Image source deephaven

The Federal Government has approved the release of 17 new high yield crop varieties to Nigerian farmers to enhance food production according to the National Varieties Release Committee (NVRC).

NVRC chairman, Oladosu Awoyemi said at the 23rd meeting of the NVRC at Ibadan only 17 of the 24 crop varieties submitted by research institutes, seed companies and crop scientists/breeders from all over the country were approved.

Prof. Olusoji Olufajo, chairman, Technical Sub Committee (TSC) Crops, gave breakdown of the release as two potato varieties (RUMBA and JELLY), eight maize hybrids (DK 234, DK 777, DK 818, DK 920, OBA SUPER 11, OBA SUPER 13, SAMMAZ 46, and SAMMAZ 47) and one maize variety (SAMMAZ 48).
Others include two sorghum, two sweet pepper hybrids (Jupiter and Lafayette) and two cabbage hybrids (Gloria and Proctor).

With respect to the maize varieties, the chairman said Maize hybrid DK 234 was recommended based on high grain yield, good stay green characteristic, standability and tolerance to Striga hermonthica pest.

Agricultural organisations, seed companies, breeders and research institutes who developed the varieties are National Root Crops Research Institute, Kuru, Sygenta Nigeria Ltd. and Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria.

Minister Promises To Cut Agric Interest Rate
THE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has lamented the huge expenses Nigerians make on importing food into the country, disclosing the total amounting to $20b per year.

He made the disclosure at the closing of the 41st National Council on Agriculture held at Kano Government House, expressing his worry over the over-dependence of Nigerians on foreign stuff.

“A total of $5m is expended on the importation of rice to the country, while Nigerians spend $6m daily on importing maize into the country, among others,” he revealed.

According to Ogbeh, many things were responsible for the downturn of agricultural sector in the country, emphasising that programmes like Udoji of the 70s were responsible for some of the tragedies facing the agricultural sector in the country. He said the Udoji award moved people away from farms and to pursue becoming contractors.

Another factor adversely affecting agricultural sector, the Minister said, was the issue of agricultural interest rate. Assuring that, “Agric interest rate in Nigeria must come down to five per cent.  No nation can develop when its agric interest rate is nine per cent, as obtained currently in the country. “

Ogbeh further noted with dismay the role being played by banks in the agricultural sector as practiced in the country and condemned what he described as ‘elite arrogance’ in the nation’s agricultural sector.

Pains Of Trading Truly Indigenous Produce

In Nigerian dining tables, Ofada rice has grown in culinary prominence over the years, but far beyond the shores of the nation, in US, Canada and the UK, the longing to have the stuff in the menu has not diminished. The demand is high, but it is in short supply as could be observed from the present selling price of N25,000-N32,000 for a 50kg bag in the country, depending on the source and quality.

Ofada rice has carved a niche for itself. A meal of the local short, stout, brown rice has been elevated to a thing of status and cultural pride, especially given the nature of its preparation and the unique sauce that is used in serving it.

Besides, the healthy attributes of this unpolished brand have driven it to the tables of even those with the need for special diet –the diabetic and keen health watchers.

Naturally, one would have thought the rural sleepy town of Ofada in Ogun State, where the name of the grain is derived, to be a beehive of whirring noise of rice processing machines and pall of rice husk rising in the sky, but no.

As the traditional ruler of the town, in a recent media comment put it, the land in the area has almost been lost to real estate developers and speculators with rice only now a metaphor. However, being the homestead crop of the area in the past, the name has stuck, and spread across other southwest states, where the local unpolished rice of similar variety is also grown.
PrOpCom intervention

The United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), in conjunction with PrOpCom, concerned about the vanishing status of Ofada rice and low yield for the peasant farmers, carried an intervention work not long ago.

Though it recognised that Ofada is exceptional, low-yielding local rice with a distinct taste and aroma, which should make it a speciality product, it needed close study to make a more productive and better product with higher earning capacity.

Therefore, its intervention at the time was predicated on a number of issues. In a report written for DFID, PrOpCom noted that:

“Ofada rice could find new customers in higher end urban and Diaspora markets, which are in search of ‘authentic’ experience and can afford to pay a higher price,” and need for a cleaner ‘rural’ product to reach new urban customers.

“Cheaper rice is replacing Ofada rice as a staple crop and becoming more a festive food, consumed in small quantities on special occasions.

“Yields from Ofada varieties are half that from improved imported varieties,” using up more land and earning half as much as the regular rice farmer.

Other challenges it observed were at the processing side of the value chain, where more efficient equipment, including de-stoning facilities should be put in place.

PrOpCom conducted a consumer survey, where 12 genuine Ofada varieties were identified. However, the Africa Rice Centre, together with the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Baddegi, Niger State, put these into four main groups. “Purified breeder seeds for these four groups were handed over to Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RiFAN) for multiplication.”

Ofada has remained the generic name for these rice varieties and the PrOpCom report revealed that there was no consensus reached as to standardising the product at the time it was attempted.

Aside a number of other problems handled by DFID and its partner organization, such as recommending bird netting for rice farms and introduction of cluster farms for use of de-stoning machines, implementation remains an issue. Existence of these farms in clusters was pushed as practical means of making small Ofada rice farmers act as big players, thereby making equipment and government facilities accessible.

One thing that has been evident since the major work done by PrOpCom is the better packaging now given to processed clean grains; many have resorted to use of well designed, labeled and graphically attractive packets.

In the face of increasing demand, as corroborated by stakeholders, more discerning consumers in African markets and in the Diaspora prefer the product well packaged.
Stakeholders and present challenges

Much as the aggregate demand for Ofada at both local and ethnic market is growing, there are several challenges that have militated against achieving the target of satisfying consumers.

Pastor Bode Adenekan, Chairman, Rice Growers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, who is already articulating the rigours of preparing for a new planting season said there are issues that the government should step in to address.

For instance, he said farmers are still grappling with land development as only small portions of land are prepared for cultivation, and manually done in most cases. This has reduced the acreage tilled, increased labour cost, reduced production and the chances of deployment of modern farm machinery.

In Ogun State, Adenekan said expanding the land area for cultivation is tough due to tree-populated forest that requires so much labour to clear. In this too, the use of tractors is limited since the roots of trees and shrubs would not allow work to be done as necessary. He urged the government to assist farmers in very clear terms, especially where the growers are supposed to be grouped in clusters for better management.

Bird invasion on rice farms has been a recurring problem in the area. According to Adenekan, and in line with the experience of other farmers, tackling the problem has been time-consuming and labour intensive mainly with rudimentary methods. It requires human presence for about 12 hours daily for the critical 30-day period it would take the grain endosperm to firm up and thereafter, become of no interest to the birds. Without adequate preparation at this stage, the farmer may end up getting no harvest at the end of the season.

The challenge is more serious with the low yield of about 2.5-4.0 tonnes per hectare in low land, wet areas and poorer performance for upland areas.

TRULY, water is at the heart of crop farming, and Isaac Adeoye, an engineer with OKD, a firm of irrigation engineering experts told The Guardian the downside of the rice business is the rain fed nature of its cultivation. It depends on seasonal rains; therefore the yield can be unpredictable. However, he said the yield could be given a good boost with irrigation farming during dry season and in upland areas, where water is not usually enough.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State test-driving one of the machines at the commissioning of the new bulldozers purchased by the State Government for rice production in the state in Abakaliki last week

WAAPP also provided processing equipment, including detachable smoking kiln, solar tent dryer and fish cooling boxes to support the fish value chain.

Acting National Project Coordinator of WAAPP-Nigeria, James Apochi stated this at the weekend in Abuja, during an interactive session with journalists.

Apochi, who said aquaculture was the priority commodity for WAAPP-NIGERIA, noted that the project had interventions in other commodities like roots and tubers, livestock, poultry, Rice, Sorghum and Maize.

He said, “It may interest you that WAAPP has recorded many success stories, aquaculture is the priority commodity for WAAPP-NIGERIA Nigeria, however, WAAPP is working on other commodities which were derived from a study carried out by the International Food Policy R‎esearch Institute (IFPRI) and CORAF in 2006.

Apochi added that as a result of the achievements of WAAPP, the National Centre of Specialisation (NCOS) in aquaculture has been upgraded to a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE).

According to WAAPP-Nigeria’s communication expert, Mr. Rowland Loongs, who represented the country director, the project has brought technologies from other WAAPP countries to develop various value chains in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Director-General, NASC, Dr. Philip Ojo (left) with Oyo zone Chairman, WAIDA, Mr. Adenitan Solomon at the Southwest sensitisation tour of seed markets in Ogunpa area of Ibadan last week.

The sensitisation drive laid it bare that seeds not adequately packaged and with no label and certification tags, attached or displayed in the open containers will be confiscated by the Seed Police, the NASC Seed Inspectors. But even beyond that, the DG revealed that there could be sanctions in line with the Act establishing seed trade in the country.

Ojo said penalty for an offender operating contrary to the regulations would face sanctions such as ‘Stop sales order,’ or fine ranging from N800,000 and N1,600,000 on conviction for first or second offender respectively or imprisonment. It could also result in seizure or forfeiture of the seed by the Federal Government.

Ojo advised farmers to buy seeds from registered agro-dealers and reputable seed companies advising that farmers should watch out for NASC’s blue certification tag, which convey authenticity to the quality of seed being offered for sale.

Oyo zone Chairman of the West Agro Input Dealers Association (WAIDA), Mr. Adenitan Solomon said the zone welcomes the effort of NASC to cleanse the seed market in Ibadan, and prayed the Director-General to keep the activity on a continuous basis. He said that on its own, the association has had the challenge of warning farmers to buy correctly, not angling for cheaper, but poor quality seed.

In recent times, stringent measures in relation to monitoring have been targeted at seed dealers in parts of the country like Zaria, Kaduna and Gusau due to the large volume of seed trade going on in such places.

The Council has the statutory responsibility of enforcing the provisions of the seed law as it relates to selling of fake and adulterated seed, the Director-General said.

PHOTO: acrowinghen.com

The project, which is led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will specifically improve cassava yields, cassava root quality, cassava supply to the processing sector, and fertilizer sales, thereby engaging over 100,000 households in Nigeria and Tanzania, and facilitating the engagement of at least 30 per cent women farmers.

“The value of benefits from this project in Nigeria and Tanzania is projected to be over $27million. Furthermore, through engagement of households in Ghana, Uganda, and DR Congo and through extra interest generated in the products developed by the project, these figures are expected to increase for at least 150,000 households and a value created of at least $40 million within the five-year time frame of the project,” explained Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, IITA Director for Central Africa in Ibadan.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), cassava productivity has marginally increased to around 10–11 tons per hectare, well below attainable yields of over 30 tons per hectare. With the need for intensifying cassava production in areas, where population densities have reduced access to fallow land and with cassava roots becoming important raw material for the processing sector, this yield gap needs to be reduced.

Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Audu Ogbe, said the current yield of less than 15 tons per hectare makes Nigerian farmers uncompetitive in the cassava sector.

“This initiative should find a solution to the issue of low productivity,” Ogbe who was represented by Mrs. Comfort Awe said.

The ACAI initiative is placed within the context of intensification of cassava-based systems with a focus on the development of cassava agronomy recommendations to improve the productivity and quality of cassava roots in Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, and Uganda, major cassava-producing countries in West and East Africa, and some spillover into East DR Congo. The project will be phased, starting in Nigeria and Tanzania in years 1 and 2 and will expand to the other countries from year 3 onwards.

Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, IITA Director General said agronomy would provide the key to unlocking the potential of cassava in Africa.
“If we want to increase the productivity of cassava, we must breed new varieties, improve the agronomy and value addition. I think we have done a lot in the area of breeding, what we need to do now is to capitalise on the agronomy,” Sanginga said.

The ACAI project will harness African and international expertise, and follows a demand-driven approach whereby its interventions are responding to specific agronomy-related needs by partners already actively engaged in cassava dissemination and value chain activities in the target countries.

The vision of success of ACAI is to deliver the necessary knowledge base and tools for accessing this knowledge to cassava scaling partners and ultimately farmers in the target countries, while instituting the necessary capacity and skills for national system scientists to engage in transformative cassava agronomy.

Audu Ogbeh

• Resolve Labour Issues, Not Lock Outs

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has said the challenge of feeding the nation’s population with a higher growth rate than that at which food is produced calls for agricultural researchers to rise up to the occasion.

The burden is not made easier when “18 million children in primary schools and 12 million children in secondary schools “ would require a lot of food that need to be produced locally.

He made this known at the Nigerian Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, while commissioning a Biosafety Level 3 laboratory.

Ogbeh said focus on feeding the nation would be more profitable than labour unions of agricultural research institutes using lockouts to address conflicts.

The minister, who expressed his displeasure at such a street-approach, said there are too many crises in the research institutes under his ministry.

Chief Ogbeh made reference to a particular research institution, where a lockout demonstration was embarked upon, leading to the wilting of “precious plants and seedlings meant for farmers” because there was no watering.

Lamenting the losses caused by the demonstrating scientists, the minister advised the researchers to separate science from sentiments so as to get desired results.

He implored the scientists to concentrate on research, and assured that his ministry will, as much as possible, not let funds be a problem, to give the scientists the deserved priority.

The minister said the “production of food is lagging behind population growth.” Although he conceded that “the figures we have may not be accurate,” he, nonetheless, stressed that it was enormous, saying that “18 million children in primary schools and 12 million children in secondary schools “ would require a lot of food that need to be produced locally, a big challenges for the research community.

“If we give a pint of milk a day to each, we will need 30 million pints of milk a day, while for egg, it would require 30 million eggs daily,” the minister noted. He charged the scientists to help find ways of overcoming low agricultural output in the nation.

He said research must not be interrupted, as it is a matter of national priority.

• Food Companies Say Govt Must Act Now

TO encourage local raw material-based food industries and create more employment opportunities, the Managing Director of Food, Agro and Allied Industries Limited, Mr. Sudhansu Sinha has urged the Federal Government to impose heavy duty and levy on all imported agric-based raw materials.

Sinha told The Guardian the country must progress with Nigerian industries based on local resources, especially as the country has the advantage of local processing, at this trying times of rising foreign exchange rate.

According to him, products made by indigenous companies using 100 per cent local raw materials are much superior to imported ones in the market. Nigerian products are of highest quality with additional benefits being rich with nutrients, amino acids, and dietary fibres and gluten free.

Sinha narrated the efforts local industries have made to pass across their message to the present government.

Local industries, he revealed wrote a letter to the Presidency over the plight of the sector and were invited to present the issues. He said officials of the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry were visited in October and November 2015 and extracted a promise that the Vice President would be presented with the presentations.

Regrettably, nothing has been heard since then, Sinha lamented. It would be recalled that immediately after taking charge, the new government announced import ban on some items and promised steps favourable for growth local industries.

Apparently restating the presentation made to government, Sinha said unfortunately quality made-in-Nigeria products are not getting to customers, because some multinationals prefer importation for various reasons.
“These industries prefer to import lower quality syrups/glucose for their end products. They proffered reasons like cheap price (of course for low quality products), colour of the syrup etc., which, in fact, do not matter since in most cases, they again import caramel to colour their end products.

“They use substandard ingredients, like waste from sugar refining (molasses meant for ethanol production) for use as malt extract in biscuits or unrefined sugar (imported for refining only) for use in production of malt drinks are also being imported.

He posited that the multinational food and beverage companies are guided by their parent offices overseas and made a policy to restrict use of local ingredients as far as possible; importation of ingredients from their listed sources overseas is a matter of policy.

The powerful lobby of these multinational giants and some industries purposely built to process imported raw materials only, are seriously trying to divert the attention of the present government from real issues facing the nation. Their moles in various decision making/recommending bodies are therefore not allowing the voice of Nigerian agric-based industries to reach the ears of the government.

PHOTO: www.channelstv.com

Apparently frustrated by lack of funding and government slow approach to farming in the state, the Bayelsa state chapter of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RFAN, is seeking foreign partners to produce rice in commercial quantity in the state.

State chairman of the association, Mr. Ezekiel-Simeon Ogbianko, who disclosed this in Yenagoa said the association has acquired over 40,000 hectares of land for rice farming.

“We want to launch our website, and need international partners, who are professionals in agriculture to come because the parcel of land we acquired is enormous. We need those who know the value of agriculture to come and partner with us to produce rice in Bayelsa state,” he said.

He said they acquired 5,000 hectares of land in each of the eight local government areas of the state, so that every local government will have enough rice for local consumption and for export adding that they were waiting for funding they had applied from the Bank of Agriculture to fully go into commercial farming.

Ogbianko, however, disclosed that they were facing the challenge of accessing the areas, where they acquired land due to the peculiar nature of the terrain.

“But we are facing some challenges, being that our terrain is difficult for us to access the area where we acquired these lands because we have a virgin forest. It’s not like in the North where you can use fire to clear the land. Here we use motor saw or bulldozer to enable to do clearing,” he said.

The chairman added that they have no mills to process their rice after harvest, saying that is another bone in their neck.

agriculture

Ms Paulette Trier, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian-Belgian Commercial Information and Documentation, on Monday said that European Countries had concluded plans to open their markets to more agricultural products from Nigeria.

Trier, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the European countries were, first, ready to assist Nigerians in growing the products and making them exportable.

The Executive Secretary noted that not all Nigerian agricultural products were currently exportable, due to problems of packaging, certification and other factors.

“We are currently offering to Nigerians a Europe with a market of 500, 000 million people.

“This is an enormous market that is now very open to many Nigerian agricultural products.

“This is why European countries want to come in and help in making agriculture the new oil base for Nigeria,’’ she said.

Trier said that under the new arrangement, well-packaged and certified Nigerian agricultural products would be allowed to move freely across the 26 European countries.

She, therefore, said that it was imperative for the Nigerian government to expedite action on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to further fast track trade between Nigeria and the European countries.

The Executive Secretary also announced the countries’ plan to periodically organize workshops for transfer of knowledge to Nigerians, as well as to sensitise them on the differences between good produce and exportable products.

She said that her organisation would hold a Breakfast Meeting entitled “Why Do Business with Europe?’’ on March 16 in Lagos, to sensitise Nigerians on the “increasing opportunities’’ for them in Europe.

Trier said that the Senior Advisor for the European Union (EU) for the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce (Voka), Mr Luc Van Looveren, would speak on “Why do Business with Europe and Flanders in Particular,’’ at the meeting.

The Head of the Trade and Economic Section from the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Filippo Amato, would speak on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between West Africa and the EU.

The Ambassador of Belgium to Nigeria, Mr Stephane De Loecker, would also share his perspective of doing business with Belgium at the Breakfast Meeting.

Aikpokpodion

• Nigeria Loses Millions Of Dollars To Government officials

Nigeria’s cocoa beans have been under performing in the export market and both the farmer and nation are shortchanged. From the marketing perspective, where did we get it wrong?

Seventy per cent of the cocoa beans exported by Nigeria goes to the island country of Barbados before it goes to other destinations.

The reason is that some countries would not do direct trading with us due to lower quality of the produce. I think there is also an under hand dealings that does not augur well for the nation. Nigeria is the only country that does not have an institutional framework around its cocoa sector.

In the time past, it is Nigeria that went ahead of World Bank to dissolve its Cocoa Board. That was when trade liberalisation was going on. Nigeria did it by herself. The Nigeria Cocoa Board and board of other commodities were scrapped.

Other countries that went through trade liberalisation at that time later realised the unprofitability of their action and reorganised. Ghana did not go with IMF/World Bank recommendation but kept their Cocoa board. Nigeria and Ghana were almost at par, in the control of the global cocoa economy in the 60s and perhaps, early 70s; Nigeria was doing about 17 per cent, while Ghana, 20 per cent. Nigeria was a major player and our cocoa flavor was excellent, of course, attributable to the genetic material available to the farmers. Even today, such attributes still speak in its favour.

Cote D’Voire reorganised and they have a commission that regulates and controls Cocoa and coffee commodities. In only one year of operation, the quality rose dramatically because of reorganisation and coordination of efforts. It produces about 1.8million metric tonnes of cocoa presently.

Nigeria’s system that is riddled with corruption, greed and selfishness can only produce so little (less than 700,000MT) and that is not even very authentic because there is no reliable statistics.

In Africa, Ghana, Cote D’voire, Sierra Leone, Togo and Cameroun have cocoa controlling boards or agencies. It is nonexistent in Nigeria and this is the point the Cocoa Transformation Agenda sought to deal with by the last administration particularly, the past Minister of Agriculture. But there were challenges. Right from Abuja and down the various arms of the value chain, some people never wanted the sector coordinated, as there appears to be a network of forces hindering real progress.

For example, there is a kind of connivance between the cocoa bean sellers (traders), private sector people, and government officials. There is five dollars levy for every ton of cocoa exported and this money is supposed to go to the Cocoa Fund (to invest and support cocoa sector, but in reality, it does not exist).

In the Ministry of Trade and Investment, there exists a committee, which has no interest of the cocoa economy at heart; rather it is all about estacodes on travels for in consequentials.

In the subsector, do the produce inspectors do their job in reality – keeping records and ensuring quality?

The cry has been about the will to free the cocoa economy from the hands of these people, who work hand-in-hand to keep Nigeria’s interest down, while other nations are making progress. Government is not making any money from cocoa, which should not be the case.

The place is out of control and was a major reason the immediate past Minister of Agriculture Rural Development wanted an institutional framework to get the cocoa economy properly organised.

The cocoa business has no clearing house, just like saying a business had no office address. Cocoa is a very important subsector of the nation’s economy. The good news, however, is that we developed a strategy and a document is now in place, before the former Agric Minister left.

There were issues of greed, selfishness and inter-ministerial competition (that is between the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Industry, Trade and Investment). It does not pay to work at cross-purposes, raising policies that contradict the purpose. A middle road approach would have helped the course of our cocoa economy, instead of one trying to outplay or outshine the other.

On the other hand, some so-called development partners are taking undue advantage of us (there are things they cannot do in other countries, they do feely here because there is nobody to coordinate the sector). Many of them come around, claiming to help in development, but in reality, it is not so. They want to actually siphon your money. They would claim they are bringing technical assistance, except for USAID that brings in genuine contribution; others only want to collect money from the ministry.

As I took charge of what the Agric Ministry asked me to do, many of the partners did not want my presence, if they had the power because we had to demand that things be done properly and transparently. I refused to be pushed around because I am not a civil servant, but a qualified professional in the university environment, with about 25 years in the cocoa subsector. Some are still at loggerheads with me because I dared to defend Nigeria and her interest.

If you do a project with USAID, every single dollar is accounted for, so it should be with people doing business with our country.
What has become of the organisation of the Cocoa subsector?

When the stakeholders and government settle down and be organised, the farmers would receive support the best way possible. Nigerian farmers are very hard working people.

For instance, when the economy was nose-diving and crashing, last year Nigerian farmers sold over N700,000 per ton at the farm gate; this had not happened in decades. Naira crashed and this would help cocoa farmers, who have commodity that could be exported. Those who abandoned their cocoa farms are going back now because it is time to make money.

One of the problems facing the subsector is lack of proper organisation and operational framework. It is not enough for the state governments to budget money for seed grading and all that – this is not good enough without framework of having inputs on time, monitor standard, do appropriate quality control and enforcement. This would make everyone to sit up.

Government can then earn money because money that comes in now goes into private hands like the big players – OLAM (the biggest), Ayoade, and others. These are exporters.

Now, what has happened to our local processors they are deep in debt and down. Is there any reason government should not intervene in assisting Multitrex, the largest indigenous cocoa processing factory in Nigeria and Africa? This is supposed to be a flagship company in the country.

Just like the United States takes General Electric (GE) – always striving not to allow it to go under, so it should be with Multitrex and Nigeria. Of course; government would come in to deal with sharp practices and lack of transparency where found, but the company should be lifted.

Nigeria’s cocoa is still one of the best in terms of the natural attributes required in food processing.
For now, Nigeria is doing about 85,000 hectares of cocoa out of three million hectares that we could handle.

It should be emphasised that the rural economy in Idanre, Ikom (Cross Rivers), Ekiti and similar places depends on cocoa and employs millions of people.

Premium cocoa quality control at CRP, Oda, Ondo state

Cocoa, the agricultural gold in the pod, continues to solve the substantial part of the economic challenges of nations that have committed themselves to exploiting all parts of its value chain. Ghana, Cote D’Voire and even Sierra Leone, though on a lower scale, are clear examples.

Not so with Nigeria, that has vast plantations, farmlands and huge potential of making it back as a leading cocoa producing and exporting country in the world.

The demand for the commodity and its value-added products is estimated to reach five million metric tonnes by 2020. In terms of cocoa beans, it will add up to an additional one million metric tonnes above the figure of 2012-13. Tapping into this opportunity, no doubt would take away some measure of economic burden from the large population of the unemployed.

U.S. Consul General, Jeffrey Hawkins, in an address to the December 2014 Cocoa Summit in Lagos reaffirmed the fact that the country has the “knowledge and capability to assist in the renewal of Nigeria’s cocoa industry,” He said although the appetite for chocolate consumption around the world cannot be satisfied, the country, so far, is not effectively strategising to take advantage of the opportunities available to her.

Nigeria should not continue to drink from the cup of pity and lamentations, but rise from the ashes of lack of political will to assume its place as a top player in global cocoa economy. The immediate past administration at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) may not have achieved as much in cocoa as it did in some other subsectors in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), but it left a strategy document.

According to Dr. Peter Aikpokpodion, former Team Leader, Cocoa Transformation Agenda (CocTA PLAN), the plan should be visited by the present administration, do a review if necessary and put into execution to expand the diversification scope.

The world outlook for cocoa trade, according to stakeholders at the cocoa conference, is very bright. With the emerging economies such as India and China into the luxury of chocolate consumption lately, in addition the increasing demand by existing markets in already developed nations, the projection is that demand is rising more than the commodity is produced.

Food scientists say that the darker the chocolate, the more of cocoa there is in the content, the more health-enhancing ingredients and the costlier the product. Incidentally, market trends have also shown that more consumers in the rich west want the darker chocolate because they can afford it.

Ambassador Hawkins told cocoa stakeholders that with a rise in demand, international buyers are apprehensive of an impending shortage in volume of cocoa supply by 2020. The implication of that is; there would be the right interplay of the forces of demand and supply with the effect of rise in price, an advantage to exporters of the commodity.

There was a 25 per cent rise in 2013, according to the envoy, but much more perplexing is that nothing much has changed about Nigeria’s cocoa.

Hawkins left the stakeholders solutions with which they were already quite conversant: “improved access to inputs, finance and investment, technology, and technical assistance to raise quality are all part of the solution.”  Again, making a reminder that youth employment should be given all the attention, he emphasised the need for government and private sector players to grab the opportunity of the moment to make the nation’s agribusiness bustle again.

Aikpokpodion, in the package of the Ministry with the former Minister, agreed as part of the cocoa campaign that initial steps be taken to rehabilitate 200,000 hectares of cocoa farm over a period of four years. It would require an aggressive plan and effective partnership with the private sector using skilled professionals called Professional Cocoa Doctors and Grafters over the same period. While the subsector continues to contend with multi-faceted challenges such as much of manual labour and little or no mechanisation, the concentration of business in hands of families and individuals, farmers are not getting commensurate income for their efforts.

On the marketing front, the local farmers are not faring better, and the buying agents as well as exporters, are compounding issues. According to the former Cocoa Transformation Team leader, sharp practices need be curbed, but things would look much better when there is a controlling body to oversee the affairs of stakeholders along the value chain – agronomic practices, processing, grading and quality control among others.

Ondo Chocolate Production Plant To Begin April 2016

Goaded by frantic moves to save the state from the perpetual dependence on oil, Ondo State government has aligned with the Federal Government agricultural initiative of “One State, One Product” through its Cocoa Revolution Project (CRP).

The ‘One State, One Product’ initiative, according to Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) will help all the 36 states of the nation to identify their major agricultural produce, which they will concentrate on for export to replace oil.
Cocoa Revolution, A Bail Out

Ondo State government has rehabilitated the Oda settlement and Cocoa Catalytic Industry, Idanre, as production and processing hub of the cocoa beans produced in all the farm settlements across the state. The farm settlements were inherited from the Western region.

According to the Chairman of the Cocoa Revolution Project (CRP), Dr. Jibayo Oyebade, one of the major steps taken by the state is to ensure the beans produced in the state attained a premium rate, which would increase the value in the international market.

He explained that premium rating means the highest quality, which the cocoa beans can have in the international market and consequently attract great value. This, he said, is in line with the vision of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to make cocoa the major agricultural export product of the state.

The cocoa revolution, as said by Oyebade, is where 1,100 seedlings will be planted per hectare at spacing of three meters on line and three meters between the lines. He noted that the Oda Cocoa Plantation, which was established in 1954 by Chief Awolowo has 1,744 hectares according to report got from the archives in Ibadan.
Intervention

Due to the abandonment of cocoa as a mainstay of the economy, presently, Oyebade stated that cocoa farmers in the state are producing poor quality cocoa beans, which suffer 100 per cent reduction in the open market.

To stem the ugly tide in cocoa and make Nigeria regain its position in the global market, he pointed out that CRP is embarking on acceptable, practical and sustainable approach to the processing of cocoa beans to the highest international quality level, which he called “X Premium.”

According to him:  “This is a special premium that you can use to produce any chocolate with that quality beans. This was the main reason our first chocolate product participated in the last chocolate outing in UK, wherein, 502 chocolate products all over the world gathered for laboratory test, bud test, quality control test  and we came second out of 502 chocolate samples.

“So here in the revolution, we are armed to attest that our cocoa product is the best quality cocoa for the world market,” he emphasised, saying, CRP is getting ready for 16 tons of high-quality premium, which will make Ondo first state to produce beans directly from a single estate.

Moreover, Oyebade noted there will be the production of organic fertilizer in the farm, which has been tested scientifically and found capable of resuscitate the poor land through combination of poultry faeces and cocoa husks.

He said organic fertilizers would help resuscitate the land’s fertility, noting that inorganic fertilizer reduces the power of the soil, while organic fertilizer will stay up to three years.

Oyebade, said; “Farmers must obey some certain rules. Don’t allow cocoa to touch the surface of the earth or concrete, when you are fermenting, then the production of top quality cocoa would have started. The first critical hazard control is to make sure that the cocoa is not fermented on the floor of the earth or concrete.

“This is not to allow the heat being generated by cocoa beans to be lost to mother earth because scientifically heat is transferred to the sand and will make the cocoa in losing its aroma. This must be adhered to strictly to get the best of cocoa output.

“They can use elephant grass by putting it on the floor and should be about six inches from the surface of the floor and spread the cocoa; this system produces the best of aroma,” he said.
New targets

The target of the state, according to Oyebade, is to produce 2,400 tonnes of quality cocoa annually. He said that unlike oil, more companies are looking for cocoa beans to service their factories, specifying that not less than 125 factories utilise cocoa directly in China.

The Deputy Governor of the State, Alh. Abdulazeez Oluboyo, who until appointment in April was the Commissioner fof Agriculture, said the administration has created an enabling environment for agriculture to excel with a design to create employment for the youth.

According to him, this Cocoa project is not only to increase the production of cocoa in the state but also to earn revenue to sustain the state economy.

He revealed that up to 100 hectares of old cocoa plantations have been rehabilitated while about 60 hectares of land of new plantation have been established. At that speed of the project, in four or five years, the whole 2,000 hectares of land for cocoa plantation abandoned by other administrations will be fully utilized, he said.

Employment Opportunities

The Ondo state government has promised more employment opportunities for its unemployed youth in the new year, especially through agriculture.

According to the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade the government ‘s revolution in the agricultural sector is intended to reduce the rate of youth employment in the state. He revealed that a modern factory that will utilise and process premium quality cocoa beans produced in the State will begin production of chocolate bars by April.

The factory will utilise the facilities of the Cocoa Catalytic Factory in Idanre, which would be run by a foreign technical partner, Spagnvola Chocolatier of Spain and has the capacity to produce enough for local consumption and for export.

He mentioned the government’s desire to strengthen relationship with the European Union (EU) with a view to providing international market for the commodities produced in the state.

According to him, plans are almost concluded to ensure cocoa products in the state gain commodity pricing and value at the stock exchange market.

He said government recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta to further improve agricultural development in the state, sustain economic development and create employment opportunities for the teeming youths across the state.

Abia State became a major player in Cocoa production during the regime of former State governor, Theodore Orji, now the Senator for Abia Central, during which it placed eighth, among the major Cocoa-producing states, in Nigeria.
It was then that aged Pa David Nnochirionye Onyenweaku, who had 3,000 hectares of the crop, was recognised as the largest Cocoa farmer in the country.

Pa Onyenweaku, who is a native of Umuhute in Umuahia North LGA told The Guardian that he started cocoa farming in 1952 and has since then not engaged in any other trade or business, and that he had decided he would not quit Cocoa farming because it was lucrative.

He recalled that in 2009, when Abia State hosted the sixth Cocoa producing states summit, the participants led by the then Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan visited his farms and thereafter, he was awarded the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the Federal Government.

He said he was rewarded with a tractor by then former governor Orji, who had sustained his support to Cocoa farming by timely distribution of free Cocoa seedlings to the farmers. 

The then Director in the State Agriculture Ministry, in charge of Cocoa, Deacon Sam Odoemenam, now a Permanent Secretary said the quantity of the seedlings distributed free-of-charge to the farmers progressed from 250,000 seedlings in 2010, 300,0000 in 2011,  350,000 in 2012, 400,000 in 2013, while 500,000 were slated for 2014.

Although Pa Onyenweaku described Cocoa farming as lucrative, the same according to him, cannot be said to be same presently and lamented that farm roads have become unmotorable thus making accessibility and harvest evacuation very difficult. 

He urged government to revive Coca farming to make it attractive to young people, pointing out that those engaged in it had aged, while youths do not show interest.

He added that from last two years, Cocoa prices fell by about 50 per cent for which he lost N5.6m, stressing that  “N20m investment in Cocoa farming, now yielded below N15m returns.”

Corroborating the statement, Odoemenam, who called for re-invigoration of Cocoa farming, said it was in its bid to lure the youths into Cocoa farming that the state government  introduced some incentives to the farmers namely; distribution of new seedlings free of charge, provision of  opportunity for training and extension of then one billion Central Bank  fund released for disbursement to youth farmers, who would engage in Cocoa farming.

Government had also in order to address poor access to the rural farms, as well as engage youths, decided to pay its counterpart funding requirements to the federal government to enable it participate in the Rural Access And Mobility Projects (RAMP), which is aimed at building not less than 500 kilometres of access roads in the state to the benefit of rural youths and farmers and provide access to urban markets.

Cross River State cocoa farmers have decried poor pricing, lack of herbicides, processing plant, challenges with export and funding as their major challenges in the cocoa business.

Mainly, cocoa is produced in large quantity in Etung, Ikom, Boki and Obudu Local Government Areas of the state, but most of their products are grossly under priced as they do not have facilities to process and even consume the product as it is done in Ondo State and other places.

For now cocoa farmers in the state just produce and sell to middlemen without processing, as a result they find it difficult to control the price of cocoa.

The Calabar Port Challenge

Cocoa farmers in the state have lamented the shallow nature of Calabar harbour, which had to transport cocoa for export to Lagos Ports.

The General Manager Eastern Ports, Mr. Joshua Asanga, said there is need for more utilisation of the Calabar port as a business hub for states on the North Eastern flank of Nigeria as well as countries bordering Nigeria in the North.

The issue of dredging has been a major problem of Calabar port, but Asanga expressed the desire that Calabar port should achieve its maximum potentials including the commencement of the dredging of the Calabar Channel for utilisation by larger sea-going vessels within his tenure.

As a result, of the low draught of the Calabar channel, patronage to the port has been low and several efforts to get dredging right has failed. Asanga declined to comment on current dredging effort as the matter is in court.

The General Manager of Ecomarine, Mr. Kingsley Iheanacho decried the lack of dredging of Calabar port; saying if such dredging is done, it will, to a large extent, boost business activities as bigger vessels will patronise the port.
Fire disaster, bush burning

Cocoa farms in Biakwan, Bashua, Biajua, Danare, Iso Bendege and Boje were subjected to the painful experience of having their farms burnt by irate youths, who went on rampage burning down cocoa estates in Boki indiscriminately causing untold hardship.

One of the victims of the farm fire disaster in Ekpokpa in Ikom, Irene Eyam Ogar lamented that the burnt cocoa were not likely to survive, and there would be need for replanting.

Ogar said it would run into hundreds of thousands of naira to procure seedlings, fertilizer and clearing.

She added that lack of funds was a major hindrance and “the economic loss from the devastation was un-quantifiable, as it has upturned the economic fortunes, not only of my family, but the community as a whole.”

Another victim, Mrs. Mercy Ndifon lamented that apart from cocoa, other economic trees such as plantain, banana, pears, bush mango and vegetables, within the plantations were also destroyed and “those were my sustainable economic crops, which we have relied upon as families for food and money.”

Mrs. Comfort Egwut, who lost much of her farms worth millions of naira, appealed to the state and federal government to provide them with cocoa seedlings, cash and other farm inputs to enable them replant their estates.

The Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Mr. John Inaku has regretted that in spite of campaigns against indiscriminate bush burning by the agency, unscrupulous persons still indulge in such unhealthy acts and urged the security operatives and traditional rulers to seek plausible ways of curtaining indiscriminate bush burning and apprehend culprits for prosecution.

Worried by these factors militating against cocoa production in the state, Cross River State government recently said it was set to churn out 500 metric tons of cocoa per annum as part of effort to shore up its low revenue base as a Technical Management team of Cocoa Estates was put in place.

The Chairman of the team, Mr. Oscar Ofuka, pointed that with the new production capacity, the state is poised to become the leading cocoa producing state in the country.

He said, “We would not relent to ensure that Cross River beats Ondo State records in the shortest possible time, and, in fact, becomes the world’s number one producer of cocoa as Cross River State also has the potential of becoming even the world’s biggest producer of cocoa if only she maximizes her fertile land, adopts the right approach in cultivation and processing.”

Ofuka stated that with the dwindling oil revenue in Nigeria, the state now has no choice, but to invest heavily in cocoa cultivation, with a view to making it the cornerstone of its economy and reduce dependence on federation account.

With a promise to revive moribund cocoa estates in the State, Ofuka said “some of us from the cocoa communities in this state are aware of the outcry by cocoa farmers for the rehabilitation of their moribund estates, for which quality time and resources have been spent.”

Recently, stakeholders and cocoa farmers in Nigeria converged in Calabar on issues affecting cocoa, saying the poor pricing of Nigerian cocoa in the international market is affecting local farmers and the middlemen.

The International conference on cocoa, convened at the instance of Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) in collaboration with World Cocoa Producers Organisation maintained that the quality of cocoa in Nigeria was about the best, but pricing at the international market has been a big setback.

Delivering a paper at the conference which was convened to discuss Price Risk Management Project, which is critically impacting against small holder cocoa farmers in Nigeria and other third world countries, the Executive Director of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Professor Malachy Akoroda said that cocoa has great hope for the country given the high demand for it around the world.

He said that politics in the world cocoa market, lack of fertilizer and poor transportation are some of the factors militating against good pricing in Nigeria.

Akeroda said “these days it is possible to plant, nurture and have the high yield species produce in six months, and that even within 18 months there could be unimaginable reaps.

“Anyone can plant this species and make real good profit, so that in five years it is possible for the farmer to make as much as N15 million in profit.”

He noted “cocoa is number one non-oil export earner for Nigeria even when it is not enjoying desired state support, push and encouragement for local farmers.  The product has great hope. There are great demands for cocoa bye products in Western and Eastern countries, but capacity to supply is limited.”
CAN president, Riman Mr Sayina R. Riman said cocoa business can change the economic fortune of Nigeria, adding that it is more sustainable than oil because there is possibility that oil can dry but cocoa will not.

He was happy that many younger people are getting involved in the trade in Cross River State, thereby ensuring the future growth.

Also lamenting the issue of poor pricing occasioned by international cocoa politics, the Executive Director of International Cocoa Organisation, London, Dr. Jean-Marc Anga, said that “cocoa farmers, producer organisations and exporters are constantly exposed to potential financial losses as the cocoa prices move against them.”

He announced that the International Cocoa Organisation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Export and Import bank (Afreximbank) worth over US$400m to support African cocoa farmers and member countries to produce value-added cocoa production, promote chocolate consumption, empower women and develop cocoa farming models.

It is left to see how East cocoa farmers will take advantage of the incentives.

A typical rice mill

Nigerian traders, under the auspices of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), have charged all arms of government and foreign investors to invest more in local rice production.

The association in collaboration with TY Danjuma foundation commissioned a small-scale rice milling facility worth N38.6m in Ruwanyo community in Nasarawa state.

The facility, meant to serve three communities of Aridi, Rafin-Kudi and Ruwanyo, comes with a rice miller with 300kg/hour capacity, capable of separating husks, bran, stones, broken rice and also polishing to make it compare relatively with imported rice.

There is also an installed vacuum pressure rice steam boiler of 300kg/hour, as well as multiple crops reaper and thresher that can reap and thresh rice, wheat, millet, guinea corn, soya beans, sesame and other grains.

At the commissioning, the president of the association, Ken Ukaoha explained that the association wants to touch the lives of women, who constitute more than 65 per cent of its members through the Gender Action Learning Systems (GALs).

He said farmers in the communities concerned are working with 10 kilometers of land for the purpose of cultivation of rice alone with rice already planted on a greater part of the land.

Ukaoha said the challenge the farmers have of taking their crop to the nearest mill in Lafia, coupled with lack of access road in the area had continually discouraged them from going into large scale farming.

However with the milling facility, which the association also provided with a 40 KVA generator to power it and a borehole facility for the community to solve the problem of lack of clean water, Ukaoha said he is optimistic that the farmers will perform optimally in the next farming season.

He said if the issue of diversification of the economy and food security has to be taken seriously, the government need to do all in its capacity to assist small holders farmers, who are the main providers of food in the country.
Ukaoha added that Nigeria has no business importing rice, if such project could be replicated in dedicated rice producing communities.

Highlighting some of the challenges facing farmers in rural areas, Ukaoha said it was high time government started to concentrate on Small Scale Farmers (SSFs) with deliberate policies that would enhance their productivity and livelihood.

He revealed that when it rains, farmers are cut off from the major city of Lafia as a result of the terrible road situation; it costs over N1,000 to transport a bag of paddy rice for milling at the closest mill, which is located in Lafia, and the same amount to bring it back to the village.

Ms. Angel Adelaja, founder of Fresh Direct, We Farm Africa, and former Senior Special Adviser to the President on Wealth creation, Mrs Olusola Sowemimo, founder Ope Farms, Mr. Adeniji Kolawole, Group Managing Director, Niji Group, Omilola Oshikoya, convener of the workshop, Toluwalola Kasali, moderator of panel discussion, Mrs. Amaka Onyejianya, Co-founder Uwa Earth foods, Mr. Seun Abolaji, founder Wilson’s Juice Co.

Nigeria’s Agribusiness sector received a boost recently, when renowned wealth and financial expert, Omilola Oshikoya organized the first Do It Afraid Entrepreneurial Workshop tagged ‘Agribusiness, The Next Frontier’ on Sunday, 6th of March 2016.

Commenting on the event, Omilola said: “The Nigerian Agricultural sector, was in past decades, the biggest sector in the economy. Now, it contributes only approximately 23% to the GDP. This workshop was organized, with the aim of inspiring business minded individuals who out of fear, lack the will and conviction to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. I believe that with the country facing increasing economic uncertainties, developing the SME segment is vital to reducing the country’s rampant unemployment, thereby enhancing diversification from petrodollars and driving economic growth. The conference aims to push the young and unemployed population from being job seekers to being job providers, with the ultimate goal being to reduce youth unemployment which was estimated at 80% as at 2014.”

Speaking further, she said: “The conference aims to push the young and unemployed population from being job seekers to being job providers, with the ultimate goal being to reduce youth unemployment which was estimated at 80% as at 2014. The agribusiness workshop was designed to increase technical capacity and provide support for both potential and current business entrepreneurs in Agribusiness.”

Mr. Kola Masha, Managing Partner Doreo Partners and former Senior Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs Omilola Oshikoya, Mr Obaro Osah, Regional Head of Bank of Industry

The event had a panel session involving successful agro-entrepreneurs who shared their business lessons. Panelists included Olusola Sowemimo (Founder of Ope Farms), Seun Abolaji (Founder of Wilson’s Juice Company), Amaka Onyejianya, (Co-founder of Uwa Earth Foods), Adeniji Kolawole (GMD of Niji Group) and Angel Adelaja (Founder of Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied services).

Kola Masha, MD of Doreos Partners and Obaro Osah, Regional Head, Bank of Industry answered questions about funding agribusinesses. According to Obaro Osah, agribusiness entrepreneurs can access up to N50 million depending on the scale of operations. He added that BOI has launched a N10 billion fund specifically geared towards agriculture. The bank is also committed to offering free financial advisory services for current and potential entrepreneurs in the Agriculture business. “The funding is available and the requirements are being simplified to take advantage of the opportunity to fund businesses at a single interest rate” – Obaro Osah.

Speakers at the event included Olayiwola Olatunji of The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) who talked about Navigating Trends and Patterns, Temitope Jebutu,General Manager of AACE Foods who talked about Agriculture as the Next Frontier, and Ada Osakwe, CEO Agrolay Ventures who talked about opportunities in Creative Agribusiness Ventures.

There was also an Enterprise Development Clinic by Adeniyi Aromolaran (Chief Resource Officer), Nehemiah Resources Limited.

Enterprise Development Clinic Session facilitated by Mr. Niyi Aromolaran founder of Nehemiah Group

The event was supported by Invicta Africa, Bella Naija, Bank of Industry, The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), HELLO! Nigeria, The Guardian, Guardian Life, Guardian TV, Naij.com, OnoBello, Pulse Ng, Dough Nigeria, Proper Popcorn NG, Mr. Russel

Company, Icey Drinks & cocktails, Woligator Cocktails, La Divine Fragrances and Proper Popcorn.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe, (third left), Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and Gov. Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbu State (fifth left) being taken through the wheat farm at Alkamawa, Kano State during the Farmers’ Wheat field day.

As LCRI Revives Fresh Drive At Self-Sufficiency
Barring any hitches in negotiations, the wheat farmers and up-takers of the commodity (Millers Association) would have arrived at the price at which the commodity goes to the buyers.

This marks a new beginning for wheat business in Nigeria as farmers look forward to having all quantity taken up by millers commencing from the harvest field of Alkamawa in Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State.

Effectively, the Lake Chad Research Institute led by its Executive Director, Dr. Oluwasina Olabanji, whose institute’s mandate is wheat research and production has successfully mid-wifed the return of the country to commercial wheat production.

The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe commended the Kano and Kebbi State governments for promoting the cultivation of the leading grains of wheat and rice in the country at the 2016 National Wheat Farmers Field Day organised by the Institute and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area (ICARDA).

Ogbe lauded the state governors, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Danguje and Abubakar Bagudu of Kano and Kebbi States respectively, who were present at the event.

The Minister expressed happiness about what he witnessed in both states and pledged to support the Institute in promoting research on improved seeds and mechanised farming to enhance yield per hectare in order to make the nation sufficient in cash crop production.

Riding on the back of the high performing Atilla Gan Atilla wheat seed variety, the projection, according to Ogbe is that about 350,000MT of wheat is expected during this harvest season from an area of 100,000 hectares cultivated in the northern states.

Incidentally, the reality on ground from the field day reports at Alkamawa does not support the attainment of the target, as a much lower harvest will reach the millers this season.
“The importance of this National wheat field day should not be underestimated. It will help us assess our successes so far towards achieving our professed desire for self-sufficiency in wheat production. It will also bring to light our achievements in the processing and utilisation of Nigerian wheat and help us identify areas for further research,” Ogbe said.

He assured the farmers of Federal Government’s commitment to attaining food security and saving enormous resources expended on food importation.

John Coumantaros, Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and member of the millers’ association promised the farmers that the millers would purchase all wheat produced in the country, considering its importance in the production of some staple foods.

The Minister stressed that government would go ahead with the massive planting of special grasses to provide Fulani herdsmen with fodder to feed their animals. This would enable them produce maximum milk and beef as well as minimise encroachment into farmlands.

Kano State Governor, Dr. Ganduje told the Minister that farmers in Kano State could provide the nation with required wheat to millers and production companies, adding that his administration, through a programme ‘Kauda Rant’ tube-wells, water pumping machines, seeds, fertilizer and other incentives were distributed to farmers.

Former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has urged women and youths to invest in agriculture. He stated this at SME 100 and Rubies Vocational School conference in Lagos.

Uduaghan encouraged people, especially those coming out of school to explore other areas like agriculture because the job market is very lean.

“To make a success out of agriculture, you must have the interest. We must encourage our children to go agriculture into Nigeria. Information technology (IT) is another area to look at.”

Charles Odii, the executive director of SME 100 said the time has come for Nigerian women to be competitive on a global level in the areas of politics, agriculture and technology.

The nation can only develop substantially, if women make effort at being professionals in these male-dominated sectors. The conference was organised for women to learn from those who are renowned, Odii said.

At the conference, Mrs. Orode Ryan-Okpu, executive director, Rubies Vocational School stated that aside from the conference, women in the rural areas of Nigeria will not be left out of the training programmes of both organization.

Keynote speakers at the conference were Mosun Bello-Olusoga (Chairperson, Access Bank PLC); Hajiya Aisha Babangida (Chairman, Better Life for Rural Women, Nigeria); Lolade Akande (Commissioner For Women Affairs, Lagos State), Mosun Umaru (Founder, Harvester Farms Ltd) and others. They all encouraged women to collectively fight the scourge of poverty through empowerment and strive to be the best.

Fish feed for the participants awaiting distribution

Ramping up support for diversifying the economy, reducing food import bills, creating employment opportunities and lubricating the economy, the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT), Ibadan has empowered 205 youths, women and retirees in the business of catfish production, processing and marketing, with financial support from the Federal Government.

The participants were trained in a two-week intensive classroom and practical session with the modules covering catfish rearing, fingerling and juvenile catfish productions, table-size catfish production, processing into smoked fish using modern kilns and marketing of both fresh and smoked fish.

As part of the empowerment, each participant was given 200 units of post-juvenile catfish, bags of fish feeds and transport allowance.

Femi Banjoko, Director of Vocational Training at the college, said participants included graduates, retirees, youths and women, adding the college was ready to train as many as possible with the support of the government and corporate organisations.

Provost of the college, Dr. Funmilayo Adejinmi advised participants to utilise the knowledge, skill and inputs given to them to empower themselves and others.
She also advised them to add value by processing their fish into smoked fish for longer shelf life and better income. Adejinmin said fish is a widely accepted source of protein that could create thousands of jobs and reduce unemployment.

South West Regional Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs C. A. Awe, commended the college for putting together the skills programme, lamenting heavy fish import despite Nigeria’s capacity in aquaculture production.

“These starter packs are not to be sold. Justify the resources the government was putting into this by practising fish farming,” the regional director said.

Adebisi Lana, representative of State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture assured of Government’s adequate and frequent support in fish production and processing, adding that agriculture had become a saving grace for the dwindling national resources.

One of the trainees, Mrs. Omilabu Adetutu, expressed gratitude to the college for the training in fisheries production and allied businesses. He promised that participants would utilise the inputs to earn income and boost the economy.