Search NaijaAgroNet

Showing posts with label Agriculture and Rural Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agriculture and Rural Development. Show all posts

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Democracy of the stomach, right of every Nigerian – Adesina

… Commends local wheat production
The Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has declared that democracy of the stomach is the right of every Nigerian, just as he reassured on how important the leadership of President Gooodluck Ebele Jonathan holds agriculture, reports NaijaAgroNet exclusively.

Addressing participants at the 2014 Wheat Farmers Field Day at Kadawa in Kano State recently, Adesina asserted “Thank you for calling me the farmers' minister, but I work for the Farmers' President. Democracy of the stomach is a right of every Nigerian.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that the minister appreciated what he called the invaluable contributions of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in the promotion of improved wheat technologies in Nigeria, and for organizing this wheat field day. 

“Your tenacity in continuing to do excellent work, to help our farmers, in the face of security challenges. Nigeria will succeed, against all odds,” he said.

As said by him, the occasion is a revival of hope for Nigeria to produce its own wheat and free itself from decades of dependence on imported wheat.

“I am delighted that the African Development Bank has funded the production of wheat across African countries. Africa must produce its own wheat and the funding by ADB is therefore strategic,” he said.

Adesina recalled that in 1987, the government of Nigeria banned the importation of wheat and implemented an Accelerated Wheat Production Programme aimed at stimulating local production of wheat in Nigeria.

He sees the ban on wheat importation as a bold move, which has provided local farmers the opportunity to mobilized so as to produce wheat and were provided necessary inputs at subsidized rates, and equipment to boost wheat production.  

"The production of wheat expanded from 50,000MT in 1987 to 600,000MT by 1990,” he said. 

The minister emphasised that farmers had proven they could produce wheat, if well supported, adding that several challenges scuttled the burst of energy to produce wheat locally, especially with the introduction of varieties of very low yields, as average yield was less than one ton per hectare.

“But more importantly, the programme failed because of the reluctance of wheat millers in the country to patronize wheat produced locally in the country. With the lifting of the ban in 1990, the programme abruptly ended, and wheat production spiraled downwards to 70,000MT by 1991.

“Today, Nigeria’s wheat import is about 4 million MT per annum and estimated to grow at an alarming rate of 5 per cent per annum,” he lamented.


Adesina further stated that at this rate, the country would be importing 10 million MT of wheat per annum by 2030, and spending US$15 billion annually on wheat imports alone, hence wheat farmers in the country deserved commendation.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
Pix: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (right), tasting bread made from 100 per cent Nigerian wheat variety at Kadawa, Kano State, recently. With him are Minister of State for Agriculture, Mrs. Asmau Asabe Ahmed and House Chairman on Agriculture, Mohammed Tahir Monguno.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Adesina inaugurates agric boards, commend research institutes


The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has inaugurated 15 boards of agencies and institutes under his ministry in Abuja with a charge to help the country generate revenue internally as well as become a  global player in the food export business, NaijaAgroNet reports.
Adesina said that the board should improve the relations between the management and staff among others things  within a period of nine months and commended the various research institutes, noting that “they are all operated under very harsh conditions, yet are doing very well.”
He said  that Nigeria can feed and sustain itself given its fertile land, labour and highly resourceful people and stressed that agriculture had been reformed from being a developmental activity to become a big business for all stakeholders at all levels.
“We have decided as a country to be more cohesive and efficient in achieving our agricultural dream of making Nigeria a food sufficient and food exporting country,” Adesina said.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the boards inaugurated include, the National Root Crops Research Institute, Abia, National Lake Chad Reasearch Institute, Maiduguri, National Institute for Fresh Water Fisheries Research, Niger, Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research, Bank of Agriculture, and National Horticultural  Institute,  the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Cooperation, National Veterinary Research Institute, Agricultural Research Development Council, FCT, Cocoa Research Institute Of Nigeria, National Cereals Research Institute, Ibadan and National Animal Research Institute.

Speaking on behalf of the board members, Chioma Ohakim assured the president of their support and commitment to ensuring the success of his administration’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
NaijaAgroNet
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
Pix:Minister of Agric &Rural Dev. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina

Friday, July 12, 2013

Nigeria to explore Chinese rice varieties

Dr. Adesina in a handshake with Prof. Long Pin
The Federal Government may have concluded plans to explore Chinese rice varieties, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.

He disclosed this during a meeting with Chinese rice scientist, Professor Yuan Long Pin on Thursday in the city of Beijing as part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s delegation to the Asian nation.

NaijaAgroNet notes that Prof. Long Pin is reputed for successfully breeding rice that has improved production to 7.5 metric tons per hectare.


This achievement, NaijaAgroNet also gathered helped China on the path of food security through his expertise.

... Linking agrobiz, people & technology

Monday, March 4, 2013

Nigerian Adesina is guest speaker @ 30th Brussels Development Briefing


Dr. Adesina, Nigerian Agric Minister
The Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, would today address the 30th Brussels Development Briefings in Belgium, NaijaAgroNet can authoritatively reveal.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in conjunction with the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, Concord and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) are the organisers of the 30th Brussels Development Briefings, which holds today, 4 March 2013.

The briefing under the theme, “Agricultural Resilience in the Face of Crises and Shocks” is expected to attract some 200 ACP-EU policy makers, representatives of EU Member States, civil society groups, researchers, development practitioners and media.

Confirming this, CTA  Director, Mr. Michael Hailu says that since its inception in 2007, the Brussels Development Briefing has been the premier event for sharing and debating up-to-date information on critical issues relating to food security and agricultural development in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

“It has also offered an excellent networking opportunity for development partners in Brussels. The session on agricultural resilience marks the 30th edition of this highly successful programme that CTA is proud to host on behalf its partners,” he said.

As disclosed by him, Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, is the chief guest of this edition of the briefing and would give a keynote address on conducive policies in support of resilience.

Other speakers expected at the briefing, he said, would address key challenges to strengthening resilience, cutting across the capacity of agriculture to withstand or recover from stresses and shocks and bounce back to the previous level of growth.

Hailu stressed that experts would present proven successes on building resilience and decreasing the vulnerability of agricultural systems in the ACP region.

Remmy Nweke/NaijaAgroNet 
 
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology