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Showing posts from December, 2015

Soils are endangered, but the degradation can be rolled back

Population growth, industrialization and climate change threaten soil health 4 December 2015, Rome - The world's soils are rapidly deteriorating due to soil erosion, nutrient depletion, loss of soil organic carbon, soil sealing and other threats, but this trend can be reversed provided countries take the lead in promoting sustainable management practices and the use of appropriate technologies, according to a new UN report released today. The Status of the World's Soil Resources produced by FAO's Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils brings together the work of some 200 soil scientists from 60 countries. Its publication coincides with World Soil Day which is celebrated on 4 December and also the end of the UN International Year of Soils 2015 an initiative which has served to raise global awareness on what has been described as "humanity's silent ally". "Let us promote sustainable soil management rooted in proper soil governance and

Agric minister condemns movement of agric institutes to education

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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has condemned the movement of the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike and two others under the ministry of Agriculture to the Education ministry without any amendment in the Act establishing them. The Minister expressed his displeasure over the movement during an interactive session he had with members of the House Committee on Agriculture on Tuesday, 2nd December, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. Chief Ogbeh said the lawmakers are major players in the agricultural sector and needed to make appropriate laws to curb all the nefarious and unwholesome practices in the agricultural sector.  He described the smuggling of 300 trailers of rice through the Seme boarder as unacceptable and called for strong measures to tackle the menace. The Minister said, “If we carry on like this for the next five months, the economy of Nigeria would collapse”. He therefore solicited the support of the lawmak

FG seeks legislative support for agric sector devt.

    The Federal Government has called for the support of the legislative arm of government towards the sustainable growth and development of Nigeria’s Agricultural sector.     The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made the call during an interactive session between members of the House Committee on Agriculture and officials of the Ministry. led by the Minister.     The Minister maintained that the legislative arm of government was a major player in the determination to move the country forward.  In the words of the Minister “You (Legislators) are the major player in every attempt to move the country forward; you are here to make necessary laws”.     Chief Ogbeh expressed the readiness and determination of the Ministry to reposition the nation’s agricultural sector; he appealed to members of the House Committee on Agriculture to support various initiatives and reforms put in place for the sector.     The Minister highlighted various reforms and initiative

AGRIC MINISTER PROMISES COLLABORATION WITH FOREIGN INVESTORS

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has expressed the readiness of the Present Administration to collaborate with foreign investors in order to achieve agricultural development in the country. The minister said this during his meeting with a delegation of foreign investors from the Global Good Intellectual Initiatives led by the Chief Executive Officer, NEO Resources Consulting Limited, Prince Niyi Akenzua in his office.     Chief Ogbeh said government was willing to collaborate with foreign investors in areas of seed improvement, technical technology, and research among others. He added that rural development was another priority of the present administration whereby farming machineries and infrastructure are put in place to make farming operations easier for the rural farmers.  He directed that a technical forum between official of the ministry and the delegation be arranged for cross fertilization of ideas and knowledge on how to grow and develop the

Food prices fall in November amid robust global inventories

Food prices fall in November amid robust global inventories Food security worsening in areas suffering from civil conflict and adverse weather conditions Major food commodity prices fell in November, reversing about half their rise in the previous month, as the cost of internationally-traded staples, except for sugar, fell across the board. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 156.7 points in November, down 1.6 percent from its revised October average, and 18 percent below its value a year earlier. The FAO Cereal Price Index fell 2.3 percent, with coarse grain prices falling even more due to favourable harvests in the United States, the world's largest maize producer and exporter. Vegetable oil prices fell 3.1 percent from October, aided by lower energy prices, and encouraging planting and production prospects for soy crops in South and North America. FAO's Dairy Price Index also fell 2.9 percent amid thin volumes, suggesting that major importers have ad

CONTEC Agro Launches Ambitious N20bn Agric Project in Nigeria

CONTEC Agro Launches Ambitious N20bn Agric Project in Nigeria Unveils inputs that revives dead soil, shorten harvest time Nigeria’s agricultural rebirth has received a major boost with the successful trial of inputs that breathe life into depleted soils, shorten the period between breeding and harvest of crops and livestock, as well as resist the incursion of pests. This is part of an ambitious N20 billion worth project launched by by CONTEC Global Agro Limited to develop and deploy bio-fertilizers, bio-stimulants, soil biological conditioners and similar innovations intended to reinvent farming cultures through improved soil fertility and improved production of crops and livestock. The products developed by globally spread experts in agricultural innovations are currently being used at pilots farms across the country. Chairman/President, CONTEC Global, the parent body of CONTEC Global Agro Limited, Dr. Benoy Berry, who disclosed this in an interview in Lagos, said the p

Google, FAO partner to make remote sensing data more efficient and accessible

Partnership enhances ability to assess changing forest and to estimate greenhouse gas emissions 1 December, Paris -  Google Maps and FAO have agreed to work closely together to make geospatial tracking and mapping products more accessible, providing a high-technology assist to countries tackling climate change and much greater capacity to experts developing forest and land-use policies. Digital technology tapping into satellite imagery is revolutionizing the way countries can assess, monitor and plan the use of their natural resources, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. "For FAO, this is not just a partnership. This is a strategic alliance," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, noting it combines FAO's global effort to combat climate change with Google's commitment to help on the climate data science and awareness fronts. The three-year partnership between Google Maps and FAO is designed to foster innovation and expertise

FAO urges "hand-in-hand" approach to hunger and climate change

Focus on agriculture, forestry and healthy soils can help push back "tipping point" for many poor people 1 December 2015, Paris  - Providing support to developing countries and their agricultural sectors is essential for the global goals of eradicating hunger and tackling the challenges of climate change, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said in Paris today. As world leaders gather to discuss commitments necessary to prevent average temperatures from rising by more than two degrees, "we are already crossing tipping points for families and communities," he said at the UN Climate Summit COP21. Poor family farmers are being driven off their land by prolonged drought, coastal fishing communities are losing their homes due to rising sea levels, and pastoralists are being forced to migrate in search of grazing lands, Graziano da Silva said. "These are not distant scenarios. All this is happening now," he added. That the poor and most vulnerabl