CEFTER to reduce N880byearly post-harvest losses by Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

 

The former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Dr (Mrs) Farida Waziri, has said that Centre for Food Technology and Research, (CEFTER) will reduce over $4 billion, about N880 billion estimated as the yearly post harvest losses incurred by African countries, NaijaAgroNet reports. 

According to a statement by her media aide, Mr. Ade Williams, Waziri said this while commissioning the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence Project, CEFTER, located at the Benue State University, Makurdi.The former EFCC boss who was the chairperson at the official launch of the Centre noted that the World Bank project is coming to Nigeria at the right time. 

While counseling the managers of the Centre to make dedication and transparency their watchwords, Waziri commended the Vice Chancellor of BENSU, Prof (Mrs) Charity Angya and the Project Manager of CEFTER, Dr Barnabas AchakpaIkya for their efforts to see the project take off. Benue State University was chosen by the World Bank as one of its 10 Africa Centre of Excellence Project, NaijaAgroNet learnt. 

“No doubt, our over-dependence on oil revenue has brought us to the point where we are as a nation today. As an anti-corruption czar, I have seen how some of those nation entrusted with its oil resources in the past helped themselves more than the country. 

“With our focus on agriculture, the struggle by political office holders to steal oil fund would diminish while the national wealth will be in the hands of the people instead of a privileged greedy few. We cannot all dig oil wells in our backyard but we can all farm in our backyards. It is time to end oil-money induced corruption in our land by buying into President Buhari’s vision and take ownership. 

"I am aware the mandate of this Centre, CEFTER is to promote teaching, research and extension in Post Harvest services, enhance agricultural productivity and industrial output for the socio-economic advancement of Nigeria and Africa. I must admit that this can’t be coming at a better time than now when the new leadership of our country is already looking towards agriculture as a more reliable alternative to oil revenue. 

“With the strategic location of CEFTER in the food basket of the nation, Benue state and the caliber of hands that have been put in charge to manage the project, I will wholeheartedly seek the support of the federal government, multi-nationals and well-meaning Nigerians and our friends across the country that this is one project all of us should support in the interest of our national economy and economic development of all.” 

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Malabo Declaration, a stakeholder reference for next decade - EU

NaijaAgroNet:

Chairman of the European Union (EU) Development Partners Task Team, represented by the Head, Operations at EU Delegation to African Union, Ms Anna Burylo, has described the Malabo Declaration as a reference point for all African development stakeholders for the next decade, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment at the African Union headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, assured of their support to Malabo Declaration, stressing that Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda is articulated into the new context created by the Malabo Declaration.

As said by her, the CAADP Results Framework (RF) along with the Malabo Implementation Strategy and Roadmap (IS&R) as well as its related programme of work are key documents demonstrating African leadership and framing Development Partners (DPs) and all other Malabo stakeholders action at continental, regional and national level, in particular through a set of headline indicators.

“All partners should adopt and adapt to these documents,” the EU Development Partners chair declared.

Pointing out that how DPs could align and tract their actions against such documents is a key issue of partnership.

 This is because, they would be able to frame the mutual accountability system which DPs will adhere too along with all other African CAADP and Malabo stakeholders, especially those seeking to coordinate and harmonise projects and programmes across Africa, by way of ensuring that food security and agriculture actions in global processes such as G8 and G20 align with African priorities and needs.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa 
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2015 Yara Prize up for grabs, USD 60,000 @stake

NaijaAgroNet:

The 2015 Yara Prize worth USD 60,000, about N11,943,000, is now up for grabs, according to the Chairman, Yara Prize Committee, Mr. Torgeir Kvidal, NaijaAgroNet reports.

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, by Svein Flatebø of Yara Prize Committee Secretariat, quoted Mr. Kvidal, who doubles as President & CEO of Yara International as saying that Yara Prize was established in 2005 as a direct response to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call for a green revolution in Africa in 2004. 

The Yara Prize, NaijaAgroNet reports, recognizes food and nutrition security and sustainable agricultural initiatives with a transformative power. 

“It serves as inspiration for action to scale up the African Green Revolution,” Kvidal said. 

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that the Yara Prize winner receives USD 60,000, a trophy and a diploma which will be awarded in Africa in October 2015.

Kvidal, therefore, invite nominations that deserves recognition for achievements in combating hunger and poverty as well as enhancing food security and sustainable agricultural development on the continent. 

In 2015, the Yara Prize will have a special focus on youth, women and agribusiness, hence, the prize will also consider strongly those individuals who have contributed towards catalyzing transformational change in support of an African Green Revolution.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

 

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Livestock union tasks Rivers govt on modern abattoir

The Chairman of Trans Amadi Goat Butchers Union, Trans Amadi abattoir, Rivers State, Chief Agudichi Orji has called on the Rivers State Government to redeem its promise of building a modern abattoir for livestock butchers and traders at the Trans Amadi slaughter market, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Orji said that the butchers are desirous of such a modern abattoir that would boost the activities at the market, being one of the viable abattoirs in the state.

The chairman of Trans Amadi Goat Butchers Union applauded the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi for providing water within the abattoir which has strengthened the butchers in ensuring the cleanliness of the area.

He commended  the activities of the veterinary officers who ensures  that quality live stocks were sold in the market, and added that anybody  caught doing the contrary in the market would be suspended or made to pay fine.

Anthony Nwakaegho/GEE/NaijaAgroNet

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*Gov. Amechi

Guanah charges FG to establish rice mills

Anthony Nwakagho/NaijaAgroNet

The Chairman, Raymos Guanah Farms (RGF) Mr Raymos Guanah has called on the Federal Government to establish rice mills in the rice-producing states in the country.

Guanah made the call in Asaba, Delta State, stressing that establishing rice mills would alleviate the burden of rice farmers looking for where to process their products and add value to their products.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that Guanah, who was the former Commissioner for Lands and Survey in Delta, that it’s also necessary for government to establish post-harvest storage facilities across the country to enable farmers preserve their products.

He charged government to ban importation of rice, subsidise agro-chemicals and farm implements to aid small scale farmers as only the provision of subsidy on fertilisers is not enough to boost rice farming.

He lamented that even though the country is blessed with arable land the greatest challenge faced by small scale farmers in the country was lack of government’s assistance and advised against politicising agriculture.

NaijaAgroNet noted from this technocrat turned farmer that it would be laudable for government to find ways of engaging members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in farming instead of allowing them to cluster in government offices doing nothing.

NaijaAgroNet
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