Editorial- Repositioning Agric through the states and local governments

The present state of Agricultural development will escalate if the strategy for its drives is not repositioned to be majorly championed by the bottom-top approach whereby the local and state governments are more responsive to initiating and driving the policies of their own considering the law of comparative demand advantages before embarking on production.

For now, the present agricultural development progress towards food security can be largely attributed to the Federal Government policy most of the time, and upon this, the achievement recorded cannot be equated to what is being obtained when the regional approach to agricultural development are fully deployed with cocoa synonymous to the Western region, groundnut to the North and palm oil to the East with maximum local and export earnings to the nation’s economic development. However if this tempo has been maintained, most of the arguments put up in defense to the present arrangement of agricultural development may have not scored any point as each states and local government would have developed a standard model capable of checkmating any challenge with more financial investment in the sector.

The present arrangement where the Federal Government is always taking the lead in any agricultural programme of the entire nation may not be realistic to create the anticipated result of job creation and food security as often  times diverse policies between the tripartite stakeholders is always at the detriment of rural farmers. 

It is obvious that agriculture is expected to be run in a concurrent manner whereby the sector will be funded both by the local, states and federal government, but most of the time the overcrowded dominance appearance of the apex government always make some of the  states and local government shack in the their responsibilities to agricultural development.

In the face of the dwindling oil price in the world market, Nigerians especially at the local and states’ levels should begin to ask questions on how budget meant for agricultural development are spent through their policy templates as doing this will ensure more positive impact on the sector in the lives of people especially at the rural areas.  

At the last year local government official meeting held in Abuja, the officials complained about the total neglect of the sector despite the much contribution of the federal government through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) saying nothing is happening at the local governments where the impact supposed to have been properly felt as more importantly most of them do not have a defined policy direction of their own for agricultural development thereby making it difficult to do any tangible things in this regards.

In our bid to ensure maximum food security, the state and local government authorities must be ready to embark on comprehensive agricultural programme of production, processing and global marketing thereby reducing the overcrowded  responsibility of the federation government to food security being well complimented by the other arms of governments in a comparative advantageous ways.

Typha grass, a threat to farming says JASCO GM

The assignment focus was on irrigation rice harvest using modern mechanization of tractor provision by the Jigawa government through “ Jagawa Agricultural Supply Company Limited (JASCO)” but the sight of typha grass expansion in this farming ecology strikes a sound of food insecurity to us  if necessary actions are not  taken by the appropriate authority, and this has prompted this reporter to take a reportrage look on the issue. In these excerpts, the General Manager, JASCO, Alhaji Hassan Idris Girbobo told food farms news measures that are necessary for curbing its spread.

Excerpts

How can you describe the genesis of this dangerous grass to crops cultivation in this ecology?

The issue of typha grass is a long history, initially we do not have this grass until it comes into our land ecology through cross border pollution, birds and winds. If you look at the nature of seeds of typha grass, they are so light to be easily carried by winds  to a longer distance. It came through the Northern part of Sahara desert through rural rivers where we have the flood base. Other sources are through the birds that migrate from the Eastern Europe as they carry some of these seeds along with them dispersing them along our land ecology because during the winter most of these birds do come down here especially where we have the forest reserves and the seeds can spread so rapidly within a twinkling of an eye covering large expanse of land.

What can be done to save the farming land from being totally overtaken by this typha grass?

Exactly, effort is on going to control its spread as the Federal Government is doing her own through its ministry of Environment; the state government is also doing its own through the ministry of water resources, also at the community level, farmers are doing their best through community effort to eradicate these grasses.

Sir, with what I am seeing, do you think all these eradication effort are positively checkmating the high expansion rate of this grass especially in the face of the Federal government irrigation farming so as to ensure all year round food production to reduce import?

Well, it may seem not enough but we have to intensify more effective policy that surrounds the environmental degradation because it is the responsibility of the ministry of environment as the farmers are the most beneficiary of good environment especially when it comes to farming because an improved environment will enhance productivity. So farmers are taking the bull by the horn to ensure that the grass do not overtake their cultivated lands, but certainly their effort cannot exterminate this grass because the resistance  nature of the typha grass is hard to destruction due to its weed characteristics. You see, one of the characteristics of typha grass is its hardy nature, and in all the weeds we have, rhizomatous weeds are the most dangerous. What I mean by this is that these weeds have rhizome that can easily occupy land without being seen even when you cut the grass on the surface of the ground because it has a lot of waters and food stored in the rhizome and it can easily sprout and keep growing, so it is very difficult to control unless if you can use highly strong systemic herbicide

Do we have the herbicide?

We have it but the methodology that is needed for its application is very technical because farmers have to be trained on how to use it for effective result on the grass. You have to apply technically to allow entrance of the chemical into its root for total destruction through the rhizome. This is essential to curb its explosive spread which can devastate an agricultural ecology in this part of the North.

What’s involved in growing a successful carrot crop

 

Carrots are one of the UK’s most important root vegetables, with around 700,000t produced annually and year-round availability of home-grown produce in many retailers.
But, like other sectors, production is increasingly concentrated among fewer, larger-scale growers, who are better able to spread the cost of growing a crop which requires significant specialist kit.

Growing the crop

Seed-bed preparation for carrots has a lot in common with potatoes and a similar need for irrigation means the two are often grown in the same rotation.
A de-stoned or de-cloded tilth is required with a loose depth of soil which, according to the British Carrot Association, is usually 50-75mm deeper than the required length of the carrot – a depth of 250-300mm is typically needed.

Drilling with a suitable precision drill is essential to ensure crop uniformity, the BCA says.
Cover crops, such as barley, are widely used to prevent wind erosion from exposed soils after drilling, continues Mr Hinds. “Carrots are typically only sown 15mm deep so there’s very little soil covering the seed. Barley is sown at the same time as carrots to cover ground quickly and reduce the risk of wind blow.”
However, it is vital any cover crop is sprayed-off before it starts competing with carrots, he says. “This is usually when the barley is at the six-leaf stage and carrots are at one true leaf.”

Most growers apply a nematicide (Vydate – oxamyl) at drilling to control free-living nematodes, although biological control agents based on garlic extract or Bacillus firmus bacteria have future potential, he notes.
Reducing early crop competition with a robust post-emergence herbicide programme for a broad spectrum of weeds is key, alongside an insecticide for carrot fly and aphids.

Maincrop fungicide programmes typically run from mid-July to September, with alternaria and sclerotinia being the main disease targets. Insecticides are often included for both aphid and carrot fly control and spray intervals are typically around 14 days, says Mr Hinds.

UK carrot market

• Area: 11,117ha
• Production: 696,000t
• Value: £132m
• Imports: 55,700t
• Exports: 22,400t
• Total supply: 729,000t

Source: Defra Horticultural Statistics (2013)

There are no issues with fungicide resistance, but spray coverage can be a challenge when crops fall over and some growers clip sides of beds to open air flow up at this stage, he notes.

Cavity spot threat increasing

Perhaps the biggest threat to UK carrot production is the soil-borne disease cavity spot, a problem caused by pythium species and exacerbated by close rotations in a similar way to many cereal and oilseed diseases.
“We are seeing more cavity spot problems, especially where carrots have been grown in the rotation before,” says Mr Hinds, who points out the main variety grown in the UK, Nairobi, accounts for around 80% of production and is quite susceptible to cavity spot.

“Early-lifted carrot crops harvested before infection begins need at least a six to seven-year break and maincrop carrots need even longer, but everyone is running out of fresh ground.”
Current management relies on partially resistant varieties and just one chemical option based on metalaxyl-M, he says. “That’s typically applied soon after emergence and often has to protect crops through to the following year.”

On average, 10% of production is lost to cavity spot each year, adds Tim Lacey from Bayer CropScience. He believes integrated crop management with chemical control alongside cultural methods such as rotation, varietal resistance and new biological control agents is key to future control of cavity spot and other carrot problems, such as sclerotinia.

The company is developing a number of biological control products which can perform as well as standard chemistry as part of integrated programmes, he says.
Serenade ASO, for example, is based on a bacteria strain called Bacillus subtilis QST 713, which is incorporated pre-drilling and colonises the developing carrot root, out-competing pathogens, providing direct anti-fungal and anti-bacterial action and also triggering the plant’s natural defences.
Four UK trials and two Dutch trials found cavity spot control was comparable to or better than metalaxyl-M, while the product also performed equally well when substituted for part of a chemical programme against sclerotinia, he says.

Herbicides under threat

The lack of available herbicides for specialist crops such as carrots is another major challenge and one exacerbated by EU reviews of active ingredients, says Yorkshire-based grower Guy Poskitt, whose business produces over 50,000t of carrots a year from farms across the UK.
Volunteer potatoes are a particular issue and there is only limited potential for cultural control, he notes.
Mr Hinds says one of the biggest threats is the potential loss of linuron from 2017. “It’s one of the main herbicides for carrot growers and there’s not really anything else in the armoury for volunteer potato control.”
Fewer herbicide options may force growers to rely on more cultural control methods such as hoeing, band and spot spraying, he says.

Mr Poskitt says another big challenge is balancing production against demand, especially when carrot yields can vary by 20-25%. Maincrop Nairobi, which accounts for 60-70% of his carrot area typically yields 40-45t/acre, but drought or early frosts can have a big impact.
Some 90% of his carrots are grown on irrigated land, which brings the added challenge of dealing with tightening abstraction licencing, he notes.

“Carrot growers take on a lot of risk for quite limited reward.”

Farmers condemn FG tractorization programme

The supposedly private sector driven tractorization programme of the Federal Government has been totally condemned and under-rated by farmers for lack of transparency as access to the 590 newly purchased tractors by the ministry could not be possible. 

Many of the farmers who spoke under anonymity wanted to know where the hiring centres of the tractors are located across the federation adding the procurement process by the ministry has contravened the initial plan of the private- sector driven hallmark of the minister, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had as at last year ordered the release of 590 unit of tractors, 500 power tillers and post harvest equipment to support farming as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture made available the sum of N4.5billion through the Bank of Agriculture to procure these equipment through about six incorporated companies at outrageous contract rate.

The initial plan according to Food Farms News finding was that the tractorization programmme will be private sector driven as government officials will provide an enabling environment with provision of financial support to the private sector hiring enterprises that would be deposit in the banks where all the transaction process will take place until the whole process was changed by the ministry over night as against to what the minister promised the sector.  

Already many farmers have complained that the cost of tractor is higher than the open market price and the percent of deposit for the up take was too on the high side thereby condemning the whole process.

 A massage to the minister on this issue c0ould not receive response as his special assistant on media, Dr Oyeleye told us that he will direct us to the man in charge of mechanization but which  he never did.

Bird Flu Spreads to Iowa Turkey Flock

Scientists believe domestic poultry are getting the highly-contagious H5N2 virus from wild migratory waterfowl.

A bird-flu strain that has already led to the deaths of nearly 2 million turkeys nationwide spread to an Iowa turkey farm, authorities said on Tuesday, bringing to six the number of states hit with the outbreak that was also confirmed at eight more farms in Minnesota.

The announcements on Tuesday came a day after confirmation of the first case of the virus in Wisconsin, the first case of a U.S. commercial chicken farm where the strain was detected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Scientists believe domestic poultry are getting the highly-contagious H5N2 virus from wild migratory waterfowl but they are puzzled by the accelerating spread despite reinforced biosecurity measures at poultry production and processing facilities. The outbreak has prompted some 40 countries to impose import restrictions on U.S. poultry.

The Iowa farm is in Buena Vista County housing some 27,000 turkeys, said Iowa Department of Agriculture spokesman Dustin Vande Hoef. The disease was suspected when an abnormally high number of turkeys began dying. The farm is under quarantine and the turkeys will be destroyed.
The confirmation at eight additional infected turkey farms in the nation's biggest producing state of Minnesota brings the state's total to 22 farms and nearly 1.5 million turkeys lost to the disease. Minnesota raises around 46 million turkeys a year. State Veterinarian Bill Hartmann said he expects more farms to be hit before the threat recedes.

Animal health officials have long said the virus is dangerous to all commercial poultry. Iowa has 130 turkey farms raising 11 million turkeys a year. The state also is the nation's leading egg producer with more than 59 million egg layers but no chicken flocks in Iowa have been infected.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a notice on Monday that Canadian officials added Iowa to the list of states prohibited from exporting raw poultry products.
"I think it is important to note there's no human health consequence to any of the previously found avian influenza outbreaks in the upper Midwest nor do we expect that here," said Randy Olson, Iowa Poultry Association's executive director.

Iowa Turkey Federation executive Gretta Irwin said food is safe. No birds from infected farms make it into the food supply since they're destroyed and composted on the farm. Poultry is tested for influenza before it leaves the farm for slaughter, she said.

Commercial turkey flocks in Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota have confirmed cases of the H5N2 strain in turkeys in addition to Iowa and Minnesota. Counting turkeys killed by the disease and those destroyed or soon to be killed to stop its spread, about 1.8 million birds have been lost in the Midwest or approaching 1 percent of the 235 million turkeys produced in the U.S. last year.
Seven of the newly affected Minnesota farms are contract growers for or owned by Jennie-O Turkey Store, a division of Hormel Foods Corp, the company said. The virus has now hit 14 Jennie-O facilities, costing the company over 1.1 million turkeys.

The virus was confirmed in a commercial chicken flock in Wisconsin on Monday affecting 200,000 birds. Cases also have been found in commercial poultry flocks in Ontario and British Columbia in Canada.
Scientists haven't found hard evidence yet of the link to wild fowl. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr said Tuesday that tests on fecal samples of wild birds his researchers have collected near infected farms have all come back negative so far.
The virus also has been found in backyard birds in several states including Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

A different strain of the virus, H5N8 has been identified in chickens and turkeys in California.
Bird flu viruses also have been confirmed in wild birds including falcons in Idaho, Missouri, Montana, and Washington.

Stakeholders brainstorm on the way forward for seed sector

The strategic nature of seed industry to agricultural development in the country has necessitated the brainstorming sessions of experts and stakeholders towards better repositioning of the sub sector through better policy regulation.

In his address the Acting Director-General (DG) of National Agricultural Council (NASC) Dr. Olusegun Ojo, the chief convener of the meeting enumerated some of the progress his organization has recorded towards the agricultural transformation agenda of the federal government through ensuring certified seeds to farmers under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) saying there is leap in the total quantity of seed used by farmers from 4,260mt in 2011 to 149,800 in 2013 cum more accreditation of private seed companies from 36 to 80.  

Dr. Ojo also identified some of the challenges in the sector as dearth of plant breeders, seed technologists, inadequate seed testing facilities and infrastructure for seed processing, storage and handling, slow development and promotion of hybrid in most crops and lack of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) to encourage private plant breeders to develop and release new varieties were highlighted.

However the way forward were suggested through several papers delivered by different experts from relevant organizations and institutions totaling twenty one (21) technical papers of six (6) Lead papers and 15 technical ones presented at three sessions covering the areas of Seed Policy, Cultivar Development and Maintenance, Quality Seed Production and Marketing/ Distribution to farmers and Financing of the Seed Sub-sector.

 In a final communiqué made available to us after the retreat the stakeholders observed the scarcity of plant breeders and seed technologists in the nation’s seed system thereby suggesting that more recruitment exercise should be conducted to fill this gap with NASC embarking on both formal and informal trainings for all the players in the sector adding that several crops varieties have been released which are not in use

Other challenges observed are non use of the DUS software by many of the Breeders of the research Institutes that will facilitate varietal registration and release coupled ineffectiveness of the licensing agreement between the Research Institutes and the Seed Companies.

The non observance of the harmonized ECOWAS Seed Rules for cross border trade due to certification procedures amongst the ECOWAS states was also identified as challenge militating against the sector with lack of appropriate legislation for intellectual property right/plant protection in agricultural sector.

Both inadequate agro dealer processing facilities and net work marketing distribution were great challenge of the private sector with NASC also lacking sufficient processing machines.

However the following recommendation were made for the repositioning of the sector which includes:

1.      The training and recruitment of more plant breeders and seed technologists should be addressed through Formal and Informal Training. NASC in collaboration with relevant organizations should organize annual vocational training for various categories of personnel in the seed industry.

2.      The publication of crop descriptors/characteristics of prominent varieties (recently released and in use) should be expedited by the NASC.

3.      Released varieties should be adequately maintained while the older varieties which are not in use should be kept as germplasm.

4.      Seed companies should actively interact with releasing institutes to promote and commercialize newly released and better performing varieties.

5.      There should be increased and sustained funding for research and development for the various activities in the seed value chain.

6.      The National Variety Release Committee should ensure that DUS software is made compulsory as a step to be followed before a variety is developed and released.

7.      Need to review the licensing agreement for clarity and ensure trust for the growth of the Seed Industry.

8.      The Governing Board of the National Agricultural Seeds Council should be constituted to strengthen the implementation of the seed policy.

 .      Relevant Legislation for IPR/Plant Variety Protection should be put in place.

 

1.  Seed companies need to develop their own Agro-dealer networks independent of GES in order to reach farmers more directly. Seed companies should be assisted to develop the capacity of the present input dealers thus developing them to network that will sustainably handle seed distribution.

1.  There should be increased synergy between private and public sectors to promote adoption and utilization of improved seeds and hybrids in order to create demand.

1.  The Seed Retreat appreciated the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for giving approval to the National Agricultural Seeds Council to organize the National Seed Retreat.

I-80 Planting Tour Western Iowa: Farmers In Need Of A Dry-Down

As we continue our annual trek across The Corn Belt, our next stop along Interstate-80 is in Western Iowa. Much of that part of the state could stand for a nice spring shower.

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Farmers in Western Iowa said two weeks ago, conditions were a little wet but ideal. Now those farmers are saying we need heat and a good dry-down. 

Don’t let this wind deceive you. Farmers in Western Iowa say they still need a dry-down.
“We’ve got plenty of moisture. We can stand to go without for a while,” said Odebolt, Iowa farmer, Matt Raasch. 

Odebolt, Iowa farmer Matt Raasch has been playing catch-up this spring. A wet fall and early frost prevented him from getting field work done last year.
“We left some ruts and tracks in the field with combines we didn’t like to see. We had to get the crop out. That’s where we’re catching up and having to do some tillage we normally woudn’t,” said Raasch.
Now he hasn’t been able to do field work like this for about a week, due to a half-inch of rain and even three inches of snow. 

"I always have this date in my mind when I want to go but that never works out. So we go by conditions and when we're ready to go," said Raasch.
He says the snow has since melted. There’s still field work to be done, but he has high hopes of rolling the planter at the end of the week. About two hours South, Randolph, Iowa farmer Julius Schaff is also needing heat and a dry-down. 

“If there’s a mud ball like that, it’s just entirely too wet to plant,” said Schaff.
On top of this, Schaff has received about 3-quarters of rain. That’s a different story than what he saw last spring. 

"Conditions were dry when we started last year. We were concerned what the season had to hold because we didn't have a wet spot anywhere," said Schaff. 
The no-till farmer says he is holding back from planting too early. Last year’s late frost still stings. "That frost we had last year, that's still pretty fresh in our mind. Even though we did had good yields, it was tough to watch," said Schaff. 

Schaff applied most of his fertilizer last fall. If the conditions are right, he hopes to start up next week.
"Last year we were concerned about dryness. This year, it's different because we have a full re-charge of moisture," said Schaff. 

Both farmers say they don’t want to risk predicting the markets, so they’re sticking to their crop rotations.
“We've stuck with the same rotation as normal, pretty much corn going back to soybeans and vice versa," said Raasch. 

"This year is a little bigger soybean year but it's not by design. That's the way our rotation is," said Schaff.
A spring they may not be used to as these farmers play the waiting game to get in the fields. Next week, we will continue our I-80 Planting Tour to the other side of the Hawkeye State, talking to producers and checking on conditions there as well.