Agriculture with Jimoh

Rice millers in Kano State have attributed the high cost of locally-produced rice to the increasing cost of production of the commodity in the country. Mr Liman Muhammed, spokesperson, Medium and Small Scale Rice Millers Association in the state, said this during a visit to some rice mills in Kano on Wednesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the price of 50kg locally-produced rice ranges between N20,000 and N22,000 while that of imported rice is between N12,000 and N15,000. “For locally-produced rice, the cost of production is high. Our people are used to the imported rice but with government’s intervention, we are seeing good quality rice. “Most imported rice have spent more than 10 years in the storage and are not good enough but the local rice has more nutritional value. “The number of people consuming local rice is increasing and if everybody along the rice value chain is empowered, the cost of production will reduce,’’ he said. He ...

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...

The Federal Government has said that it would re-capitalise the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) to the tune of three trillion naira in order to make farmers in the country have access to fund at affordable interest rate. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri disclosed this yesterday at the inaugural harvest of a Tillapia fish farm of Premium Aquaculture Limited, Oyan Dam in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital. Lokpobiri said further that access to funding remained one of the biggest challenges being faced by farmers in Nigeria, noting that commercial banks were not ready to fund agriculture, hence the decision by the FG to recapitalise BoA to fast track the diversification of the country's economy to agriculture. The minister, disclosed that the nation's fish demand stood at 3.1 metric tonnes per annum but currently hovering around 1.1 metric tonnes per annum, leaving a deficit of 2.1 metric tonnes. He said the government reso...

Researchers working under the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture led Cassava Weed Management Project (IITA-CWMP) will this week share findings and recommendations on how to tackle weeds in cassava farming systems. The sharing of research findings is part of activities marked for a week-long annual review and planning meeting and Steering Committee meeting scheduled to hold 27-30 March 2017 at IITA in Ibadan. “ We are optimistic that the key findings from our research will help farmers to tackle the problem of weeds in cassava, with the view to having more yield,” says the Project Leader of IITA-CWMP, Dr Alfred Dixon, who is also a Director with IITA on Monday. Declaring the meeting open, Dr Kenton Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnership for Delivery, said the goal of the project was to take off drudgery due to weeding in cassava farming systems. “ I am happy that this meeting will share findings that will impact positively on weed ...

ABUJA- THE Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, has raised alarm that food insecurity will affect 9 million people in 16 northern states in Nigeria. This was contained in United Nation Food and Agriculture Cadre Harmonisé report, which stated that the food insecurity will last between the period of March-August 2017. According to the report the 16 states include Bauchi, Yobe, Kastina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Gombe, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Taraba, Zamfara, Benue, and Jigawa. The report explained 7 million people, representing seven per cent of the population in the 16 states would be food insecure between March-May while 9million people would be affected between June-August. The report admitted that though the level of food insecurity has largely improved since last Cadre Harmonisé analysis in the country, however, food insecurity is still alarming in Northern Nigeria and humanitarian assistance needs to be escalated in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States to ...

The Managing Director, Dangote Tomato Processing Company, Alhaji Abdulkarim Kaita, on Monday said the factory would resume production on Sunday, March 19. Kaita disclosed this in an interview with to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano. He said the company, located in Kadawa, Kano State, was expecting a team of engineers from Italy on Friday as part of preparation to resume production. “As part of preparations to resume production on Sunday, we are expecting a team of engineers from Italy on Friday. “The machines are under guarantee and we are not able to operate last year due to the scarcity of fresh tomato in Kano and other neighboring states,” he said. Kaita said the engineers would assess the quality parameters as well as the installed capacity of the machines before they could finally hand them over to the company. “Our engineers are ready to begin work and as soon as the other team of engineers arrive, we hope to resume operation on Sunday.” ...

The Bank of Agriculture says it has secured 1.118 million dollars grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for its capacity building and institutional strengthening projects. In a statement made available on Tuesday in Kaduna, Oluremi Olaoye, the Corporate Communication Manager of the bank, said the projects would enable the bank to sufficiently serve the Nigerian rural dwellers’ financial needs. According to Olaoye, AfDB will to provide 987,510.30 dollars, or 88.12 per cent of the amount, while the bank of would provide 130,997.03 dollars or 11.88 per cent as matching grant. The grant would be used to finance programmes that would lead to the expansion of the bank’s target clientele, which is currently small due to low institutional capacity. The grant is being provided through the AfDB’s Middle Income Countries Technical Assistance Fund (MIC-TAF) to strengthen the BOA. “The grant is to support BoA in its restructuring phase, in order to provide imp...

NEWS ANALYSIS African Heads of States at the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in June 2014 adopted the “Malabo Declaration’’ to accelerate agricultural growth and transformation to lift Africa out of poverty. The 2014 declaration was a formal commitment by AU Heads of States and Governments to provide effective leadership for efforts to achieve some specific goals by the year 2025. The goals include ending hunger on the continent and tripling intra-African trade in agricultural goods, among others. The African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with other international stakeholders in agriculture, recently converged on Abuja to deliberate on the ways forward in domesticating and implementing the initiatives of the Malabo Declaration to boost Nigeria’s economy via agriculture. The efforts are particularly aimed at aligning Nigeria’s National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) with the commitments of the 2014 Malabo Declarat...

Delegates at the workshop, organised by AU Commission and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on Nigeria’s efforts to domesticate the commitments of the Malabo Declaration, have pledged support for the nation’s initiatives. They promised to facilitate the fulfilment of the country’s initiatives, while speaking at the sidelines of the workshop in Abuja. Last week . The delegates voiced their support for specific strategies that were aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s agricultural growth in order to improve the citizens’ living standards. AU Heads of State and Government in 2014 adopted the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods. As part of the commitments, the African leaders committed to ending hunger by 2025 via designed efforts to halve the current levels of post-harvest losses by the year 2025. Dr Kehinde Makinde, the Nigeria Programme Officer, Alliance for Green Revolution...

Dr Samuel Agboire, Director General National Cereal Research Institute Badeggi in Niger, said on Thursday that Nigeria has the capacity to produce sufficient rice to meet local demand. Agboire said in Badeggi that all that was required was sufficient farming implements and inputs, as well as cheap credit facilities and market for farmers. The director general added that all tiers of government must embark on massive construction of feeder roads to open up the hinterland and enable farmers transport their produce to mills and markets. ” We can comfortable produce rice twice a year if the required farming implements will be made available at government approved rates.” He said that farmer should be motivated through the provision of modern farming implements at subsidised rates. Agboire called for sufficient funding of research institutes to enable them meet up with national challenges. “ No nation can develop or meet its Agricultural produce targets wit...

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in partnership with some organisations would soon release locally adapted Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea varieties in Sub Saharan Africa(SSA). The Executive Director of AATF, Dr Denis Kyetere, said this on Tuesday at the AATF Annual Review and Planning Meeting of PBR Cowpea Project at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. He said the varieties were expected to reduce grain yield losses caused by the Pod Borer Maruca vitrata as well as reduce the need for insecticidal sprays. Kyetere emphasised that the expected yield improvement would impact on household national and global food security economic status. He pointed out that the deployment of a cowpea product capable of protecting itself from Maruca attack would make it easier and cheaper for farmers to produce cowpeas in areas where there was pest. “I am excited about the prospects that the project holds given ...

Dangote Rice, a subsidiary of Dangote Group is set to launch a 25,000 hectares of rice outgrower scheme with a prospect of creating employment opportunities for rural communities in Sokoto. A statement issued by Mr Francis Awowole-Browne, the Head of Media, Dangote Rice, said President of the Group, Aliko Dangote would on Wednesday inaugurate the pilot project of 500 hectres at Gonroyo Dam, in Goronyo community. Awowole said that the inauguration which would be performed by Governor Aminu Tambuwa would witness seedlings being distributed to both primary local farmers. According to him, the company plans to purchase harvested rice from the farmers under the Outgrower’s programme for milling and final processing at Dangote Rice mills. The head of media noted that through the Dangote Rice Outgrower Scheme, the company would partner with smallholder rice farmers to cultivate and grow rice paddy. “ The company will provide inputs, technical assistance, extension services and...

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)  launched two new agribusiness partnerships with Chi Farms and Niji Foods. The event highlighted USAID’s agricultural and private sector strategy using partnerships with government, local organizations and private industry to develop the Nigerian agriculture sector. Representatives from the federal government attended the event to highlight their commitment to this partnership that is helping to advance agriculture and trade in Nigeria. Through these partnerships, USAID aims to address development and business challenges to agricultural inputs and mechanization by providing quality technical advisory services and expanded market opportunities for smallholder farmers. These partnerships will also capitalize on the untapped potential of smallholder farmers and small processors to help grow agribusinesses, create secure jobs, and boost economic growth in Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, in Lagos, ...

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has described as embarrassing the downgrade of Nigeria in the global cocoa business. To revive the industry, however, the Minister has disclosed that a re-launch will be done early this year as part of activities to bring cocoa back to public consciousness. Moreover, he has said that millions of cocoa trees will have to be planted, beginning this year.   “This year’s activity,” Chief Ogbeh noted, will start with “the relaunch of cocoa.” In his words: “It is an embarrassment that Nigeria fell to the seventh place. We are re-launching cocoa. We are targeting 15 to 20 million trees a year and we are rehabilitating the existing ones and improving upon agronomic practices, and processing and all the value chains that need to take us to number one.” Despite hurdles, agric fared well in 2016, kept faith on rice – Ogbeh -            As he inaugurates co...

An agriculturist, Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo, on Thursday urged the three tiers of government in the country to adopt the Songhai model of agriculture to boost food security and fight poverty. Nzamujo, speaking in Abuja, said that the Songhai model, which involved integrated farming, should be adopted because of its capacity to boost agricultural productivity considerably. He said that the government should change its approach in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adding that it should adopt the Songhai model, which relied on the use of God-given resources, to accomplish this target. He said that the Songhai model had demonstrated that with deliberate investment in agriculture, Nigeria would be able to increase its revenue and reduce its dependence on petroleum as its sole foreign exchange earner. Nzamujo said that the Songhai model was an innovative approach that could be used to tackle challenges, such as food insecurity and poverty, enviro...

Cross River Government lost over N130 million revenue in 2016 due to allocation of cocoa farms to ghost farmers, Mr Oscar Ofuka, Special Adviser to Gov. Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development, has said. Ofuka made the disclosure on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar. He said the governor had consequently directed a total review of allocations done by the Cocoa Allocation Committee to ensure that genuine farmers were given allocation. “The governor has directed me to review the allocations with a view to ensuring that the right farmers are given Cocoa farmlands. “But, the implication of this shoddy exercise is that the state has lost over N130 million from the projected revenue from cocoa allocation in 2016. “The projected revenue was N200 million, supposed to be generated from payments for allocation fees by farmers. “But, only N68 million was realised. This is a huge set back to the government’s revenue drive. “Al...

Benue Government has advised farmers in the state to form cooperative societies in order to benefit from the N3 billion loan accessed by the state. Mr Adzer Abya, Special Adviser to Gov. Samuel Ortom on Rural Development and Cooperative, gave this advice while interacting with newsmen in Makurdi on Thursday. According to him, they can only benefit from the loan when they form and register their cooperative societies. “Form yourselves into group to form a cooperative society, then register with the Bureau for Rural Development and Cooperatives; that registration was one of the steps that could aid them to access loans easily. “After the registration, I advise you to open accounts with Bank of Agriculture (BoA) because, it was the only medium that could issue out loans to farmers on behalf of government.” The governor’s aide said that Gov. Samuel Ortom in his usual manner of magnanimity had decided to wave five per cent interest. Abya stressed that inste...

A lawmaker, Sen. Abubakar Yusuf, representing Taraba Central Senatorial District, said Nigeria had the capacity to meet the tea and coffee demands of the country if it had the right policies. The lawmaker said this at a news conference in Jalingo on Wednesday to mark his one year at the Senate. Yusuf said a bill to ensure tea and coffee policy for the country was in the pipeline. According to him, tea and coffee potential of the Mambilla plateau of Taraba will comfortably meet the national demand for the products and even earn the nation foreign exchange. He explained that the country’s current demand for tea was about 10 million tonnes per annum and it currently produced 1.2 million tonnes, which was a far cry from the requirement and huge potential. “The Mambilla plateau in Taraba has the best tea and coffee potential in the world, but as I speak, the country has not yet taken advantage of the opportunity to turn around its economy,” he said. Yusu...