The Positive Impact of ATA on food reserve in Nigeria- highlight by Dr. Jide Olumeko, Director, Food and Strategic Reserve Department (FSRD), Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development.

The Food and Strategic Grains Reserves Department of the National Agricultural Storage Programme which was launched by the Federal government in 1987 to reduce post-harvest losses and also provide the first line of food relief to affected people in time of natural or man-made disaster for prices stabilization at any given time..

The objectives of the National Food Storage Programme are among other things to:

1.    Ensure availability, stability and access to food at all times and at affordable prices to all for a healthy life and security of the nation.

2.    Ensure immediate food relief in time of emergencies arising from natural calamities such as drought, flood, crop disease, pest infestation and man-made disaster.

3.    Ensure adequate supply of food to the current and future needs through efficient delivery system which makes for self-sufficiency in basic food.

4.    Provide appropriate mechanism, the Guarantee Minimum Price Scheme to make farmers earn remunerative prices for the produce.

5.    Create conducive environment through policies which make for price mechanism in food trade to stimulate increased production while ensuring in food prices.

Currently, the Department have twelve (12) completed and functional silo complexes located at Minna (Niger State), Gombe (Gombe State), Akure (Ondo State), Ogoja (Cross River State), Irrua (Edo State), Makurdi (Benue State), Jahun (Jigawa State), Ilorin (Kwara State), Lafiagi (Kwara State), Jos (Plateau State), Kaduna (Kaduna State) and Ibadan (Oyo State) offering a combined storage capacity of 261,000 metric tonnes.  Warehouses of 2,000MT each are attached to the silo complexes. 

 With the current effort of the Ministry at increasing Agricultural Production through Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), Twenty (20) silo complexes are presently been constructed across the country with a combined capacity of 1,025,000mt on completion.  Four of these silo complexes with a combined capacity of 175, 000MT are ready for commissioning in August-September 2013, while the rest will be completed and ready for operation before the end of this year (Annex).  In the bid to meet its primary responsibilities, the Department has procured assorted grains at various times.  

The Department has also intervened on various occasions during times of food shortage and distress both locally and internationally.  Presently, the department is supplying the 3 states under emergency (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) with 19,500MT of assorted food grains.

Positive impact of ATA

The Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) encouraged formers to increase their scale of production through the use of high yielding varieties and good agricultural practises with less attention to the issue of Marketing.  Farmers therefore require appropriate support in pricing of their produce.  Hence, the proposed warehouse Receipts Systems for Storage and Marketing of Agric Produce.

ATA has increased food production in the country and about 21 million metric tons of food has been added to the domestic food basket by 2014.  The combined silos complex in the country is about 1.3 million metric tons.  At the current GMP rate, about N90 billion is required by the Ministry to stock the silo complexes and also run a viable storage programme.  In view of this huge cost, the Ministry proposes to concession 33 silo complexes to the private sector in line with the extant regulations and in conjunction with infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

Concession will free the Government from heavy financial burden, bring private sector funds into the operation thereby resulting to optimal uses of the Silo facilities to creating wealth for the operators, generate employment, and stimulate production.

The World Bank is funding the concession of the Silo Complexes through Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and Federal Ministry of Finance.  The Lion’s Head Consortium has been appointed the Transaction Advisers (TA) through a very transparent procurement process.  The TA is to develop a Full Business Case (FBC) and drive the process to a financial close which will culminate in the appointment of concessionaire, which will be supervised by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

In June, 2013 the African Holding Exchange (AFEX) took advantage of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and proposed operating a pilot warehouse receipt system (WRS).  The proposal was reviewed by the Food Strategic Reserve Department (FSRD) and adopted.  This development culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AFEX and the Ministry.

Warehouse receipt system is an important and effective tool for creating liquidity and easing access to credit.  The lack of access to credit is a severe constraint to the farmers.  The warehouse receipt system also known as inventory credits and can facilitate credits for inventory or product held in storage. 

 It also offer additional benefit such as smoothing the supply and price in the market, improving grower incomes and reducing food losses, mobilizing credits to agriculture by creating secure collateral for the farmers, processors and trader, and Smoothing market price by facilitating sale throughout the year rather than just after harvest.

 The warehouses listed below were leased to AFEX

            a)  Dawanu market, Kano State

            b)  Saminaka, Kaduna State

            c)  Zaria, Kaduna State

            d)  Maikafi, Kaduna State

            e)  Talata-Mafara, Zamfara

            f)  Argungu, Kebbi State

           

SILO LOCATIONS AND THEIR CAPACITIES

S/NO	SILO LOCATION	CAPACITY	STATUS
1.	Jahun, Niger State	25,000	Operational
2.	Minna, Niger State	25,000	Operational
3.	Ogoja, Cross River State	25,000	Operational but requires equipment
4.	Makurdi, Benue State	25,000	Operational but requires equipment
5.	Ilorin, Kwara State	25,000	Operational but requires equipment
6.	Gombe, Gombe State	25,000	Operational but requires equipment
7.	Kaduna,Kaduna State	25,000	Operational but requires equipment
8.	Ibadan, Oyo State	25,000	Operational but requires equipment
9.	Akure, Ondo State	25,000	Operational
10.	Jos, Plateau State	25,000	Operational
11.	Irrua, Edo State	25,000	Operational
12	Lafiagi,Kwara State	11,000	Operational
13.	Abuja, FCT	100,000	Operational and ready for commissioning
14.	Sokoto, Sokoto State	25,000	Operational and ready for commissioning
15.	Ilesa, Osun State	25,000	Operational and ready for commissioning
16.	Dutsin-ma, Kastina State	25,000	Operational and ready for commissioning
17.	Maiduguri, Borno State	100,000	90% completed
18.	Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State	100,000	90% completed
19.	Gusau, Zamfara State	100,000	91% completed
20.	Gayau. Kano State	25,000	92% completed
21.	Yola, Adamawa State	25,000	90% completed
22.	Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State	25,000	90% completed
23.	Bauchi, Bauchi State	25,000	90% completed
24.	Igbariam, Anambra State	25,000	Underconstruction
25.	Lokoja, Kogi State	25,000	Underconstruction
26.	Lafia, Nassarawa State	25,000	Underconstruction
27.	Ikenne, Ogun State	25,000	Underconstruction
28.	Jalingo, Taraba State	25,000	Underconstruction
29.	Okigwe, Imo State	100,000	Underconstruction
30.	Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State	100,000	Underconstruction
31.	Yenagoa, Bayelsa State	100,000	Underconstruction but requires new design
32	Damaturu, Yobe State	25,000	Underconstruction
33.	Ezillo, Ebonyi State	25,000	Undergoingrehabilitation

Food scarcity looms, no dry season farming, NIMET predicts shorter rain.

There is great indication that year 2015 might experience a down turn of food security as the presidential dry season farming for the year 2014 could not take place due to lack of fund just as indication from Nigerian Metrological Agency has predicted shorter rain thereby advocating for proactive steps to ensure food conservation. 

The Federal government in her determined spirit to reduce billions of dollars expended on food import into the country has proactively embarked upon using the all year round planting seasons to beef up food production after the 2012 flood disaster thereby providing support of improved inputs of seeds and fertilizer to farmers through electronic system of GES.

 Our sources revealed that the year 2014 president’s dry season farming of rice, maize, sorghum and other crops at the value chain of Agricultural Transformation Agenda could not take off due to lack of fund as preparation that supposed to have started by last year December became impossible. 

Food Farm News consistently monitors to see the take off of this dry season farming but to no avail as many official responses revealed that lack of fund and political uncertainty has over ride the event.

Although some states in the North and South who are very serious about food security business did not wait for the federal government support as they provided the logistic for their famers to embark on dry season farming.

Coupled with this, the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) in its prediction of weather for the 2015 has said that shorter rain will be predominant thereby giving room for more dry spells as farmers from the northern part are advised to plant drought resistant crops varieties to forestall the effect of shorter planting season to food security.

According to NIMET’s prediction in its Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) booklet for 2015, it was stated that “Dry spells are likely to occur as a result of the El-Nino condition prevailing throughout the season. Consequently, farmers in the extreme northern states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe and Bornu are advised to note that the length of the growing season is expected to be shorter” and thereby suggested that drought resistant crops should be planted.

NIMET also pointed that livestock production would mostly be negatively affected by the combined effect of the predicted warmer than normal temperature as there will be delayed onset and early cessation thereby resulting to below normal rainfall in many parts of the country.

“To ensure adequate and sufficient good yield of cereal, root crops and other crop-types in 2015, farmers will need to be supported with sufficient irrigation. Increased sensitization will need to be embarked upon by all stakeholders to disseminate this information early enough to ensure that adequate measures are put in place by the MDAs in the agriculture sector to reduce losses. 

The predicted warmer than normal temperatures in the month of February and April in the country will impact storage, packaging and transportation of perishable agricultural products. Therefore the use of climate change-controlled warehouses for storage and night time transportation of perishable produce is strongly advised” said NIMET.

Our citadel is unique in giving agric skill- Acting Vice Chancellor, Landmark University.

I am Prof. Joseph Olasehinde Afolayan, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Landmark University, Omuo-Aran, Kwara state.

In the face of food security cum increasing population and limited youths to replace older farmers with modern technologies, what role is your university playing in all these to mitigate challenges?

Well, the focus of the university is agriculture, and by this, the intension is that whatever the numbers of programme we run within the university, every stakeholder in the system is encouraged to be involved in agriculture. Currently we have three colleges in the university which are agricultural sciences, business and social sciences and collage of science and engineering. All the student and staff of these colleges are always engaged in farming or any other agricultural practices. 

We do not leave the students of college of agricultural science alone to farming practice, but all students have to be involved as an entrepreneurship skill acquisition. We have just expanded our scope of agricultural activities for this omega semester from once in week to every other day of the week for each level of the student from hundred to five hundred levels together with their staff from early morning of 7am to 10 am- Monday to Friday. 

This will give more involvement to every student and staff in the agricultural skill and practices. In the farm, they will be exposed to different aspect of farming like crops, animal husbandry, rabitary, piggery, snailery, sheep and goat, poultry, and fishery. Also we have planned to encourage all staff in the university to get involved especially those who are accommodated on campus, their backyard should be used for gardens to plant vegetables, bananas or any other citrus crops.

How would you describe the theme of the conference as regards food security?

The conference theme is very excellent and this is appropriate at this time due to challenges we have in agriculture as soil is very important even when there are availability of green houses. For effective agriculture, you need to know the nature of soil you are planting on thereby ensuring appropriate crops for the right type of soil and steps to be taken in order to improve the quality of the soil for maximum utilization. 

A conference like this will proffer solutions to challenges of soil and climate change as a lot of heads who are coming together from different background will rub minds and share their experiences which I believe at the end of the programme will be of benefit to the entire agricultural practice as regards food security in the country.

Wales council farm sell-off continues.

Local authorities in Wales have sold off almost £3.75m of farmland in the past 12 months to help meet budget targets.
New figures from the Welsh government show that nine authorities with smallholding estates sold off 185.28ha (457.82 acres) in the 12 months to the end of March 2014, raising £3,724,312.

Flintshire disposed of the largest amount at 60ha (148 acres), Monmouthshire sold 49ha (121 acres), Wrexham 28ha (69 acres), Merthyr Tydfil 24ha (59 acres) and Carmarthenshire 13ha (32 acres).
Since they were conceived after the First World War to provide returning servicemen with work, council smallholdings have given thousands of people their first foothold on the agricultural ladder.
But over the past 35 years, councils have been steadily dispensing with their farms and the number of tenants has dropped by about two-thirds.

Local authorities in Wales now own just over 18,000ha (44,478 acres), run as smallholdings.
In all there are 924 tenants of council smallholdings, with some being tenants of multiple farms.

Powys has the biggest smallholding landbase – 4,578ha (11,312 acres). Anglesey has 2,522ha (6,231 acres), Pembrokeshire 2,065ha (5,102 acres) and Carmarthenshire 1,329ha (3,283 acres).

In total, councils were providing 1,022 smallholdings of which 629 (62%) were below 20ha (50 acres) and 248 (24%) were between 20-40ha (50-100 acres). There were 145 (14%) bigger than 40ha (100 acres).
During 2013-14, 165 new tenancies were granted. Of these, 28 were handed to new entrants and 137 to existing tenants. Twenty-nine tenancies were terminated.

Economy cannot diversify without research says IAR&T boss, Prof. Adediran

I am Prof. James Alabi Adediran, the Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research & Training, Moorplantation, Ibadan.

Your Institute is very strategic to soil management with the event going on here, what do you think it can attract to your Institute as regards your mandate to agriculture and food security?

My Institute has a national mandate on soil research and as a result we are very close to the activities of soil scientists of Nigeria as every year we endeavour to attend this conference, moreso that I am the National Secretary of the society, and this has also necessitated our active participation in the society. Well you will see that the “theme” of this year is “managing soil for nutritional and food security and climate change and Adaptation and mitigation” this is part of our work in the Institute for the purpose bringing development necessary in all area of soil in the country. We all know that soil is very important in the food production and not only that, very important in the life of human beings looking at the conference logo on healthy soil for healthy living.

How is the synergy between Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) and your Institute in the face of research with integration of climate change challenges to food security?

All our activities are centred on the environment in which we are working. By environment we mean climate, weather, soil and waters that surround us. We cannot carry out research without collaborating with NIMET as we always make use of their weather stations to collate weather data that we put in the computer for the analysis of the our own data for research work. So we work in collaboration. The data from NIMET helps us to improve on our research work in building well weather resistance improved technologies for food security and soil improvement.

How you describe the commitment of government and increasing population in the face of making food available through improved?

I will say the support is not adequate. Although one cannot say government is not giving support because we are working in the research and we are normally paid our salaries. That is one support we are getting in the course of carrying our research, the other one is year in year out, they normally appropriate certain amount to us to carry out research, but however, the release of such funding is not always forth coming. About 33% of such money are what we get out the hundred percent which makes it very inadequate. In research your approach will determine the kind of result you will always get. In developed world where formidable researches are being carried out is a function of 100% support in term of money and grants.

 In Nigeria, it is not so as government is not giving enough support in terms of money for research and this is why many of our research work are there in the shelves and some are not completed as they remained half baked thereby making it impossible to be replicated elsewhere. The support given is not adequate to promote technologies we are trying to generate. These technologies are either half baked or in shelves as they are not sufficient enough to develop the economy of these country. It is expected of any nation to know that no amount of money is too much for research as is being done in the advanced countries of the world. 

The use of hoes and cutlass cannot meet required food production of the present growing population and borrowing technologies without investing on our own is not the best for our economy. Let me tell you, all these borrowed technologies are not adequately validated as we do not have the technologies for their validation before they are introduced to our farmers. We researchers are just struggling to engage government to help by paying attention to us. Research generation is always a continuous exercise because of the stages, as you have car using gas is not enough to make you relax without researching into the ones using solar for the purpose of alternative and economic growth through diversification. So government has to be more committed to research.