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.

NRMAN Condemns NCS Decision to allow Rice Importation

NRMAN

The National Rice Millers Association of Nigeria, NRMAN, has condemned the decision by the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, to lift the ban on importation of rice through the land borders.

Chairman of the Association, Mohammed Abubakar while speaking with newsmen in Abuja today said the NCS has overstretched its statutory mandate as an enforcement agency in taking such a policy decision.

Abubakar said, if the NCS succeeded in its decision, it would destroy the progress of Nigeria’s rice value chain, attained by the previous administration.

The Chairman, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Umza Rice, said the decision was an attempt by the customs to legitimise the smuggling of rice.

“First of all, the NCS does not have the power to do that, it is a matter of national policy and customs do not make national policy, it is an implementation agency.

“Its decision will completely kill the rice value chain and everything concerning rice production will stop; customs does not have the right to make such decision.

“The ban was placed six years ago and everybody knows that, so NCS does not have any reason to say rice should be brought in through the land borders. Anyone who gives such directive has smuggling intentions,” he said.

Abubakar further noted that the association would do everything possible to make customs see patriotic reason and rescind in its decision.

He therefore urged the Nigerian government to remain focused in its decision of prohibiting the importation of rice into the country so as to ensure that Nigeria becomes self sufficient in rice production.

It would be recalled that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), had yesterday ordered the immediate removal of rice from import restriction list and the re-introduction of import duty payment at land borders.

This was made known by the Public Relations Officer of customs, Mr Wale Adeniyi, in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Adeniyi said that all rice imports through land borders by rice traders would attract the prevailing import duty of 10 per cent with 60 per cent levy.

He added that rice millers (preferential levy) with valid quota allocation would also attract duty rate of 10 per cent with 20 per cent levy on rice importation.

He said: “Over the years, importation has been restricted to the seaports because border authorities have found it difficult to effectively monitor and control importation of rice. When the decision to ban rice was taken it was not an effective measure because smuggling of the product thrives with people using different means of conveyance including small trucks, bicycles and even animals – putting them on donkeys and some actually carry it on their heads.

“These new measures will be for customs to reorganise their anti-smuggling operations in the border areas and ensure that all those importers through the borders bring their rice through approved routes and pay their extant duty.”

FG to Empower 30,000 Nigerian Youths via the First Phase of YEAP

yeap farmers

As part of its promise to promote decent income generation and livelihood for Nigerian Youth as well as empower about 750,000 commercial farmers and agribusiness leaders, the Federal Government, through the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), has commenced the empowerment of 30,000 youths in area-based priority value chains.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc. Sonny Echono, who disclosed this during a meeting with stakeholders in the poultry industry at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, said the ministry had received about 34,000 applications from intending agropreneurs and market oriented producers from 12 participating States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Echono noted that a total of 250 agropreneurs would be selected per state including FCT under the first phase of the programme.

He further explained that the validation and final selection of the young agropreneurs and market oriented producers would be done at State levels in collaboration with the ministry’s state directors; adding that training would also be conducted for the beneficiaries at various credible agricultural and research institutions, universities and other vocational training institutions across Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary listed the participating states to include Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kastina, Lagos, Niger, Ogun as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to him, the beneficiaries would be trained in various value chains, including rice, aquaculture, poultry, maize, tomato, wheat, sorghum, apiculture, soya bean, cassava, groundnut, oil palm, Snailery, grass cutter and multiple value chains, such as welding and fabrication, repairs and maintenance.

Expert Urges Produce Review to Avoid Exports Rejection

commodities

Following the recent rejection of some of Nigeria’s exported food items by the EU, the Federal Government has been urged to improve on its export standards in order to ensure that commodities for export meets the required European Union standard for import.

The Chairman Board of Trustees, Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria, Prof Dele Fapohunda, who gave the urge while addressing a workshop organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council in Abuja, described the rejection as not only detrimental to the agricultural sector, but is also counterproductive to the economy.

Fapohunda said the items banned from Nigeria by the EU till June next year include, beans, sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish and meat, peanut chips and palm oil, which according to him, the reasons given were the presence of aflatoxins and pesticides at unacceptable levels in this produce.

He stated that plans to make the agricultural sector a major revenue earner for the country may suffer a setback, if produce from the industry are being rejected by foreign countries.

According to Fapohunda, local exporters were at the risk of suffering losses, since imports are significantly protected by the high standards of the major food suppliers and retailers, and the regulatory controls which deter the importation of seriously contaminated material.

He urged for stringent mycotoxin standards on exported food crops, noting that countries must export their best-quality foods while keeping contaminated foods away.

For Nigeria to make remarkable agricultural progress, the Chairman said further action is required to address new and emerging contamination challenges.

In his advice, Fapohunda said Nigeria needs to improve its policy environment, to enable investments that will  help exporters to adapt to the opportunities created by rising export demand.

He noted that since increasing agricultural exports is now an integral part of the government’s sector-development strategy, the government should help exporters to streamline exports with the ever-changing food quality and safety norms of major importing countries. According to him, there have been concerns over pesticide residues in horticultural produce.

He therefore urged the food industry in the country to deal with various fundamental issues impacting food quality and safety across the supply chain.

Fapohunda noted that in order to further harness the potential of the agriculture and food industry, robust policy strategies on food quality and safety are imperative to improve standards and secure greater market access of food products in the developed markets.

2015 World Egg Day

2015 World Egg Day

As the World commemorates this year’s World Egg Day, the Poultry Association of Nigeria Ogun State Chapter (PANOG), has emphasized the need for every Nigerian child to eat at least one egg per day for optimal health, due to its high level of nutritional values.

Speaking with AgroNigeria on the theme of this year’s celebration “Benefits of an egg a day for the Nigerian child”, the State Chairman PANOG, Dr. Olalekan Odunsi said eggs contain a perfect combination of protein, 12 vitamins and 12 minerals, adding that aside from breast milk, eggs have the highest protein biological value.

Odunsi noted that eggs also contain amongst others Zeaxanthin and Choline which are essential for healthy eyes and helps in building the membranes of the cell, respectively.

He said “eggs improve a child’s concentration level and attention span, while increasing their ability to learn, assimilate and expands their memory. It is also important for the development of the brain because it contains Choline.”

The State Chairman while relating the recent data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) said about 1.7 million Nigerian children under the ages of five, are severely and acutely malnourished, accounting for 10 percent of the global total of malnourished children.

To this end, Odunsi stated that the essence of advocating an egg per day is because eggs have the required nutrient that will help cure Kwashiorkor and other related diseases as well as boost the immune system.
He therefore called on the government and all regular government agencies such as the ministry of agriculture, women and children to launch a campaign that will sensitize the general public on the need to consume at least one egg per day.

Odunsi also urged the Federal Government to include eggs in its promised feeding programme for primary school children as well as support poultry farmers to meet the rising demand of producing enough poultry products for its citizens.

He noted that this sector will play a vital role in boosting the Nigerian Economy in the non-oil sector, while recommending that the government should look intently into the sector in its drive to cause change in the economy.

Also speaking, the host chairman PANOG Ota Zone, Adebayo Adewumi stated that eggs do not contain saturated fat but contains dietary cholesterol that does not harm the body.

Adewumi said the process of preparing the egg can have a bad effect on its productivity, he therefore advised that there is a need to employ caution as to the type of oil and other conjunction used in the preparation.

In her remark, the Chairperson PANOG Remo Zone, Mrs Blessing Alawode said egg is one of the cheapest sources of protein in the country. In this regards, she said an average Nigerian child has no business being malnourished.

She therefore urged parents and children to “grab an egg and keep malnourishment away.”
This year’s World Egg Day Celebration organised by the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, held at the Obasanjo Farms Ota, Ogun State witnessed in attendance the Immediate Past Chairperson, PANOG Ota Zone, Mrs. Elizabeth Oladipupo, Chairperson, Mowe Zone, Tope Oseni, the Marketing Manager Obasanjo Farms, O.A. Akintade, Animal Care Branch Operation Manager, Ogunleke Daniel, school children as well as poultry farmers.