Agriculture with Jimoh

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...

No fewer than 750 farmers in Bauchi Federal Constituency recently received training in irrigation farming, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Ado Danladi-Maigoro, has said. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Bauchi, Danladi-Maigoro said that the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, sponsored the farmers from three local governments in the constituency. Danladi-Maigoro, the immediate past chairman of Dass Local Government Council, said that the farmers were selected from Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government areas. He said that the farmers were trained at the College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, in Gombe State in dry season farming and other related irrigation agricultural techniques. Danladi-Maigoro said that the farmers would be assisted with farm inputs and other equipment to enable them to embrace dry season farming. He said that the speaker also appointed 20 people in Das...

Mr Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has assured farmers in Kebbi that 250,000 millionaire farmers will be created in the state by the end of 2017. Emefiele gave the assurance when he visited the WACOT Rice Factory in Argungu on Thursday. “I was told by a permanent secretary that 88,000 millionaires had been created through rice and agricultural revolution. “I am assuring you that by the end of this year, 200,000 to 250,000 farmer millionaires will be created through the revolution,” he said. He also assured farmers in the state that government would buy off whatever quantity of rice they were able to produce. Emefiele commended the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Sama’ila Mere, for providing land for the company and for his desire to stimulate agricultural revolution in the country. He, however, called on other royal fathers to emulate the monarch’s desire to drive agricultural revolution in the country. Also speaking, the Minister of Agricultur...

The FAO Food Price Index rose notably in January, led by sugar and cereals, even as global markets remain well supplied. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 173.8 percent in January, its highest value in almost two years, marking a 2.1 percent increase from its revised December value and 16.4 percent above its 2016 January level. The FAO Sugar Price Index surged 9.9 percent in the month, driven by expectations of protracted supply tightness in Brazil, India and Thailand. The FAO Cereal Price Index rose 3.4 percent from December to a six-month high, with wheat, maize and rice values all increasing. Wheat markets reacted to unfavourable weather conditions hampering this season's crops as well as reduced plantings in the United States of America, while higher maize prices mostly reflected strong demand and uncertain crop prospects across South America. International prices of rice also rose, in part due to India's ongoing state procurement programme, reducing the quantit...

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, ...

Mr Kayode Afolabi, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFN), Osun state, said the three tractors donated to farmers in the state by a federal lawmaker would go a long way to boost agriculture. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Hon. Lasun Yussuf, the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, on Saturday donated three tractors to farmers in his constituency. Afolabi told NAN in Osogbo that though the tractors were donated to farmers under Osogbo/Olorunda/Orolu/Irepodun Federal Constituency, they would still be made available to assist members of AFAN in the state. “ The tractors donated are under the supervision of AFAN in the state, and it would go a long way to assist farmers in their operations. “ The tractors would be made available to farmers at a price, because money is needed to maintain and fuel them. “ Though the lawmaker specifically donated the tractors to farmers in four local government areas under his constituency, but as a unified body, it wo...

The Kano State government said it would soon begin disinfection of all poultry farms and markets as part of measures to curb the spread of the recent outbreak of bird flu in the state. The Director, Veterinary services of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Shehu Bawa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kano. Bawa said already, the state government had approved certain amount of money to the department for the procurement of more disinfectants. He said as soon as the disinfectants arrived, the department would use it to disinfect all poultry and market premises to check the spread of the disease. “ We are lucky since the disease resurfaced about one month ago, only two farms in Kumbotso Local Government Area were infected with the disease,” he said. The director said the department had also stepped up surveillance in all markets with a view to preventing people from selling infected birds to unsuspecting mem...

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) said that it expected early harvest of cashew in this year as most of the trees were already flowering and ready for fruiting. The association’s Spokesperson, Mr Sotonye Anga, who disclosed this in  in Lagos, said  that this was observed after a nationwide tour of some cashew producing states including Kwara and Abia. Anga said  that most cashew trees were doing “very well’’, saying it was a sign of a bumper harvest for farmers in 2017. “We are very pleased at the moment with what we have seen of cashew trees in most states where we have cashew plantations because they are doing very well. “Most of the trees are already flowering and getting ready for fruiting, which is a good sign for 2017 harvest. “From our observation during a nationwide tour of cashew trees as far as we can see, 2017 cashew harvest for Nigeria will be early,“ Anga said. The spokesperson added  that farmers were a...

The Dangote Tomato Processing Factor in Kadawa, Kura Local Government Area of Kano State is to resume production in February. The company, which began production in Feb. 2016, had to suspend operation due to lack of enough raw materials. The Managing Director of the company, Alh. Abdulkadir Kaita, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kano. He added that preparation for production to resume was at an advanced stage. Kaita said that the company had to suspend production, when most of the tomato farms in about five states were affected by a pest, which destroyed all the tomato species. “We expect that tomato farmers would have produced enough for the company to process, hence our decision to resume production in February,’’ he said. According to him, many tomato farmers at the Kadawa, Kura, Garun-Malam and Hadeja-Jama’are irrigation sites are expected to produce enough for the company to process. “We deli...

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu ordered the air force on Thursday to join other government agencies in an emergency operation to contain the spread of pests that have invaded maize fields in many parts of the country. The armyworms, which feast on young maize plants and are capable of wiping out entire fields, have been spotted in about six of Zambia’s 10 provinces, Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Julius Shawa said. The Zambia Air Force began airlifting pesticides to the four worst affected provinces and will team up with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in responding to the crisis, presidential spokesman Amos Chanda said in a statement. The air force will not carry out aerial spraying of the insecticide, however. Zambia’s maize production rose to 2.87 million tonnes in the 2015/2016 crop season from 2.60 million tonnes the previous season due to better than anticipated rainfall and early delivery of fertiliser and seed to f...

Katsina Government has set aside eight billion naira to boost the agricultural sector in the 2017 budget. Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State stated this during the launching of the state/CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme on rice for 2016/2017 Dry Season Farming on Thursday in Jibia, Katsina State. ‘’The Katsina State Government has given top priority to the agricultural sector which is the mainstay of people of the state. ‘’We have set aside billions of naira for the agricultural sector because 90 per cent of Katsina citizens are farmers. ‘’We are targeting 20,000 farmers that will actively participate in the Anchor Rice Programme in the state,’’ he said. The governor disclosed that the state government had expended more than N300 million for the rehabilitation and expansion of 10 dams that were being used for irrigation. Masari called on the farmers to make maximum use of the rice farming so as to become self-reliant. In his remarks, the state’s Deputy Governor, who...

Bauchi-The Bauchi State Government has officially launched the Anchor Borrower's Scheme initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria with 20,000 farmers successfully registered under the scheme. The State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar who officially launched the scheme in Gadan-Maiwa town of Bauchi state at the flag-off of Land Preparation for the programme,  said that his administration will accord priority to Agriculture, especially laudable programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, as part of efforts to empower the people, create job opportunities and tackle the challenges of food security. He said that the state government undertook to pay off the 9 per cent interest on the loan to be granted farmers in the programme, to encourage participation and showing commitment towards the success of the programme in the state as an Anchor, in addition to other contributions. " The government has placed a high priority to Agriculture, especially laudable programmes like t...

An Agriculture and Biotechnology expert has described as false the claim that the proliferation of genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) will wipe out natural crops. Mr Yarama Ndirpaya, acting Director, Partnership and Linkages, Agricultural Research Institute of Nigeria, stated this an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. “The issue of GMO wiping out natural seeds is not correct, Genetically Modified seeds are supposed to exist side by side with the traditional seeds. “We don’t even necessarily go for genetically modified crops except for some scientific reasons. “And most of the reasons why we use genetically modified seeds in agriculture are either to combat one terrible disease or to combat one terrible insect resistance, weed resistance or herbicide resistance. “What do we do in genetic modification is not necessarily to create a crop that will kind of compete with our natural crops. “But to create crops based on advantage where we kno...

By Jimoh Babatunde  The Federal Government has launched N10 Billion Women in Agriculture Environment Impact Fund (WAEIF) in Abuja as a means of using women to unlock the country’s food potentials. Speaking at the launch, the Minister of State, Agriculture and Rural Development Senator, Heineken Lokpobiri , said that the challenges of environmental impact have contributed largely to food scarcity in Nigeria. He noted that insurgency, gas flaring, oil spillage, desert encroachment, flood and other environmental hazards have prevented effective participation of women in Agriculture. Lokpobiri said that the fund will boost sustainable funding mechanism for women in Agriculture which will in turn generate employment and exchange of ideas in environmental agriculture. Lokpobiri commended the Women Association for National Agriculture and Environment Protection ( WANAEP ) for the effort of fund raising which will positively impact on the on-going process of economic diver...

The Kebbi State Government said on Thursday that it had vaccinated over 871,347 livestock in the state against suspected anthrax from the neighbouring Benin Republic. This is contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Umar Gulma, a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Information, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi. It said the state Ministry of Animal Health had embarked on the livestock vaccination in three local government areas bordering the Republic of Benin. “We have embarked on the livestock vaccination campaign as a measure to ward off the suspected anthrax in Benin Republic. “We considered the fact that we have Arewa, Bagudo and Dandi Local Government Areas that border Benin Republic,” it said. The statement said that so far, about 449,573 cattle and 421,774 sheep had been vaccinated in the exercise. It said over N11million was spent on the procurement of the vaccines, adding that an additional N10 ...

The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) says 350,000 families in Kebbi State have benefitted from Anchor Borrower Agricultural Loan disbursed to farmers in the last one year. Alhaji Muhammad Adamu, the Executive Director of the bank`s Corporate Services made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday. He said that 78,000 farmers directly benefitted from the loan, while 350,000 families were affected through job creation and income generation. He said that under the programme, the state had produced 700, 000 tonnes of rice, adding that the initial production target was one million tonnes. Adamu said that the loan was meant for every eligible farmer without special consideration such as religion, tribe or creed. He said that the Anchor Borrower Programme was aimed at promoting food security, economic sustainability and self reliance for the populace. He said that the bank would soon sign a memorandum of unders...

The Zamfara Government says it has set aside N1billion for the procurement of grains to ensure availability of foodstuff for the people in the state. The state’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Alhaji Lawal Jangebe, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen in Dutse, after he defended the 2017 budget of the ministry at the state House of Assembly. He noted that the plan was to complement the Federal Government`s policy of ensuring food supply and food preservation for citizens. The commissioner said that the state government would soon reintroduce the state`s Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Programme (ZACAREP). He stated that the state government would also buy thousands of tonnes of fertiliser to for sale to farmers at subsidised rates. “We are also making arrangements to procure tractors, machines and other agricultural inputs for the programme, “ he said. 

The Federal Government has launched the African Water Facility/African Development Bank (AWF/AfDB) supported project for effective water resources management of the Hadejia Jama’are Komadugu Yobe Basin. The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, made this known on Monday in Abuja. Adamu said that the partnership was to encourage efforts in delivering services for 15 million people who derive their livelihood from the basin. “ The ministry has encouraged and supported the Trust Fund to seek for a grant from the African Water Facility under African Development Bank for the implementation of the project to restore livelihoods in the basin,” he said. Adamu said that the fund would enable several interventions to reduce conflicts, douse tensions and restore lost livelihoods in the area. The minister appealed to the benefiting states and other agencies to make best use of the grant by supporting the implementation of the basin’s water resources projec...

The Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFPGEAN) says between 55 per cent and 72 per cent of fresh produce grown in the country perish before they can be consumed. The Executive Secretary of the association, Mr Akin Sawyerr told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Monday that this was because fresh produce needed to be kept in refrigerated conditions soon after harvest. Sawyerr said fresh produce were basically fruits and vegetables. “ Fresh produce production has the same challenges as other agricultural products but its uniqueness lies in its being very perishable. “ The issue with fresh produce in Nigeria is that there is little processing, no storage in refrigerated conditions due to lack of electricity (power) for most of the produce grown by farmers. “ We also cannot move these produce quickly from farms to supermarkets or hotels or airports, where they would be used because of poor road conditions,’’ he said. ...

Mr Kanayo Nwanze, the President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), says Africa spends $35 billion a year on food importation. This is contained in a statement issued by the IFAD and made available to the newsmen on Monday in Abuja. The statement quoted Nwanze as making the disclosure at the opening of a three-day African Union-European Union Conference of Ministers of Agriculture, tagged: ``Investing in a Food Secure Future.’’ He said that the conference, which was convened by the Government of The Netherlands, would discuss how to deepen cooperation between Africa and Europe to mutually invest in food and nutrition security. Nwanze said that investing more in Africa’s rural areas will stem the flow of economic migrants and minimise the acts of desperation that makes the continent’s newspaper headlines. ``People are leaving the rural areas of Africa because they can’t find jobs or feed their families and the ripple effects are felt here in Europe. ``The ...