Vaswani said “sensing the need for local self-sufficiency and alignment with Nigerian government’s ambitions for food security, Stallion is working to improve farm yields and bring in sustainable and scalable growth to farmers.”

The Chairman disclosed an increase in local production of upto 430,000 MT per annum, with a target for local rice production at 1.5 million tonnes through the establishment of more milling capacities and structured farming activities.

Furthermore, the Group has established fully integrated rice mills at strategic locations, to promote milling and paddy cultivation in selected areas.

Stakeholders Task Presidency On Increased Mechanization Funding

In a bid to drive increased development of the sector and well being of the local players, the National President of the Agriculture and Allied Employees’ Union of Nigeria (AAEUN), Comrade Simon Anchaver, has called on the Buhari administration to focus more on mechanized farming by improving on the funding of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM).

He stated this in Ilorin during the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Trade Group forum and courtesy visit to the centre headed by Engr. Ikechukwu Azogu, the Executive Director.

Anchaver commented on the need to increase the funding of Nigeria’s foremost mechanization institution, considering the agricultural sector’s strategic role in the 21st century agro-driven economy. 

“The leadership at NCAM needs more encouragement and proper funding by the federal government to enable it record more successes and be able to help in repositioning the country’s status on the food production index table among the committee of Nations.

“Oil prices instability and economic meltdown being experienced intermittently by even First World Nations is forcing global leaders to prioritize agriculture and our own President Muhammadu Buhari cannot afford to miss out on this juicy opportunity to revive agriculture so that it can be the new driver of our growing economy,” he said.

Furthermore, he urged for the revival of all the 37 Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) and also join hands with the state governors to adequately provide the requirements of the ADPs.

Describing ADPs as the engine room for the attainment of food security in Nigeria, the National Chairman of ADP Trade Group Forum, Comrade Jibril Abdul Nggada, stated however that the ADPs were confronted with a lot of challenges which hinder their effectiveness. The problems, he said, include poor counterpart funding and shortage of field staff.

Food Production: Indian Ambassador Urges Nigeria To Adopt Integrated Farming, Drip Irrigation

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Ajjampur Ghanashyam has urged Nigeria to introduce Integrated Farming and Drip Irrigation to boost food production in the country.

Ghanashyam gave the advice at a Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

He said that drip irrigation, currently being practiced in India, would help to improve dry season farming in Nigeria, especially in the Northern parts of the country.

He said that the introduction of drip irrigation and integrated farming would encourage export.

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“Agriculture is one area in which there is tremendous potential. India has 1.5 million square kilometers of land which is arable.

“We grow sometimes three crops from the same piece of land because of desperation and when there is an emerging need, you have to innovate. That is what happened to us.

“Today, in some northern states, we are doing drip irrigation because water is a problem in those states.

“Drip irrigation is one subject which we have developed in India and now it has become very popular. Exactly what is required in Northern Nigeria.

“We are now developing a concept called integrated farming. Integrated farming means the farmer has his field, but takes out a part of his land to grow vegetables and fruits and takes out a little bit more area around his house to have a goat farm, poultry farm and have a bee keeping corner.

“So when the crop fails, he has vegetables he can sell, he has fruits and he has poultry, eggs and chicken which he can sell, he does not become desperate and think of the wrong thing.

“Nigeria with its available land can feed itself, feed the rest of Africa and still have surplus to export to China and India.

“That is the quality of your soil. You have the capacity and competence to do it. It is just that someone has to get up and start saying, yes, now is the time to start.“

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Ghanashyam said that integrated agriculture had the capacity to improve the living standard of Nigerians if properly deployed.

He added that the farming method serve as an alternative to oil.

The high commissioner said that India was currently working closely with some Northern states in Nigeria to promote drip irrigation, but observed that the availability of water was a challenge.

According to him, Africa owns 60 per cent of the arable land in the world and 20 per cent of the land mass of the world.

He said that Nigeria had one-quarter of the wealth in Africa and 20 per cent of Africa’s population.

Ghanashyam said that the volume of trade between India and Nigeria stood at 17 billion dollars between 2014 and 2015 and had remained so in spite of the fall in the prices of oil.

He appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to sign a Turn Around Maintenance agreement with the National Oil Company of India as part of efforts at increasing oil production in Nigeria.

He called for the incorporation of the policies of the Federal and state governments to suit foreign businesses in Nigeria.

“Most times, Federal and state government policies do not support, complement or supplement each other and this is affecting foreign businesses in Nigeria,“ he said.

Late Rainfall, Fasting, Push Up Prices Of Potatoes, Tomatoes In Plateau

The late arrival of the rains and the ongoing fasting period pushed up the prices of Irish potatoes and tomatoes by about 200 per cent in Plateau, a market survey revealed.

The survey, conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the weekend in Bokkos, found that a bag of Irish potatoes that sold for between N5,000 and N6,000 not long ago, was now being sold at between N16,000 and N17,000.

Similarly, a basket of tomatoes that used to sale for between 1,500 and N2,000 was now sold at between N4,500 and N5, 000 in Bokkos markets.

Mr Samuel Mallo, the Chairman of Traders and Marketers Association, Mai-katako market chapter, in Bokkos Local Government, blamed the hike on the late arrival of the rains this year.

He said “the late arrival of rainfall this year has greatly contributed to the hike in prices of Irish potatoes and tomatoes in both Bokkos and Mangu local government areas.

“All the potatoes you see being sold in Mai-katako market today are irrigated ones and not the seasonal ones, which resulted in massive shortage and hike in its price,’’ he explained.

According to Mallo, under normal circumstances, the seasonal varieties should be in the markets and at a cheaper rate at this time of the year.

Also, Malam Nuhu Usman, a potatoes dealer from Kano State, lamented the hike in the price of the commodity, which he said had affected his purchasing power.

He said “I used to buy between 150 and 200 bags at times like this, but I am not sure I can afford 35 bags of Irish potatoes today.’’

Usman expressed fear that the high prices could affect his sales in Kano, but prayed that buyers would understand and buy it.

Another dealer from Katsina, Mr Akilu Sani, also said he could only buy 15 bags of potatoes out of the 30 bags he used to buy at the Maikatako and Bokkos markets.

Sani, however, said it was not the fault of the farmers as the late arrival of the rains had ensured the total absence of the seasonal farming produce.

NAN reports that Bokkos and Mangu local government areas were prominent for Irish potatoes farming, with the commodity produced in large quantities and attract buyers from all parts of the country.

The markets also attract foreign buyers from Chad, Niger and Benin Republic.