Poultry

The Delta State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has commenced the selection of pig and poultry farmers to participate in the livestock development programmes of the state.

In a statement signed by the Director of Information, Mr. Paul Osahor, he explained that the programmes include: pig multiplication & farmer support program; and broiler outgrower scheme.

According to Osahor, the objectives of the programmes are to facilitate farmers’ access to critical production inputs and credit, equip farmers with modern and innovative skills required for profitable production and integrate small-scale farmers into the mainstream livestock value chain.

He said interested farmers are required to have facilities for fattening a minimum of 30 pigs for the pig multiplication and farmer support program and production of at least 1,000 broilers for the broiler outgrower scheme.

The statement added that on selection, the farmers would be given credit in form of input and cash after producing credible guarantors who must be civil servants, not below salary grade level 12 for small-scale farmers and salary grade level 15 for medium scale farmers.

Osahor added: “Interested farmers are to apply for either of the programmes by collecting application forms from the Headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources or any of the Area Offices in the 25 local council areas.”

Farmers

The Acting Director of National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, Kwara State, Dr. Yomi Kasali has canvassed government subsidies for farmers purchasing agricultural equipment, to boost their productivity.

Kasali, who disclosed this during the Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Training for Youth in Welding and Fabrication of Agro Processing Equipment, in Ilorin, said agriculture could contribute meaningfully to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if the sector was mechanised and such equipment affordable to average farmers.

He said: “Nigerian farmers unlike their counterparts in other developing nations of the world, are still employing primitive tools to till the soil, yet they produce about 70 per cent of the nation’s food production. But to make agriculture contribute significantly to the country’s GDP the country needs to mechanise its agriculture.

“To achieve this, the level of adoption, accessibility and affordability of low cost equipment should be increased. Increasing these levels means there should be increased fabrication of these equipment, which will reduce drudgery and also improve productivity.”

The youths, numbering over 80 and drawn across the six geo-political zones, including a lady from Bayelsa State, were sponsored to the two weeks intensive training programme by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

The NCAM boss disclosed that the trainees at the end of the programme are expected to transfer the acquired skill to other youths in their localities towards making same available across the nation. He praised the courage of the sole lady venturing into a male denominated vocation, just as he announced a sum of N10, 000 for her as an encouragement to other female youths.

Besides, he encouraged the farmers to organise themselves into veritable cooperative groups to acquire loans, and to share capital and inherent risk in the agricultural sector.

The NCAM was established by the Federal Government to research and innovate into indigenous technologies that can reduce drudgery in farming processes, thus increasing timeliness and efficiency of operations.

Project Director of BASICS, Hemant Nitturkar. PHOTO: FLICKR

Extension Service Providers Vow To Spread Knowledge
After a day’s training on weed management in cassava farming systems, extension service providers have resolved to adopt and disseminate best bet weed management practices including appropriate spacing, tillage, use of improved varieties, and the use of safe and environmentally friendly herbicides.

The training, organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-managed Cassava Weed Management Project (CWMP) in collaboration with the Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Seed System for Cassava (BASICS) and Catholic Relief Services, presented the change agents new information on integrated weed management in cassava farming systems.

The 35 change agents drawn from different Local Council areas of Benue State resolved to-tell farmers the importance of land measurement for cassava farming; tell farmers not to wash used containers and other herbicide equipment near sources of water; advice farmers on appropriate use of pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides; mobilise village seed entrepreneurs (VSEs) and farmer groups for a step-down training on weed management; advice farmers on calibration and proper mixing of herbicides; inform farmers the importance of wearing personal protective equipment; and advice farmers on the use of appropriate dosage in herbicide application and that an overdose of herbicides is harmful and not beneficial because it can lead to environmental pollution, resistance by the weeds, and even economic loss.

The training, held in Makurdi, was part of efforts to extend the knowledge generated by the IITA-CWMP to farmers, especially beneficiaries of the BASICS project, and address the challenge of weeds in cassava farming systems in the country.

Project Director of BASICS, Hemant Nitturkar, said the collaboration between BASICS and IITA-CWMP is aimed at harnessing the expertise from weed management and cassava seeds system with the overall aim of increasing the yield of cassava.

The training, facilitated by Godwin Atser, Communication and Knowledge Exchange Expert, covered areas such as Land Preparation and Best Agronomic Practices, Types of Weeds, Types of Herbicides, Herbicides Application and Calibration, and Safe Use of Herbicides. There was also a practical session where participants were exposed to tips on application and spraying.

Alfred Dixon, Project Leader, IITA-CWMP, welcomed the inter-project collaboration, stressing that it was a step in the right direction.

“No one project can solve the problems of cassava. We need to work together and empower the farmers on all fronts,” Dr. Dixon said. I commend IITA-CWMP, BASICS, and CRS for organizing this training of trainers,” he added.

Eunice Alice, an extension service provider with the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in Oturkpo, said the training was relevant. “Before, I had used bare hands in mixing herbicides and even ate on the field but today I discovered that was very bad.”

Another change agent, Emmanuel Okwor who works with the Benue State Agricultural Development Authority (BNARDA) said: “I used to think taking milk was an antidote to herbicide ingestion but today I have come to realise that milk does not help reduce the effect of herbicides on human health.”

Iangba Oliver, a change agent with JDPC, said: “I have come to know the various cassava spacing for targeting roots or stems.”

ECOWAS Map

This rising share of intra-Commonwealth trade and investment underscored the growing significance of Commonwealth markets for member-countries, according to a new report issued by Communications Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat, Niall Jeger.

According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Commonwealth Trade Review 2018 said proactive policy measures, such as improving trade facilitation or tackling non-tariff barriers, could trigger even greater gains for member-countries.

In 2017, cumulative intra-Commonwealth greenfield foreign direct investment was estimated at $700 billion, creating 1.4 million jobs through 10,000 projects.

The secretariat projects intra-Commonwealth greenfield investment – when a parent company establishes its operations in a foreign country – could reach $870 billion by 2020.

Trade among Commonwealth countries grew to just under $600 billion in 2016 and is expected to increase by at least 17 per cent to around $700 billion by 2020.

Together, intra-Commonwealth trade and greenfield investment is expected to surpass $1.5 trillion, Commonwealth said.

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said: “This is a remarkable indication of the power of Commonwealth connection and of the benefits that accrue to member-countries as a result of Commonwealth advantage.”

This, she said, was significant with world trade only now emerging from the unprecedented slowdown triggered by the financial crisis a decade ago.

The review found that Commonwealth countries, overall, were less-protectionist and tended to apply fewer harmful measures against fellow member-countries.

The research also explored how Commonwealth members can harness new technologies, especially digitisation, to strengthen their domestic trade governance, further reducing costs and fostering new trade and investment.

Scotland said: “Our trade review shows that economic and governance ties in the Commonwealth provide ready and robust foundation fabric.

GCP21 Director, Dr. Claude Fauquet (l); Director Designate, Prof. Malachy Akoroda; and IITA Head of Communication, Kathy Lopez, during the press conference in Lagos on the 4th International Cassava Conference in Cotonou, Republic of Benin

Fauquet, who raised the alarm, at a world press conference in Lagos said though Africa accounts for 55 per cent of global cassava root production, its yield per hectare is the lowest in the world with about 10 tons per ha as opposed to Asia where average yield is 21 tons per hectare—or double the yield in Africa.

He described the low root yields of cassava in Africa as unacceptable and called on member nations to adequately invest in the crop to change the current yield per hectare, adding that a do-nothing approach would hurt the continent, as it would have to contend with more people to feed, and changes in climate that would become more unpredictable.

Fauquet argued that to reverse the current trajectory would demand deliberate steps, including greater investment in research and innovation, provisions of a favorable policy framework, accessibility of loans to farmers at single digit rates, and mechanisation across the value chain.

According to him, Africa needs to scale out proven technologies, including the recommendations on weed control being developed by the Cassava Weed Management Project, improved cassava varieties, and best-bet agronomic practices such as appropriate fertilizer application.

“If we do these, then to double cassava yield will not be a dream but a possibility,” he said.

Fauquet said while technologies are available to transform cassava, not many policy makers were aware of such technologies, adding that the forthcoming Global Conference on Cassava with the theme “Cassava Transformation in Africa” was a unique opportunity that would create an environment for exchange of technical, scientific, agricultural, industrial and economic information about cassava among strategic stakeholders like scientists, farmers, processors, end-users, researchers, the private sector, and donor agencies.

According to him, 300 participants including policymakers, scientists, farmers, processors, end-users, researchers, the private sector, and donor agencies would be participating in the conference.

The Director Designate of GCP21, Professor Malachy Akoroda noted that the conference would provide an opportunity for African countries to tap the best, current, and most innovative technologies that would transform cassava value chains across Africa.

Irrigation

And it is the same headache with every farmer at this period of the year whether large, medium or the smallholder farmer. I believe drip irrigation provides the best solution to this problem.
 
“To be sure, the Nigerian climate as in other places has become increasingly unpredictable.

Its either the rain season comes late, or ends early. While at other times it doesn’t come at all. For the farmer, this makes planning farm tasks difficult.

In order to avoid losses and low productivity, farmers usually look for ways to ensure that there is moisture in their farmlands by adopting different irrigation methods to apply water and nutrients to the field,” he said. 
 
Walumbe said though there are several techniques used by farmers, including the laborious manual and gun rain methods, drip irrigation holds the best prospect as the most cost effective and efficient method to overcome the problem of dry season farming. 
 
“The drip method allows water to drip and drop from pipes running through the farm. The process helps to conserve water and properly pass moisture to soil and thereby boost yield. It also makes even distribution of fertilizers to crops possible through the process of fertigation.
 
“Beside its simplicity in terms of installation, it is gravity operated with heavy duty drippers with wide water passages to prevent clogging. It uses water in the most efficient way, it is flexible and suitable to adapt to different water sources.

It is equally adaptable to any soil and weather conditions, just as it enables ‘fertigation’, that is a process by which fertilizers are applied through the irrigation system.”
 
He drew attention to the increasing devastating impact of changes in the weather, urging farmers to move away from dependence on rain fed agriculture and embrace irrigation farming, as the way out of the challenges ahead. 

Farmers at work.

Chimaka, who said this at the Commonwealth Universities Association of Researchers (CUAR) Open Day Agricultural Stakeholders Workshop and Exhibition, at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, noted that for the continent to realise the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the 21st century, agriculture and economic growth must take the front seat.   

Speaking on the topic: “Research for Agriculture Development & Food Scarcity; Past, Present & The Way Forward,” he stated that while only a few countries are recording growth and agricultural production, some are recording increase in land area.

He said: “It is an irony that Nigeria, a vast agricultural country endowed with substantial materials and physical resources that include 70 million hectares (ha) of arable land covering 12 million ha, 900 kilometers of coastline and ecological diversity, which naturally enables the production of a wide range of crops, livestock, forestry and fishery products and not minding the overload of human resources, should find herself in the group of food deficient countries in Africa.”

The don cited the case of USA that records 8.9 per cent mt per ha for Maize and China 6.07 per cent mt, while Nigeria records a meager 1.01 per cent mt, stating that the current yield potential for cassava 45-50mt per ha, yam 18-20 mt, cocoyam 15-20 mt, sweet potato 25-30 mt and irish potato 20-52 mt, could be tripled without increasing the land area cultivated.

The retired Zonal Director, Research and Extension Office, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, said both researchers and thereafter extension workers still have a lot of work to do to develop the sector.

The famed agricultural successes of the First Republic, symbolized by the groundnut pyramids in the north and the cocoa and palm plantations in the west and east were achieved on the back of robust policies and effective agricultural extension systems. But this second factor has not been given adequate emphasis in recent efforts to rejuvenate the sector.

This is one of the reasons why a once food sufficient and food exporting country has become one in which only 20 percent of the food consumed by its population is grown at home. The consequence of this is the current heavy dependence on imported food products to feed a teeming population which according to the World Bank, is expected to surpass the population of the United States which currently stands at 324,459,463, by 2050.

Many recommendations have been made to fix this existential economic challenge confronting Nigeria. However, the consensus is that Nigeria must hike its food production substantially to keep up with that population growth. These are the core concerns of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the Agricultural Promotion Programme (APP) of the Buhari administration which are designed to tackle rising food imports and declining levels of national food self-sufficiency. In this connection, key challenges that undermine agricultural production include reliance on rain fed agriculture, smallholder landholding, and low productivity due to poor planting material, low fertilizer application, and a weak agricultural extension system amongst others.

Aliyu Abdulhameed, MD/CEO of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture (NIRSAL), believes that establishing an effective modern agricultural extension service to support the ERGP and the APP is key to the revitalization of Nigerian agriculture. And this is the vision behind NIRSAL’s game changing Project Monitoring Reporting and Remediation Offices (PMRO) scheme launched in 2017.

He explains the thinking and focus of the scheme: “The PMRO structure is very critical to our operations. Agriculture is a field business. The PMROs would act as our eyes to ensure that agricultural projects that we facilitate finance for are executed in line with agreed terms and also serve to extend the reach of our interventions”.

Achieving this will not be easy. Previous efforts by successive administrations to repeat the agricultural extension feats of the 60s-70s and reduce the over-reliance on imports, have not been very successful. One challenge is that Federal and State governments still struggle with attracting investment to the sector, hence low agricultural budgets continue to hamper efforts to grow the sector significantly despite numerous colorfully advertised programs. The sector also struggles with outdated practices, inefficient technologies and weak monitoring.

For each of these challenges, NIRSAL has responded with a robust structure to tackle the negative effects sustainably and the PMRO scheme is the latest in the battle to boost agricultural productivity and food security. NIRSAL itself is a product of government’s efforts to properly organize and fund the agricultural sector, reduce the risk of investing in the sector, while seeking areas of new funding for the sector to grow. With the coming of the PMROs, players in the sector can now expect to have at their disposal modern best practices in planting, processing, packaging and even in funding. As a result, inefficient technologies are systematically done away with while the sector benefits from the specialized monitoring the scheme brings with it.

The PMRO structure which already covers 225,000 farmers is set to boost the status of agriculture as a business and a sector capable of earning huge foreign exchange to add to the coffers of the national treasury.

To improve the chances for success, the PMRO scheme is fashioned to be a formidable ally to all stakeholders along the agricultural value chain chiefly the smallholder farmers and investors, providing robust all-round support for all parties.

Another strong feature of the scheme is a focus on capacity building anchored on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) such as effective production, safe processing and sustainable post-production techniques, including equipping the smallholder farmers with the technical and business knowhow required to operate modern technologies and attract the requisite funding for projects as well as supervising funded projects.

The farmers work with the PMROs from conception to actualization of their projects, learning how to produce food products that meet global standards, through modern planting techniques and efficient use of farming resources such as fertilizers and pesticides. The PMROs will also assist them with business development, helping them attract the kind of funding required for their projects, from the right financial institutions.

On the other hand, the PMRO scheme will play the roles of liaison, eyes on ground and facilitator to the agricultural projects that it supports, including the those to which STANBIC IBTC and Union Bank have already collectively committed 20 billion Naira. In fact, Abdulhameed sees the PMRO scheme as a first line defense and security to ensure that projects that rigorously conceptualized and technically sound agricultural projects achieve their objectives.

As Abdulhameed noted when NIRSAL signed an MOU on a N10 billion agricultural finance scheme in November 2017, “To ensure proper use of the loans and success of the projects, NIRSAL will leverage its Project Monitoring, Reporting and Remediation Offices (PMRO) located across the 36 states in the country. The PMROs will closely supervise projects to ensure proper use of the loans by beneficiaries.”

With such investments already coming into the programme, the PMRO scheme’s multifaceted approach to agricultural extension systems places it at the epicenter or epicenters of agribusiness in Nigeria, as they operate from all 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory.

The investors/financial institutions, working hand in hand with the PMROs as part of NIRSAL’s risk management framework, for handling investments in agriculture, will serve as supervisor and monitor to ensure strict adherence to terms agreed with beneficiaries, and as a result reduce the risk of doing business in the sector.

Some of the risks include but are not limited to loan diversion. To help deal with this, the PMRO structure will complete NIRSAL’s institutional strategy of only providing inputs in lieu of cash to farmers by physically ensuring that they are rightly deployed and that timelines for projects are complied with. It is also a good thing that NIRSAL has empowered them with the technology tools for remote monitoring and reporting of events as they occur on the field for appropriate steps to be taken, when there is a need. The scheme’s close progress tracking feature also enables NIRSAL to identify risk events, take steps to mitigate them to avoid loss.

A critical part of the PMRO scheme is the leadership it has at state level, which enables it to effectively carry out this tracking and feedback system. Led by financial experts mostly from the private sector and senior level former directors from the public service. These PMRO Heads leverage their private sector experience and technical knowhow in agribusiness to play very vital roles at the points where they are most needed. These include providing technical support, mentorship, business advisory services such as writing business plans, financial management to agricultural players operating at the state levels.

Overall, the introduction of the PMRO structure into the Nigerian agricultural space by NIRSAL under the leadership of Abdulhameed is timely, necessary and commendable. It is a physical evidence of the institutional efforts by the risk-mitigating agency to win the confidence of commercial banks who see putting money into agriculture as a sinking it into a dark hole. It’s nationwide presence and trained field staff, ability to monitor agricultural projects, track and report risk events, guide and support agricultural producers helps fill a worrying gap left by the extension services of old.

The institutional role of enabling access to relevant information by grassroots agricultural players makes them highly relevant in government’s efforts to increase farmer yield, boost productivity and reposition agriculture as the mainstay of the country’s economy. The management of NIRSAL deserves commendation and should be supported by stakeholders to ensure its sustainability and impact as a pillar of the Buhari administration’s agricultural promotion policy.

Nantim T. Joseph is a public policy analyst.

As the Federal Government continues the campaign for more Nigerians to embrace agriculture, stakeholders are however concerned over the alarming loss of forest land to agricultural purposes.

This comes against the backdrop of a recent forest inventory report taken in Cross River State that revealed a whooping 167,382 hectares of forest land was lost to agriculture between 2007 and 2014, and over 23,911 hectares lost to other purposes.

Specifically, they are worried that in Cross River, degradation of the forest is increasing at an average of 5,071 hectares lost annually repressing 0.67 per cent.

These formed part of the findings at a high level sensitisation workshop on, National Forest Inventory, organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in Abuja.

A Community Engagement Specialist for the UN REDD+ programme, Martins Egot, in a paper presentation on, the Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Cross River State experience), pointed out that agriculture is a major driver of forest loss in Nigeria.

He identified other drivers to include forestry like timber exploitation, logging, infrastructure development - construction of roads, mining, and quarrying, adding that the locals also exploit the forest for fuel wood and charcoal.

The Forestry expert noted that the forest is the major source of livelihood of most rural communities, and their food, water, and economy is dependent on it, unfortunately, most of them are into farming, and this in turn leads to loss of forest land.

The lead consultant for the UN REDD+ programme, Tony Attah, who also expressed worry over the massive forest degradation, stressed the need for regeneration, saying, in as much as many hectares of land have been lost to agriculture, government should embark on regeneration to reclaim the forest.

He also identified the importance of taking stock of the forest to include climate change effect, erosion control, lamenting that Nigeria is losing the forest more than it can control, and forest inventory would help take holistic steps to ensure sustainability.

Attah said: “We need to have an inventory of our forest in all the states so that it would be well managed and be protected from indiscriminate degradation.”

He argued that forest degradation affect the natural water source, and food system, as the land would loses its fertility and also result in erosion problem. “The impact of the forest cannot be ruled out because man survival is dependent on the forest,” he added.

Experts have described soya bean as one of the most consumed legumes in the world, due to its essential nutrients that maintain and improves human health.

Soya bean is revered as a good meal source for people who are on diet. Its protein content enhances metabolic functions in the body and thus helps to improve human health, ensuring that human cells are well repaired. It also helps with weight reduction and protects people from diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

According to Mr. Monjanrin Sunday, RSM (Edible South West), Grand Cereals, Soya bean also contains vitamins like; vitamin c, vitamin k, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B6 and thiamin. Potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorous, manganese, selenium and zinc, which are some of the other minerals that can be derived from it.

“Regular intake of soya beans helps in the prevention of cancer due to its high level of antioxidants. Its protein content makes it a choice meal that spreads around various markets across Nigeria.

“Its high vitamin and mineral content ensures healthy bones even during old age. Another benefit of soya beans is its effectiveness in aiding the functioning of the heart by lowering the total cholesterol level in the body thus preventing heart attack or stroke. With its fibre content, soya beans also helps in boosting digestion and aids metabolism. Soya bean seed can be used in making different foods; including soy milk, textured vegetable protein and soya bean oil,” he said.

Sunday, said since oil is a staple ingredient for the preparation of meals, it is advisable to cook with oil made from soya bean for the prevention of heart disease and for low cholesterol intake.

Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai

He stated this during the commissioning of the Ramindra Tractor Assembly Plant, Industrial Estate, Kaduna, a joint investment of the Springfield Agro Ltd., aimed at consolidating the over 14 years of partnership, to boost the country’s economy, more importantly, in the mechanised agricultural sector.

While saluting the company’s efforts in the state, he enjoined them and other prospective investors not to relent in such regard; but to firmly believe in their genuine intentions to partner the state’s for the realisation of their agelong dreams.

El-Rufai expressed the state appreciation to the Kewalram Chanrai Group for the confidence reposed in the nation’s economy, especially, the Kaduna State government with its numerous huge investments, especially the Sunseep Feed Mills, the Kewalram Chanrai Foundation Hospital all in Zaria, as well as other laudable programmes freely executed to cushion the suffering of the teeming masses and efforts in food production.

The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Dr. Manzo Maigari and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Abdulkadir Kassim, extolled the conglomerate’s sterling virtues, assuring of the state’s cooperation to provide continued improved food production at pocket friendly price. He also promised joint cooperation to adequately subsidise such farm inputs, to further enhance, improved mechanised agricultural production.

In his welcome address, the Springfield Agro Ltd CEO, Mr. Tarun K. Das, expressed profound gratitude to the state with the additional investment of more than $200m, to provide over 200 jobs to the residents when the Mahindra Tractor Assembly Plant is fully in operation.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has described the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFEGAN) farmers market, as an essential tool in addressing issues of food wastage, as it will create market access to farm produce.

Ogbeh, who said this during an unscheduled visit to one of the markets, situated in Ikeja, Lagos, commended the association for the market model it adopted for its fresh produce.

The minister, who applauded the association’s initiative of creating market access, based on what he saw, said despite no support from government, the body has made serious impact at addressing food crisis.

He expressed happiness that most of the farmers in AFGEAN market were women who did not have to depend on government to provide them structures to sell their produce.

Founder and CEO, Maidville Consulting, Adetoun Abbi Olaniyan, who is spearheading the market on behalf of AFGEAN said Ogbeh’s visit is an attestation of government’s commitment to agriculture and the desire to grow the economy through the sector.

“We have been able to draw the attention of government to our market initiative. The minister has applauded our efforts in creating an opportunity for ourselves as farmers.

“As farmers we have decided to do what we can to create market for our produce. We are creating markets to address the greatest challenge of farmers; which is access to the market.

Executive Secretary of AFGEAN, Akin Sawyerr commended efforts of Maidville, who have run with the market idea from inception and has made it happen.

Sawyer said there is great need for farmers to have access to markets to sell their produce and be able to reinvest their profits in the supply chain.

“There is a serious lack of good, clean and well organised markets across the country, where formal supermarkets are clearly unable to meet the growing dietary needs of Nigerian’s growing middle class. This is what AFGEAN hopes to achieve with its farmers market.”

Cashew Nuts.

National President of the body, Tola Faseru, who disclosed this in Lagos, said based on earlier letter to government, the waiver was approved in 2016 to get the bags at reduced price for cash export, but close to two years after the approval, it is yet to be implemented.

With the current progress of the commodity standing at 220,000 metric tonnes (mt) yearly, as against 90,000mt in 2011, the country currently imports jute bags worth N1.430b at the rate of N500 per bag, which not only increases the cost of production, but has also forced others to adopt a strategy of using fairly used bags (Tokunbo) for exportation.

Demand for jute sacks is rising daily, as the country relies solely on importation. In 2015, Nigeria spent N5.60b to import jute bags alone.

The demand gap, The Guardian learnt, has forced commodity exporters to import fairly used jute sacks from Ghana, despite the country’s capacity to farm kenaf in 23 states and process it into jute bags and other related products.

Sadly, most of the jute bags from Ghana, already used for fish before being sold to Nigeria, as reliably gathered by The Guardian, are being used to package cashew for export and when it gets to Europe, one of the reasons they are rejected is because the cashews nuts will have been affected by the fish odour.

Faseru said the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh is trying to reawaken the manufacture of jute bags, by putting in place machineries and encouraging farmers too.

It was learnt that two kenaf factories were established in Badagry, Lagos State and in Jos, Plateau State in 1960, with the aim of encouraging commercial kenaf farming, to produce items like jute bags for the storage of agricultural produce, and for export of cocoa, cashew and palm kernel.

Continuing, Faseru noted that the cashew value chain has witnessed tremendous growth since 2011 with improved packaging that has positively impacted its quality. “Cashew has proved to be better than other countries, due to support from government, commitment of the stakeholders, exporters and farmers.”

He said things are being put in place for the country to begin export of processed cashew this year, as promised by the minister, noting that processing has to be adequately done to ensure that the product competes favourably with products from other countries. “Before the end of the year, new companies will come on stream, private initiatives are going to come onboard also.”

Most Nigerian homes, especially in the Southwest region, who consume good quantity of pepper, may have to endure the current high price of the commodity in the market.

For now, according to The Guardian survey, scarcity is the factor contributing to the current price increase.

The fact that pepper is a major spice used in foods makes it an essential commodity across the country. There is hardly a complete meal without use of at least one variety of pepper.

Pepper, according to study, has several usages. It is used as spice in many dishes and as decoration in food, to add flavour and colour. It is also used to provide relief for several ailments. It can be found in topical creams that are intended to reduce muscle pain, inflammation and itching.

It acts as a heart stimulant, which regulates blood flow and strengthens the arteries, possibly reducing heart attacks. It has soothing effects on the digestive system, offers relief from symptoms of colds, sore throats and fevers, circulation, especially for cold hands and feet, and as a hangover remedy.

Fresh peppers, as gathered are an excellent source of calcium and vitamin. It can be used to regulate blood sugar. Experts claim hot chilly peppers might help fight prostate cancer.

Though it comes in different varieties, but the ones commonly produced in Nigeria include: Bird peppers-Atawere, a very hot variety of pepper, it is short in length. Both ripe and unripe of this variety are used for preparing sauce; Cayenne or red pepper—Sombo, a very long and thin variety. It is a bit mild as regards to its hotness.

Capsicum annum-Atarodo, it is the most common variety in the market. The smaller sized type taste hotter than the bigger size; and Capsicum annum-Tatase, usually very mild in taste and very red in colour.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics, it estimated world production of capsicum peppers in 2001 to be 21.3 million tonnes, from a harvested area of 1.6 million hectares (ha) (average yield 13.4 t/ha); with China emerging as the largest producer with 10 million tonnes, followed by Mexico-1.9 million tonnes and Turkey-1.5 million tonnes.

Production in tropical Africa is estimated at one million tonnes, with Nigeria producing 715,000 tonnes from 90,000 ha and Ghana producing 270,000 tonnes from 75,000 ha, as the largest producers.

A farmer, James Ogah told The Guardian that domestic demand for pepper has increased over time, as decline in production persists, which has resulted in perennial scarcity.

He noted that the development has drastically affected exportation of quantity of pepper being exported, as the country continues to lose foreign exchange that should have accrued from the pepper value-chain. “This signifies that there is need for increase in the supply of pepper to make up for the increase in the domestic demand and to also give room for export.”

The Guardian learnt that rising domestic demand, coupled with drop in export, continues to set the trend for the pepper market. Currently, the main suppliers of the commodity to the global market are Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Brazil; while the major destinations are the US, Europe, Japan and Australia.

Investigations show that the price of pepper in Nigeria is subjected to seasonal fluctuation. For instance, in the Southwest, pepper is brought in from the North, despite the fact that it is also grown in the Southwest, but by few farmers.

The insurgency in parts of the north, which displaced farmers, coupled with climate change and cost of transportation also add to rising cost of pepper.

Ogah hinted that despite the country’s pepper production level, the huge demand gap has forced the country to rely on importation to fill the gap.

A pepper seller, Abubakar Duru, confirmed the price increase. He said though they still maintain the least price of N50 for the smallest module of pepper, they have been forced to reduce the quantity, in order not to run at a loss.

Though he attested to the fact that scarcity due to displacement of farmers in the north, coupled with cost of transportation, is reason for the price increase, he however, said pests and diseases are also affecting pepper cultivation.

It was learnt that pests like Scales and mealy bugs; Coratitis capitata; and Borers are still ravaging farms, while diseases like Bacterial wilt; Fruit rot; and Virus, are responsible for stunted growth, which invariably lead to poor harvest.

Duru advocates government support to farmers in the area of sensitisation, input and financial support to enhance cultivation of the commodity in every part of the country, so that the issue of seasonal fluctuation can be permanently addressed.

But another farmer, Jelili Ahmed opposed Duru’s position, noting that pepper cannot just be cultivated on any soil like cassava, yam, maize and other crops that can thrive, irrespective of soil types.

He said pepper has soil requirements, which must be strictly adhered to if the farmer is willing to make any gain from the plantation. He said pepper thrives well in warm climate and requires well-drained silt or clay soil and favourable climatic condition.

Ahmed said planting on water logged and alkaline soil must also be avoided, adding that pepper grows well on highly nutritive soil with optimum soil moisture.

One other area he mentioned, which he said farmers are yet to find solution, is the area of storage. He said pepper lasts for only few days after harvest before it gets rotten and with this, “We only get half or quarter of what we harvest. That is the reason why most farmers are abandoning pepper farming for other profitable crops.”

Ogah said the country has the capacity to almost double present pepper output, saying there is no need to increase the acreage. “We can use the same area we are planting, with improved technology so that we can double the yield per unit area.

“If we double the production, for me, the perennial price fluctuation will be eradicated, as there will be enough to meet local demand on one hand, and to gain in export markets.

Tomato farm

The aim is to help participants acquire the requisite knowledge to set up and operate small-medium scale processing/packaging operations in their different communities, while also acquainting them with the nutritional values of tomato, including Vitamins A and C needed for improved immunity, wellness and sustenance.
   
Meanwhile, PLAN has urged government across all levels to provide access to capital, and the enabling environment for farmers and all participants in the tomato value chain to succeed and as well reduce the nation’s unemployment rate, while contributing to the growth of the economy.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode

Commissioner for Works, Adebowale Akinsanya, disclosed this when the state executive council went on an inspection tour of some state projects.

Akinsanya also said the Imota light Industrial Park in the same complex with the Imota Rice Mill, would be ready before December this year.

He pointed out that the rice mill, which he described as the biggest in Africa, and the industrial park would have parking facilities for cars and articulated vehicles; administration block; clinic; restaurant; water and sewage treatment plant and a 10 megawatt independent power plant.

He said the new Regional Foodstuff Market in Imota would also house traders who would be displaced from Mile 12, Ketu and within the same corridor, would be ready by October, while the traders would likely move into the new market before the end of the year.

Akinsanya said: “The location of the new foodstuff market compared to the present location is about 70 meter away from the road and has a car park that could accommodate no fewer than 1,000 vehicles.”

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rotimi Ogunleye, said: “We had meetings with the traders and they had expressed their willingness to relocate here.”

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday called for partnership with architects on designs to transform the state from a mega city to a smart city.

Ambode spoke at the opening of the 2018 Lagos Architects Forum (LAF) in Lagos with the theme: Lagos 9.0 – Architectural Regeneration 1 - The Lagos Response

The governor, who was represented by Assistant Director, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Remi Adebo, he urged the architects to take up challenges hindering development of the state and brainstorm on solutions at the forum.

To address challenges in the agric sector, FarmFunded has introduced an online crowdfunding platform to scale-up farming operations.

The mission of the organisation, which aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is to end hidden hunger in Africa by ensuring that there is access to affordable and healthy food, to achieve food security. 

It is also meant to provide support in form of best agronomic practices to farmers and help them implement practices that improve productivity and production, thus promoting sustainable agriculture.  

According to the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Joshua Ajisope, the organisation also strive to fortify the fortunes of the farmers and funders by combining their resources, to have a synergistic effect that will increase the income base of all stakeholders.

He noted that FarmFunded works with farmers’ associations, farmers’ clusters and farmers’ co-operative society, by interfacing with them, to make their intentions on funding known.

“And upon our due diligence checks and feasibility studies with SWOT analysis on their farms, we can then have their farms on the online platform.

Funders who are our investors would decide on the available farms on the platform they want to fund upon being able to successfully sign-up to the platform.

After careful consideration of the farm funding information, they would then choose the units of farms to be funded and also make necessary payments to the account of the company either online or b making bank deposits.
 
“After bank deposits have been made, they would have the farms on their platform. It is worthy of note to say that upon the end of the farm-cycle, farmers would have their farm produce sold to the ready markets that we have negotiated with earlier.

Initial funds with accruing returns on invested funds would be paid to the account number provided by the funder.

The farmers will take a certain percentage as agreed with FarmFunded, while FarmFunded takes the remainder. Sometimes, the remainder profits are shared in ratio 70:30 or 65:35.” 

He added that the organisation is proffering the solution of having an online crowdfunding platform where funders who are investors can simply visit “our website and then fund the operations of available farms that suit their interests, while we channel the funds to the appropriate farms for them to scale-up their farming activities with the funds provided.

“Channeling the funds doesn’t mean that we are giving the farmers cash, rather we will be providing tractors to clear and plough the farms, we will also be providing seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, farm implements, such as seeders, electric sprayers needed for them to work.

Also, we will be providing agric-extension services for the farmers.”  

While noting that farmers have the advantage of ready-made market for their produce, in form of off-takers, he lamented that inadequate knowledge on best agronomic practices, access to farm inputs and farm implements, high-yielding seeds, fertilizers and herbicides needed for them to work on their farm is the bane of agric development in the continent.

“We also identified the problem that many farmers don’t have a good market for their produce because they are limited as to the knowledge of available markets and at prevailing rates.” 

Livestock

The project was developed based on the fact that the livestock is the fastest growing sector in the agricultural sub-sector and the projections by the FAO Animal Production and Health division that indicated that by 2050 demand for beef, Dairy, and poultry would grow by 117per cent, 557per cent and 253per cent, respectively.

The findings further disclosed the demand for livestock product would also lead to increased investment in the sub-sector, which could have impact on the already volatile situation being experienced in the country, if not well managed.

The FAO Representative in Nigeria Suffyan Koroma, who spoke during the ASL 2050 launch in Abuja, noted that the project is thinking beyond the current development constraints and taking a long term perspective on livestock development, by providing a roadmap for the development of the sector.

Stressing the importance of the project, Koroma pointed out that it is challenging the heterogeneity and complexity and particularly the negative effects the sector can have on the society.

Koroma identified some of the negative effect of the livestock on the society to include zoonotic diseases, contaminated animal source foods, pollution of the soil, water, air, and loss of biodiversity.

He said: “ASL 2050 looks beyond current policies and programmes and require inputs from multiple sector, it would require one health approach and utilise expertise from multiple discipline.”

The FAO country representative noted that the aim was to ensure that health, and agricultural policies are harmonised and projected to 2050, so that the emerging and reemerging challenges would be taken care of in the policy that would be formulated.

Dizengoff

Dizengoff’s Manager, in charge of agrochemicals, Stephen Adeniran, who said this in Lagos, while previewing the company’s progress in the agric sector in recent times, said going by experiences of the recent, it will be suicidal for any farmer to overlook or take the issue of pest control with levity not only during cultivation and after, but also very importantly during the process of preparing the field for planting.

“It starts from there, and this also goes for other agric forms. Pests are a great threat, especially to any crop producing enterprise and it’s a serious issue.

Because, they have capability to reduce and in some instances cause total crop failure, as we have witnessed in parts of this country in recent past, where entire farming communities were devastated by invasion of pests.

“So pest control is an integral part of crop production, which must start with preparing the field for cultivation, and it is a key part of the mix during and after planting. I will advise that farmers see it as such in order to achieve overall success during harvest, no matter the farm type or scale of operation. Start with pest control,” he advised.

Adeniran while addressing the issue of efficacy and safety of chemicals in dealing with the menace of pests, however, emphasised the importance of choosing the right agrochemicals, adhering by the label instruction on usage and using personal protective equipment (PPE).

“There might be eggs of harmful insects hibernating in the soil and you need to get rid of them before planting. But of course, care must be taken to get appropriate chemicals that will not harm or alter the nature nor contaminate the crop in the long run.” In the case of maize for instance, Pyrinex 48EC could be safely used for land preparation before cultivation.”

According to him, Pyrinex 48EC from Dizengoff Nigeria could be used to ensure balance between efficacy and safety

The Chairman Governing Council Chairman of Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), Chief Bayo Oyero, has urged all colleges and institutes of agriculture in the country to emulate the initiatives and projects going on in FECA, so as to expedite the agricultural policies of the Federal Government.

Oyero stated this when he led a delegation of the council to the palace of the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, seeking more cooperation to reclaim over 825 hectares of FECA land stolen by land-grabbers. 

He lauded the college’s management for its innovations and initiatives, especially the Vitamin A cassava and maize, bio-fortified restaurant, store, value chain opportunities, academic programmes and the school admission, which rose to 13 programmes and 467 new students respectively in 61 years. 

He stressed that the college is partnering with the state, Federal Government and other stakeholders to end the menace of unemployment in the country, especially through the “Youths on the ridges” programme where 18,000 youths are trained in FECA. 

Oyero, in company of the Provost, Dr. Adeola Odedina and other management team, said the visit was to solicit more support for the institution against trespassers.

“The Kabiyesi is on our side, we don’t have any problem; his forefathers gave the land to the government, whoever is claiming part of it now must show evidence that one Deji or the other had given him the piece of land.