Agriculture with Jimoh

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...

-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...

Dr Richardson Okechukwu, a cassava specialist, on Monday advised cassava farmers to always preserve 10 per cent of cassava stems during harvest for planting in the next season. Okechukwu, a specialist for the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), gave the advice while speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). “Cassava stems cannot be preserved, so when you are harvesting, do not harvest all the crops, leave 10 per cent of the stems for the next planting season. “By doing so, you will not lose the cassava variety which you already have,” he said. Okechukwu, however, said that fertiliser application was good for the cassava cultivation, adding that farmers should also engage in some kind of crop rotation in order to preserve soil nutrients. “It is not good for the farmers to be growing cassava year-by-year on same soil. “After two years of growing cassava, try to grow something like soya beans on the far...

The leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have been urged to galvanise the political will to implement developmental programmes that would engender the socio-economic growth of their countries. Stakeholders in agriculture from the European Union (EU), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and ECOWAS gave the advice at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday. They said the advice had become imperative in order to address the challenges that are impeding regional integration and growth. The stakeholders in agriculture from the European Union (EU), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and ECOWAS are currently meeting in Abuja to develop a framework on Fishery and Aquaculture for ECOWAS countries. Dr Aboubacar Sidibe, Senior Official, Fisheries and Aquaculture of FAO, said it was unfortunate that African leaders always found it easy to append signatures to regional integration interventions without bothering about implementation. He decrie...

David Patrick, Acting Country Representative, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has identified lack of policy and comprehensive regional strategy as major challenges facing fishery and aquaculture sector in the ECOWAS region. He said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the stakeholders’ meeting on the Development of ECOWAS Fisheries and Aquaculture Regional Policy and Strategy Framework for member countries. The stakeholders in agriculture from the European Union (EU), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and ECOWAS are currently meeting in Abuja to develop a framework on Fishery and Aquaculture for ECOWAS countries. Patrick observed that lack of framework to improve coordination and ensure effective cooperation in actions for the benefit of the sector was hindering the development of fishery and aquaculture at the regional level. “It also includes the weakness of human domestic and regional capacities, and weakness of information systems to inform the political decisi...

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Federal Government have initiated a public awareness strategy to educate livestock owners and veterinary officers on the impact of trans-boundary livestock diseases. Mr Patrick David, the FAO Representative in Nigeria, made this known at a workshop in Abuja on Tuesday. He said that the strategy would consolidate the successes recorded during the eradication of rinderpest and sustain the rinderpest-free status of the country. Rinderpest — also known as cattle plague or steppe murrain — is a contagious viral disease affecting cattle, domestic buffalo, large antelope and deer, giraffes, wildebeests, and warthogs. David said that the workshop was also targeted at enhancing the communication capacity of pastoralists and policy makers to avoid the re-occurrence of rinder-pest and other trans-boundary livestock diseases. He noted that livestock accounted for one-third of Nigeria’s agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP), pro...

The World Food Prize Foundation has explained why Dr Akinwumi Adesina won the 250,000 dollars 2017 World Food Prize Laureate prize on Monday. President of the Foundation, Amb. Kenneth Quinn said Adesina won the prize “for driving change in African agriculture for over 25 years and improving food security for millions across the continent”. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), was announced on Monday as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. Quinn explained that the selection of Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture for the prize also “reflected both his breakthrough achievements as Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria”. He said Adesina “led a major expansion of commercial bank lending to farmers as Vice President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and as Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria, introduced the E-Wallet system”. Adesina also “introduced initia...

 The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said it injected N4 billion into the economy of Ebonyi in 2016 to support farmers. Mr Sunday Ituma, the State Programme Coordinator, disclosed this on Saturday in Abakaliki while speaking on the recent distribution of farm inputs to farmers by the programme. “IFAD’s intervention added over 2,500 metric tonnes of rice paddy to the rice production output of the state and supported 6, 245 farmers during the same period. “We also piloted dry season farming in 2016 with the establishment of 32 hectare demonstration farms and accompanying impressive yields averaging 4.2 tonnes per hectare,” he said. Ituma said that IFAD’s target was to support 10,000 farmers in 2017 as it has presently verified and approved 455 business plans with 7,478 farmers expected to cultivate 8,252 hectares. “The cost of matching fund expected for this intervention is over N1 billion for which IFAD will contribute 50 per cent...

Seminar at FAO seeks to rekindle international cooperation, wider use of existing tools and approaches 19 June 2017, Rome - Investing in preparedness and building the resilience of farmers is fundamental to facing situations of extreme drought, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today. "Saving livelihoods means saving lives - this is what building resilience is all about," he said in a speech at the start of an international seminar on drought organized by Iran, the Netherlands, and FAO and held at the UN agency's Rome headquarters. Recalling the 2011 drought in Somalia that saw over 250,000 people perish from hunger, Graziano da Silva said: "People die because they are not prepared to face the impacts of the drought - because their livelihoods are not resilient enough." "For years, the focus has been responding to droughts when they happen, rushing to provide emergency assistance and to keep people alive," Grazia...

Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun has commended International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for its Agripreneurs programme and African Development Bank (AfDB) for the ENABLE Youth (Empowering Novel Agribusiness-Led Employment) programme. A statement issued by IITA Head of Communication, Mrs Katherine Lopez, in Ibadan on Tuesday said that that minister made the commendation when she visited IITA. The minister, during the visit, had a meeting with 100 Agripreneurs graduates of different disciplines, some of whom spoke on their new perception of agriculture and agribusiness. The youths said that the programme had empowered them to set up businesses in different locations across the country. Adeosun said that her team was in IITA to see what IITA was doing in its efforts to boost youth participation in agriculture. “We are in IITA to assess the ENABLE Youth programme, which AFDB is executing in partnership with IITA. “From what I have seen today, I am extremely i...

Dr Adetunji Oredipe, ‎the World Bank Task Team Leader, says the Graduate Unemployment Youths Support Scheme (GUYSS) will enhance food production and create job opportunities in Nigeria. Oredipe told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that GUYSS was a new initiative of the World Bank-assisted FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) programme. He said that the World Bank, through FADAMA III AF programme, created GUYSS to empower more than 200 youths from various parts of the country via the creation of employment opportunities. He said that the programme was conceptualised to engage the youths productively in different agricultural endeavours that would enhance their livelihoods. “We are collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure the success of the programme. “The programme is targeting job creation, building capacity of the youth and facilitating efforts to keep the foreign exchange rate of the nation’s currency low. “We want to eliminate im...

FAO Director-General addresses European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development 30 May 2017, Brussels - To achieve sustainable development we must transform current agriculture and food systems, including by supporting smallholders and family farmers, reducing pesticide and chemical use, and improving land conservation practices, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today addressing European lawmakers. "Massive agriculture intensification is contributing to increased deforestation, water scarcity, soil depletion and the level of greenhouse gas emission," Graziano da Silva said. He stressed that while high-input and resource intensive farming systems have substantially increased food production, this has come at a high cost to the environment. "Today, it is fundamental not only to increase production, but to do it in a way that does not damage the environment. Nourishing people must go hand in hand with nurturing the pla...

Though not a human health risk, Tilapia Lake Virus has large potential impact on global food security and nutrition A highly contagious disease is spreading among farmed and wild tilapia, one of the world's most important fish for human consumption. The outbreak should be treated with concern and countries importing tilapias should take appropriate risk-management measures - intensifying diagnostics testing, enforcing health certificates, deploying quarantine measures and developing contingency plans - according to a Special Alert released today by FAO's Global Information and Early Warnings System. Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) has now been reported in five countries on three continents: Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel and Thailand. While the pathogen poses no public health concern, it can decimate infected populations. In 2015, world tilapia production, from both aquaculture and capture, amounted to 6.4 million tonnes, with an estimated value of USD 9.8 b...

Two former heads of state of Nigeria, Dr Yakubu Gowon, and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo will be among dignitaries that would grace the 50th anniversary celebration (IITA@50) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan on 24 July. The two former heads of state will be addressing a gathering of more than 1000 staff including former and serving workers of the Institute and other dignitaries. Other confirmed participants include Dr Akin Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB); Dr Kanayo Nwanze, Former President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chair of United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu; Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Burundi, Dr Deo-Guide Rurema; Former Prime Minister, Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Mapon Matata Mpoyo; IITA Alumni Representative, Mrs. Ayoka Lawani; Associate Vice President, IFAD, Dr. Perin Ange; the Representative of Bill & Me...

New FAO tool offers water-scarce countries and river basins a way to boost productivity 20 April 2017, Rome - Measuring how efficiently water is used in agriculture, particularly in water-scarce countries, is going high-tech with the help of a new tool developed by FAO. The WaPOR open-access database has gone live, tapping satellite data to help farmers achieve more reliable agricultural yields and allowing for the optimization of irrigation systems. WaPOR was presented this week during a high-level partners meeting for FAO's Coping with water scarcity in agriculture: a global framework for action in a changing climate. It allows for fine-grained analysis of water utilised through farming systems, generating empirical evidence about how it can be most productively used. Worldwide water utilization - the majority of which is used by agriculture - has outpaced the rate of population growth for most of the last century and some regions are close to breaching viable limits....

In addition, more than 70 bags of shark carcasses were found on one of the Chinese vessels FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, April 20, 2017/ -- Four illegal fishing cases have been found during a joint surveillance mission conducted by Greenpeace (www.Greenpeace.org/Africa/en) and Sierra Leone fishery authorities. Two Chinese vessels and one Korean vessel have been arrested for infringements of Sierra Leone fishing legislation, including possessing or using illegal fishing nets on board, no visible marking and a lack of required paperwork, including log books and authorisation for unloading catch. Fishing authorities ordered the vessels to return to Freetown port for further investigation. A fourth vessel, owned by an Italian company, was found with four kilograms of shark fins on board. Though not illegal under Sierra Leonean laws, this is a clear violation of European Union (EU) fishing rules. This boat’s case will be taken further with relevant EU authorities. In addition, more tha...

The World Band has commended the Federal Government for the successful implementation of FADAMA III programme, which has so far benefited 965,157 persons, including 582,099 males and 383,058 females. Dr Adetunji Oredipe, the World Bank FADAMA Team Leader, gave the commendation in Abuja while speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday. He said that this year alone, a total of 47,505 beneficiaries — 35,382 males and 12,123 females – had benefitted from the programme, under its additional financing phase. He said that that the Third National FADAMA Development Project (FADAMA III) had achieved its aims and objectives, particularly those relating to the sustainable increase of the incomes of FADAMA users. “This has been achieved by increasing the incomes of FADAMA users; the project has aided efforts to reduce rural poverty, boost food security and contribute to the achievement of a key objective of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “The project has sustaina...

Making the international trade in plants and seeds a safer venture International plant health body adopts new global standards 13 April 2017, Incheon, Republic of Korea/Rome - The international body that oversees plant health has taken a big step forward with the adoption of a new global standard to help ensure that the international trade in plants and seeds, while very profitable, is also safer. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)'s governing body, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) adopted the standard during its 12th session in Incheon, South Korea, which wrapped up today. In this globalized world, food and agricultural products are continuously on the move. Ships are constantly underway from port to port, each year ferrying more than 500 million large steel containers filled with all kinds of cargo to and from all corners of the planet. Unfortunately, that cargo can sometimes hide stowaways - agricultural pests that once on ...

Tracking fish “from sea to plate” to keep illegal catches out of global supply chains International guidelines on catch documentation schemes approach the finish line An FAO-led push to establish internationally agreed standards that can guide the development of catch documentation schemes aimed at keeping illegally caught fish off store-shelves and consumers' plates has taken an important step forward. A set of draft Voluntary Guidelines on Catch Documentation Schemes was last week unanimously adopted by a technical consultation that brought a 5-year negotiation effort to a close, and are now poised for adoption by all FAO Members at the UN agency's upcoming bi-annual governing conference (Rome 3-8 July 2017). Once approved by the Conference, the guidelines will act as an internationally-recognized "gold standard" reference for governments and businesses looking to establish systems that can trace fish from their point of capture through the enti...