Nigeria, Israel enter agricultural deal

NaijaAgroNet.

The Federal Government of Nigeria and State of Israel, penultimate Friday signed a cooperation agreement to share expertise and step up cooperation in the agriculture field aimed at boosting food security in both countries, report

The agreement was signed on behalf of the FG by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and his Israeli counterpart, Yair Shamir at a short ceremony in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Speaking, Adesina said Nigeria will work closely with the state of Israel to boost fish production, so as to cut down on the amount spent yearly importing fish, noting that Nigeria spends 125 billion naira, about $760 million annually, on fish imports alone.

“… This ought not to be, considering the abundant water resources in this country. The cooperation will also include areas of beef production, horticulture and training," he said.

Pointing out that Israel will also help Nigeria to structure her rural communities in a way that youths in these communities will be able to create wealth through agricultural activities instead of migrating from their local areas.

The minister said, the government is trying to woo private investors in hopes of bolstering the local agricultural sector and up to $4 billion has already been invested in local agriculture projects by private companies.

Adesina said the Nigeria-Israel cooperation deal would foster development in the sector and "impact private-sector businesses tremendously, bringing wealth to youths by creating gainful jobs."

Equally, Shamir said Israel would cooperate with the Nigerian government to develop agriculture in Africa`s top oil producer. Stressing that the Israeli government would begin by training employees of Nigeria`s Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasising that the partnership would boost food security for both countries.

Isaac Oyimah with agency report/GEE

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NENA countries pledge cooperation on hunger, nutrition

 Governments from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) has wrapped up a five-day meeting on regional food security challenges pledging enhanced cooperation to tackle the critical issues of water management, food waste and building more resilient rural communities, reports NaijAgroNet.

The communiqué made available to NaijAgroNet after the 32nd regional conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for the Near East and North Africa, endorsed three key proposals tabled during the talks.

NaijAgroNet also reports that the first was a regional strategy framework to bring countries together to improve food security and nutrition. Though at present, the number of undernourished people in the 19 countries of the Near East and North Africa remains high at nearly 43.7 million, or 10 per cent of the population.

Reducing those numbers while coping with a ongoing population growth, increasing scarcity of natural resources and climate change will require much closer inter-governmental cooperation.

The framework endorsed today calls on governments to work together to  address lagging productivity growth through increased investment in research and development; improvements to supply chain efficiencies that will reduce exposure to market volatility and other shocks; and strengthened safety nets and nutrition education programs.

The creation of strategic regional cereal reserves to help offset spikes in commodity prices is another tool considered by the framework.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Make milk, dairy products more accessible to vulnerable FAO told governments

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in its latest publication urged government to make milk and dairy products more accessible to vulnerable households so as to improve on livelihoods of hundreds of millions of poor people across the world, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The new FAO publication launched at the weekend, according to NaijaAgroNet inquiries shows that the book, Milk and Dairy Products in Human Nutrition, demanded of governments to invest more in programmes that make milk and dairy products available to poor families and help them in production of milk at home.

FAO Senior Nutrition Officer Ellen Muehlhoff, who also co-edited the publication, affirmed to NaijaAgroNet in a public statement endorsed by Fiona Winward of FAO’s Media Relations in Rome that as part of a balanced diet, milk and dairy products could be an important source of dietary energy, protein and fat.

“They are also rich in micronutrients critical for fighting malnutrition in developing countries where the diets of poor people are often starch or cereal-based and lack diversity,” she said.

Muehlhoff underscored the fact that a combination of food is necessary for a healthy diet, and milk and dairy products are not the only sources of essential nutrients.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that in a landmark decision the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) endorsed the new Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security on 11 May 2012. 

Also, FAO launched a major fund-raising campaign with the aim of securing USD 20 million to translate into action the guidelines, aimed at helping governments safeguard the rights of people to own or access land, forests and fisheries and others to help the focus on improving the lives of millions of smallholder farmers and their families.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: Cover of the latest FAO publication on Milk

Lack of advocacy, bane of research to investors – NAFN president

NaijaAgroNet:

Inadequate advocacy and sensitisation on the part of government  and lack of interest on the part of the private sector in commercialising local research findings has been attributed as the reason why private sector don’t appreciate the inherent benefits of such findings.

The National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), Senator Abdullahi Adamu told  NaijaAgroNet while explaining that government has not been able to address the issues to a point that the private investor can appreciate such research because the advantages that will accrue to him or her over any subject matter of research are not known.

Adamu cited the case of United Kingdom under late Mrs Margaret Thatcher and United States of America under Ronald Reagan tenure and posited that before they went into full privatisation of railway system, the ordinary Briton or American knew what was railway and that it was functioning.

“They knew the advantages of travelling by rail as compared with travelling by road in a car or lorry; they knew the difference between travelling by train and travelling on the high seas overseas or by ship; they knew the implications. The private sector, if you want them to be involved in these things, there must be good advocacy on the side of the government,” Adamu said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls from Adamu that there was need for government to publicise such research, its advantages and develop the literature that will sell what have been researched upon as that is the only weapon that can make such research attractive to a prospective investor or the private sector.

He canvassed that government should create the enabling environment that would stimulate investment in research by the private sector.

*With additional reports from NAN

AN/GEE

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pix:National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Senator Abdullahi Adamu

Fafiyebi tasks govt to provide agric incentives, engage youths

NaijaAgroNet

Dr Alabi Fafiyebi, a consultant on agriculture has tasked government to give more attention to the agric sector if the country has to develop as greater percentage of Nigerians earns their living directly or indirectly from agriculture and related services.

Fafiyebi stated this in a chat with NaijaAgroNet at Ilupeju, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti that the agric sector apart from providing food for the citizenry and raw materials for agro-allied industries, it plays a vital role in the nation’s economy.

“ It should be accorded the deserved attention through allocation of more funds for execution of projects that will have direct impact on farmers, especially those engaged in mechanised farming,’’ Fafiyebi said.

He lauded the reform agenda of the Federal Government in revitalising the sector that has seen the rebirth of cocoa and palm trees through distribution of seedlings to farmers and called for more incentives for the farmers, especially the youth.

Fafiyebi canvassed that when the youths, especially graduates are engaged in food production it would go a long way to reduce unemployment in the country.

AN/GEE

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pix:Minister of Agric& Rural Dev. Dr Akinwunmi Adesina

Thailand expands global rice supply

  

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

Thailand, once the world’s biggest rice exporter has added to the global supply glut as a result of rice stockpiles following government programme to buy production and the efforts of the farmers planting most crop ever.

According to the data compiled by Bloomberg from United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates and sighted by NaijaAgroNet,  the country’s 15.5 million-ton stockpile would be sufficient to cover annual imports by China, Nigeria, Iran and the next five biggest buyers in 2013-2014.

“Reserves in Thailand will increase 24 per cent to 15.5 million metric tons in 2013-2014 as global output rises 1.7 per cent to an all-time high of 476.8 million tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. The price of 5per cent broken Thai white rice, an Asian benchmark, will drop 12 percent to $390, about N 62,438.94 a ton by April, a five-year low,” according to the median of eight trader and analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

“Thailand spent $21.6 billion, about N 3,454,012,106,673.96 since October 2011 buying at above-market prices to shore up growers’ incomes, creating a stockpile large enough to meet annual demand from the eight biggest importers and still have grain to spare. The global supply of rice, a staple for half the world, is expanding just as farmers reap record amounts of everything from corn to wheat, driving global food costs to a three-year low.

“Thailand will spend 270 billion baht ($8.6 billion) about N 8,600,000,000.00 buying rice from the harvest that started this month, reversing an earlier plan to cut prices after farmers threatened to protest. The ruling Pheu Thai party won a majority in 2011 elections with support from poorer rural residents who make up 87 per cent of the population. Thai output will gain 4.5 per cent to 21.1 million tons in 2013-2014,” the USDA said.

“I’ve rented more land, expanding farms by more than double, to reap the benefit of good prices from selling paddy to the government. My friends also boosted plantings as we earn more, “said Uthai Thongsaensuk, a 45-year-old farmer in the north-eastern Thai province of Udon Thani.

Darren Cooper, a senior economist at the London-based International Grains Council said  the stockpiles in India, Vietnam, Thailand, the U.S. and Pakistan, the five largest shippers, will expand 6.8 per cent to a record 42.6 million tons in 2013-2014,

 NaijaAgroNet

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