UNIABUJA gets agriculture and others accredited

The Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Prof. Michael Adikwu, said the institution now has full accreditation to offer courses in Agriculture, Engineering and Veterinary Medicine.


Prof. Michael Adikwu said that the initial accreditation challenge experienced by the institution had been overcome.

“Let me start with agriculture. That was one of the courses that were problematic; we have full accreditation for that now; so we don’t have problem in that area,’’ he said.

“Before I came on board, there was also a problem with engineering; some of the students were farmed out, sent to other universities.

“So, they (the university) had some contact with them and there were few courses they needed to come back and complete and that has been done, and we have graduated two sets put together.
‘’So, we do not have problem with that currently,’’ he said.

On veterinary medicine, Adikwu said that the issue with the course had been sorted out and that the department had started graduating students.
He said that the only department in the university yet to be accredited was medicine, adding that it was being expected.

“They have had the first accreditation; they were successful.
“For medicine, you have to do serial accreditations; they needed to do one for the basic clinical sciences and then the final accreditation.

“So, we are preparing for that and very soon, they too will cross the fence,” he explained.
He said that the university had acquired the basic infrastructure needed for teaching medical students, adding that the institution presently had three sets of students ready for graduation.

The vice chancellor disclosed that the university recently lost its accreditation for law and microbiology programmes because it overshot its admission quota.

He explained that the loss of accreditation for the courses could only stop the university from admitting fresh students for them, adding, however, that the matter would be resolved soon.
He said that the loss of accreditation for law was because the number of students admitted for the programme was high.

According to him, the Council for Legal Education said we should admit 100 students but we were admitting more than 400.

“I know of some other universities which are taking 700 students and they also lost accreditation. Once that is corrected, we will get our accreditation back,’’ Adikwu said.
“We also do not have accreditation for microbiology; I do not think that it is punitive; I think that it is corrective.

“Once the number of our students normalises, we will get our accreditation back,” he stated.

The vice-chancellor, however, said that the corrective measure would not affect the students currently in the law and microbiology programmes, stating that they would graduate soon.

According to him, ”our Faculty of Law is doing very well as it has performed wonderfully in both local and international completions.”

Agribotix US and Eco BCG announces the launch of Agribotix LatAm

Agribotix-U.S. of Boulder, Colorado and Eco BCG of Woodbury, Minnesota today announce their Joint Venture in launching Agribotix-Latin America, offering state-of-the art unmanned drone flights and cloud-based data and imaging analytics for the agricultural market. Agribotix-Latin America’s headquarters are in Panama City, Panama with additional offices in Mexico City and Santiago, Chile. Drone sales, flight training and services and technical support will be offered throughout Latin America by both authorized dealers and direct personnel.

Landowners and agriculture producers across the world are using unmanned drone flights above their fields to provide them precise information and imaging to more rapidly and efficiently optimize their crop yields. The ability to use “eyes in the sky” helps owners save valuable time and costs to determine at any given time the appropriate use of water, fertilizer and other inputs, manpower and farm equipment at any specific location. The goal of drone technology is to provide faster, more actionable intelligence that can reduce costs and risks while improving yields and income. Agribotix-Latin America will offer two types of drones with their data services as well as offer the same analytical services for those who already own and operate their own drones.



“Using this new technologies we can deliver not only the best optimization of your resources, but also help you reduce the environmental impact they cause. This is the new era of the precision agriculture” Dr. Sergio Castillo from Agribotix LatAm noted.

Landowners, crop operators, agronomists and authorized dealers will be able to directly download their drone camera images directly through the Agribotix-Latin America web site (http://latam.agribotix.com/) in order for Agribotix specialists to create high resolution images and intelligence in a matter of hours for analysis and use back in the field.



Two different packages of images and data analytics will be offered - Basic and Professional. Professional will be more valuable for those landowners using variable rate application or seeding methods whereby drone data can be downloaded into field tractors for specific input applications. Basic package includes: geo -referenced map of crop health and high resolution RGB Orthomosaic map . Professional package includes: Basic Package and vector map geo referenced management zones being used with other program like SMS or SST and others for making a variable applications map used tractors

Contacts
For press information, please contact:
Estela May Sánchez
esanchez@ecobcg.com
(507) 396-2042

For interested customers and dealers, please contact:
Milquiades Gaitan
mgaitan@ecobcg.com
(507) 396-2042

About Agribotix-U.S.
Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2013, Agribotix delivers agricultural intelligence to increase yields and profits using drone-enabled technologies. Agribotix offers two core solutions: a turnkey package which includes a long-range drone designed for agriculture, coupled with a leading cloud-based data analysis and reporting solution; and, for customers that have a drone, an affordable, self-serve data processing and analysis service. Both solutions provide customers with actionable intelligence that results in substantially reduced field inputs, improved yield and increased profits for growers. Data products include zone maps to aid in precision fertilization, weed reports for geolocating resistant patches and estimating coverage, and specialized reporting. For more information, visit www.agribotix.com.


About Eco BCG
Eco BCG® is a multinational company whose corporate mission is to provide technology solutions and economic growth to an environmentally sensitive world.
Founded in 1999, Eco BCG® develops and manages projects for governments and private industry to solve their most expensive operating and environmental issues: reducing energy consumption, generating sources of power, diverting landfill waste, treating water systems without chemicals, and improving agriculture practices. By delivering proven innovation, we help clients increase the value of their existing assets and better manage risk and costs. For more information, visit www.ecobcg.com or call (703) 434-0059 (U.S.).

Estela May Sánchez
Eco BCG
(507) 3962042
email us here

Senate bemoans EU ban on Nigeria’s agricultural products

The senate has expressed “serious” concern over the ban on ‎Nigeria’s agricultural products by the European Union (EU). 

The EU announced the ban on some of Nigeria’s agricultural products last week. According to Francis Alimikhena, deputy chief‎ whip, who moved a motion praying the senate to urge the federal government to direct the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be alive in its regulatory oversights over food and agricultural products to ensure their global acceptance, the banned products include beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, dried meat, peanut chips and palm oil. 

Alimikhena observed that the economy was set for a further slide‎ as a result of the ban on the agricultural products. He noted that for some time, EU had been warning Nigeria that these products constitute danger to human health as they contain high levels of pesticide “as a result of‎ which 50 notifications were issued on the matter and nothing significant was done to reverse the situation”. “For instance, in 2013, 24 agro-products of Nigerian origin exported‎ to the UK were rejected while the figure increased to 42 in 2014,” he said. He added that the “banned beans” were found to contain between 0.03mg kilograms to 4.6mg /kg of dichlorvos (pesticides) contrary to acceptable limits. 

Consequently, the senate expressed concern that the EU ban was a setback for “a nation that is desperate to expand its export basket to boost domestic agricultural activities and to increase forex earnings and create jobs”.

 It further expressed concern that the action of the EU “suggests that Nigeria’s unfavourable ‎balance of trade position with European countries would worsen as it shall be exporting few agricultural products”. After a passionate debate on the matter,‎ the senate mandated its committee on health, when constituted, to look into the issue with a view to overturning the EU ban. It also urged “the federal and state government to invest more in the production of agricultural produce for export, particularly cash crops such as cocoa, oil palm, groundnut and rubber trees‎, which are veritable and historical foreign exchange earners”.

The senate has expressed “serious” concern over the ban on ‎Nigeria’s agricultural products by the European Union (EU). The EU announced the ban on some of Nigeria’s agricultural products last week. According to Francis Alimikhena, deputy chief‎ whip, who moved a motion praying the senate to urge the federal government to direct the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be alive in its regulatory oversights over food and agricultural products to ensure their global acceptance, the banned products include beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, dried meat, peanut chips and palm oil. Alimikhena observed that the economy was set for a further slide‎ as a result of the ban on the agricultural products. He noted that for some time, EU had been warning Nigeria that these products constitute danger to human health as they contain high levels of pesticide “as a result of‎ which 50 notifications were issued on the matter and nothing significant was done to reverse the situation”. “For instance, in 2013, 24 agro-products of Nigerian origin exported‎ to the UK were rejected while the figure increased to 42 in 2014,” he said. He added that the “banned beans” were found to contain between 0.03mg kilograms to 4.6mg /kg of dichlorvos (pesticides) contrary to acceptable limits. Consequently, the senate expressed concern that the EU ban was a setback for “a nation that is desperate to expand its export basket to boost domestic agricultural activities and to increase forex earnings and create jobs”. It further expressed concern that the action of the EU “suggests that Nigeria’s unfavourable ‎balance of trade position with European countries would worsen as it shall be exporting few agricultural products”. After a passionate debate on the matter,‎ the senate mandated its committee on health, when constituted, to look into the issue with a view to overturning the EU ban. It also urged “the federal and state government to invest more in the production of agricultural produce for export, particularly cash crops such as cocoa, oil palm, groundnut and rubber trees‎, which are veritable and historical foreign exchange earners”. Follow us on twitter @thecableng

Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/senate-bemoans-eu-ban-nigerias-agricultural-products

revamping the wheat production sub sector

There seems to be hope at sight as the Federal Government is already revamping the wheat production sub sector through her Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) being driven by the Lake Chad Research Institute.

Last Thursday, 23th, July, at IAR, Zaria, the Executive Director of the lake chad research Institute, Dr. Olusina Olabanji is very optimist that production of wheat from 2.0 tons per hectare will be increased to 6.0 per hectare throught the newly improved released seeds variety- LACRI whit-5 and LACRI whit 6 that have potentials of high yield, good baking quality and early maturing. 

This he said would checkmate over £4 billion spent annually on wheat importation adding the wheat acceleration programme of government will create job for farmers, processors and users of wheat flours. 

 
Already the wheat stakeholders meeting held this week at the Institute for Agricultural Research "IAR" Zaria has scientifically mapped out government strategy of giving inputs support to farmers at all producing states. The increase in the seed procurement through the FG Growth Enhancement Support (GES) between 2012 till date is a reflection of government decision to positively repositioned the crop for farmers' advantage as production has been enhanced in about ten states

Over Dependence On Oil Threat To National Stability, Agric Development

Nigeria’s over-dependence on oil is a threat to national stability and constitutes a hindrance to agriculture development, says Dr Olatunde Agbato, the Chief Executive Officer, Animal Care Services Konsult.

Agbato made the assertion during a lecture he delivered at Landmark University’s 2nd convocation ceremony in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara.

FoodFarmNews reports that Agbato spoke on the topic:“Inclusive Agriculture, a Catalytic Trigger for Non-Oil Dependent Economy”.

Agbato recalled that the country’ economy was predominantly agrarian and extractive in its formative years before the major oil exploration and exploitation which led to the neglect of agriculture.

According to him, the country’s landscape is the most fertile in the world with more than 14 million farming families capable of growing almost all crops.

“Regrettably, with less attention paid to harness these potential, the country currently has over 40 per cent arable land which remains uncultivated.

“The over-dependence on oil earnings to finance governance and the development of public infrastructure is clearly an unsustainable approach to national development,” he said.

He said that over-dependence on oil to develop the economy had exposed the nation to the vagaries associated with oil volatility, which often throws its public finance into disarray.

“Currently, governments at all levels are in distress, with many states owing salaries for several months because oil prices crashed and exports dwindled since last year.”

Agbato said agriculture, if technologically driven, had the potential to lift the nation out of its present predicament and enable it to meet its socio-economic aspirations.

He suggested the adoption of inclusive growth, to ensure wider access to sustainable socio-economic opportunities for the majority with adequate protection of the vulnerable in the society.
“In other words, inclusive growth initiatives avoid creating situations of the “rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer,” he said.

In his speech, the Vice-chancellor, Prof. Joseph Afolayan, reiterated the institution’s commitment to agrarian revolution drive to solve the nation’s poverty and food insufficiency challenges.

“We had since inception a few years ago, adopted agriculture as a veritable platform in building capacities to develop the nation’s economy and reduce poverty, unemployment and food scarcity challenges,” he said.

AgroPractice: Up-scaling Soyabean Cultivation In Nigeria

Soya bean is a leguminous tropical plant cultivated for its seeds which is rich in high quality protein. When compared with other grains, soya bean is fortified with the highest level of protein as it contains all the essential amino acid required for human development. It is also rich in mineral, vitamins and fiber.

Soya bean is one of the cheapest forms of protein available to man globally; the amount of protein contained in soya bean purchased at a particular price is more than that obtainable in animal protein of equivalent price. Hence, soya bean is an essential tool for combating malnutrition especially protein deficiency in developing countries where animal protein is not readily available or is quite expensive for the average citizen.

Nigeria is the largest producer and consumer of soya bean in sub-Saharan Africa. Production has not been able to achieve its full potentials because the production of the crop is still being operated largely by small farm holders who grow the crop as a minor crop amongst other major crops like maize in crude ways, and all that is produced in the country is consumed locally and the country has to resort to importation of soya bean seeds and soya bean products to satisfy the demand for the product in the country.

REQUIREMENT
The growth of the plant is largely dependent on the climate and soil condition of the site of cultivation. Our country Nigeria has a very favorable climate that is ideal for soya bean to thrive. Most areas in the country receive well over 700mm of rainfall annually and that is the water requirement for the crop.

The crop can also be raised in areas that receive lesser amount of rainfall through irrigation agriculture which is a trend on the rise in the nation. In terms of soil, the plant can also survive in almost all types of soils available in the nation but the farmer should endeavor not to plant the crop on sandy soil. A well-drained soil with a slightly acidic, neutral or alkaline pH is essential for the crop to thrive as the crop cannot survive in a waterlogged environment.

VARIETY
There are numerous varieties of soya bean ideal for different climates and vegetation belt but the most common varieties are TGX 1448-2E, TGX 1485-ID and TGX 1835-10E. These varieties can be purchased from seed companies or from the Ministry of Agriculture where its viability, freedom from disease and pest is guaranteed.
Before sowing, the seeds should be treated with captan to keep them safe from soil borne diseases.

SOWING
After the land has been cleared and a seed bed has been prepared for planting, the next thing to be done is sowing. Ensure that sowing is done at the right time of the year to prevent damage of the crop due to drought and pest attack.

In Nigeria, cultivation begins in May/June when the rains begin and harvesting takes place in October/November depending on the time of sowing. Sowing can be done manually by placing 3 or more seeds in a hole in the soil and covering them with earth. Sowing can also be done using machines such as a seed drill or a planter for efficient and more uniform planting. Soya bean seed is usually planted on a seed bed or in a ridge with a conventional spacing distance of 70cm between rows and 5cm between stands.




SEED RATE
The normal soya bean seed requirement for a hectare of land is usually placed at 50kg to 60kg.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION
As a leguminous crop, it requires less amount of fertilizer when cultivated as the plant has the ability of providing its own Nitrogen to the soil through Nitrogen fixation by the nodules of the plant root. Hence, farmers need to pay less attention to nitrogen supply for the crop, as the need is supplied naturally in the right quantity.

Fertilizer containing other primary nutrients should be applied after a proper soil test has been conducted to ascertain nutrients that are deficient. The crop requires ample supply of phosphorus to enable proper root development. Phosphorus is usually applied at 30kg per hectare or an NPK 15:15:15.

WEED CONTROL
Both annual and perennial weeds attack soya bean farms necessitating farmers to carry out routine weeding. Weeding can be done manually using hoes and other crude tools or can be achieved using chemicals (herbicides). Efficient weed control has a tendency of increasing the general output of the farm.

PEST AND DISEASE
Some of the major pests that attack soya bean crop include bean flies, pod suckers, bugs, caterpillars, nematodes, silverleaf whitefly,etc. They can be controlled by using insecticides such as cypermethrin + Dimethoate 10EC at 100ml in 15 litres of water.

In term of diseases, the most destructive disease that infects soya bean crops is soya bean crop rust. Others include soya bean mosaic virus, frog eye leaf, bacteria blight, etc. In the case of disease, it is advised to destroy sick plants to control its spread. Disease occurrence can be controlled by using resistant varieties, treating of seeds before planting and practicing crop rotation.

HARVESTING
Depending on the variety, the time of planting and other factors, soya bean plant is usually harvested about 100 to 160 days post sowing. At this time, the plant should have attained complete maturity. This is usually determined when about 90% of the pods on the plant have turned brown. Harvesting is usually carried out manually using a sickle or a cutlass to cut the matured plant at the ground level leaving the root still buried in the soil. The harvested plants are then heaped on a tarpaulin and allowed to dry under direct sunlight before they are threshed.

POST HARVEST PROCESSING
Once the desired level of dryness has been achieved, the harvested plant is threshed. This can be done manually or through the use of a thresher. Once threshing has been completed, winnowing is carried out to separate the soya bean seeds from their chaff. Winnowing can be carried out using a winnower or using the power of wind.

The seeds obtained after winnowing are then stored in bags or in silos. Storage sites should be cool, dry, well ventilated and free from storage pests.

Climate Change: Environmental Hazards Undermining National Agricultural and Economic Development

Over N10.5 billion is being lost yearly to environmental challenges, which has endangered the livelihood of about 46.4 million people living in the eleven (11) northern frontline states.

This was disclosed by the Director-General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall (GGW), Goni Ahmed at the launch of the GGW school club/tree planting campaign at Government Girls Secondary School Dutse, Abuja.

According to the Ahmed, these challenges among which were deforestation, drought and desertification, had undermined Nigeria’s efforts in ensuring a stable and sustainable future for our resources and the country’s economy at large.

He therefore called for collaboration effort to tackle desertification in the north, adding that the agency has taken the tree planting campaign to the schools in order to create awareness among school children on the need to plant trees to combat the problem of land degradation and climate change.

“Desertification is a major constraint to economic and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals,” he said, adding that the World Bank estimated over N10.5 billion as annual loss through desertification, deforestation and drought.

Furthermore, he noted that the people living in this region are heavily dependent on land, water and vegetation resources for their livelihood which is fast deteriorating as a result of desertification.

“If we can collectively take action against deforestation and other related environmental issues, we will not only improve land productivity, but will provide the bedrock for agriculture growth, create employment leading to a positive cycle of economic growth,” he concluded.

The Federal Government through the Great Green Wall programme is fighting desertification in Kebbi, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states.

Advocacy Group Makes Case For Women Farmers, Gender Budgeting

In a bid to improve the lot of women farmers in the state, the Civil Society Forum on Women in Agriculture and Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE) an Action-aid sponsored NGO has called for a review in gender agric – budgetary allocation.

This call was made by the Chief Executive Officer, CCPE in Kwara State, Mr. Abdulkareem Suleiman, who argued the annual agriculture allocation by successive governments as insufficient to galvanize expected growth and development in the sector.

“Since women participation in agricultural development cannot be overemphasized, considering their significant contributions in the agriculture value chain and food production, we recommend that women farmers be accorded a pride of place in subsequent budgeting which could reflect in at least 30 percent budget allocation to direct line items aimed at supporting small holder women farmers” he stated.

In acknowledgement of the contribution of women farmers to the gross food needs of the continent, the National Coordinator, Organization for the Sustenance of the Nigerian Environment (OSFSN) – Angela Okoye outlined the forum as an advocacy effort to get the State Ministry of Agriculture to enhance smallholder farmers, women and civil society organization participation in the budgetary processes as stakeholders that they are.

She noted that women worldwide make up over 70 percent of the  value chain labour force of the agric sector, while over 40 percent of women across Africa co – owned plots of land with their husbands but have not been able to expand due to discriminatory policies and neglects by Africa government policy formulations.

Okoye, a budget tracking and monitoring expert who doubles as member of Women in – Farming Advocacy Group therefore appealed that the state government should as a matter of importance inculcate the interest of women farmers. Also she recommended the need for equal and proactive  engagement of the Federal Government to open up the CBN initiative – ‘Nigerian Incentive – Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) for access by smallholder farmers, especially women because of their  production to processing roles in the agricultural value chains.

Nigeria: Zuba - Abuja's Fruit Market of Filth

Buying and selling of consumables like fruits are expected to take place in clean and serene environments, however at the Zuba International Fruit Market, they occur in an atmosphere of foul odour from mounds of refuse.

As one approaches the market, the pungent odour from the market can make one mistake the place for a large dumpsite with many rotten fruits indiscriminately decomposing around its environs.
The stinking environment where trading activities take place is brimming with scores of rotten fruits assailing everyone including buyers of the perishable products in a clear violation of environmental laws and a threat to public health.

Given the amount of environmental pollution the market generates, it seems the traders are oblivious to the fact that trading in such a filthy environment has several health implications as many of them spread their wares on the muddy ground.

The market is a melting point for major fruit-producing states. About 500 trucks and lorries loaded with assorted fruits come into the market each day while thousands of farmers, fruit sellers and buyers throng the market to do business, Alhaji Nura Haruna, the chairman of the Zuba International Fruits Market Association told Aso Chronicle.

"This market is the biggest in the North Central; people come from Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, and some eastern states to buy fruits here while farmers from all over the country bring their goods for sale here," he said.

"As people are offloading fruits from the trucks, pickup vans are on ground to convey the produce to different locations in the FCT," Haruna added.

A visit to this market leaves one wondering whether the fruits many FCT residents consume actually come from such a filthy environment.

Aso Chronicle learnt that about 50 cleaners are employed to take charge of cleaning the market but this has not saved it from the mess.

It was gathered that there is punishment for anyone that violates the market's environmental law, but this law seems not to be effective as the traders were seen disposing garbage indiscriminately.

While the activities of the traders constitute an environmental challenge, the muddy road that leads to the central area of the market affects free flow of both human and vehicular movements.

The road is narrow, muddy and congested with hundreds of people struggling to find better way in and out of the market. Traders wear rain boots apparently to reduce getting into the muddy and dirty areas that characterize almost the whole market amidst the pungent stench emanating from all directions.

The market is in shambles, a situation market officials said, is fast reducing the volume of business activities there. Several accidents have been recorded; vehicles sometimes slide and crash while trying to gain access into the market, Aso Chronicle learnt.

"When it rains, the entire market will be muddied, affecting free flow of movement through the tiny, muddy road," said a trader, Gloria Opkuveru, who added that the situation is affecting sales as customers find it difficult to gain access to the market.

"I remember some time ago - I think about two years or so ago - some white people used to come here. One day, three of them came after it had rained. They managed to walk their way out of the market without buying anything," Issa Muhammad, another trader said.

He added that the condition of the North Central's biggest fruits market frustrates farmers whose farm produce would go bad if kept for days.

"Anybody who comes here and sees that a market that looks like this exists in Abuja would be disappointed. We need a good garage for the trucks to park after offloading the produce. We are constrained by space, yet complicated by rain," said another trader who does not want his name in print.

Ms. Esther Tyohee is a mango farmer from Gboko, Benue State. These reporters maneuovered through the muddy path amidst huge crowd of customers to meet her where she was selling her mangoes along with two agile young men who helped her get customers.

Asked what she makes of the condition in the market, her response was interrogative: "Are we not paying revenue? They know how to collect money but don't know how to make the market good. Leave me alone please," she retorted at the reporters.

The market union leaders decry the failure of both the Gwagwalada Area Council authorities and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to entertain the several complaints lodged with them about the road, despite the huge revenue generated from the market.

Nura Haruna said they have made several efforts to meet with government officials to see what can be done over the terrible condition but nothing happened. "They couldn't give us the attention we needed and so we were discouraged to push the issue further," he lamented.

If we are generating huge revenue here for the government, why can't they even put asphalt on the roads and the market to make activities run smoothly? he asked, adding that they carry out minor repairs on the road, using the revenue the market generates.

Aside the fruit sellers, dealers of electrical and electronic materials whose shopping complex is situated along the muddy road said they were facing hard times as a result of near-zero patronage due to the bad road.
The dealers are worried that if the road is not rehabilitated, the billions of naira already expended on the shopping complex would be in vain.

Cletus Eze, the market chairman, said: "Of the over 700 shops in the market, only 109 are occupied. Those who had done business here before were forced to leave because buyers are not forthcoming.

"The money we spent on the project is just going down the drain; nothing is coming out of it," he said.
If the road is in good condition, the traders say the market has the potential to generate millions of naira for the Gwagwalada Area Council.

They appealed to the relevant authorities to, as a matter of urgency, look into the worsening and deteriorating conditions of the road and the market.

Nigeria Spends $2.4bn On Rice Importation in 3 Years - Emefiele

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday said the Federal Government spent $2.41 billion on rice importation between January 2012 and May 2015.

Mr. Emefiele made this known at a stakeholders' meeting with officials of Paddy Rice Producing states and Rice Value chain investors in Abuja.

He said the bank's decision to ban foreign exchange for importation of rice; fish and other items would not be reversed.

He said the Apex bank has no plans to reverse the ban, adding that the reason for inclusion of rice in the exclusion list was not far-fetched.

He said, "Figures available with the CBN show that from the period January 2012 to May 2015, the country had spent over 2.41bn dollars on importation of this commodity.
"Unfortunately, this trend has resulted in huge unsold stock of paddy rice cultivated by our farmers and low operating capacities of many integrated rice mills in Nigeria."

Mr. Emefiele said the CBN, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, would come up with a comprehensive financing model to support rice millers and other investors in the sector.

He said the bank decided to intervene in the sector through funding and other packages because the country would not achieve its true potentials if it imported everything it could produce locally.

He said, "the bank will make funds more accessible to farmers through some of its funding programme such as the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme and the N220bn Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development fund.

"The funds will be made available to rice farmers through the Microfinance Banks at an interest rate of nine per cent and any bank that charges interest above that rate should be reported to the CBN
"We appeal to the state governments to provide lands for the farmers on a large scale and we will work with them to clear some of these impediments.

"We are at a stage where we must feed ourselves and all hands are on deck to ensure this work," he said.
The CBN boss said that those that defaulted in the payment of customs duty after bringing in excess quotas of rice into the country at concessionary rates would be penalised.

He said the CBN would take up the issue to the highest level in government to ensure that the money was paid.

"By exceeding their import quota, these importers have flooded the market with rice that is sold below what is produced locally thus, making consumers ignore the locally produced ones.

"We are going to enforce it and we will go to the highest level to enforce this to ensure that they pay and I appeal to them to go and pay," he added.

The governor also assured rice producers that the bank would work closely with the Nigerian Customs Service to address the issue of smuggling.
Also speaking, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi promised that everything would be done to support the CBN intervention.
 
Mr. Bagudu spoke on behalf of the 10 major paddy rice producing states, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Taraba, Zamfara, Nasarawa and Niger.
He said the states had enough capacity to produce rice that would help the country attain self sufficiency as well as for export purpose.

He also assured producers that they would expand infrastructure, as well as provide the right atmosphere for people to invest in rice farming. 

 

Sonny Echow, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the ministry was making plans to intervene in rice production in the coming season.

"We are proposing to the CBN to help us set up a fund for rice millers for our rice farmers.
"We will be making that recommendation to the CBN to facilitate a long term fund," he said.
Earlier, the millers stressed the need to address some of the bottlenecks affecting the increase in rice production in the country.

They also listed some areas where they needed intervention to include: Investment in research, irrigation facility and stable rice policy, as well as the need to tackle issue of smuggling.

Others included bigger fields, funding, access to land, establishment of more rice mills and increase in capacity of existing mills in the country among others.