Africa food bank conference underscores regional growth strategies - NaijaAgroNet

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The second Africa Food Bank Conference ended in the city of Accra, Ghana under the auspeces of Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) in partnership with Ghanaian, Food for All Africa (FFAA), underscoring need for regional growth strategies, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Food banks from across Africa gathered in Accra to discuss common opportunities and challenges and to learn from the experience and expertise of peers.

OECD, FAO predict decline growth in world food prices

NaijaAgroNet:

The duo of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) have predicted a decline in growth in the world food prices, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A joint press statement on the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026, informed NaijaAgroNet that the global food commodity prices are projected to remain low over the next decade compared to previous peaks, as demand growth in a number of emerging economies is expected to slow down and biofuel policies have a diminished impact on markets, according to the latest 10-year agricultural outlook published today by the OECD and FAO.

The Outlook also predicted that vegetable oils, sugar and dairy products are expected to be main provider of additional calories over next decade.

Equally, the Agricultural Outlook, NaijaAgroNet gathered indicated that the completed replenishment of cereal stocks by 230 million metric tonnes over the past decade, combined with abundant stocks of most other commodities, should also help limit growth in world prices, which are now almost back to their levels before the 2007-08 food price crisis.

The report foresees per capita demand for food staples remaining flat, except in least developed countries. Additional calories and protein consumption over the outlook period are expected to come mainly from vegetable oil, sugar and dairy products.

“Growth in demand for meat is projected to slow, with no new sources of demand projected to maintain the momentum previously generated by China,” part of the outlook showed.

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Nutrition: SBN Nigeria overtakes Zambia in growth

NaijaAgroNet:

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network Nigeria has overtaken its Zambia counterpart in growth, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The manager, SUN Business Network, Mr. Jonathan Tench, revealed this to NaijaAgroNet at a one-day SUN Business Network convening in Lagos, Tuesday.

According to him, SBN Nigeria at the last count, has 53 members on the network, therefore leading in Africa.

This was the position occupied by Zambia in Africa until Tuesday on membership of Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network.

He also told NaijaAgroNet that the London-based SUN has over 250 companies in Africa that have signed up on its members.

“Nigeria is coming highest in Africa beating Zambia to it, membership of SUN,” he said.

Also speaking, the Team Coordinator for SUN Nigeria, Uduak Igbeka urged Nigerian actors in the nutrition subsector, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to embrace SUN and make their impacts known as far as scaling up nutrition is concerned.

She noted that in less than a year of establishing SBN in Nigeria, it has garnered 53 members on the network.

The event saw two sessions, namely the “Access to Finance for Business in Nutrition” and “Supporting Partnership Sector to Contribute to Nutrition in Nigeria” with professor of Food Science and Technology at Bells University of Technology, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela.

Other dignitaries that graced the event included the Director, Programmes at Civil Society, Scale Up Nutrition Nigeria (CS-SUNN) Mrs Beatrice Eluaka, Regional Director, Ashoka, Josephine Nzerem, Director, Dangote Foundation, Dr. Francis Aminu, Senior Programme Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Victor Adjero, Dr. Ndidi Nwuneli of Sahel Capital & Partners among others.

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Fake drugs, NAFDAC revolution and economic growth

Weekend Commentary@NaijaAgroNet: 

Prior to the creation of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) in 1992, the control and regulation of food, drugs, cosmetics, Chemicals and packaged water was seriously hampered by bureaucratic bottlenecks among other factors. The decision of the Federal Government to create the Agency in 1992 was therefore informed by the desire to ensure a more effective control of foods, drugs and other regulated products.

The late Minister of Health, Prof. Olikoye Ransome Kuti in 1999 while inaugurating the Governing Council of NAFDAC, said “NAFDAC as an agency is being inaugurated today, to give a frontal attack to the health problems arising from foods, chemicals, drugs, medicines and similar regulated products without the inhibition of civil service setting.”

In December 2016, NAFDAC under the leadership of Acting Director-General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni confiscated imported fruits juice worth millions of Naira in Onitsha, Anambra State; when the operatives of NAFDAC raided some markets and super stores in Onitsha. Some of the fruit juices confiscated were labelled Masafi, Euro drinks and Peach.

The Onitsha raid was in line with Federal Government’s ban on imported fruit juices and other products and it really achieved her aim of strengthening local industries and increase activities in the fruit juice manufacturing sector.

It is a fact that local production would reduce the foreign exchange put into importation of goods, so the activities of NADFAC is aimed at developing the local industry in Nigeria. Hence, on Tuesday, 24th of January, 2017 the agency destroyed substandard pharmaceutical products in Igwurita, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The destroyed products, stored in 21 containers were seized by the Nigerian Customs Services and NAFDAC and it is valued at N9.6 billion.

You can imagine if those fake pharmaceutical products such as Tramadol capsules of 100mg, Diclofena Sodium Capsule 50mg and Diahhea Stop 2mg, Oxyetracycline Hcl 50mg, Sildenafil tab mg, Diclotemac 40mg, Caffeine 30mg and conditioning preparation all imported from India and Nordana, USA  have gone into the market, millions of Nigerians would have died consuming them.

The N9.6Billion would have gone a long way to establish manufacturing companies and employ millions of Nigeria in the production of such genuine drugs. So, Oni, deserves accolades for the role she played during the reported case of “Plastic Rice” impounded by Nigerian Customs. She took quick action by putting the rice under laboratory test and discovered that the rice was not plastic as speculated but contaminated with microorganisms above permissible limit, hence the rice consignment is unsatisfactory and therefore unwholesome for human consumption.

Also, under the leadership of Mrs. Yetunde Oni, NAFDAC secured eight drug offenders in 12 months. And it is already in public domain that there are 52 cases in Court while eight convictions have been secured between February 2014 till date.

Among those convicted are Okwara Emmanuel who was sentenced to three years imprisonment for manufacturing and sales of fake Rambo insecticide and Dettol Antiseptic; Osita Paul Ely was sentenced to five years for importation of fake Maloxine tablets; Sylvanus Ifeanyi Nwanoro was sentenced to five years imprisonment for manufacturing and sales of fake Cof-N-Cold with Codeine syrup; Clara Onah was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for manufacturing and sales of fake Metronidazole and Juliana Madu was sentenced with an option of fine of N5,000.

I am happy with the directive of the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole that NAFDAC should register all Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, exhibitors at the ongoing 1st Nigeria Food Safety and Investment Forum within two weeks.

The directive given at the forum organised by the UN Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, in Lagos will boost local production and create massive employment to teeming Nigerian youths.

The onus is on the Federal Ministry of Justice to take steps in ensuring the speedy prosecution of other offenders while I call on the Federal Government to provide for more funds so as to get more vehicles, equipment for laboratories e.t.c.

At the same time, security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police should also provide water-tight security for the enforcement officials of NAFDAC as we have another hard working and dedicated Acting Director General overseen the activities of the Agency.

Also, Nigerians; who are the end users of fake drugs should assist NAFDAC by reporting notice of fake products so as for the agency to take necessary actions. There is a free text message number; 29543 available at no cost on the mobile networks for Nigerians to take advantage of.

We must help NAFDAC to carry out her task which include improving access to quality medicines; preventing the influx of substandard products by anti-counterfeiting measures and system strengthening to sustain local manufacturing; use of information technology in the regulation of food, chemicals and other consumables amongst others.

*Contributed by Kenny Adewole, an Abuja-based Journalist. He could be reached via kennyadewole@gmail.com    

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ICT helps to monitor crop growth – FAO

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director General José Graziano da Silva has said at a meeting of agriculture ministers of the G20 in China that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) helps in monitor of crop growth, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He also said that this would promoting sustainable agriculture requires a renewed focus on innovation and investment in research, technology and capacity development,

"ICT helps in the monitoring of crop growth, utilization of new techniques, field management and harvests,” the FAO Director-General said, stressing that it has also become an essential tool for improving people’s livelihoods and welfare while advancing social justice and ensure equal access to opportunities, particularly in rural areas.

Telecommunication tools, he told NaijaAgroNet, have the potential to provide Internet access for millions of people and connect farmers with digital agriculture. This includes the use of mobile phones to report animal disease outbreaks, which is one area FAO has been supporting in recent years.

Among the innovative ways FAO is using ICT, Graziano da Silva highlighted a new partnership with Google, whose satellite data and processing power will usher in an unprecedented level of environmental literacy, especially on forestry and fisheries, he said.

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World Farmers lights up Zambia with ‘Partnership for growth’

NaijaAgroNet:

The sixth session of the World Farmers Organisation (WFO) General Assembly 2016 commenced in the city of Livingstone, Zambia on Wednesday will last till Saturday, with main theme on ‘Partnership for Growth’ reports NaijaAgroNet.

The theme, NaijaAgroNet also reports was in view to promote the importance of a farmer-centric approach of the sector-lead to the work programme of WFO.

The Secretary General of WFO, Marco Marzano de Marinis, opened the event at the AVANI Victoria Falls Resort, Livingstone, Zambia, bringing together WFO members and non member farmers’ organizations from about 60 countries worldwide, ministers, key government representatives as well as UN officials, academia and research institutions.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that WFO General Assembly built momentum on the status of arts of the organization as well as to set goals and achievements and also to focus on innovative solutions for the upcoming years.

Marinis also noted that last year represented a crucial year for the international community works towards the achievement of a global sustainability, pointing out that the WFO has been very much involved in the overall negotiation process for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including representing the voice of farmers in the six interactive dialogues organised in 2015, in consultation with the United Nations Member States.

WFO further commended the farmers’ advocacy work, stressing that an entire goal number 2 is dedicated to food security and agriculture.

NaijaAgroNet reports that in recognition of the central role played by the WFO during the negotiations for the SDGs and Agenda 2030, as well as, its active participation in ECOSOC work, the WFO was invited to address the plenary session of the 2015 United Nations General Assembly in New York, on 26th September 2015.

At COP21, WFO, as leader of the farmers’ constituency, attended with a huge delegation and was actively engaged in a series of activities to raise awareness of the critical role agriculture plays in climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.

For WFO President, Evelyn Nguleka said that the 2016 General Assembly of the WFO held under the overarching theme of Partnership for Growth, with a view to promote the importance of a holistic approach to the agricultural sector, where different actors stand together for the same goal implementing sustainable food systems; ensure that farmers of the world gain an effective position in the food chain; look after the environment; implement together the Sustainable Development Goals and the Agenda 2030.

“Establishing effective partnership is and remains a great priority of the WFO” she said.

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FG dismantles bottlenecks to seed industry growth

NaijaAgroNet

The Federal Government of Nigeria has assured that it will dismantle all bottlenecks which stand in the way of growth of the seed industry in Nigeria, NaijaAgroNet reports.

This disclosure was made recently by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Sonny Echono, at the launch of the Nigerian Chapter of the Alliance for Seed Industry in West Africa (ASIWA) in Abuja.

Echono, NaijaAgroNet gathered, said that efforts must be made to identify relevant issues and remove all bottlenecks to the smooth growth of the seed sector in order to make quality seeds available to farmers.

He disclosed that the Federal Government was planning to train 100 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to ensure production and marketing of good quality seeds by various seed producers.

The permanent secretary said that the Federal Government had also sanctioned by de-listing some seed companies, who supplied adulterated and poor quality seeds to farmers, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

 “To achieve the laudable objectives particularly in the seed sector, it is imperative that the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) as the government agency responsible for seed industry development must be fully supported to perform. NASC must come out with specific recommendations, to create a sound level, sustainable dissemination and strategies for improved crops to resource poor farmers in the country,” Echono stated.

For the country to achieve the objectives of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda launched in 2011, he said, it was necessary to provide the right policy to protect seed production, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

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Green economy solution for Africa’s development

 NaijaAgroNet

A green economy offers considerable opportunities for mobilizing resources towards an economic growth pathway that is low-emission in terms of carbon-dioxide and greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere during economic production activities, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

According to research, NaijaAgroNet gathered, green economy also builds a culture of resource efficiency in economic activities and of sustainable consumption among the population as well as climate-resilient housing, infrastructure and other economic installations, while at the same time adapting to different approaches to promote, among others, resilient agricultural production, diversification into off-farm livelihoods and other diversification innovations for the local and export markets.

 Mr.Achim Steiner, an expert in environmental issues and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, NaijaAgroNet learnt, once said that inclusive green economy has the potential to improve human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.

African countries, NaijaAgroNet also gathered, are at a critical stage in their developmental life coupled with challenges of poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation which include deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, and loss of biodiversity.

However, the combination of tackling poverty, accelerating growth and development, and addressing climate change, is likely to involve trade-offs and policy choices between mutually supportive, but equally important priorities toward the improvement of welfare and quality of life for Africa's citizens.

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Dubai hosts World Food Security Summit

Expecting was high at the commencement of the World Food Security Summit in Dubaia with hundreds of international experts and government in attendance, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking on the summit, the Minister of Water and Environment Development, who will be speaking at the summit. Dr Rashid bin Fahad, confirmed to NaijaAgroNet that

 the region is entering a new period of economic growth, underpinned by a burgeoning population with a high dependence on imported food.

“Food security is an immediate priority,” Fahad said, stressing that execution of a core food security strategy is essential to provide a sustainable growth platform.

“More and more consistently over the last six to seven years, the GCC states are trying to develop a strategic intervention on food security,” said Zahra Babar, the associate director for research at the Centre for International and Regional Studies at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

“Globally, when institutions talk about food security, largely, they’re identifying countries where access to food is something that is difficult. The most insecure part of the world tends to be in sub-Saharan Africa so, traditionally, you don’t think of Gulf states as insecure as they have some of the highest GDPs in the world and they can easily meet their food needs.”

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