ACP, FAO sign MoU to boost capacity building

NaijaAgroNet

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in collaborating with the African Caribbean and Pacific Group States (ACP), are intensifying efforts aimed at enhancing capacities to cope with the challenges of climate change, sustainable food production and security, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Memorandum of Understanding to this effect signed by the Secretary General ACP Group, Patrick Ignatius Gomes, and the FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is intended towards supporting the 79 ACP member countries to work assiduously to achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals that will be agreed later this year.

The MoU commits both ACP and FAO to jointly promote and contribute to the implementation of activities planned within the Fund's framework.

It also factorizes procedures aimed at enhancing an -ACP South-South Cooperation programme for food security and agriculture, including technology sharing, knowledge exchange and policy dialogue between tropical countries.

Key areas under the expanded collaboration, NaijaAgroNet learnt, is to engage the private sector to support the development of efficient and inclusive agrovalue chains. The emphasis will be on targeted agricultural commodities, both food staples and cash crops, and on smallholders, farmer- and producer organizations and small and medium enterprises.

More so, the collaboration will be identified by ACP members which are likely to be projects to harness private-sector support in building efficient and inclusive agricultural value chains that will help smallholder farmers meet export market regulatory requirements, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Other measures will aim at hunger eradication, better nutrition and sustainable economic practices.

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Grow Africa Partnership secures $10bn to boost agriculture

NaijaAgroNET

Over 200 member companies have committed $10-billion about N1.99 trillion in the Agricultural sector in 12 African countries aimed at boosting agriculture and employment on the continent. This figure represents an increase of about 40 per cent over 2013 commitment levels reports NaijaAgroNet.

Grow Africa released the figures at the Grow Africa Investment Forum in Cape Town as the first stage of a joint reporting process for Grow Africa and the New Alliance, on behalf of the African Union.

According the information received by NaijaAgroNet, “Investment continues to increase: in 2013 and 2014, investments totalling $1.8 billion about N358.2billion have led to the creation of 58 000 jobs, bringing improvements in services and market opportunities to 8.6 million smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the sector’s production capacity.

Sarita Nayyar, Managing Director, World Economic Forum said, “We stand at a pivotal moment of opportunity to capitalize on an enormous body of collective learning to foster successful public-private cooperation. We must seize this opportunity to deliver on the promise of African agriculture to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the continent.”

 “Over half of the investment commitments come from domestic agribusiness and service companies, which benefit from Grow Africa’s focus on convening and facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships to strengthen inclusive agricultural value chains.”

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Grow Africa Partnership was founded jointly in 2011 by the African Union (AU), The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the World Economic Forum to enable countries to realize the potential of the agriculture sector for economic growth and job creation, particularly among farmers, women and youth.

In 2014, about $300-million, about N59.7 of staple and cash crops were sourced from smallholders as a result of the investments.

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Zambia benefits from DuPont’s investments to increase farmers’ productivity

NaijaAgroNet

One of the world’s foremost agricultural businesses, Dupont Pioneer, recently in Zambia, opened a new warehouse and office facility which will increase maize storage capacity and meet farmers’ demand for both local and export markets to Kenya, Tanzania and other markets in Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Worede Woldemariam, East and South Central Africa senior business manager of DuPont Pioneer stated, “Zambia could emerge as the breadbasket for southern Africa provided an enabling agricultural environment is fostered.”

“The warehouse will allow DuPont Pioneer to develop and produce more seed locally as well as enhance the global competitiveness of the maize industry. Better quality seeds and more advanced farming practices can improve nutrition, the standard of living, and overall agricultural productivity,” says Woldemariam.

NaijaAgroNet further learnt that the country currently has an average maize yield of about 2.4 metric tons per hectare, which is slightly above the average 2 metric tons per hectare of maize yields in Africa and 10 tons per hectare in the U.S.

 Zambia produces excellent seed quality, and the new facility will ensure world class quality standards are maintained in the region. The latest investment is part of ongoing efforts by DuPont Pioneer to invest in resources and infrastructure in Africa.

DuPont (NYSE: DD),  NaijaAgroNet learnt, has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders solutions could be found to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere.

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Emulate President Jammeh, Gambian farmers tasks African leaders

 NaijaAgroNet

The President of the National Farmers Platform of The Gambia (NFPG), Alagie Bassi Mboge has charged African leaders to emulate President Yahya  Jammeh's footstep in boosting agricultural production and productivity, reports NaijaAgroNet .

Mboge made this call in an interview with news men in The Gambia, saying that the ongoing presidential tour to meet with farmers across the country is a clear demonstration that President Jammeh is taking the lead to ensuring that decades of importation of rice become a thing of the past in the country.

He described Jammeh as a president with a difference whose ambition is to ensure that not only The Gambia becomes food self-sufficient, but also the whole of Africa.

Mr. Mboge also commended the President for the laudable initiative of meeting farmers, and discussing with them the way forward in addressing some of their key concerns regarding the attainment of Vision 2016, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

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Food, nutrition security, climate change dominate FAO-EU talks

  NaijaAgroNet

 

  Food and nutrition security, climate change and soils are among the key issues slated for discussion in the coming months between Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the European Union (EU), NaijaAgroNet learnt.

According to a press release made available to NaijaAgroNet on Thursday, this follows series of meetings involving FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and EU high-level representatives that were held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels.

Graziano da Silva, NajaAgroNet further learnt, met EU Commissioner of Agriculture, Phil Hogan, EU Director-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO), Fernando Frutuoso de Melo, and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.

NaijaAgroNet reports that both parties highlighted the alignment between the EU initiatives and FAO's strategic objectives, and expressed satisfaction on the strategic partnership and high-level political dialogue taking place on common key challenges.

They reiterated that food and nutrition security will remain at the heart of their respective programming cycles.

FAO and the EU have also stressed the joint role they will be playing within some of the main conferences and events to take place in 2015, reports NaijaAgroNet.

 
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RIFAN tasks Plateau govt to revive agric training centre

 NaijaAgroNet:

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Plateau State chapter has called on the state government to revive the Shendam Agricultural Services and Training Centre (ASTC), in order to boost the agricultural needs of farmers in the zone.

The Association chairman, Mr. Joshua Bitrus, made this known to NaijaAgroNet, in Shendam Local Council Development Area of the State, explaining that the ASTC was set up by the Governor Jonah Jang-led administration was a good incentive for the agricultural sector.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the ASTC in Shendam covers the six local governments in the Southern zone that renders partial or skeletal services.

The RIFAN Chairman appealed to the governor to make it operational so that the farmers could enjoy the excellent programmes and ASTC deliver world class services to farmers in the state in an excellent and affordable rate.

Bitrus applauded the State Government for providing 100 tractors in each of the centres, and noted that the ASTC headquarters in Kassa render services to the northern zone and Mangu take charge of the central zone have been operational for the past three years.

 “Each of the centres has the same and equal equipment; all the offices are equal; there is no partiality of any kind and we thank government for that. But we are appealing that the Shendam centre be commissioned and be made fully operational like others. I have enjoyed the services and I know how good it is because the tractors worked in my farm for over two weeks and I must confess, it was wonderful,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the Federal Government has been assisting farmers with inputs under Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) while the ASTC  will position Plateau  as a state that can produce enough rice to feed the nation.”

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Pix: Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau State

CADP set to host Agric stakeholders forum

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) has perfected plans to host stakeholders in the Agricultural sector in an interactive forum in Lagos.

The state project coordinator, Kehinde Ogunyinka informed NaijaAgroNet that the forum is aimed at showcasing the results and impacts of CADP on small-medium commercial farmers in the State and to attract both local and foreign investors.

Ogunyinka listed some the projects by the Lagos State Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) to include 22.19 km rural roads in 10 locations, provision of transformers, extension lines and accessories and another 12.83 km rural roads that is ongoing in six other farming locations in Lagos State.

He said that CADP has supported 331 commodity interest groups engaged in poultry, rice and aquaculture value chains in the execution of their business plans to the tune of N657.487 million in Lagos State.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the forum has been scheduled for Wednesday 18, September, 2013 at Johnson Agiri Complex in Oko Oba, Agege in Lagos.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the forum will attract  over one hundred and forty participants which will include small and medium scale rice, poultry and aquaculture farmers, processors, marketers, financial Institutions, community leaders and Non-governmental Organizations, state policy makers, representatives of the World Bank, members of the House Committee on Agriculture and the media.

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Pix: Gov. Tunde Fashola of Lagos State

Lend to farmers or face deposit cut, FG warns banks

Anthony Nwakaegho

/DigitalSENSE Business News

 

The Federal Government has threatened to cut her deposits with the commercial banks in the country over its reluctance to grant loans to agricultural, mineral resources and small and medium enterprises sectors of the economy.

 

The President Good Luck Jonathan dropped the hint, when he spoke at the 7^th Annual Banking and Finance Conference of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Abuja, Tuesday, and warned that government might be compelled to reduce their access to public sector deposits unless they increase their funding to these critical sectors.

 

President GoodLuck Jonathan who was represented the Minster of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama   frowned at the performance of the banks in not doing enough to support the real sector despite the policies and other incentives provided to create an enabling environment for them to thrive in the country over the years.

 

He explained that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has intervened through financial intermediation support initiatives such as Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS), and Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending,(NIRSAL).

 

The President expressed his desire for the banks to jointly do more in terms of Agricultural lending, adding that it has remained too low to achieve the Agricultural Transformation Agenda’s (ATA) goals of making Nigeria to become a net exporter of food and a hub in job creation in the nation’s economy.

 

"The banks have to come together and see how they can put funds together to really support the farmers. The statistics we have coming from the Central Bank is that when you lend to farmers they pay you. I think we have First Bank’s experience where the percentage of non performing agric loans to performing is less than 1.5 per cent.

 

“So the poor actually pay their loans, but why are the banks always eager to go and lend to riskier businesses than safe agricultural businesses? The issue is with our psyche, we think that maybe they are not high tech or maybe there is too much documentation based on a loan of N50, 000 or N100, 000.”

 

He warned that except the banks show their readiness to support the nation’s economic development objectives the CBN may have to introduce new policy measures that would deny the banks continued access to government deposits

 

The President of CIBN, Mr Segun Aina in his remarks reassured the government of the institute’s readiness to partner government on its various initiatives that is aimed at deepening banking knowledge and improving delivery of top class financial services to the nation’s economy.

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Pix: CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi