Agriculture with Jimoh

My father did not want me in agriculture because he was a poor farmer--- AfDB President, Adesina When he was ushered into the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, Iowa, last week, for the conferment of the 2017 World Food Prize award , Dr. Akinwumi Adesina received a standing ovation from international leaders, policy makers, farmers, executives from agribusiness , non-governmental organisations, and scientific. The award was an endorsement of his roles over the past two decades with the Rockefeller Foundation, at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria. Dr. Adesina, , now the President of the African Development Bank, has been at the forefront of galvanizing political will to transform African agriculture through initiatives to expand agricultural production, thwart corruption in the Nigerian fertilizer industry and exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across the African continent. T...

 Yam exporters call for reduction of agencies at port terminals …as FG promises to tackle challenges soon ABUJA- SOME yam exporters have called on the federal government to reduce agencies at port terminals that make export of the commodity difficult to other parts of the world. According to them at a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, at the weekend, the operation of these multiple agencies poses threat to the policy of the government of exporting Nigerian yams to the United States of America, USA, and United Kingdom, UK, following the unnecessary money spent on documents that are not relevant and time wasted to ship the commodity. In his remarks the Chairman Technical Committee on Yam, Prof Simon Irtwange, said the major agencies that has to do with yam export basically remains the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, and Nigerian Customs Service According to Irtwange in the US those at the ports were man...

ABUJA- THE Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, at the weekend disclosed that Nigerian Agricultural trade has hit N261. 92 billion in second quarter of 2017, which represents 4.60 per cent. Ogbeh made the disclosure at the launch of Nigeria Agribusiness Resource Centre, NARC, in Abuja, for agricultural investment and sponsored by Africa Lead. The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Buka Hassan, said agricultural export from the country was 0.9 per cent out of the total exports in second quarter of 2017. According to him destinations of exports in the second quarter include Asia- 66.38 per cent, Europe -24.98 per cent, Americas- 4.37 per cent, Africa -3.88 per cent and the Oceania- 0.39 per cent. Agricultural commodities exported were cashew nuts, which worth N13.5 billion representing 45.4 per cent of the total agriculture exports and 1.37 per cent of total exports. "Cashew nut export to Vietnam wa...

The Ogun State in collaboration with the Federal Government and World Bank has acquired agricultural equipment under the third National Fadama Development Project to increase food production in the State. The procured equipments are four tractors and implements as well as a mini rice combined harvester. The commissioner for agriculture Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo represented by the Ministry’s permanent secretary, Mr. Steve Ipinniwa at the commissioning of the first fadama agricultural equipment hiring centre at Oke-Eri,Ijebu North East, says these facilities are being replicated at Sawonjo in Yewa North Local Government Area, and will be commissioned soon. Ipiniwa added that these mechanization facilities if well managed will contribute greatly to agricultural transformation of the State thereby ensuring food security and industrialization of the State in particular and Nigeria in general. Also, the acting State project coordinator, Engineer Mathew Adebayo appre...

-A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday said Nigeria was almost achieving self sufficiency in rice production in 1979 before he quit as the military Head of state, saying, the regime of the Second Republic president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, which succeded him scuttled the strides . Obasanjo spoke as the chief launcher at the Global unveiling of Okun Rice, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Obasanjo who blamed it on inconsistence in policy, said the successive civilian administration led by Alhaji Shehu Shagari, later set up Committee on importation of rice. He said this shift in policy focus from his own agricultural revolution, served as a disincentive to farmers who were cultivating rice, and they were sent packing as the imported bags of rice began to arrive. Okun Rice is produced by Hyst Global Business Limited, owned by Mr. Biodun Onalaja. Obasanjo, however, commended Onalaja for rekindling the h...

Rotten Yams: My yams passed through 12 ports before arriving USA- Exporter ...says rejection of exported yams untrue By Gabriel Ewepu ABUJA- FOLLOWING the alleged rejection of Nigerian yams recently, one of the exporters of the commodity, Managing Director, Wan Nyikwagh Farms Nigeria Limited, Mr Yandev Amaabai, revealed that after the official flag-off of the policy on June 29, 2017, his yams were made to pass 12 ports before arriving the United States of America, USA. Amaabai stated this while explaining why some of the exported yams got rotten, which he also debunked some reports on social and conventional media that alleged that there was outright rejection of exported yams from the country. According to him all his exported yams were bought on arrival, which was because by all standards yams from Nigeria were far better in terms of quality and taste, and now they are out of stock. He said: “I moved my yams from Benue to Lagos on 25 and 26 of June, 2017, while the flag...

FAO to G7: agriculture and rural development crucial in responses to conflicts, hunger and migration Director-General hails G7 Agriculture Ministers focus on food systems, role of women, youth in food security At the G7 Agriculture Ministers Meeting today, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva stressed the role of agriculture and rural development in addressing prevention and responses related to conflicts, migration, and food security. The G7 ministers were informed by the Director-General about FAO's intention, as co-chair - with the International Organization for Migration - in 2018, of the United Nations Global Migration Group (GMG), to emphasize the linkages between agricultural and rural development and migration. Addressing the G7 ministers, Graziano da Silva cited FAO and the International Food Policy Research Institute's (IFPRI) joint brief which includes five pathways towards durable and sustainable solutions to help to prevent conflicts and address so...

CALABAR- RICE farmers in Cross River State have requested for a rollover of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Anchor Borrowers Rice Scheme in the state from the 2017 to 2018 rice-planting season occasioned by the numerous problems affecting the scheme. The call, according to the farmers follows the inability of the committee set up by the state Governor, Senator Ben Ayade and headed by his Special Adviser on Revenue, Mr Godwin Akwaji to efficiently distribute the inputs to majority of the 5,746 farmers who are participating in the scheme. The farmers during an interaction with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Pastor Justin Ugbe who went round the three senatorial zones of the state at the weekend to meet with the participants on the scheme was told that the scheme did not meet the expected target on rice production and loan repayment by the farmers because of glaring lapses. Mr David Esese who spoke on behalf of farmers in the southern senatorial dis...

AGRIC REVOLUTION: Adeyemi eulogised Gov Bello on Omi Rice Mill **Galvanized support for his administration By Boluwaji OBAHOPO Lokoja - Senator Smart Adeyemi has commended Kogi state government for the rice mill project at Omi dam, in Yagba East LGA of the State, said the laudable project will reduce unemployment and youth restiveness in the state. The former senator of the district who made this known in a statement issued yesterday in Lokoja and made available to newsmen also eulogised the APC led Federal Government for turning attention to the area especially for awarding the Egbe - Lokoja road. Adeyemi said the State government partnering with Agric Integrated Africa Services Limited to build a 50 tonnes Rice Processing Mill in Omi was a welcome development. He said, "The agricultural revolution by the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello will go along way in improving the economy of the state and the nation in general. The rice mill project will definitel...

...harps on modern farming methods The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has disclosed that the goal of his administration in the next two years is to ensure that farmers in the State cultivate a minimum of 250,000 hectares of farmland. Obaseki said this on Saturday at the 13th Esan Economic Empowerment Workshop, with the theme: “Modernising Agri-business in Esan Land for Economic Empowerment,” organised by the Association of Esan Professionals. He explained that agriculture is at the centre of the economic reconstruction programme of the Federal Government as well as Edo State government due to the sector's potential to create millions of jobs. “This initiative is in line with my administration's commitment to create 200,000 jobs for Edo people, which we promised during our electioneering campaign," the governor said. He said agriculture is being embraced in Edo State due to the incentives his administration is providing to m...

The Inequalities of Hunger: Global Hunger Index Spotlights Uneven Progress in Reducing Hunger · Report Rates Hunger “Serious”, “Alarming” or “Extremely Alarming” in 52 countries · 27 Percent Reduction in Global Hunger Index Scores Since 2000 October 12, 2017—Global hunger levels have fallen more than a quarter since 2000, but more recent rising hunger scores of several countries in the 2017 Global Hunger Index (GHI) underline how uneven this progress has been and how precarious it is to maintain. Famine has cast a shadow over four countries in the past year while conflict and climate change continue to hit the poorest the hardest. The Global Hunger Index this year indicates that beyond these acute crises, long term obstacles to reducing hunger in several countries may also be threatening efforts to reach zero hunger. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa south of the Sahara, where revised data place the Central African Republic in the “extremely alarming...

….seed companies sensitized for commercialisation By Gabriel Ewepu and Chiamaka Ajeamo ABUJA- THE Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, on Thursday disclosed that farmers will have access to Biotechnology Cowpea, and Biotechnology Cotton, BT Cotton, in 2018. The disclosure was made by the National Coordinator, OFAB Nigeria, Dr Rose Gidado, while answering questions from newsmen during a ‘Sensitisation Workshop for Nigerian Seed Industry on GM Seeds’ organised by the National Agriculture Seed Council, NASC, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, AATF, Africa Harvest, Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, and Seed Enterprises Entrepreneur Association of Nigeria, SEEDAN, which was held at the conference room of NASC in Abuja. Crop scientists in Nigeria have embarked on research to biologically enhance cowpea using the Biotechnology (BT) method, which manipulates living organisms for purposes of developing another product in a bid t...

….seed companies sensitized for commercialisation By Gabriel Ewepu and Chiamaka Ajeamo ABUJA- THE Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, on Thursday disclosed that farmers will have access to Biotechnology Cowpea, and Biotechnology Cotton, BT Cotton, in 2018. The disclosure was made by the National Coordinator, OFAB Nigeria, Dr Rose Gidado, while answering questions from newsmen during a ‘Sensitisation Workshop for Nigerian Seed Industry on GM Seeds’ organised by the National Agriculture Seed Council, NASC, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, AATF, Africa Harvest, Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, and Seed Enterprises Entrepreneur Association of Nigeria, SEEDAN, which was held at the conference room of NASC in Abuja. Crop scientists in Nigeria have embarked on research to biologically enhance cowpea using the Biotechnology (BT) method, which manipulates living organisms for purposes of developing another product in a bid t...

  All is set for the evacuation of tonnes of maize to the market as participants in the Edo State government’s farm settlement scheme in Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area, have commenced harvest. The Public-Private Partnership initiative with Saro Agro Sciences Ltd., a leading company in agribusiness, was conceived by Governor Godwin Obaseki to create jobs for thousands of youths across the state. According to Obaseki, the maize farm is part of his administration’s accelerated agriculture initiative to boost job creation in the state, as between 50,000 to 80,000 agricultural jobs would be created before the end of the year in five local government areas. Speaking at the inauguration of the farm in April this year, Obaseki said maize cultivation could directly empower several youths in agribusiness. He explained that the first phase of the initiative targets job creation for 1,000 farmers through the cultivation of 5,000 hectares of maize farms across...

The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration would take advantage of opportunities in the agricultural sector and provide requisite support to communities that are ready to open up their land for agricultural investment.    Obaseki said this while delivering a goodwill message at the 2017 Sobe Day Celebration, held at Uhebe Community in Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.   He said that the state was driving economic growth by encouraging investments in agriculture and allied industries so that Edo will not only become self-sufficient in food production but also diversify its revenue base.   The governor, who was represented by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, said the state government identified the resolve of the Sobe people, who as an agrarian community were ready to welcome investments in agriculture, and stepped in to provide them with the necessary support ...