By Justina Auta

Heifer International, a development organisation, says it has empowered over 7,000 smallholder poultry farmers across Kaduna and Nasarawa states on innovative solutions that will address challenges in the poultry sector.

The organisation’s Country Director, Dr Lekan Tobe, said this on Monday, during the launch of the second edition of Poultry Supply Chain De-risking Programme (PoS-DerP) in Abuja.

The theme of the programme was “Navigating the Future: Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities in Nigeria’s Poultry Sector”.

“Today, we bear witness to the tangible manifestation of this mission in the vibrant lives of over 7,000 smallholder poultry farmers across Kaduna and Nasarawa states through the PoS-DerP programme.

“The programme has equipped these farmers with the essential tools, comprehensive training, and vital resources needed to establish sustainable and profitable businesses.

“Also to catalyse a profound transformation in their livelihoods, and contribute significantly to the economic vitality of their local communities,”he said.

According to him, Nigeria risks losing about N250 billion from the poultry subsector if key challenges facing the sector are not immediately addressed.

“It’s going to be multiples of billions of Naira, multiples of billion. And I am not talking about 10 billion or 20 billion.

“I am talking around 250 billion Naira, which is why we have been advocating for urgent intervention for MSMEs and farmers in that subsector,” he said.

Also, Hajiya Maimuna Mustapha-Yahuza, Assistant Director, policy and Coordination Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said that the ministry was partnering with Heifer Nigeria to address funding gaps.

Mustapha-Yahuza said that they were also promoting climate resilience for poultry farmers as it is critical to Gross Domestic Product contributions.

Similarly, Opeoluwa Fayomi, Co-founder of Pullus Africa, said that the programme had given opportunity to small holder farmers to produce and access the free market with the right tools.

“At the moment, we have about 8,500 farmers in Kaduna and Nasarawa, and we are on the verge of moving into Abuja to also work with the farmers that we have identified.

“Our goal is to reach 20,000 farmers by June next year,” he said.

Gbenga Ariyo, Technical Lead, Kore International, said that feed production, access to finance, access to veterinary services were some of the challenges affecting the poultry sector.

Ariyo, therefore, stressed the need for more commitment, innovative intervention and technology as critical to improving food productivity and market access for poultry farmers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that beneficiaries of the PoS-DerP, expressed appreciation to the organisation for its supports, which has improved access to markets, funds and economic activities in their localities.

Other highlights include a panel discussion on leveraging collaborative solution in poultry farming to build a food secure future. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the Presidential Food System Coordinating Unit (PFSCU), with a mandate to improve food security and crash the cost of food items in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration of the unit was held at the presidential villa Abuja.

This followed a presentation by the Technical Assistant to the President of Agriculture, Office of the Vice-President, Marion Moon.

Shettima said: ” the nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with reality, the better.

“Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment and this is why all hands have to be on deck.

“We are in a food security crisis but it also provides us the opportunity to re-engineer and reposition the nation on a firmer footing.”

Shettima, who noted the unit was not created to usurp the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture, said the urgency and seriousness of the matter at hand requires the ideas and resources of all stakeholders.

He made reference to the Green Imperative Programme, a government-catalyzed, private sector-driven, agricultural industrialisation programme, as one initiative which the PFSCU must activate and operationalize.

He stated that with improved farming practices, improved seeds, use of fertilizers, Nigeria’s agricultural productivity could be turned around for the better.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, explained that the unit would coordinate all agricultural activities and the food system among the three tiers of government.

Kyari added that the unit, which membership cut across the three tiers of government, would report to the presidential economic coordinating council which is under the chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu.

Also, Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, said the inauguration of the unit was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu and the agenda of all governors.

” So I think the issue of food security is now being taken seriously and I’m sure with this committee a lot of things will be achieved.

“And I’m sure with this result now, though in our respective states we are representing in our regions and we know in our regional meetings at the state level we will be able to implement what has been decided in the coordinating unit.

“And the outcome of this will be very important because at a small holder the farmer will be assisted and also mechanisation and irrigation issues will come up.

” And these are the major things we need to do to boost agriculture in this country and I think what we are doing at our state level, now we are going to be encouraged and things will work better for Nigerians.”

On his part, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, expressed concern over increasing cost of food items in the country.

Zulum particularly said that non-availability of food items was a matter of great concern to all governors.

He emphasised the need for a coordinated approach, citing low productivity and population growth as a major challenge to the nation’s food security drive.

He called for investment in commercial agriculture, improved funding, and enhanced security for farmers.

Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the state was looking to feed the country, adding that his government must modernize agriculture to feed the population.

“We are an agrarian state, and we have stepped up our game,” Otu noted.

Gov. Mohammed Bago of Niger, proposed his state as a pilot for the President’s food security initiative.

He revealed that Niger has invested over N100 billion in agricultural mechanization, with 5,000 tractors and 20 pilot irrigation systems available.

Bago called for support from the federal government, World Bank, and other development partners to ensure the success of these initiatives.

The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Patricia Obila, also spoke on the state’s unique topography and its potential to enhance its renowned Ebonyi Rice production.

She noted the need to introduce tractor mechanization to ensure year-round production and leverage youth participation by incentivizing agriculture with farm settlements equipped with necessary social amenities. (NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

By Akpan Glory

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says it is collaborating with the Agriculture Donor Working Group (ADWG), a consortium of development partners, to promote food security in the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Temitope Fashedemi, made this announcement at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the forum was “Strengthening Ministerial Capacity on the Use of Innovation to Catalyse Commodity Value Chain Development.”

Fashedemi was represented by Mr Ibrahim Taminu, Director of Planning and Policy Coordination at the ministry.

“The goal is to engage you to facilitate the necessary technical and financial support that can assist the Department of Reform Coordination, Service Improvement, and Innovation in achieving improved agricultural productivity.

“It is also to accelerate the attainment of ministerial agriculture targets from 2024-2027 to address the food security challenges in the country,” he said.

Dr Mustapha Popoola, Special Assistant to the Minister, outlined the key focus areas driving innovative solutions in Nigeria’s agri-food sector during his presentation.

“The focus areas include the development and delivery of innovative solutions to address post-harvest losses, aiming to reduce these losses in the priority commodity value chains.

“Capacity strengthening of departments and agencies is essential to enhance support for a culture of innovative thinking across the technical work stream of the FMAFS, especially in the commodity value chain.”

Popoola also highlighted other initiatives such as innovation competitions, entrepreneurship development in agro-allied activities aimed at training and certifying retiring civil servants to thrive in the agri-food space.

“We are developing and deploying value chain innovation platforms at research institutes and colleges under the ministry’s supervision,’’ he said.

He listed some of the priority commodity value chains as rice, onions, pepper, mangoes, beans, ginger, plantain, oranges, vegetables and aquaculture.

Popoola said that the summit was specifically aimed at women, youths, and retiring civil servants to educate and train them in the agricultural sector.

In his remark, Koffy Kouacou, the representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation, pledged continued support for Nigeria in the agricultural sector.

Jazmian Allen, Co-chair Donor Working Group, also pledged continuous partnership towards achieving food security in Nigeria. (NAN)

Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo

Food security: Group harps on organic agricultural practices in Nigeria

Agriculture

By Anita Uzoagba

Abuja, May 14, 2024 (NAN) The Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative has stressed the need to adopt organic agricultural practices to enhance food security in the country.

The Chairperson, EOA initiative National Steering Committee, Mrs Janet Igoh, said this at a 2-day sensitisation workshop on National Diploma Organic Agricultural Technology in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria and Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Igoh urged stakeholders to portray agriculture in the right perspective so that it would be appealing to the youths.

She said the lack of interest in agriculture by the youths was because farmers are always looking tattered in pictures.

“That is not the prospect of agriculture, organic agriculture prep course that we are launching today will create employment.

“There is always a saying that says, grow what you eat, use your crops or produce as medicine, not medicine as food.

“Our young men and women can become farm managers, we can advocate for most of them to form cooperative and also help them seek funds”, she said.

Dr Jude Obi, National president, Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), said efforts by the association to bring organic agriculture into mainstream agriculture in Nigeria had been difficult.

“We have developed a curriculum for teaching organic agriculture and getting a National Diploma degree through the support of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

“Organic agriculture can feed us if everybody tries to produce minimally what he or she consumes, this is why the association is in the forefront of this.

“We hope that the Colleges of Agriculture and Polytechnics will process these curricula and follow it up,” he said.

Obi said the association was also raising awareness on participatory guarantee scheme for organic agriculture.

“We plead with those that want to implement this to register as members of the association so that we can work together to achieve this”, he said.

Also speaking, NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by Dr. Rufai Ibrahim, said the board had come up with a curriculum.

Bugaje said that the institutions have been granted approvals to commence the implementation.

He assured that the board hopes to see to it that the Higher Diploma level commences in a few years, since the curriculum had been tailored toward encouraging the adoption of organic farming.

Dr Umar Abdullahi, Technical Advisor to the Executive Secretary, Agriculture Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), said organic agriculture was a production that sustained the health of the soil, ecosystem and people.

“Organic agriculture relies on the political processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than use of inputs.

“The inputs we are talking about are fertilizers, chemicals; organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation, and science.

“It is a system that relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs,” he said.

Abdullahi said there was the need to take care of the environment by adopting appropriate products in protecting the environment.

“Organic agriculture method will cleanse the soil of forbidding use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides.

“Ecological nature of organic culture is capturing carbon dioxide from the soil thereby improving the environment, conserves energy and save money”, he said.

Mr Gbadamosi Oyewole, Coordinator, EOA initiative, West Africa said organic agriculture was a system which has all the components of ecosystem working together.

This, he said would sustained the health of individuals, communities, soil, plants and animals.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about organic agriculture; some equate it to the use of organic fertilizers.

“When we try to develop organic farming in the country, we have to bring experts from outside the country to manage the farm.

“To work with a farm manager, you have to use expert training to do that. That is our goal,” he said.

Oyewole said that farmers and processors needed training and development to adopt organic practices and improve their productivity. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

=========

Edited by Joseph Edeh

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says Nigeria requires about 312,000 metric tons of seed towards achieving food security, food sufficiency and global security in 2024.

Kyari said this at a High-Level Stakeholders’ Forum on Seed System Development, organised by Feed-the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The minister was represented by Dr Haruna Suleman, the Director, National Food and Strategic Reserve.

The theme of the forum is, “ Enhancing Seed Systems Development for Improved Food Security: A Paradigm of USAID Interventions in Northeast Nigeria’’.

Kyari said the ministry had outlined series of critical pathways to solve the food security challenges in Nigeria.

He explained that the pathways were streamlined into short, medium and long term for a period of four years, which includes the immediate production of 31 million metric tons of grain in 2024.

According to him, for success to be achieved, factors to be addressed are the seed availability, affordability and adaptability, paying particular attention to food security.

“Major crops that are most concerned are rice, maize, wheat, sorghum and cowpea in 2024.

“We require about 312,000 metric tons of seed which is to enable us to achieve the required metric tons.”

The minister said the Federal Government had developed programmes to support farmers with high quality seeds for rice, wheat, maize, cassava and other inputs at a subsidised rate.

He said the Nigerian seeds development required partnership and synergy among all key stakeholders that would facilitate a model of collaboration built on knowledge sharing, skill exchange, expertise, competitiveness and mutual benefit.

“Of great interest is the new science, technology and innovation (STI) developed by USAID Feed-the Future Nigeria Integrated Agricultural Activities (NIAA) implemented by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“It is a community based enterprises model that is not only localised but adaptable to the climatic and specific conditions of communities and above all against the traditional approach of demand driven which have not been effective.

“The NIAA model is market driven and on need based riding on cohesive cooperative system to create the needed ownership and stewardship to protect enterprises.

“This model developed and promoted by IITA and NIAA was piloted in the northeast of Nigeria in the states of Adamawa, Gombe and Yobe.

“Building an ecosystem and end-to-end market driven seed network through the community based system to produce seed to a network linked farmers group aggregated within the community with the local governments.

“This by extensions makes the availability and adaptable and specific resilience seeds to the ecology of the locations concerned,’’ he said.

Mr Prakash Silwal, Chief of Party/Principal Specialist, IITA, said that USAID had in the last five years, funded IITA and their partners to work in the northeast, to address the food insecurity.

Silwal said the forum was organised to share some of the successes so far recorded especially with a focus on seed system development.

According to him, it is the IITA’s contribution to addressing food security in the northeast, adding that the actors that made it happened would be awarded.

He said that 150 community based seed enterprises contributed to making farming possible to nearly half a million farmers or half a million hectares of land in the region.

“About 3 million dollar worth of additional food may be provided in those areas.

“As we are winding up our programmes, we are also here to share some of those knowledge that we have developed, as to what varieties of crop, legumes and cereals, will be very good in those areas,’’ he said.

Mr Bassey Archibong , Market Systems and Livelihood Specialist, Feed the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, IITA, said the beginning of food security anywhere was seeds.

Archibong said the programme was aimed at ensuring that farmers had the right kind of seeds that must be affordable and accessible within the localities where food crops were being produced.

Malam Yakubu Gombi, leader of Gombi Community Based Seed Producers from Adamawa, thanked IITA for its support, saying they had been empowered to become entrepreneurs.

He said the organisation had trained him and his group in different fields of agriculture with requisite skills in the last five years. (NAN) (www,nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

By Bukola Adewumi

Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has called on the Federal Government to allocate more resources towards Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) to ensure food security across the nation.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, CASER’s Convener, Mr Frank Tietie, emphasised the importance of GMOs in agricultural practices.

Tietie explained that GMOs are organisms whose genetic makeup has been altered through scientific engineering to achieve specific objectives in laboratories.

He highlighted the benefits of GMOs, particularly in crops like cowpea, cotton, and maize, which are fortified to resist pests and weeds, thereby enhancing yields.

Tietie urged the government and stakeholders to disregard concerns raised by detractors who advocate for the banning of GMOs.

Instead, he urged investment in the provision of GMO seeds to farmers, which would not only improve agricultural productivity, but also contribute to environmental conservation by reducing the need for herbicides and pesticides.

Tietie reminded stakeholders that Nigeria has been involved in research and development in biotechnology since 1987, recognising the potential benefits of the technology.

“We are worried by the day that ignorance by some people, who have no knowledge on the advance of biotechnology, is dismissing the efforts and benefits of biotechnology advancement.

“The Nigerian government, as far back as 1987, put legislation in place to encourage the application of biotechnology and genetic engineering as instrument of social economic development.”

He emphasised the need to embrace scientific advancements and not hinder progress based on unfounded fears.

While advocating for the adoption of GMOs, Tietie stressed that there is no evidence linking GM food to any health risks.

He called on the government, agricultural development stakeholders, and financial institutions to collaborate in providing genetically modified tela maize and BT cowpea to farmers across the country.

However, some stakeholders have expressed concerns regarding the potential adverse effects of GMOs on the environment and public health, highlighting uncertainties that may exist. (NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab