AFFCON Reiterate Commitment to Sustain Food Security in the Country

AFFCON 2015 National Conference/Food Expo

The Association of Fast Food Confectioners of Nigeria, AFFCON has reiterated its commitment to continue to work at improving its knowledge and skills in order to better manage its businesses in the face of global competition as well as sustain food security in the long term in the country.

AFFCON National President, Mrs. Bose Ayeni who disclosed this during her welcome address at the 2015 National Conference/Food Expo held at the Blue Roof of the Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja, said the event is aimed at bringing together the critical legs in the food value chain in an interactive session.

Ayeni while shedding more light about the association, said AFFCON was set up to promote and protect the interest of fast food operators and all significant stakeholders, adding that its core mandate is to promote cooperation, leading to healthy competition amongst fast food operators.

“AFFCON is a platform through which we foster harmonious relationship with the various tiers of government, working with them to establish acceptable standard in the industry.

“The association is committed to ensure that member organisations strive towards achieving and maintaining international standards in all our areas of operations to guarantee maximum customer satisfaction.” she said.
Speaking on the theme of the event “Synergy in the Food Chain: A Catalyst for Economic and Agricultural Development”, Ayeni said food is critical to Nigeria’s national growth and economic development, noting that the country can no longer relegate agriculture to the background.

She stated that it is no longer news that the Nigerian Fast Food Industry is a key contributor to the Nigerian economy with estimated annual revenue of #230 billion and taxes in excess of a billion naira.

The AFFCON President also noted that the Fast Food Industry collectively provides employment for over 500,000 people at the processing and retailing levels.

“We are certainly contributing to the reduction of unemployment in this country, which is a focal point of the Federal Government.” she said.

Ayeni however said that this figure can increase tremendously if Fast Food business is given the right environment to strive.

She further stated that with the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, there has been improvement in electricity supply, noting that regular supply of power will reduce cost drastically and invariable impact on the prices of commodities.

Amongst the myriad of challenges facing the new government, the AFFCON president stated that security, exchange, inflation and interest rates, and urgent diversification of the economy, has a direct impact on the fast food industry.

Ayeni also noted that one of the challenges stunting the potential growth of the Fast Food Industry is access to and cost of capital.

She therefore call on government to continue to support the association as well as assured all who strive for growth and development to take full advantage of the event by interacting, socializing and sharing of business ideas.

Meanwhile, in his goodwill message, the General Manager/CEO, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Engr. Adebola Sbabi said the theme of the event in itself is exciting to an environmentalist because in the environmental family, it is believed that environmental management system requires a joint effort to make it sustainable.

Shabi disclosed that the partnership LASEPA has enjoyed with AFFCON in Lagos State has been a positive synergy, adding that the agency till date still enjoys the support given by AFFCON especially in understanding the policy drive in environmental protection.

Farmers Seek Better Handling of Agric Funds by Govt

Farmers in Niger Delta region

Farmers in Niger Delta region have charged government to demonstrate sincerity in the disbursement of agricultural funds meant for local farmers.

The farmers, who spoke yesterday ahead of today’s World Food Day celebration, decried a situation where such facilities end up in private pockets.

A farmer from Etche Local Council of Rivers State, Onyemachi Daniel said it was disheartening that funds meant to encourage farmers with the aim of boosting food production were diverted by politicians.

“As local farmers, we are not seeing anything called money to encourage us improve our farming. It is being politicised. The people that collect the money are not farmers, they are politicians and they use it to build mansions and travel abroad,” he submitted.

Daniel, however, called on government to ensure effective monitoring of agric loans and equitable distribution.

Another farmer, Mrs. Evelyn Emiri who also is the Chief Executive of Ego Farms Resources, urged the government to continue encouraging farmers.

She called for more sensitisation to enable youths go into farming as a source of livelihood, stressing that agriculture would advance the economy and eradicate unemployment in the country.

Meanwhile, the Market Development Programme in Niger Delta (MADE), an intervention organisation poised to boost agriculture production in the South South region, has said it is empowering 50,000 farmers in the geopolitical through loans to aid production of better non-oil products that would made them competitive.

Its Team Leader, Dr. Terry Lacey, said the organisation had signed an agreement with over seven banks to facilitate the grants, adding that the programme offers a number of opportunities and incentives for promising and potential farmers.

Lacey emphasized the need for all hands to be on desk to ensure that agriculture thrives in Nigeria.
“Currently, the main source of food supply is agriculture. Agriculture is more important than oil. The price of oil has fallen drastically and will never rise or be as important as it was, and what that entails is that everyone should ensure that agriculture thrives.

“The key thing now in Nigeria is that most people are making a living from farming and to see more food and better income, it will not come from another source but through agriculture, so farmers need to be encouraged,” he charged.

He pointed out that for the country to achieve her dream of being in the league of biggest economies in the world by year 2025, the agric sector must be revived and farmers supported to get all requisite equipment.

“For that target to be achieved the whole chain of agriculture needs to work, people need to move from small farm to bigger farm, from middle size processing to factories. More people need to be encouraged to go into farming,” he said.

World Food Day: Lagos Govt Restate its Promise to Support Farmers

lagos state farmers

The Lagos State Government has restated its promise to support farmers in order to boost food production and create opportunities for small scale farmers while disclosing that it has join forces with the Kebbi State Government to develop rice value chain.

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode who stated this today while delivering his keynote address at the Grand finale of the 2015 World Food Day held at the Johnson Agiri Agricultural Complex, Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos state said the collaboration is hinged on the fact that while Lagos is the highest consumer of milled rice, Kebbi State is considered the largest producer of paddy rice.

Ambode who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Yakub Basorun noted that the state consumed more than 50 per cent of national rice demand.

“Lagos State consumes more 50 per cent of national rice demand which is estimated at over two million metric tons, valued at N365 billion.

“Ninety per cent metric tons of the national rice demand is imported from foreign countries, which drain our foreign exchange reserve. It is against this backdrop that the Kebbi State Governor and I decided to collaborate on the development of the rice value chain,’’ Ambode said
.
According to him, large quantities of paddy rice are expected to arrive in Lagos soonest.
He called on private sector and stakeholders in the agro-enterprise value chain to invest in the additional milling facilities in the state.

“In the next few months, hundreds of thousands of bags of paddy rice will be brought to Lagos markets. I therefore enjoin private sector and stakeholders in agro-enterprise value chain to invest in the additional milling facilities.’’ the governor said.

Ambode also enjoined rice distributors in various markets to register with the ministry of agriculture to guarantee high quality milled rice for the state.

“It is our desire to ensure food security and an enabling environment for our people to have physical and economic access to adequate, safe and nutritious food,’’ he stated.

While presenting award of certificates to 66 women and youths who were trained by the Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) in the three value chains – rice, poultry and aquaculture, Ambode stated that the state is ready to work with small scale farmers to assist them in solving food problems as the trainees were exposed to modern techniques and commercialization of agricultural products.

Speaking with AgroNigeria at the event, the Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN and Chairman Lagos Center of Commerce, Crops Sub-Groups, Otunba Femi Oke, said finance, access to loans, the issue of collateral, lack of conducive farming environment, amongst others were the major challenges faced by rural farmers.

“The government should come to our aid in the areas of finance. We have just been informed recently that about N200 billion has just been given to the Bank of Agriculture but that it was only for the small scale farmers that single digit is being introduced.

“We also want the government to give us grants, like this rice importation being ban, we have a lot of farmers who are into rice business, but they are not being encouraged, we need to encourage these farmers to produce more rice.

“Government can still set up a body, like a community board for all these produce in order to encourage the youths that are coming in as getting the land to farm sometimes is very difficult. If the government should set up a board, then it will be very ease for us to acquire land probably on lease and this will encourage the youth to go into agriculture.

“Also the environment to farm is not very conducive, as the roads are not motor-able and most farm areas lack electricity supplies. If these are put in place, it will stop the migration of farmers from the rural areas to the urban centers and there will be food on the table of every Nigerian, because we are very food sufficient in Nigeria.” Oke noted.

On the part of the farmers, the Chairman AFAN, called on all farmers in the country to take advantage of this era of agriculture, noting that gone are the days when agric was just planting, while urging them to regard agriculture as a business.

“This is the era of agric, let us focus on it, the time that we think that agric is just for us to plant has gone, we are now taking agric as a business, if you plant now you need to make money from which ever area you are involve in.” he said.

Oke therefore urged the Federal government to strengthen the local governments, provide farmers with a single digit rate, allow farmers access to loans and grants, setup a community board for all its produce so as to encourage the youths to venture into agriculture, and create an enabling environment for farmers to strive.

“The government should also encourage, strengthen and listen to our associations because this is the platform through which we encourage other peasant farmers; assist in the area of finance by strengthening our micro finance banks; opening of some of the rural roads, assist in putting more extension farmers into the local government, to make sure our local government is strengthened in the area of agric; as well as help us liaise with community leaders who are willing to lease their lands for farming.” He advised.

Also speaking with AgroNigeria, the Principal of Sonmori Senior Comprehensive High School – winners of a quiz competition to mark the 2015 World Food Day, Mrs. O. O. Adewale urged the government to make agriculture attractive to every Nigerian youth by creating a conducive and technological office setting, where young Nigerian farmers will have the opportunity to get information on agriculture.

Adewale also advised the government to be ready to buy the product of these young farmers so as to ease the stress of looking for buyers, which could be discouraging.

The 2015 World Food Day with theme “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty”, is an annual programme to celebrate the achievements of farmers across the world.

AgroNigeria reports that the programme was attended by Body of Permanent Secretaries, Management Staff in the Ministry Of Agriculture, Executive Secretaries of LGA and LGDAs, Royal Fathers, All Farmers Associations, Settlements and Estates, Stakeholders in the agriculture sector, Cooperatives, Schools and Farmers.

A three day media interactive workshop

 A three day media interactive workshop organised by USAID-International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Nigeria on increasing Groundnut production in Ghana, Mali and Nigeria begins today 12th Oct at Kano as the publisher, foodfarmnews, Mr. Ayeni Oladehinde will join other resource persons to deliver a paper titled " Challenges and Opportunities in reporting Agricultural Value Chain Crops" while the lead paper on Evolution of Media Audience and Implications for Technology will be taken by by Dr. Boboh Micheal ICRISAT.

 Others are officials from FMARD, and Country Representive of ICRISAT. The project being funded by USAID is meant to vigorously pursue upscaling of GN production in the West African region through all the value chains with training capacity building for the media practitioners who are agents of information in the sector. In the face of food standard production with mycotoxin disease challenges to grain crops, this session cannot be better than now for more business opportunities for National food production.

Rivers Among The 21 States Hit By Bird Flu

Bird Flu

The Rivers State government has confirmed that the state is among the twenty one states recently listed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture as states hit by avian influenza, popularly called bird flu.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Otonyetarie Okoye, who disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Friday, said bird flu has been discovered in some farms in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City local government areas of the state.



Okoye stated that the ministry was making efforts to contain the spread of the bird flu from the affected farms, adding that the state government was already closing down illegal poultry farms in the state.



She also appealed to the public to be careful with the nature of poultry products they purchaed for consumption.

The permanent secretary also advised the public to properly cook their poultry products before consumption.

Recall that last August, there were reports of a new outbreak of the bird flu virus in Choba area of the state, the state government took samples of stool of the birds to the National Veterinary Institute, Jos, for bird flu test.

Agronomist Identifies High-yield Variety Crops In Damaturu

Damaturu, Alhaji Barnoma Yelemoi

An Agronomist in Damaturu, Alhaji Barnoma Yelemoi,said he had identified varieties of cash crops that provided excessive yields when cultivated in Damaturu and its environs.

Yelemoi, a retired staff of Yobe Agricultural Development Programme and presently, the General Manager of a private Agro-allied enterprise, Fanzar Mixed Farms, Damaturu, Yobe, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Friday.

He listed the high-yield varieties to include those of sesame seeds, bambara nuts, beans and groundnuts, that could make the even a subsistence have extra for sales to generate income.

“The climate, rainfall pattern and soil in Damaturu and the environs are most suitable for the production of these crops, which can rapidly assist in empowering the ordinary people that are struggling to recover from hardships occasioned by the many years of security challenges.

“We have cultivated 97 hectares of land with sesame seeds, bambara nuts, ground nuts, cassava and beans, as well as two hectares of fruits plantation with improved variety of orange, guava, banana, mango and citrus.
“Our experience has been very rewarding, as such we are extending extension services to the host communities as part of our community development programme,” he said.

He said Moringa leaves and seeds were also on high demand and could be cultivated on the vast lands in Damaturu, adding that their experiment had indicated high yields.

“There are huge potentials here that can be transferred to youth for economic empowerment, self-reliance and to reduce over-dependence on government.

“The North Eastern state governments need to partner with the private investors, to explore these avenues to create employment opportunities and improve the economies of their states that had been devastated as a result of the activities of insurgents,’’ he advised.

Yelemoi said that Fanzar Farms had employed a lot of youth who were being trained on modern farming techniques, as well as providing improved variety seeds to young farmers at highly subsidized rates.

Stakeholders Task All Tiers of Govt. on Agriculture

Farm Market

Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have called on the three tiers of government to scale up their investment on agriculture to achieve national food security as well as arrest youth restiveness and generate employment in the country.

The former Chairman of Cross River Commercial Agriculture Development Association (CADA), Mr Owali Ilem, in an interview with newsmen in Calabar said the country had huge agricultural potentialities that should be fully harnessed for the nation to solve her socio-economic problems, including unemployment.

Ilem said that if government focused more on agriculture, there would be enough food for the citizenry and raw materials for local industries and exportation.

According to him, government, especially at the Local and State levels, should not pay lip service to agriculture, but encourage the private sector to embrace commercial farming.

He also noted that there is a need for the government to support the poor and rural farmers through the supply of inputs and farm implements.

“Farmers in the rural areas are poor and need government’s encouragement through supply of inputs, implements and granting of interest-free loans. Government at all levels should therefore provide an enabling environment and help those interested in commercial farming to secure land,” he said.

The former chairman noted that the country’s over-dependence on oil revenue had adversely affected the economy, adding that prioritization was one way to rescue the nation’s economy.

“Before the discovery of oil, we had groundnut pyramids in the north, palm oil in the east and cocoa in the west among other resources. All these were abandoned because of oil.

“From the south to the north, Nigeria has enough agricultural potential that can make her be among the richest economies in the world.

“But this can only be achieved if all hands are on deck. It goes beyond government; individuals and groups must also show interest in investing in agriculture,” he said.

Furthermore, a farmer in Keffi, Mr Isaac Peter, said the negligence of agriculture by government at all levels, had resulted in increased rate of unemployment and crimes in the society.

“Government at all levels must give adequate attention to agriculture if the country must overcome unemployment and other social vices affecting the her and for the country to live beyond oil.

“In 1960s and 1970s, agriculture was the main stay of Nigeria’s economy which had employed more than half of the population,’’ he said.

He recalled that the revenue base of the country and the standard of living of the people in the 60s and 70s improved compare to what is obtained in Nigeria now.

Peter therefore called on Nigerians to go back to the farm in order to reduce overdependence on oil as well as to boost the socio-economic development of the country.

In his opinion, a civil servant, Mr Jatau Attah, said that if the government must tackle youth unemployment in the country adequately, it must diversify the economy, a deviation from the current dependence on oil.

He also called on the Federal, States and Local governments to address youth restiveness through adequate funding of the agriculture sector to motivate youths to embrace farming as a life-long occupation.

Also relating her views, a trader of farm produce, Mrs Jacinta Luka, urged the government at all levels to revive agriculture to effectively address the country’s economic woes.

Cashew Industry: Farmers Declare Huge Profit

Isaac Idanyi

Some cashew farmers recently danced to the media declaring they have recorded huge sales and made profits from cashew nuts during the 2015 cashew season.

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN, spokesperson, Sotonye Anga while in a chat with newsmen in Lagos said the current global market trends showed an increase in demand for cashew and this was due to the Good Agricultural Practice and Improvement introduced to farmers in 2014.

“We are glad to witness the prosperity of cashew farmers in Nigeria. It goes a great deal to show that NCAN is working and in collaboration with government and our development partners.

“The current global market trends show an increasing and strong demand for cashew and Nigeria will continue to deliver its quota and remain relevant in the cashew world.

“I therefore, urge our cashew farmers nationwide to be serious with the cashew business and be committed to GAP and quality improvement protocols so as to get the cash in cashew.” he said.

It is obvious that local cashew farming and processing holds a great potential for national economic growth, development, employment creation and better income for farmers in rural areas.

Anga stated that with little more steps to support the sub-sector by the Federal Government, cashew will soon become the number one cash crop in Nigeria.

He said, “We hope to do much more for the cashew sector and create more prosperity for our cashew farmers, cashew processors, traders and exporters.’’

The spokesperson said Africa produced over 50 per cent of the world’s cashew and Nigeria was among the top three largest cashew producers in Africa, adding that about 400,000 hectares of land was being used for cashew production across the country.

Anga, however, noted that Nigeria’s annual yield per hectare was low because the Nation’s current annual production stood at 150,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts.

He said the association was moving forward by rejuvenating cashew plantations and increasing the area of land under cashew production in Nigeria, stating that the recent successes of cashew farmers in some parts of Kogi State had further encouraged the association to continue its drive to empower cashew farmers nationwide.

In a telephone conversation with some cashew farmers in Umoni Village, Ofu Local Government Area in Kogi State, they expressed their joy saying the development has made their lives better.

A cashew farmer, Samuel Haruna, said he was able to roof his family house with the sales he recorded from the 2015 cashew season.

Haruna, who had been in the cashew business for more than 20 years, said he never really made profit from selling raw cashew nuts as much as he made in 2015 season.

“I was able to buy 14 bundles of roofing zinc to roof my family house. I have been involved in cashew farming for 20years and I never had it this good. This 2015 cashew season was really good for me and for my people; I made good profit from the sale of cashew.

“We cashew farmers from Umoni village are very happy; we are pleased with the activities of NCAN and all the efforts at improving cashew farmer’s livelihood.” he said.

A 30-year-old cashew farmer, Joel Thomas, said that he bought a jeep from the sale of cashew recently.
Another cashew farmer, also from Umoni Village, Ibrahima Sule, said he bought a Toyota car from the sale of cashew in 2015.

A 35-year-old, Isaac Idanyi, said he was able to build a four-bedroom flat from the sale of cashew nuts.

AFAN Express Fear of Poor Harvest in Adamawa

farmers

The Adamawa branch of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has expressed fear over the possibility of poor harvest in 2015 farming season in the State, due to the non-provision of fertiliser by the government.

The Chairman of the branch, Mr. Venantus Jiddere, who disclosed the fears of the association to newsmen in Yola today, said the 2015/2016 agricultural season came with its peculiar problem due to the change of government.

Jiddere said, “The situation brought complete lack of fertilisers because the outgoing government did not leave behind fertiliser for the incoming government.

“Our farmers have testified to this deficiency of nutrients, hence the poor crop quality and possibility of poor harvest being expected this year.”

He advised the State government to hasten the distribution of the commodity in whatever way it deemed appropriate, noting that since dry season farming begins in October, there should be no excuses in this regard.

Jiddere also urged the government to collaborate with agricultural research institutes and seed centres in order to ensure maximum assistance to farmers in the areas of providing early maturing, drought-resistant crops as well as pest control and to provide farmers with functional seed multiplication centres in all the 21 local government areas of the State.

Gov. Okowa Urge Financial Institutions to Finance Agriculture

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State

Nigeria would achieve its economic diversification drive, if financial institutions in the country are ready to finance the agriculture sector.

This was the opinion of the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa while addressing participant at the inauguration of the Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP) under the job and wealth creation scheme of the government held in Asaba, the State Capital.

Okowa called on Nigerian banks to come up with `robust credit policies’ for agriculture, to address credit turn around, recruitment and training of specialist bankers, who would understand the dynamics of agriculture and agribusiness.

He said that despite the fact that agriculture plays crucial role in driving economic development, inadequate funding had continued to be a recurring decimal.

“From available statistics, the bulk of our small-scale farmers regrettably do not have access to credit finance and are, therefore, unable to invest in basic farming inputs such as implements, seedlings and fertilisers.

“As a result, farm yields have remained very low, leading to widespread poverty and stunted economic growth,’’ Okowa said.

To restore agriculture to its pride of place in the Nigerian economy, the governor submitted that the issue of agriculture financing must be addressed.

He expressed confidence that the State would transform its agriculture sector and stimulate development in all sectors through the PPSP.

Okowa explained that PPSP was conceived to help the State overcome the problem of resource scarcity, poor technology and infrastructure deficits.

In his remark, PPSP Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, said that programme was aimed at increasing productivity and income, create jobs and wealth and ensure prosperity for the people.

Part of the ceremony was the presentation of cheques by the governor, ranging from N2 million to N10 million to different cooperative groups as well as the presentation of tractors and other farm implements to various farmer-based cooperative societies present at the inauguration.