Improving climate protection in the agricultural sector

Conventional farming produces more greenhouse gas emissions than organic farming, however, it achieves higher yields.

Credit: U. Benz/TUM

Agriculture is responsible for around ten to twelve percent of all greenhouse gases attributable to human activities. This raises the question of how these emissions could be reduced. A recent study has investigated -- for the first time -- the full range of factors that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, namely soil and climate conditions, the agricultural model and the farming intensity on both organic and conventional holdings. The study has enabled scientists to develop a new model that will allow agricultural landholders to determine and improve their climate balance.

As part of the study, scientists investigated 40 organic and 40 conventional agricultural holdings across Germany's four agricultural regions. They focused exclusively on crop and dairy farms. The scientists recorded all relevant climate gas streams during the entire production process, including methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. In the case of dairy farms, they also factored in the purchase of soybean meal from South America and all related greenhouse gas emissions.

Strategies for improving climate balance

Fossil fuels, above all diesel, are one of the main sources of CO2 emissions in agriculture. However, greenhouse gases are also emitted during the manufacture of mineral nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides, agricultural machines and equipment.

"There are different ways of improving a farm's climate balance," explains Professor Kurt-Jürgen Hülsbergen from Technische Universität München (TUM). "One effective strategy is for landholders to grow feed themselves rather than purchase soy from another source. Farms can also streamline production processes and deploy modern technology to obtain higher yields without increasing the amount of energy required."

In crop farming, increasing nitrogen efficiency is a key factor. High levels of nitrous oxide are released into the environment if crops are unable to utilize all of the nitrogen fertilizer that was spread. The production of nitrogen fertilizer is also energy intensive, which further increases the climate balance of unused nitrogen.

In contrast, the greenhouse gas CO2 can be stored long term as humus in the soil, and thus eliminated from the climate balance. "This can be achieved by planting legumes as part of a diversified crop rotation strategy," explains Professor Gerold Rahmann at the Thünen Institute. "Using soil less intensively and applying organic fertilizer also helps."

Topping the charts: organic versus conventional farming

Organic farming is more energy efficient and produces less land-specific CO2emissions. This advantage, however, is offset by the significantly lower yields achieved through organic farming practices. The pilot organic crop farms produce around twenty percent less emissions per yield unit than conventional holdings.

Organic dairy farms use more plant fodder grown on site and do not import soybean meal. This strategy pays off, according to Hülsbergen: "The pilot organic farms we looked at emit around 200 grams less CO2 per kilogram of milk than conventional farms with the same milk yield."

Most interestingly, the investigations show that yields and greenhouse gas emissions fluctuate significantly between different organic farms in some cases to an even greater extent than the fluctuations between organic and conventional holdings. This demonstrates that the individual know-how of farm managers plays an important role in the greenhouse gas balance and that there is significant potential for improvement at individual farms.

Putting theory into practice

This is the first time that a study has provided a 360-degree overview of climate-relevant factors impacting all emissions related to livestock and crop farming. "We have a workable model that will enable us to identify the causes of low energy efficiency and high greenhouse gas emissions," adds Hülsbergen. "We are now optimizing this model so that it can be used directly by climate change advisors in the agricultural sector."

More information on the study

The study was carried out from 2009 to 2012 as part of a collaborative project between TUM, the Thünen Institute, the University of Bonn, the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle Wittenberg and Bioland Beratung. The study is financed by Germany's Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and by the Federal Program for Organic Agriculture and Other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture (Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau und andere Formen nachhaltiger Landwirtschaft).

Organic farming needs direction to be sustainable

Large-scale organic farming operations, based on a review of almost a decade of data from 49 states, are not reducing greenhouse gas emissions, says a University of Oregon researcher.

The increasing numbers of commercialized organic operations -- which still make up just 3 percent of total agricultural lands -- appear to contribute to increased and more intense levels of greenhouse gases coming from each acre of farmland, reports Julius McGee, a doctoral student in the UO sociology department. His study appeared in the June issue of the journalAgriculture and Human Values.

While the findings appear troubling, McGee, a regular consumer of organic food, says the study really points to the need for a reassessment of where the organic-food movement wants to go and how to get there. He suggests stricter adherence to sustainability-driven farm practices and increased governmental oversight of the profit-motivated move toward upscale, certified organic production.

"The big questions are what are we are doing when we shift from conventional to organic production, and what are the environmental consequences," McGee said. "This study says that the organic farming industry is in the early stages. So far we don't see any mitigating effect on greenhouse gasses. We need to pay close attention to what processes in organic farming operations make them the sustainable alternative that we want them to be, and we are going to need to more strictly follow those."

The study used annual state-level data from 2000 to 2008 on organic and conventional agricultural greenhouse gases from all states but Louisiana. Alaska data were not available for the first two years. McGee also collected data on socioeconomic and agricultural indicators believed to influence industry growth trends. He then analyzed greenhouse gas emissions using a fixed-rate panel regression that allowed him to indirectly control for unseen variables.

The study does not rule out the possibility that large-scale organic operations eventually will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but, for now, McGee said, higher emissions are likely to continue unless actions are taken to correct course.

Organic farming emerged as early as the 1940s as localized alternatives to industrialized methods that were more ecological sound, more humane toward animals and less intensive on soil. The practice also was considered to be more effective at reducing the effects of climate change.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture initiated certification standards for organic production under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act in 1990, but as organic farming moved toward large corporate operations the use of USDA-recommended practices had declined. Recommendations include crop rotation best suited to local soils; organically derived pesticides and herbicides; locally produced composted and manure fertilizers; and mulch tillage.

As operations grow, McGee said, it takes more machinery to do the work. The trend, he noted, is for a focus on single rather than rotated crops, an increased use of organic pesticides and herbicides and the importing of manure-based fertilizers from other locations.

"We are not going to solve all these problems with technology," said McGee, whose doctoral research explores the development and environmental impacts of sustainable markets. "The issue of agriculture and climate change doesn't derive only from technology. Sure, that's part of it, but a lot of the issue is the social context in which we relate to food -- the idea that overproducing food at a level exceeding what we need -- for both forms of agricultural production."

FARMERS LAUNCH MICRO-FINANCE BANK

farmers ATM

Hitherto, farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector have often been snubbed by regular banks in matters that concern lines of credit for their businesses. However, to curtail this, the farmers have decided to take their destiny in their hands; they have launched a farmers’ micro-finance bank, called Joint Farmers Micro-finance Bank (JFMB) at Oyo town in Oyo State.

One of the founders and board members, Mr. Muideen Adekunle recalled that 187 cooperative societies decided, some years ago, to undertake this venture in order to serve farmers in Nigeria.

Adekunle, who is the Chairman of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) in Oyo State, said JFMB was first of its kind in the country, wholly owned by Nigerian farmers and dedicated to serve them and their agricultural projects.

He said that for now, branches of the bank, which is taking off in Oyo State, would be located in Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi and Abuja.

Adekunle urged farmers to buy shares in the new bank, as the bank would serve their interest and those of their children, who were to be employed as skilled personnel.

National President of NCGA, Mr Segun Adewumi lamented that in the past, some individuals had duped Nigerian farmers under the guise of registering them for fictitious loans and grants.

“We shall link the Joint Farmers Microfinance Bank to donors and the SME programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is presently delivering N220 billion loans for which two per cent interest rate is charged,” he assured.

Another board member, Dr James Ojebode said though the NCGA was a strong catalyst to the birth of the bank, it was a bank for farmers of different crops to benefit nationwide.

Ojebode urged NCGA members to lead the way by subscribing massively to the N100 million capital requirement of the CBN for the bank to take off fully.

In a message sent to the occasion, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi urged the farmers to do their best to sustain the new bank.

The Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi said the establishment of the microfinance bank was a great opportunity for Nigerian farmers and he urged them not to misuse it.

Ajimobi, who was represented by acting Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Gabriel Olusoji, said the farmers would become prosperous and agriculture would be fully developed with the establishment of the bank.

The Governor, who officially launched the bank, said it was coming at the right time as agriculture would now be the main pillar of the Nigerian economy with the crash in global prices of crude oil, Nigeria’s major export.

About 2,500 farmers and agricultural practitioners from Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi and Abuja graced the occasion.

With organic rice in demand, scientists to help farmers improve production

Organic rice is increasingly desired by U.S. consumers, but farmers know that growing the grain chemically free can mean providing a feast for insects, diseases and weeds. Now a multi-state team of scientists with a track record of battling pests is working toward the goal of making organic rice profitable for farmers and more available for consumers.

Dr. Shane Zhou is leading a $1 million study on organic rice farming.

Credit: Kathleen Phillips

Organic rice is increasingly desired by U.S. consumers, but farmers know that growing the grain chemically free can mean providing a feast for insects, diseases and weeds.

That's why the U.S. Department of Agriculture has put $1 million on a multi-state team of scientists with a track record of battling pests toward the goal of making organic rice profitable for farmers and more available for consumers. The grant also establishes the first Center of Excellence for organic rice research in the U.S.

"Organic rice is important to the U.S., and most of the organic rice acreage is located in the southern growing region and California," said Dr. Xin-Gen "Shane"" Zhou, Texas A&M AgriLife Research plant pathologist in Beaumont and project leader. "Organic rice acreage has increased to about 50,000 acres in the nation. In contrast, conventional rice acreage is on the decline.

"The organic market is growing, but U.S. farmers have not been able to keep up with the demand domestically."

While the price farmers receive for organic rice is nearly double what they get for conventionally grown rice, Zhou said, producing an adequate yield of quality rice organically is challenging.

"Very little research has been done on organic rice, and organic studies on other crops do not apply to rice because -- unlike other crops -- most of it is grown in flooded fields," he said. "That subjects rice to a different spectrum of disease, weeds and insect pests than dryland or irrigated crops."

Informal surveys to identify the issues affecting organic rice production were conducted in California, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas, he said, along with field days, workshops and meetings with farmers, millers and end-users. This helped the scientists identify nutrient management, pest control and rice varieties as the main needs to make organic rice production economically viable.

The team on the three-year study includes plant pathologists, breeders, crop nutrient managers, economists, weed scientists, entomologists and outreach specialists from Texas, Arkansas and Washington, D.C. Research on organic rice has been in progress at the AgriLife Research facility in Beaumont for at least five years, Zhou said, and results from those studies, along with some from other areas, will be parlayed into the new study.

"We developed this new proposal to further develop profitable methods for organic rice farmers," he said. "We surveyed organic farmers and found the major issues were weed control, nitrogen supply and stand establishment. In organic rice systems, we are not supposed to use any herbicides, chemical fertilizers, fungicides or insecticides, so that definitely causes a lot of stress for the organic farmers."

For example, farmers would like to use less nitrogen fertilizer, because organic fertilizers are much more expensive compared to conventional fertilizers. But applying organic nitrogen improperly can give the weeds a chance to grow and compete with rice plants, he explained.

Also, diseases not commonly found in conventional rice are more severe in the organic rice, Zhou added.

The research farm at Beaumont is suitable for the study, Zhou noted, because it met the criteria to be certified organic in 2012 and has been maintained as such since. The facility also houses a collection of rice cultivars and breeding lines from around the world that may be useful in finding the best varieties for organic production.

Zhou said the team plans to develop a strategy for organic rice production by the completion of the research and will develop a web-based economic analysis tool with interactive budgets to help farmers make decisions for their own organic rice production. They also will have on-farm demonstration trials in Texas, Missouri, Florida and South Carolina.

"We will have direct connection with organic rice farmers to show them what kind of management practices or tools they can use for managing pests and for yield increase," Zhou said.

"Rice is important to the world, and the acreage devoted to rice is really too small in the U.S. compared to the rice acreage in other countries. That's why the potential impact of this project is so important."

Anambra Partner UNDP to Boost Farming

Agriculure

The Anambra State Government in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has donated farming equipments and fund for improved seed worth about N5m to farmers in the state through 30 co-operative societies from different local government areas.

Speaking during a two-day scaling up Community Based Resilience Farming Practice for additional thirty women groups on Dry Season Farming, organised by the Anambra State Government, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Afam Mbanefo, who was represented by Deputy Director Agriculture, Mr. Jude Nwankwor, described dry season farming as very profitable because those practicing it monopolise the market.

Mbanefo maintained that the interventions are geared towards achieving Governor Willie Obiano’s vision of making Anambra State very sufficient in food production.

Lending his voice, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Mark Okoye, represented by the Director of Donor Agencies in the Ministry, Mr. Boniface Azi, said Governor Willie Obiano’s choice of making agriculture his number one developmental pillar has attracted donor agencies that want to support Agriculture from around the world and described the beneficiaries as privileged farmers.

He urged the beneficiaries to put the equipment into full use for optimum result.
Distributing the equipment and fund, the UNDP partnership Manager and Special Assistant to the Governor on Donor Agencies, Mrs. Nneka Onwudiwe, said the equipment and improved seed money were aimed at sustaining dry season farming to avoid food drought in the state.

AfDB Reveals Plan to Empower Women in Agriculture

female farmers

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a report that seeks to empower women to take the lead in agribusiness and agriculture value chain.

Speaking at the launch of the report titled: “Economic Empowerment of African Women through Equitable Participation in Agricultural Value Chains” in Abuja yesterday, the AfDB Country Director in Nigeria, Dr. Ousmane Dore, lamented that women got lesser returns despite contributing more in the agriculture sector
The report which was carried out by the office of the Special Envoy on Gender (SEOG) and the Department for Agriculture and Agro-industry (OSAN) and commissioned by the bank, mentioned Nigeria as Africa’s top producer of cassava with 53 million tons in 2013 – about 20 per cent of global cassava (approximately $16 billion in value), but only exported $1 million worth of cassava. It also identifies opportunities for women that can increase Africa’s competitiveness and participation in global value chains.

According to Dore, “Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world but that does not mean anything, if we don’t lift women out of poverty. I want us to be the largest processor of cassava in the world as well and this can be done by adding value to our products and moving women upwards the value chain.

“In Nigeria, women contribute close to 70 per cent of agricultural work force, yet, get far less of the accruing returns. Also, in spite of their huge labour investment, productivity is low, and they often have limited roles in decision making on farms, ownership of land and other productive assets due to existing social norms. This has significant negative impact on the family income and the nation’s GDP at large”.

The report highlights five major constraints that can limit women’s productivity and full inclusion into the agricultural economy to include lack of access to assets, lack of access to finance, limited training, gender –neutral government policy, and time constraints due to heavy domestic responsibilities.

The Director stated that the role of women is largely limited to the unskilled parts of production; few of them own the land on which they work, they are rarely remunerated for their labour and often does not control the income generated from the sale of agricultural produce.

“Our objective for commissioning the study was for the AfDB to play a decisive role in contributing to the economic empowerment of African women in agriculture. This event is a call for all our esteemed stakeholders to join forces in a discussion on how to take this work forward,” Dore said.

Also speaking, the Bank’s Special Envoy on Gender (SEOG), Geraldine Fraser Molekete said women’s presence in the agricultural labour force is significant at 50 per cent and produces 80 per cent of Africa’s food, noting that there is no better overlapping opportunity to support women’s economic empowerment and to strengthen a critical sector in the continent.

The study, jointly commissioned by the Office of the SEOG and the Bank’s Department for Agriculture and Agro industry, identifies opportunities for women in four sub-sectors mainly cocoa, coffee, cotton and cassava sectors in Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

According to the report, the sectors account for $43 billion in production and $12 billion in export value across the focus countries. “They present opportunities to expand the export market share by improving processing techniques and integrating production into regional and global value chains.” Women can seize the opportunities if backed by the right policies, technologies, training, and access to finance.” the report indicates.

Furthermore, the Chairperson of the National Federation of Croppers Cooperatives, Irié Lou Colette, said in Côte d’Ivoire – Africa’s largest cocoa producer, generating one third of the world’s cocoa – land is available, but women do not have the right training and appropriate funding to modernize agricultural systems.

The same facilitation is required for Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Nigeria which are Africa’s largest producers of coffee, cotton and cassava, respectively.

Challenges and opportunities of reporting on Agricultural value chain crops- By Ayeni Oladehinde- Publisher/Editor, Food Farm Newspaper

ABSRACT

This paper presentation is aimed at identifying challenges and opportunities in reporting agricultural value chain crops to all stakeholders with to researchers, farmers, processors, input providers, service provider, transporters, foreign donors, government and financial institutions.

Introduction

One of the functions of the media is to inform the citizens about local and foreign affairs. As a result of this role most people tend to rely on media as their major source of news. 

The history of agricultural reporting has been with us since the time immemorial right from human creation as it was stated in the holy bible in Genesis chapter 2 verse 8 that “ the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he created”. 

Despite this divine ordinances given by our creator, man has not maximally harnessed the given opportunity in the sector which is very obvious in all the facets of the sector with evidence of poor funding cum other associated challenges which does not spare the appropriate reporting of agricultural value chain crops as the sector is big enough to sustain accommodate it if so desired.

There is no doubt that Agriculture is being relegated on the development agenda despite the promises and rhetoric from governments worldwide, investment in agriculture and rural development is still lagging just as communication of the sector is also not seen as a major priority at either national or international levels thereby constraining the role of the journalist as an effective player in agricultural and rural development, or is being undervalued.

Reporting on agriculture is largely restricted to natural disasters, food shortages and rising food prices because it seems to tandem with breaking news natures of mainstream media’s demand. However, I believe the media has a potentially broader role in raising the profile of agriculture amongst decision-makers as well as the wider public and farmers in particular along the value chains of crops and even animal production. 

Although there are some level of variances at the challenges and opportunities that are available to agricultural reporting from one country to another as this cannot be totally ruled out just like individual’s differences.

In line with this topic, it may not be out of place to remind ourselves who is an agricultural reporter for proper appropriation of his or her challenges and opportunity especially in the reporting of the value chains of this sector.

Who is a reporter?

According to Wikipedia a reporter is type of journalist who researches, writes and reports based on information from sources, interviews and research engagement as the case may be. 

The information gathering aspect of a journalist’s job is sometime called reporting as there are ethics and standards that reporters are required to exhibit in carrying out their reporting activities which includes-objectivity and unbiased story. 

What are media platform available for agricultural reporting?

1.                Electronic-: radio, television, social media (twitters, face book, instagram, blog, Youtube, Linkedlin, skype, drone i.e using robots to cover events. etc.

2.                Print Media- Daily publications, Farm News papers or magazine, fliers, newsletters, posters, billboards etc

In all of these, the dynamics of technologies availability is very germane to reporting agriculture especially in the face of food security with the youth engagement in agriculture cum dwindling prices of crude oil every day as finding has revealed that radio platform, newspaper and specialized papers are mostly preferred in information dissemination to farmers.

Challenges

1.                 Lack of skill to properly report agriculture as it is supposed to be from the holistic point of view where various stakeholders at the crops value chains are given fair consideration - Scientists or Researchers, farmers, processors, inputs providers, and marketing, donor agencies, financial institutions etc. how many special publication do we have on each value chain crops-like groundnut voice or G/N news. 

2.                Most stakeholders in the sector do not have enough confidence in journalists for the fear of being quoted out of context even when such reporter is skillful.

3.                Most agricultural projects do not always make budget provision for journalists’ honourarian because some developmental partners believe they are doing you  favour by giving out information as they see it as free service forgetting a reporter too has financial obligations to meet.

4.                There are many hotline news contending with agricultural news which always lead to dropping some of the sector’s news especially when there are breaking news at the main stream media.

5.                Agricultural sector is not properly structured especially at the rural level for a reporter to easily get information that will enhance his report. Emphasis is concentrated at the top why there is neglect at where local production of agricultural produce is coming from.

6.                The challenges are more on specialized agricultural publications like Food Farm News as both public and private stakeholders that suppose to embrace and see the medium as effective communication tool never see the green light opportunity as maximally expected but few do see the opportunity whereas in Uganda, the use of specialized agricultural publication has increased the reporting of the sector. 

7.                 The public sector of Agriculture always frowns at any report or news that did not soothe their organization thereby forgetting the standards and ethics expected of a reporter. Many information officers go to the extent of refusing to invite such reporter to any of their function as way of showing their resentment. 

A       Alternatively in such occasion a rejoinder may have better solved the issue that is if there is any. For example,  David Mowbray, BBC World Service Trust, United Kindom at the 2009 annual seminar of Centre for Technical Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) submitted that “journalist’s job is not to be the public relations tool of the development organization, of the Ministry of Agriculture or of the farmers' organization, rather the journalist's job is to find and tell good stories and if people don't understand that distinction they are never going to be satisfied with what journalists do”.

8.                Reporters are being short- changed by information managers of many organizations especially the government officials at MDAs at any slightest opportunity (through editing).

Low remuneration affects journalists’ morale which is being occasionally complimented by rewards from stakeholders. For example a political beat reporter is more buoyant than any science based reporter. Daniel Aghan, Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture, Kenya  said that when a journalist goes to a farmer he is paid less than US$10 for his story.

Yet a politician somewhere is waiting for him in a very posh hotel, he is going to buy him a drink, he is going to give him taxi home, he is going to give him some money for the family. Why will he chase after farmers?

There are little or no availability of much information materials about agricultural activities thereby making it compulsory for a reporter to personally generate news. Most states and national libraries have little or no much material.

Conflicting roles of MDAs coupled misplacement of some agencies in a ministry when they are actually supposed to be. For example NACGRAB in the Ministry of science should have     been better placed under agric for easy connectivity by the any reporters.

  Language barrier- there many situations when a reporter will have to look for an interpreter who one may not really get the exact message they way one would have understood.

  

   Incompetency of the many information of communication officers of MDAs as regards dynamics of reporting the value chain agricultural sector.

      

 Discrimination against media organization

Opportunities for agric reporters

In the face of the aforementioned, one cannot but agree that there are bound to be benefits for a reporter who is ready to pay the prize  as there is no opportunity without a challenge.

1.                Reporting of agricultural news will expand the marketing frontier of any electronic and prints media in terms of advertisement from the stakeholders, and this will be an edge over those who give the sector no reporting attention, just as special report on a particular crop value chain can be carried out at a cost. For example during the 50^th celebration in 2010, food farm news made a special edition for challenges and achievement of the country where some Research Institutes were feature at a cost.

2.                There is high tendency for business opportunity to undaunted journalists as agricultural revolution in Nigeria and other African countries is already going through repositioning that a reporter in the sector may soon be enjoying like any other sector. For example in Nigeria, the sector is day by day expanding as the country has potential for exportable produce that are not yet optimized. For example in UK farming contributes over nine billion pounds to the economy. Food and drink is her largest manufacturing sector, the whole supply chain is worth nearly 100 million pound employing four million people.

3.                Reporters stand the chances of being given consultancy service as media communication on the course of reporting this sector, I have been privileged to enjoy this opportunity as country communication representative, FAO Nigeria on CountryStat of which is aimed at synchronizing the agricultural produce data from the local, states and Federal Government in a well harnessed way without contraction. Nigeria today is signatory. It was a well paid service. 

M      Many reporter have been sponsor for one training on the other Nationally or Internationally. 

4.                You meet reliable people - researchers, scientists, farmers, processors and producers of drinks and foods

Conclusion

The level of agricultural reporting in the country can be enhanced if especially the stakeholders who are the owners of this information are ready to see the media as development partners and not just being seen as special invitees during a launch or release of any new materials. But rather involving them like the case of the Avian Influenza outbreak in 2007 where Nigeria was well adjudged best in the world in the fight against H5N1 spread at the time.

FAO Applauds Nigeria’s Agricultural Revolution

FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for its commitment to revolutionalising agriculture in the country.

The commendation was given recently by an expert on Market Linkages and Value Chains Group Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division of the FAO, Ms Allison Loconto, during her trip to a five-day 3rd African Organic Agricultural Conference held in Lagos State.

Loconto, who reaffirmed that the government of Nigeria has made a lot of commitment in turning around its agricultural sector, stated that it is in this regard FAO has been working with various organs of government in Nigeria to improve agriculture productivity.

She said one of the research projects the FAO has been working on in Nigeria is in collaboration with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

The visiting expert, who explains that the project involves developing organic agriculture curriculum which is being integrated into the system for bachelor’s degree, reiterated that both students and lecturers under the project have been working with small farm communities around the university to do farm experimentation and to engage the communities in organic practices.

Loconto further noted that from FAO’s point of view, the investment in research and participatory training can help to build the agriculture sector, adding that in this way, the government can provide opportunities for future farmers to have the type of knowledge necessary to boost food production.

Speaking on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Loconto who stressed that the current research efforts will embrace organic agriculture and also enhance the farmers’ knowledge about how to do agriculture more sustainably, said that FAO as a UN organisation was also playing a pivotal role to make the goals realizable.

She further stated that a number of these goals actually have to do with food and agriculture system and so, FAO has just done a re-organisation at the national levels and throughout its decentralized system.

“There are five strategic objectives which FAO is working out to reach the 17 SDGs; these strategic objectives are focused on alleviating hunger and making agriculture system more sustainable, reducing poverty, ensuring that food systems are inclusive and efficient and building resiliency among others”, Loconto said.

Meanwhile, the expert, during the five day conference pledged continued supports to African countries in creating economically and efficient food system through ecological organic agriculture.

She emphasized that FAO have to make series of changes to the agriculture system to make them more sustainable, so the institution is looking at agricology and ecological agriculture as one of the ways to reduce the negative environmental impact and the pressure on the environment.

“We are working towards creating socially sound and economically sound efficient food systems by supporting the agricology and ecological organic agriculture practice which is currently being focused on” Loconto said.

According to her, Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) is relatively new within FAO programme on plant production and protection but it has been gaining support.

FG Makes Farming Attractive To Youths

youth farmers

As part of plans to tackle unemployment amongst the Nigerian youth, the Federal Government has designed a scheme – Commercial Farmers Training Project (CFTP) – that will enable youths in the country embrace farming.

The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, who disclosed this at the inauguration of the scheme in Ogun State said the project, would afford youths the opportunity to embrace farming as a means of livelihood after acquiring skills at the NDE agriculture training centres nationwide.

Mohammed, who was represented by the State Coordinator, NDE, Mr. Femi Oyenekan, explained that the youths would form a cooperative group after training and run the project for a year.

He said the 100 beneficiaries in Ogun State, which includes school leavers, would undergo a month experiential training in poultry and market garden crop production at the NDE training centre in Odomefi, Ijebu East Local Government Area.

“The Commercial Farmers Training Project will afford our youths the opportunity to embrace farming as a means of livelihood. They will get modern farming skills and techniques at the NDE agriculture training centres nationwide and thereafter, form a cooperative group in 12 selected states.

“The trainee farmers will run the viable project for a year to enhance sustainable employment and linkage with a collaborating bank for start-up capital.” the Director General said.

Also speaking, the head of the state Rural Employment Promotion, Dr. Olusegun Akinremi, said the trainee farmers would be taught ways of accessing start-up capital with ease from any bank, accessing insurance back-up from the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Cooperation and other benefits from agencies of government.

Look beyond Oil, Embrace Agric – Says Women Group

female farmer

The Federal Government of Nigeria has been called upon to look beyond oil and embrace agriculture and its employment potentials, by supporting rural farmers across the country.

The President, Zontal Club Ibadan, Prof. Olufunke Egunjobi who made the call during the group’s visit to Akufo farming community in Ibadan said it was surprising that while many smaller nations earned huge foreign earnings and derived employment for its people in agriculture, Nigeria, with a favourable arable land, millions of willing farmers, had failed to invest in the sector.

While donating a solar/biomass hybrid dryer to the farmers, Egunjobi said, “This gesture is according to the mandate of the club to empower women through service and advocacy. In Nigeria and other parts of Africa, women are known to constitute between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of the rural farmers who produce the food we eat.

“These women remain strapped to the old traditional processing and preservation methods of our forefathers. But the mechanised way of drying farm produce will enhance the hygienic way of preserving our food.

“We have a lot to gain from agriculture if our government can visit the rural farmers and fashion out a realistic and functional way of helping them grow their crops, harvest them and preserve their yield. We can drive employment through agriculture because it is the largest employer of labour throughout the world.” she noted.

The chairman of the occasion, who is the Aare Alaasa of Ibadan land, High Chief Lekan Alabi, said with the falling crude oil price in the global market, there was the need to review government’s interest in agriculture.

Alabi noted that several factors hindered farmers’ access to aids and grants from the government. He however, thanked the women’s group – whose members are accomplished women drawn from business and other professions – for its interest in the life and work of the rural farmers.