NACCIMA calls for industries protection against ECOWAS’s CET

NaijaAgroNet

The Director-General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Emmanuel Cobham, has advocated protection of local industries in the wake of the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET).

NaijaAgroNet reports that NACCIMA‘s position on the policy is that manufacturing companies need some level of protection against the influx of foreign products that the tariff favours. Cobham said since the CET regime has commenced, government may need to consider ways by which the hardship on importers and manufacturers alike could be alleviated.

He stated this in response to a World Bank report, ‘Connecting Food Staples and Inputs in West Africa: A Regional Trade Agenda for ECOWAS countries,’ calling on Nigeria and other governments in West Africa to move beyond nationally-focused food policies and address regional trade within ECOWAS to link farmers with consumers in the region’s booming urban areas, NaijaAgroNet gathered.

“Food staples belong at the heart of the ECOWAS agenda on agriculture,” said World Bank senior economist and lead author of the report, Jean-Christophe Maur. He said the importance of cross-border cooperation to secure food supply, as well as manage common natural resources, regional diseases and security challenges, has been made painfully clear in recent years, calling for a new  commitment to regional trade in the West African 

Sub-region to accelerate agricultural production, boost growth and ensure food security.
The report obtained by The Nation builds on the lessons of the World Bank report, “Africa can help feed Africa,” and examines the specific circumstances in West Africa, which is home to one-third of the continent’s population, and bringing new analysis to the food staples trade and policies in the region.

The report regretted that though Africa has tremendous agriculture potential with more than half of the world fertile yet unused land, countries on the continent are increasingly dependent on food imports from the rest of the world, NaijaAgroNet reports.

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Efficiency key to enhanced fish trade in Africa

NaijaAgroNet

Expert said increased efficiency will reduce wastage, boost trade as well as enhance confidence in Africa’s fish trade, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Director General, WorldFish, Stephen Hall, took this stand during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between his company and the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) .

“Given the cross border nature of the trade, it is important that we achieve a level of alignment. This agreement will enhance the fisheries sector and improve livelihoods for the 12 million Africans that rely on the business”, Hall maintained.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the MoU will allow the two organizations to work together on standards that will provide an Africa-wide framework for producers, distributors and sellers to ensure safety and quality at all stages of the value chain, from catch to the plate. The MoU was also aimed at promoting consumer confidence in African fish for domestic and export markets.

According to the agreement, priority will be given to the sustainability of fisheries, hygiene and storage requirements as well as traceability aspects. The end goal is a continent-wide alignment of standards and certification schemes that will boost the market for fish

Experts, NaijaAgroNet learnt, say a focus on fisheries sustainability is key to opening up global markets with few exports being made from the continent without compliance to standards in this field even as the  MoU is the duo’s  contribution to the commitments for a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) made at the January 2015 African Union Heads of State meeting. The two organizations hope that this expansion of trade will most benefit small and medium scale enterprises.

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 Pix Stephen Hall

Da Silva outlines policies to eradicate hunger

 NaijaAgroNet

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Director-General José Graziano da Silva, has outlined policy direction that will become signpost of his current tenure at the helm of FAO affairs for another four years, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Graziano who recently received a total number of 177 out of 182 votes cast by FAO member countries which represents the highest number of favourable votes ever scored by a candidate for the FAO topmost job said, "I thank you for showing confidence in the Organization under my leadership," Graziano da Silva told members of FAO's governing Conference meeting in Rome this week,.

"You have given me a clear mandate to lead this Organization in my second term, pressing on the path that we charted together," he stated.

The FAO Director-General, in his address, underscored that the next step must be the complete eradication of chronic undernourishment. This, together with ending malnutrition has been included in the Sustainable Development Goals which will be finalized later this year setting the global development agenda for the decades to come, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Raising levels of nutrition has always been "at the heart" of the mandate of FAO, Graziano da Silva hinted.

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UAE adds to 2 to ecosystems heritage sites

NaijaAgroNet

In the United Arab Emirates,two date palm oases have joined an increasing number of ecosystems that are properly renowned by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for their significance as repositories of genetic resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage report NaijaAgroNet

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, made this known while speaking at the annual Khalifa International Date Palm Award Ceremony in the United Arab Emirates, noted they selected both oases as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and praised the Emirates’ active conservation efforts.

The Al Ain and Liwa oases prompted da Silva to add the GIAHS Initiative promotes public understanding, awareness, national and international recognition of Agricultural Heritage systems.

“Advancing towards the future while preserving your roots is not always an easy task, but the Emirates have been able to do that with their sustainable date palm production.” said the FAO Director General, José Graziano da Silva 

NaijaAgroNet found that the Emirates In recent years, have implemented an active and dynamic conservation program to revitalize these oases through measures such as security against urban encroachment, restoration of ancient irrigation systems (falaj) and re-introduction of traditional agricultural management.

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