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Showing posts with label IFAD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IFAD. Show all posts

Monday, February 22, 2016

IFAD tasks leaders to break chains of desperation



The President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, has tasked development leaders to break chains of desperation, which often lead to emergencies and humanitarian disasters, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Addressing the 39th Governing Council of IFAD in Rome at the weekend, Dr. Nwanze said this has become necessary given the backdrop of new reports that showed the number of refugees entering Europe has continued to skyrocket.

He told senior government officials attending the final day of the Council session to renew their commitments to invest in smallholder agriculture and reduce poverty in developing countries.

As said by him, rural development plays a fundamental role in stabilizing communities and reducing migration and conflict, and “by working together to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) starting with zero poverty and zero hunger; we can break the chain of desperation” that leads to emergencies and humanitarian disaster.”

He also made urgent calls for action in support of increased investment in smallholder agricultural to ensure food security, climate change adaptation, equitable prosperity and ultimately to remove the root causes that lead to conflict and migration, were shared throughout the two-day conference, held annually in Rome for senior government officials representing IFAD’s 176 member states.

Sergio Mattarella, the President of the Italian Republic, pledged that Italy will continue to play a key role in the eradication of hunger and poverty, conditions he described as "insidious".

Equally, Mattarella brought attention to the increasing number of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria and called on leaders of all nations to get involved.

"Saving human lives and reaching out to those fleeing war or misery is a moral duty, a duty for any society that defines itself as free, democratic and truly respectful of human rights," he said.
 
Isaac Oyimah/GEE 
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Friday, July 31, 2015

Farmers, buyers’ partnerships guide in the offing


 NaijaAgroNet


A legal guide to ensure harmonious relationship between farmers and buyers for sustainable agribusiness is being worked out by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), NaijaAgroNet reports.

The arrangement would take the form of an expanding practice in which farmers produce agricultural goods for specific buyers in set quantities at prearranged prices and at the same time getting a new tool to guide growers and buyers in establishing sound contracts and conflict resolution procedures.

Contract farming in principle can improve farmers' access to markets and boost their incomes while ensuring that agribusinesses have a stable supply of produce that meets their quality standards, NaijaAgroNet was informed in a press release by FAO.

But as with any contractual relationship, there are potential pitfalls, and farmers can sometimes find themselves on the losing side of the deal. For example, a company might not pay the agreed price for the produce delivered, asserting that its quality was substandard, while the contract does not include any dispute resolution mechanism.

Changes in the world's agrifood systems and consumer preferences, NaijaAgroNet, have been a key driver of this trend. As food demand has risen both in developed and developing countries, processors and marketers need a steady and high volume stream of supplies, which they are not always able to meet buying on open commodities markets.

In contract farming arrangements help buyers gain a stronger hand in production, quality control and pricing, while farmers benefit from guaranteed income and market access. They may also acquire new productive assets – under some contract types, buyers commit to supporting growers by providing farm inputs, equipment, and technical advice.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Sunday, December 29, 2013

West Africa food security: Small-scale farmers must have access to markets


A new study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) made available to NaijaAgroNet shows that for West Africa to surmount its food security challenges, small-scale farmers must have greater access to markets.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the study, entitled Rebuilding West Africa’s Food Potential, presented a range of successful case studies since the region stepped up investments in agricultural development in the wake of the world food crisis in 2007-2008. 

The study revealed to NaijaAgroNet that countries could benefit significantly from policy support that targets broader agricultural development and greater coordination among producers, private industry and the public and financial sectors.
 

FAO Senior Economist, Aziz Elbehri, who edited the publication told NaijaAgroNet that although some West African countries are doing better than others, the region has lagged behind other parts of Africa in terms of basic infrastructure, investments, research and development and agricultural processing.

The book reasons, Elbehri said that the region should direct greater efforts to develop its staple food crops, which in the past have been sidelined in favour of a few export commodities. 

NaijaAgroNet  noted that Maize and cassava, which are two of the main pillars of West Africa’s food security, could form the backbone for a thriving agro-industry given their multiple market applications, the publication suggests.
 

“There is a huge production deficit in rice in the region, which currently imports an unsustainable 70 per cent of what it consumes,” FAO said, stressing that yields of sorghum and millet which are critically important for the food security of 100 million people in the Sahel, could double or triple with the help of improved seed varieties and fertilizer. Pointing out that providing farmers’ with the means to boost the yields of staple food crops is not enough.


“Farmers have little incentive to increase production if they can’t sell their crops because of cheaper and easily accessible imports. Policy and market incentives are needed to improve the competitiveness of locally grown crops and increase their share in the consumer market,” Elbehri said. 

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the study also underscored the importance of continued investment in export crops such as cotton, coffee and cocoa, which play a significant role in generating income and employment, and flags tropical fruit and vegetables and other emerging niche products like sesame and cashew nuts as another viable area for export growth.
 



Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Monday, November 5, 2012

IFAD projects in Yemen worth $230m

Nwanze, IFAD President

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has valued its projects in the west Asian country of Yemen to the tune of $230million, about N36.19 billion.
The United Nations’ specialised agency’s recent pledge to support agriculture and rural development in Yemen to the tune of $41million, brings the total investments in the country’s projects to $230million, as at September 2012
Of the total sum, $130 million was co-financed from domestic sources and the rest by external financiers, such as the European Union, International sDB and World Bank.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that some of the previous projects co-financed by IFAD in the Asian country include a $32.9, about N5.17billion Fisheries Investment Project in 2010, a project which benefited small-scale fishers, their associations as well as poor households that want to engage in aquaculture.
IFAD came up with the Fisheries investment project in a bid to improve the economic status of small-scale fishers through the creation of sustainable and diversified economic opportunities for poor women and men alike with special focus on the development of value chain development.
One of the numerous projects that sum IFAD’s financial commitment to N36.19billion includes the Economic Opportunities Programme early in 2010, which seek to create economic opportunities for the rural poor while working with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to significantly reduce poverty.
The economic opportunities programme, NaijaAgroNet further gathered also assisted landless households to develop the value chains for coffee, honey and horticulture products, being the three high-value agriculture commodities for some of the selected areas for the project.
IFAD in collaboration with the Government of Yemen introduced a private-sector-led approach to development operations with the economic opportunities programme.
The programme also established a private-public partnership to effectively, efficiently and transparently manage development resources and create synergies, whilst women constituted the key target group for the micro-business.
NaijaAgroNet equally gathered that projects by IFAD in Yemen have supported more than 1.2 million poor women and men alike, helping them build resilience to shocks and conflict, and at the same time improving their household food security and incomes.
However, the new pledge by IFAD will also allow the scaling up of successful investments to cater for additional communities and introduce innovations with the IFAD supported country programmes.
The investments according to IFAD are expected to stimulate rural economic growth and job creation for additional one million poor women and men in the rural areas.
Yemen was one of the first countries to receive financing from the UN specialized agency at the early period of its establishment.
IFAD as an international financial institution created in 1977 as a result of the outcome of the 1974 World Food Conference with the aim of financing agricultural development projects targeted at food production in developing countries, has since inception being working towards the eradication of poverty and food insecurity in developing nations of the world.


Yinka Awosanya
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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Koffi Annan leads speakers for Green Revolution Forum

Koffi Annan, former UN Sec. Gen.

The former United Nations' Secretary General, Mr. Koffi Annan has been confirmed as one of the key speakers at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2012 slated for 26th through 28th September 2012 in Tanzania.
Melinda Gate, wife of Microsoft's Bill Gate is also one of the key speakers for the forum while Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete and African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr Donald Kaberuka are expected to grace the forum.
Other confirmed speakers include International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD's) President, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, Tanzanian Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Eng. Christopher Chiza.
The forum would discuss appropriate ways to boost investments and innovations for sustainable agriculture growth and food security alike.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the future of agriculture development in Africa will also form part of the discussions at the forum following the fact that food security now tops global agenda and leaders are beckoning on the continent's agriculture for the rescue.
AGRF 2012 will also have in attendance African heads of state, ministers, farmers, private agribusiness firms, financial institutions, NGOs, civil society and scientists, to deliberate on the right ways to scale up investments and innovation for sustainable agricultural growth and food security.

Yinka Awosanya/LS

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

IITA boosts food security in Cameroon with cassava varieties



At the presentation of the cassava varieties
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in a bid to boost the agricultural sector in Cameroon on food security has unveiled improved cassava varieties.
IITA revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement that five new improved cassava varieties were released to safeguard the lives of millions of Cameroonians.
These varieties namely with genotypes TMS 92/0326, TMS 96/1414, TMS 96/0023, TMS 92/0057, and TMS 92/0067, according to IITA were developed through conventional breeding by the institute and some other partners.
The improved varieties would improve nutritional values through the provision of caratenoids, iron and zinc as they have an estimated 20 tonnes to 35 tonnes per hectare.
Programme National de Development des Racines et Tubercules (PNDRT), the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), non-governmental organizations as well as local farmers partnered IITA on this project.
According to the IITA Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, who was quoted as saying that the varieties would help close the yield gaps while improving yield and increasing farmers' revenue especially those that rely on cassava for livelihood.
"IITA will continue to support farmers in Cameroon by offering improved varieties and technologies that address the constraints to development in tropical nations," the IITA boss said.
Cameroonian Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Essimi Menye commended the efforts of IITA in developing these varieties, adding that the new they would assist the nation to take advantage of the opportunities of the crop which is one of the major staples in Cameroon.
As said by IITA, Cassava in Cameroon is either boiled and eaten, or processed into local delicacies such as Mitumba, Baton de manioc, Beignets de manioc, gari, and Ndas among others. Other use includes ethanol production, inclusion in bread production ad glucose syrup production.

 Yinka Awosanya/LS
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Friday, September 14, 2012

IFAD to support Yemen with N6.6b


The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has promised to support agriculture and rural development in Yemen with the sum of $41 million, about N6.61 billion.
IFAD made the pledge after a two-day meeting held in Saudi Arabia, according to a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet by Jessica Thomas from IFAD.
The $41 million pledge is made up of $31 million from IFAD’s core resources and $10 million from the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), a new financing instrument established by IFAD to scale up and integrate climate change adaptation in smallholder development projects.
The meeting was developed by Yemen’s Government of National Reconciliation with support from the European Union (EU), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), World Bank (WB) and United Nations organisations and IFAD.
Also, the meeting attracted over 280 participants from 27 donor countries, 36 regional development international financial institutions, and observers from NGOs as well as private sector.
The money pledge according to IFAD is for Yemen government to develop new projects during the transition period.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that IFAD commenced operations in Yemen since 1979 which has seen to the enhancement of rural economic growth through the support given to national programmes in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Yinka Awosanya/LS

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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

UN calls for urgent actions against food price hike



The United Nations (UN) agencies have called for swift and coordinated international actions in a bid to maintain stable prices for food stocks.
In a press statement jointly prepared by three UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) made available to NaijaAgroNet, revealed the need to maintain food price so that it does not turn to a catastrophe.
This, the agencies said, could hurt tens of millions over the coming months, and that the problems of some high food prices must be solved as well as the long-term issue of how we produce and consume.
Also, the agencies, disclosed that the food price hike does not affect every country in same way that the urban, rural poor and those in food import-dependent countries are most vulnerable to the international increase in prices as the listed categories spent a larger part of their incomes on food.
Findings by the bodies affirmed that although some smallholder farmers fall into the category of poor and food insecure that they can powered to take the food price hike advantages by becoming part of the solution and improve the overall food security.
NaijaAgroNet learnt that part of initiatives employed by the UN agencies comprise the UN High-Level Task Force on Global Food Security and Agricultural Markets Information System (AMIS), to improve transparency in the global food market.
Also part of the initiative, the Rapid Response Forum was set up to facilitate coordinated policy responses by the major world producers and traders of key cereals and soybeans.
WFP made an estimation of extra $200 million, about N31.6 billion per year for food assistance for every 10 per cent increase in food price; everyone is vulnerable as global grain production in a good year is not enough to meet the growing demand for food.
 

 Yinka Awosanya/LS

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

FG to transform agriculture sector to employ youths


President Goodluck Jonathan
The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria has promised to transform the agricultural sector so as to make the sector a wealth creator and able to accommodate youths.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan revealed that the present administration is keen on bringing its plans about transforming the agricultural sector to reality.
The president also affirmed the federal government's initiative to promote the subsistence farming to the establishment of agriculture as a very viable modern-day business.
“We have a very large youthful population and to create enough jobs for them we must develop agriculture, solid minerals and other sectors," President Jonathan said, adding that Nigeria has a lot of untapped potentials which would be beneficial to agricultural development.
He expressed delight over the $74 million about N11.7 billion virtually interest-free loan by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in a bid to support the federal government's agricultural programme.
He said Nigeria as well as himself is proud of the good work by IFAD with loans and grants summing up to $225 million for agricultural development in Nigeria since 1985.

 Yinka Awosanya

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