NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
Economy/Business , Food Security

Minister seeks stronger regulation to achieve zero export reject

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By Bukola Adewumi

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo Nanono says there is a need to strengthen the nation’s regulatory and inspection authorities for agricultural exportation to address rejection of country’s Agro-products in international markets.

 

Nanono made the call on Thursday in Abuja while inaugurating the Standing Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Zero Reject of Agricultural Commodities and Produce/Non-Oil Exports.

 

The minister said it was embarrassing to have agricultural products from Nigeria rejected in the international markets due to some unwholesome practices at the processing stage.

 

“We should avoid the embarrassment of rejects in the future, and strengthen our regulatory/inspection authorities to ensure that they live up to their mandates.

 

“The country’s desire for standard agricultural products and non-oil exports meant there will be vigorous pursuit of investment in quality control and standardisation.

 

“In pursuance of this, my ministry, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, is committed not only to food security but wholesome foods of high quality acceptable for local consumption and Export.

 

“The areas of handling our fresh produce, cold storage and post-harvest loss management are also of major concern if we must improve on it,” he said.

 

Dr Vincent Isegbe, Director-General Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), in his presentation said in 2015, the European Union (EU) banned the importation of Nigeria’s dried beans, on the ground that the produce contained high level of pesticide considered dangerous to human health.

 

He said unfortunately, till date, the ban had not been lifted saying it was as a result of a supposed “failure to implement the EU’s food safety action plan submitted since 2018”.

 

Isegbe noted that cowpea was one of the strategic commodities in Nigeria’s agro-export portfolio, adding that Global production of dried cowpeas stands at 7. 4 million tonnes.

 

“Nigeria is the largest producer of dried cowpeas, accounting for 46 per cent of global yield and 48 per cent of African output.

 

“Nigeria is in pole position to dominate the global cowpea market but has remained a fringe and sometimes absent player due to persisting export control issues,” he said.

 

He further noted that Nigeria was not among the top 10 exporters of cowpea and the country loses 362.5 million dollars in export revenue due to the off and on pattern of cowpea export traffic.

 

Speaking, the Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Olusegun Awolowo, expressed concern that Nigeria’s agricultural produce exports had been encountering challenges of reject in the international markets.

 

Awolowo, who was represented by the Director Product Development,NEPC, Mr William Ezeagu, highlighted the challenges to include, non-compliance to administrative procedures such as non- compliance to documentation import/export requirements.

 

He also stated that poor packaging, labeling and insufficient information on the nutritional content contribute to the challenges.

 

He further urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Federal Ministry of Investment Trade and Industry to provide strong leadership by driving the process and ensuring implementation.

Economy/Business , Food Security

Women farmers train 60 extension workers on advanced agriculture

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By Bukola Adewumi
The Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) on Thursday in Abuja said it has trained more than 60 extension workers from 4 states of the federation on how to use drones and other technologies to advance agriculture.

The Executive Director of WOFAN, Hajiya Salamatu Garba, while speaking with journalists, said the 60 extension workers would engage 100 farmers each on modern farm technologies.

Garba said the training also included exposing the farmers and extension workers to insurance facilities to secure their investments.

“We invited 60 extension workers from 4 states of the federation to train them on ICT led technology, in agriculture and specifically we are looking at the use of what we call RiceAdvice.

“RiceAdvice is an application that farmers and the extension workers can use to advise farmers efficiently, to be able to give them adequate information, “she said.

She said that the training included giving adequate information on climate change and weather forecast to the extension workers and farmers.

“We also brought in insurance people so that they will give us the necessary products that they have, that go in line with climate shock.

“Last year, you know that a lot of farmers faced flood issues and some faced drought, so now if any of the farmers unfortunately finds himself in that situation, what will the insurance company do?

“We will partner with them and sign a Memorandum of Understanding, to make sure that farmers meet up with their requirements, and if anything happens, they will also be there to address the situation for the farmers,” she said.

The WOFAN boss said farmers were going to be working in clusters of hundreds because they were encouraged to go into various associations and to get registered.

“That means that we’re going to have large hectares of farms like 1,000 or 2,000 hectares all together and it’s only drones that can give you the information you need within a short period of time.

“What we are doing is to download the RiceAdvice App, for all our extension workers, so it means that for all the farmers that they are working with, each extension worker is going to work with like a hundred farmers.

“We marry technology to it to increase production, like I always say, the size of Nigeria is increasing per day, we used to be 200 million, now we are talking of 230 to 240 million, farm size is reducing, and population is increasing.

“It means we have to look for technology to meet our food demands and to do that is to invest in such services which is going to be the next thing to knock off, non-oil economic production in the country.

“A lot of people are running away from technology support because it is capital intensive. The rice moisture, cost about N120,000, so if you give a cluster, they are able to determine the moisture content of whatever and it has calibration for every crop.

“As for drones, it is not possible to buy such an expensive technology, but we’re having an agreement with the technology companies. That when we put the cluster of farmers together, we can pay for these services together with the farmers contributing stipends,“ she added.

Economy/Business , Food Security

FG wants private sector participation in cassava production

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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Nanono, has urged investors in the private sector to drive the production of the cassava value chain to meet local consumption and export demands.

Nanono, who made the call in a statement by Ezeaja Ikemefuna Chief Information Officer of the ministry in Abuja on Wednesday, said this would also achieve food and nutrition security and generate revenue for the country.

The minister said this when the project team of the Economically Sustainable and Integrated Cassava Seed System Phase 11 (BASICS II ) paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Nanono said that the ministry would create appropriate policy measures for the successful production and distribution of cassava products to ensure the availability of food and raw materials for industries.

“The ministry will continue to collaborate with the BASICS 11 projects through facilitating capacity building for farmers in the area of yield gaps.

Also, in strengthening research and development in diseases and pest control to improve cassava productivity among others,’’ he said

In his remarks, Dr Alfred Dixon, the Team Lead and Director for Development and Delivery, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) said the BASICS-II project intended to address the gap.

“The BASICS-II project intends to address the gap by creating a formal seed system for cassava that links breeder seeds with foundation seed producers and foundation seed producers to commercial seed entrepreneurs who will sell to the cassava root producers,” he said.

Dixion said that cassava root producers would subsequently process it into various end products or sell surplus roots to processing industries.

” In this fashion, we will be creating jobs and income generation opportunities for young people that will serve as seed entrepreneurs and modern producers of cassava.

“ Furthermore, the use of certified seeds will increase the national productivity of cassava,” he said.

He appealed for support from the Federal Government toward the IITA GoSeeds and NRCRI Umudike Seed.

He said that this would be imperative for sustainable production of Early Generation Seeds (EGS) that would feed the demand pool for commercial seed producers.

Dixon also solicited greater collaboration with the ministry, IITA and National partners including National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) and National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI).

He recalled previous contributions by IITA to the ministry, assuring that the agency would continue to play a higher and pivotal role by becoming a technical hub for the ministry for cassava innovations.

He said that the process could scale to other clonally propagated crops in Nigeria. (NAN)

Economy/Business , Food Security

FG trains 30,000 workers to transform extension services

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By Rabiu Sani-Ali
The Federal  Government, on Monday, announced that it had trained over 30,000 workers as part of efforts to reinvigorate extension services and encourage agricultural productivity.
Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated this at the National Wheat Farmers Field Day at Jakarade plantation in Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano state.
Nanono said the federal government planned to train 70,000 workers, adding that 30,000 of them had completed their training designed to expose them to modern farming techniques, fertiliser and chemical application.
He said the measure was imperative towards equipping farmers with modern farming techniques, crop processing and entrepreneurial skills, to add value to agricultural produce.
The minister said the Federal Government had initiated sound extension programmes, to transform agriculture and achieve food security, and urged state governments to engage them to enhance farmer support services at the grassroots.
According to him, the programme was focused on encouraging wheat production and processing, to reduce importation of the commodity into the country.
Nanono further urged state governments to encourage the development of small scale wheat processing mills to enhance availability of flour and other wheat products.
In his remark, the Kano State Deputy Governor,  Nasiru Gawuna, said the state government had concluded plans to establish additional water bodies and upgrade existing dams to encourage wheat cultivation and other irrigation activities.
Gawuna said the government had embarked on the rehabilitation and desilting of Watari dam and upgrade of irrigation schemes in Bagwai LGA.
While reiterating the government’s commitment to support farmers, Gawuna urged the farmers to utilise the inputs to improve their productivity.
Also speaking, Alhaji Salihu Muhammad,  Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, called for the inclusion of wheat farmers into the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrower Programme (APB), because the exclusion of their 200,000 registered members had negatively affected wheat production in the country.
The Project Manager,  Olam Crown Flour Mills, said that as a member of the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), the company was committed towards improving wheat production, through adequate financing and research in the country.
Danjuma said the programme had introduced Durum wheat variety and engaged the services of a well known seed scientists,  Dr Bassi, to accelerate wheat production in the country.
“We wish to get new technologies in Nigeria to further build on the wheat initiative. We look forward to partnering with organisations across the wheat value chain, to improve farmers’ yields through high quality seeds, expanded extension services and improved access to irrigation,” Danjuma said
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FMAN had provided support to 800 farmers in Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa States to accelerate wheat cultivation.
The farmers were provided with improved seeds variety, fertilisers, chemicals and 50 threshers under a soft loan scheme designed to enhance farmer access to inputs and extension services.
FMAN, in collaboration with Oxfam and agricultural research institutes, had also established wheat farming service centres in 15 LGAs in the participating states, while plans were underway to expand the scope of the programme to mobilise additional participation.
Economy/Business , Food Security

Job Creation: FG extends NPFS to 2026 – Official

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By Uchenna Eletuo/Augusta Uchediunor

The Federal Government (FG) has extended the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) after it elapsed in 2020, NPFS’s Head of Agric Processing and Enhancement, Mr Hassan Bawa disclosed on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NPFS is an agricultural intervention programme of the Federal Government to make the country food sufficient and also create jobs.

The implementing agencies for the scheme include the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (through the National Programme on Food Security (NPFS) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) Limited.

Bawa, an Agriculture Engineer, who was a Guest at the ongoing 2021 Lagos State Farmers Field/Appreciation Day, said that the extension was to deepen food sufficiency and create jobs in the country.

He commended the efforts of Lagos State in improving agric produce productivity and also lauded the President Muhammudu Buhari administration for being an agrarian one, with a lot of premium on advanced agriculture.

According to him, the government is working hard to shore-up massive job creation through the sector  in order to engage the nation’s unemployed teeming youth.

“The minister of agriculture is working through the green policy to advance the NPFS, FADAMA and others to enhance availability of food in the country coupled with its expected job creation in the agric produce processing chain.

“To achieve this,  the ministry will be banking on the support from the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and other international bodies toward food security at household income generation of local farmers,”

Bawa charged states such as Lagos, who were on the expanded phase of the project, to work harder in order to be relevant in the extension phase through adequate food production for the people.

He stressed that the training of officials would be emphasised in the extension scheme to meet-up the desired goals especially in value addition of produce.

According to him, the co-option of the nation’s teeming unemployed youth into the programme, will save the country from the subsisting insecurity challenges and encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) the country was in dire need of.

He added that, with the nation advancing toward economy diversification from crude oil dollar, produce processing and value addition were advantageous to propel the Nigerian society into the real sector in order to stabilise the economy.

NAN reports that as part of the activities for the 2021 Lagos State Farmers Field/Appreciation Day,  Lagos State Government gave farmers groups some inputs.

The groups, comprising of 12 to 20 farmers per group, got inputs including  Knapsack Sprayers, Organic manure, Matches, Hoes , Safety Gadgets and others with one million Naira each. (NAN)

Economy/Business , Food Security

FG empowers 40 farmers on goat breeding in Abia

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By Leonard Okachie

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has trained and empowered 40 small-holder rural households on best practices for backyard goat production in Abia.

The programme held at the Abia State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Umuahia on Friday.

Each of the farmers was empowered with two goats, buck and doe (male and female), some feeds and medicinal, as starter packs, at the end of the training.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme is the proposal of the State and Federal Government to encourage the production of more ruminants.

In his remarks, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for giving the opportunity to the farmers in the state.

Ikpeazu, who was represented by Mr Effort Nwankwo, Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Agriculture, said that Abia was the only state in the South East selected for the programme.

Mr Frank Kudla, Director, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services, said that the programme was designed to address the shortage of livestock production in the country.

Kudla, who was represented by his assistant, Mr Godwin Oyigoga, urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the programme in order to help the government solve some of the crises in the country.

In his Goodwill message, Mr Victor Ihediwa, State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, described the programme as a unique one that would do a lot of good in the state.

“By this progamme we are starting off a new line of livestock farming and farming in general.

“It will increase our meat production as well as help us to resolve herders/farmers clash,” he said.

Earlier in his address, the Programme Manager, Abia ADP, Chief Israel Amanze, thanked the federal and state governments for providing the opportunity to farmers in the state.

He assured of the success of the programme saying, “as ADP, we have no other jobs than to promote agriculture in Abia.”

Amanze explained that the breeds are West African dwarfs, which are very highly cherished meat but not always available.

According to him, they are not for consumption, but grower goats which will in turn become ‘mothers’ and ‘fathers’ of other goats.

A beneficiary, Miss Oluchi Nwankwo, thanked the federal government for the opportunity, saying that she would utlise it to gain the maximum benefits. (NAN)

Economy/Business , Food Security

Kogi signs agreements with WB, IFAD to boost agriculture

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Kogi Government has signed two separate subsidiary loan agreements with the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for rural roads, agriculture market and value chain development.

Mohammed Onogu, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Yahaya Bello, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Lokoja.

Onogu said the state Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, signed the agreements on behalf of the State Government.

According to him, the loans comprise 62 million US Dollars from the World Bank and 10 million US Dollars from IFAD for rural roads, agriculture market and value chain development.

“The IFAD-Assisted Value Chain Development Programme is an agricultural initiative aimed at reducing rural poverty, enhancing food security among the poor households and promoting economic growth on a sustainable basis.

“The programme is essentially on the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in targeted Local Government Areas in the state.

“The programme is made up of three basic components which are: Agricultural Market development, to support value addition, market linkages and support to market infrastructure and to build a very strong agribusiness and value chain orientation to farmers in rural communities,”he said.

The chief press secretary also said that the other component was the Smaller Productivity Enhancement, while the third programme was management and coordination.

“The World Bank loan for Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) will upgrade over 500 kilometres of rural roads, improve agro-logistics centres as well as enhance connectivity and access to local markets and agribusiness services in the state.

“The project is to be jointly funded by the World Bank, French Development Agency and the Government of Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)

Economy/Business , Food Security

FG, U.S. sign MoU to boost cashew production in Nigeria

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By Doris Esa

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) West Africa Pro- Cashew Project, to increase cashew productivity.

The project aimed to improve the cashew sector by increasing productivity and efficiency of farmers in the cashew value chain through improving crop quality, rehabilitating and renovating orchards among others.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Nanono, at the signing of the MoU, in Abuja,said that the event was another milestone in the record of the ministry’s history in its hunt to achieve national food and nutrition security, among others.

Nanono noted that the ministry over the years had achieved increase in the production of crops of strategic importance through the provision of improved seeds, seedlings and other farm inputs to farmers.

The minister said such crops included cashew, cocoa, cassava, rice, wheat among others.

“However, today’s meeting focuses on the cashew value chain because of its importance in the sustenance of commodity export business for a sustainable development of a Cashew Agro- Industry.

” In Nigeria, cashew is increasing in its importance as an export crop since the 1990s.

”It is interesting to know that as the 2nd  non- oil Export foreign earner for the country, cashew generated about 500 million dollars for the country in 2018 (CBN bulletin, in 2018), providing livelihood for 300,000 to 500,000 families, mostly youths and women in Nigeria.”

” The National Production Capacity of Cashew in 2020 was 260, 000MT on 100, 000ha of land, average yield was 600kg/ha as against the global average of 1,230kg/ha potential area cultivable is about 350, 000ha,” he said.

Nanono said that the overall objectives of the cashew value chain was to improve cashew productivity, expand the national hectareage,and rehabilitate existing old plantations.

He also said the objective of the cashew value chain was to increase and improve storage and processing capacity and develop effective market information system in the sector.

“The ministry’s target is to raise production from 260, 000MT in 2020 to 350,000t by 2023 and processing capacity from 15 per cent in 2020  to 35 per cent by 2023,” he said.

The minister thanked the USDA West Africa PRO- Cashew Project for the opportunity to interact with them on the  intervention strategies to improve the cashew sector in Nigeria.

” It is also heartwarming to note that in West Africa, Nigeria is selected alongside Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana for this laudable project,.

”It is our hope however, that this intervention will result in the total transformation of the cashew sector in Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, to kick-start the collaboration with the USDA West Africa PRO- Cashew project, a Cashew Value Chain Working Committee was inaugurated to look into the problems and challenges that are affecting the growth of the value chain in the country.

”The Committee with support from USDA the West Africa PRO- Cashew project is to develop a 10-year strategic plan for Nigeria’s cashew value chain,” he said.

In his remarks, PRO-Cashew’s Chief of Party, Mr  Jean Francois- Guay, said the project would be focusing on the cashew sector in Nigeria.

According to him, the project would also focus on training of the farmers, adding there was a need to increase quality of rural farmers.

” In a nutshell, with the rural farmers, Nigeria could increase and double the processing of cashew,” he said.

Economy/Business , Food Security

Nigeria must feed herself – Minister

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By Sylvester Thompson

Dr Ogbonnya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, said in Abuja on Thursday that food security was very critical to Nigeria and that the nation must be well positioned to feed itself.

Onu said Nigeria’s burgeoning population meant that its inability to feed its citizens would create problems for the country and also for the global community.

Receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology that paid him a courtesy visit, he said continuous importation of food already created a hike in prices, thereby putting pressure on the country.

He said that the ministry was determined to move the country’s economy away from that of exporter of raw materials and natural resources to one that was more knowledge-driven and productive.

“We believe very strongly that once our economy depends on knowledge, we can use that knowledge to convert the raw materials that we have in abundance into products and services,’’ he said.

The minister stressed that the importation of the country’s needs was not favourable to a nation with a large population like Nigeria.

He said since more than 60 per cent of the Nigerian population was made up of young people, the inability to create jobs would lead to difficulties.

Onu added that the nation’s GDP would rise if there was a reduction in importation and there was encouragement of local production of products and foods.

He said also that there was the need for food safety and maintenance of high standards, adding that food safety was of vital importance.

“Nobody will like to import or export food that is not safe,’’ he said.

The minister noted that the Nigerian Institute for Food Science and Technology was very critical to the nation’s economy and tasked the institute to maintain standard and to ensure food safety.

“Once we can maintain very high standard and ensure that our food is safe, it will be easier for us to penetrate the African market and then the global market,’’ he stressed.

Earlier, Prof. Iwe Maduebibisi, National President of the Institute, said it looked forward to more concerted efforts with the ministry in their collective effort to chart a new course for the institute.

Maduebibisi assured the minister that the institute was prepared to support government to ensure food security, safety and availability. (NAN)

Economy/Business , Food Security

Gombe Govt. moves to harness potentials in fish farming

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By Peter Uwumarogie

Gombe State Government says it is working to harness its potentials in fish production to boost the economy of rural communities in the State.

Mr Jidda David, Director of Fishery, Gombe state Ministry of Water Resources, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Wednesday.

David said that the state government had plans to leverage on the comparative advantage of the state as “some of our locations support fish production in large quantities.

“We have so many persons engaging in fish farming because we have the water bodies like the Dadin-Kowa, Balanga and Cham Dams, we have wetlands like Kalshingi community with over 200 clusters of fish farmers.’’

He added that Gombe state was second to Niger state in fish production in the whole of the North, saying it is one area identified to impact on the economy of the state.

According to him, harnessing the potentials in fish farming would create more jobs for the youths as well as boost the income of fish farmers in several communities where fish farming was taken as vocation.

David said that the state government through an African Development Bank (AfDB) project, would resuscitate the government-owned hatchery  where fish fingerlings would be produced and sold to farmers.

“Under this, youths will be trained on how to breed and culture fish and  starter packs would be given to them after the training. The initiative is part of the state government’s effort to empower farmers.

“The fish component of AfDB project is expected to start in 2021, we will have 100 youths trained annually and we will give them starter packs to enable them practice the vocation successfully,’’ David said.

He said that the state government had completed its fish feed mill, processing sinking feeds, but noted that many farmers were not disposed to it, “even though they are nutritious and can grow the fish.’’

According to him, farmers prefer the floating ones where their fish would be coming to the surface so that they (farmers) could assess the growth of their fish.

He added that the state government was working towards producing fish feeds that would meet the demands of farmers to encourage them to remain in the vocation.

David said that the state government was committed to improving livelihoods of farmers, hence the constant engagement of extension officers with fish farmers to guide on how to construct their ponds and other extension services.(NAN)

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