IAR renames cropping scheme, holds annual meeting March 28th-30

Executive Director of the institute, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar

The Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Samaru, ABU, Zaria has changed the popularly known Cropping Scheme to Annual Research Review and Planning Meeting, and this year’s maiden edition under this new name will come up between March 28^th-30 while the Zonal REFILs follows immediately.

SARD-SC project: Can Africa be sufficient in wheat production?

Wheat

Between 27^th February -2nd March, African countries in Sub- Saharan of West Africa participating in the wheat production under the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) came together under the coordination of ICARDA to take a stock of impact of the wheat project towards ensuring food security and checkmating annual import bill of 50 billion dollar annually in Africa with Nigeria alone spending 4 billion.

Senate queries FMARD on budget performance, demands answer to fifty questions.

Sen. BUKOLA ABUBAKAR SARAKI

* Perm Sec transferred, allegedly for incompetence

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) management team under the leadership of the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh was tongue-lashed by the senate committee on agriculture with many questions on why the ministry has refused to spend 2016 appropriation to ensuring agricultural production to the benefit of small scales farmers. 

Survey Finds Most Tanzanians Go Hungry, Despite Government Denials

Tanzanian President John Magufuli

Tanzanian President John Magufuli has accused opposition politicians of fomenting a "fake" hunger crisis

Most Tanzanians have experienced hunger in the past three months, with food shortages most severe in drought-hit rural areas, a countrywide survey found, despite government denials of a food crisis.

FG imports grass from Cameroon, spends N 96million on grazing reserves

grass

*NAPRI dissociate self from grass importation

Nigerians especially the farmers who have suffered farm destruction running to millions of naira occasioned by cattle searching for pastures have demanded to know the state of Federal Government’s effort in her insisted bid to import improved seed varieties for grasses multiplication to feed animals in the country.

Anchor borrower programme faces challenges of loan recovery

Godwin Emefiele, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor.

*only N600 m out of N14 billion recovered

The Central Bank of Nigeria may have recorded a very low repayment of N14 billion loan given to cooperative farmers under the 2015 dry season Anchor programme that was launched by President Mohammudu Buhari at Kebbi state .

National Farmers’ Day celebrations tied to Buhari’s Health

President Mohammadu Buhari

What should have been the biggest of all agricultural events in the history of farmers in Nigeria may have been kept on hold until the return of President Mohammadu Buhari who went to Britain on medical vacation since 19th January and recently returned on the 10th March.

As soil science Act is signed...what are the expectations?

soil

The soil science bill presented to the National Assemble almost a decade ago by the Association under the Leadership of Prof. Victor Chude has finally been passed into law by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo among five others last week.

“NAPRI has the capacity to meet our animal feeds need in Nigeria” says Prof. Joshua Amodu

NAPRI

Professor Joshua T. Amodu is a Feed and Nutrition specialist at the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Zaria. In the wake of grazing reserve and grass importation controversy Food farm news sought him out to know the reaction of NAPRI on the issue. He was unambiguous in dissociating NAPRI from the grass controversy. Excerpts.

Farmers in Sahel Learn Ways to Avoid Drought Disaster

drought

"We have some very good practices in the region. We just need support to scale them up"

Seydou Walaga, a grey-haired farmer in western Niger, lifts the hatch of his grain silo, a round hut made of sticks and straw, to reveal piles of sorghum and millet.