Family Planning: LASG tasks media on accurate information

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olajide Idris, has charged Nigerian media to ensure propagation of accurate information on Family Planning (FP), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Dr. Idris in his address to a three-day workshop on Advance Family Planning (AFP) Smart Media Advocacy by the Pathfinder International in Lagos, commended the orgnisers and enjoined all hands to be on the deck.

The Commissioner represented by the Director, Family Health Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Shade Oludara, said, “Media needs to spread the correct information at all times, and not confuse the people the more.”

Oludara who led a delegation comprising the Coordinator Family Planning, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Okaga Sidiat, stressed that Lagos would soon enter into some community health campaigns which media could help in propagating.

Equally, the Commissioner highlighted some traditions and misconceptions militating against adequate Family Planning uptake, especially on Modern Contraceptive Prevalent Rate (MCPR) in the state.

In some instance, he said, “Some people told our FP team in one of their sensitization programs that family planning is bad and as a woman, you need to bring out all the eggs God has given you by birthing, else it would turn to cancer.”

Equally speaking, Dr. Okaga, who doubles as Coordinaator, Reproductive Health in the state, urged media practitioners to always approach her office for confirmations and clarifications where necessary.

This, she said would forestall any misinformation, hence Pathfinder is trying to close this gap with this workshop.

She further outlined some key words media practitioners in family planning should take note of to include, Contraceptive Prevalent Rate (CPR), FP - family planning; and RH - Reproductive health to name a few.

According to her, when family planning is properly done, mortality rate will reduce drastically to over 30 per cent and meeting the target of 74 per cent CPR uptake by end of 2020.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Associate Director at Pathfinder International office in Nigeria, Dr. Habeeb Salami, said that the workshop objective is to change the narrative on family planning in the country for good.

Dr. Oludare later inaugurated the Lagos State Family Planning Media Working Group, led by Mrs. Chioma Umeha.

Remmy Nweke & Isaac Oyimah/ED, Ops

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Italy, FAO to boost food production with 10,000 scientists

NaijaAgroNet:

Three Italian main research institutions are partnering the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help developing countries build stronger agricultural sectors through better research and information, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The institutions, National Research Council (CNR), Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CRA) and National Agency for new technologies, renewable energy and sustainable economic development (ENEA), NaijaAgroNet gathered, would employ over 10,000 scientists in more than 100 research institutes across Italy to tackle global food and agricultural sector challenges, including climate change, degradation of natural resources, and plant and animal pests and diseases - as well as changes in dietary patterns that affect food systems.

Confirming the collaboration, Italian Ambassador to FAO Pierfrancesco Sacco said the agreement marks a turning point in Italy-FAO relations. "In particular, the partnership will help address the growing challenge of bringing sustainability into the food and agricultural systems of developing countries; also in view of future implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals," he said.

As part of Italian’s Ministry of Agriculture, CRA's 1,700 researchers and staff performing advanced research on agriculture, food, fishery, forestry and economics, toppled with more than 100 research institutes and 8,000 CNR’s research staff on areas of research and technological development in Agriculture and Food Sciences, Bio-Medicine, Engineering, Environmental and Social Sciences achieving the set goal is reassured.

FAO Deputy-Director General and Natural Resources Coordinator, Maria Helena Semedo, during the signing event, stated that research plays a crucial role in agricultural and rural development and can unleash tremendous agricultural potential in the developing world.

"Being able to harness the wide ranging expertise of three of Italy's top research bodies will not only help countries better manage their natural resources and food systems but also support FAO's larger mission of eradicating hunger and malnutrition worldwide," she said

NaijaAgroNet learnt that ENEA operates in the fields of energy, environment and new technologies and also employs over 2,600 staff across its 11 research centers.

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Geothermal energy saves cost for sustainable food production

NaijaAgroNet

Geothermal energy which is the heat energy radiating from the earth’s core  has been  discovered to provide  unique opportunities for cost efficient, sustainable food production and processing in developing countries,  according to  information released by FAO and made available to NaijaAgroNet .

According to Carlos da Silva, Senior Agribusiness Economist in FAO, “It’s an energy source that’s renewable, clean and low-cost once you’ve made the initial investment to harness it.”

Da Silva who works in FAO’s Rural Infrastructure and Agribusiness Division said that  “By using a clean energy source, you’re not only addressing cost but also the environmental impacts of food production and processing,” NaijaAgroNet reports.

Agriculture both consumes energy and emits greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Research suggests that using geothermal heating for greenhouses decreases fungus infections and cuts fuel costs by up to 80 per cent, providing significant savings to operating budgets.

In some developing economies, as much as half of all food produced is lost post-harvest – that's due in part to a lack of affordable energy for food processing, according to “Uses of Geothermal Energy in Food and Agriculture.”

“Geothermal energy for agriculture can be done even at small-scales and can significantly contribute to income generation, providing employment and improving food and nutrition security in developing countries,” adds Divine Njie, AGS Deputy Director and co-editor of the report.

Worldwide, 38 countries currently use geothermal energy for direct application in agricultural production and some 24 countries harness it to generate electricity, with Iceland, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kenya, New Zealand and the Philippines deriving more than 10 per cent of their electricity needs from natural heat sources.

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Kenya launches first African soil atlas

                 

                   

NaijaAgroNet

The first Atlas of Africa that collects vital information on African soils has been launched in Nakuru, Kenya.

The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture Sicily Kariuki  said at the Soil Science Society of East Africa and the African Soil Science Society conference in Nakuru that the soil atlas is to raise awareness on the significance of soil as a natural resource to farmers, politicians, agricultural stakeholders and the importance of the resource and how it affects livelihoods.

“Healthy and fertile soils are the cornerstones of food security, key environmental services, social cohesion and the economies of most African countries. Unfortunately, soil in Africa tends to reach public awareness only when it fails to feed the people living from it,” states the atlas.

According to the atlas, Africa is the only continent in the world where the annual per capita food production is lower than its estimated population growth because of land degradation and soil fertility decline over time.

The atlas further explains the origin and functions of soil, describing the different types of soil, their relevance to both local and global issues linked to soil with diagrams, illustration tables and maps and this has helped readers understand the information and research work, the principal threats to soil and the steps being taken to protect soil resources.

The soil atlas is said to form the basis for a Pan-African assessment on the state of soil resources and compiles the contributions of dozens of soil experts from Africa and Europe with useful information for policy makers and researchers.

NaijaAgroNet noted that the atlas will help to create strategies and structures for better land and water management practices which will lead to increased food production that will ensure food security and environmental protection.

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Marketing agricultural products pose challenges-Minister

      Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The absence of market information systems, poor farm level storage, poor rural roads and lack of warehouses still pose as challenges to the marketing of agricultural products.

This assertion was made by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,MrAdewunmiAdesina during the recent  concluded conference of the Guild of Editors in Nigeria in Asaba, Delta State,  where he said that regardless whether it is crops, livestock or fisheries, the marketing of agricultural products pose challenges, as post harvest losses can be  high as 45 per cent for some agricultural commodities, especially perishables such as onions, tomatoes, fruits and horticulture product.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has completed a total of 10 new silos for strategic food reserves within one year and had expanded the silos capacity from 260,000 MT in 2011 to 1.3 million metric tons by 2012 which is a 400 per cent increase.

The Minister said that the silos are being provided under concessions to the private sector, for the establishment of world-class agricultural commodity exchanges.

Adesina said that one of the largest manufacturers of warehouses in the world, Blumberg Grains, has signed an agreement with the Ministry to invest $250 million in Nigeria as a regional hub for the manufacture and supply of modern warehouses to West African countries. 

He explained that infrastructure is which is also critical for Nigeria to become an agriculturally industrialized nation is being tackled through the establishment of Staple Crop Processing Zones, which are agro- industrial clusters, where food-manufacturing plants will be located by the private sector.

“These zones will be provided with integrated infrastructure support including power, water and roads to lower the costs of doing business. From these agro-industrial zones, processed foods, fish and livestock products will move into our urban areas. Finally, our farmers will be fully connected to markets.

“To complete the connection of our farmers to markets, we are establishing marketing corporations to coordinate all the agricultural commodity value chains in the country. They will perform market coordination functions like the former marketing boards, except that they will now be run efficiently by the private sector,” he said. 

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Pix: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Dev, MrAdewunmiAdesina