Austria reiterates support for African farmers

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

Austrian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Reinhold Lopatka has reiterated the support of the Austrian Development Cooperation’s (ADC) to fight against hunger in Africa.

Lopatka, in a public statement made available to NaijaAgroNet  pointed out that ADC supports African farmers to improve food security and provided Semien Gondar in north Ethiopia is worth more than 14 million euros about N3, 062,599,677.83 aimed at improving the living conditions of more than 500,000 small farmers in the area.

He explained that food shortages in the region have been caused by population growth, depleted soils, and overgrazed areas, while ADC came to assist in teaching farmers to adapt cultivation methods including the use of more resistant crop varieties and improved animal husbandry.

Through improved storage methods, he said farmers can also more easily store surplus crops through which later crop failures or droughts can be more easily overcome, and the additional income allows them to better finance the schooling of their children.

NaijaAgroNet noted from the release that despite the positive news, that one in eight people worldwide has too little available food, and while the number of hungry had decreased in most regions, it had increased in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and West Asia.

“Through sustainable resource management, Austria is trying to combat this development as effectively as possible,” he said.

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Presidential aide tasks youths to embrace agriculture

 

Anthony Nwakaegho /NaijaAgroNet

 The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr Precious Gbeneol has called on youths to take advantage of the various policies of the government especially in agriculture and embrace it as a means of viable employment.

Dr Gbeneol gave the charge on the occasion of World Poverty Day, and said that the most sustainable way to eradicate poverty is to engage more people to work and called on the private sector to come up with more creative ways of creating employment as a means of alleviating poverty.

NaijaAgroNet noted from presidential adviser to MDGs that the country has made meaningful progress in trying to eradicate extreme poverty since it adopted the MDGs in 2000 alongside other countries.

She explained that the country has partially accomplished goal one by reducing the proportion of people suffering from extreme poverty and hunger by 50 per cent ahead of the target date of 2015 and stressed that the country was honoured earlier in the year for the feat at the week-long 38th session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)  event in Rome.

The Ministry of Agriculture, she said had been able to train 5,000 youths in 10 different value chains, provided start-up packages for 6,000 youths, as well as access to credit and other inputs through the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES); trained 2,500 women in poultry, bull fattening, sheep and goat production, bee keeping, crop value chains and extension, among others in the past three years.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that FAO gave the award to Nigeria for being able to reduce the number of its citizens suffering from hunger from 19.31 million in 1990 and 1992 to 13.38 million in 2010 and 2012.

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Pix:President Goodluck Jonathan

Training: US, India promote food security in Africa

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The India-U.S.-Africa Triangular Training Program has marked the completion of the first training program on agricultural marketing management for 30 visiting African agriculture professionals to improve agricultural productivity, NaijaAgroNet reports.

 U.S. Ambassador to India, Nancy J. Powell, who presided over a graduation ceremony at the Chaudhury Charan Singh National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM), said that the programme is under the strategic partnership between the Governments of India and the United States to strengthen agricultural value chains, and support market institutions in Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi.

 “The successful completion of this training program is a concrete example of the growing relationship between India and Africa and the emerging peer-to-peer relationship between India and the United States in addressing global food insecurity. Under the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, our governments have agreed to work together to develop, test, and replicate technologies to extend food security in India that can also benefit Africa. The India-U.S.-Africa Triangular Training program is a key step toward that goal,” Powell said.

NaijaAgroNet recorded that a total of 180 African agricultural professionals from Kenya, Liberia, and Malawi will be trained over the next two years at NIAM in Jaipur and at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) in Hyderabad, India.

Ambassador Powell was joined by High Commissioner of Kenya to India Florence Imisa Weche, High Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi to India Dr. Perks Ligoya, and Director General of NIAM Dr. R.P. Meena at the ceremony.

*^{With additional report from Odisha Diary Bureau}                       

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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,

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Plateau agribusiness faces overhaul

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The Plateau State agribusiness may face an overhaul due to the visit embarked by the state government officials on study tour of Songhai Farm Centre in Port Novo, Benin Republic through Hadur Travel and Tours.

The Commissioner for Science And Technology, Comfort Piwuna made this disclosure after the study tour to Port Novo and stressed that plans are on for Plateau state to train people on how to use their wastes to generate fuel to obtain fire for cooking and other purposes.

“There are many progressive things to learn. They practise zero emission in waste management and it is very environmentally friendly. Africa is currently suffering from the lack of knowledge in the handling of wastes and it is a big nuisance for us. Maximum usage of agricultural wastes is a big lesson to learn. We are here with local government chairmen and the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs because we want the local governments to understand how to provide massive employments for youths through agribusiness.

“The trained youths can embrace one aspect of agriculture or the other such as snail or mushroom production. This would further improve the economic profile of the state. The good thing is that in Plateau we have very clement weather, so we believe the quality of our mushrooms for example will be better. The governor is already encouraging the youths and people of Plateau in general to embrace agriculture. He has brought an Israeli firm and they are working to transform the agricultural landscape and make it very attractive for investors,” she said.

NaijaAgroNet recorded that what the Israelis are providing is very good but it is for large scale investors and it is very high tech, whereas what is available in Songhai is such that an ordinary farmer with little capital can practise it.

“The plan is that local government chairmen can get youths to receive training using the Songhai model. The trained youths can then be given start up capital. For instance, a person who chooses grass-cutter production can be given enough capital to buy three males and 12 females to start. The local government can then put machinery in place for supervision in collaboration with the ministry of science and technology to ensure it works,” she added.

Songhai is an integrated farm which was set up by a Nigerian reverend father in Benin Republic, Godfery Nzamujo to deploy farming techniques that are suitable for the African business environment as way of getting Africans to create wealth through agriculture using what they have.

Reflecting on the tour, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Paul S. Wai, said that “the techniques at the Songhai Farm are so simple yet effective. It is so down to earth that the local farmer can easily key into it and there is no waste. Even the leaves that fall from the tree is not wasted, the rains that fall from the roof is not wasted, the wastes from the kitchen, toilet are not wasted.”

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pix:Gov. David Jang of plateau state

GHI calls for efforts to boost food, nutrition security

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 The 2013 Global Hunger Index (GHI), released for the eighth year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide, calls for greater resilience-building efforts to boost food and nutrition security.

NaijaAgroNet noted from the 2013 Index  that global hunger is decreasing as the 2013 world GHI score has fallen by 34 percent from the 1990 GHI score, yet world hunger still remains “serious,” with 19 countries suffering from levels of hunger that are either “alarming” or “extremely alarming.”

The Index identifies hunger levels and hotspots across 120 developing countries with South Asia having the highest regional GHI score, followed by Africa south of the Sahara, Burundi, Eritrea and Comoros have the highest levels of hunger while countries where situation is already “alarming” or “extremely alarming” are vulnerable to the negative effects of extreme weather events, climate change, population pressure, conflicts and economic crises.

 Welthungerhilfe’s Chairlady,  Bärbel Dieckmann said “2.6 billion people have to live on less than two dollars a day. For them a sick family member, a single drought or the job loss of someone working abroad is a major crisis. As a consequence, a child can no longer afford to go to school, the family diet is reduced to often one meal a day or livestock needs to be sold. These people have simply no coping mechanisms left to react to a crisis.” 

The IFPRI research fellow Derek Headey said that adopting a resilience lens is challenging because there was need to build consensus on what it means and on that basis adopt programs and policies that bridge the relief and development sectors.

Concern Worldwide ‘s Chief Executive Officer Dominic MacSorley explained “We must focus on those living in extreme poverty, learn the lessons of the past and be clear what measures are needed to enable the very poorest to become more resilient in the longer term. Concern’s work in Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger and Chad is demonstrating how a resilience approach can deliver significant and sustainable change at community level. Turning this evidence into policy change is the next important step.”

NaijaAgroNet recorded from the report that developing high-frequency surveillance systems for the most vulnerable regions, focusing on community as well as individual and household resilience should be incorporated into national and regional development strategies as something distinct from conventional growth, poverty, or development objectives as pursuing this will improve food and nutrition security for the world’s most vulnerable.

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Ezekwesili lauds development in agric sector

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Former Vice-President of the World Bank, Dr Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili,   has commended the Federal Government’s strides in the development of the agricultural sector in the country, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Ezekwesili made this commendation while speaking the press in Lagos, stressing that the focus on agricultur

e has empowered the farmers and also redirected the attention of over 60 per cent of the population into agriculture and other allied businesses.

NaijaAgroNet learnt from her that government initiative towards agriculture and agribusiness is very good as such was enhancing productivity in the sector and helping to tackle poverty.

``So, you go to that informal sector of agriculture, you provide them with the kind of tools and the kinds of facilities, the extension services, the links to the market, the seeds and inputs, the access to credit. With the better business environment, all of these add together to improve their productivity, and   therefore, will improve their income. Because when you enhance the income of the farmers, what it means is that they have more money that they can spend even in offering education to their children. So that circle of activities is so important for taking the entire society out of poverty. You don’t lift people out of poverty; you give people what they need in order to lift themselves out of poverty,” she said

*with additional report from NAN

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pix: Dr Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili,

IABC targets N31.9 tn investment by 2020

   Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

Indian and African investments are targeting the sum of $200 billion, about N31,930 billion from bilateral trade by 2020, to consolidate on the relationship and also work out a plan for currency stabilisation.

These decisions were taken during the recent visit of Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Anand Sharma to Johannesburg to attend the third India-Africa Trade Ministers and India-Africa Business Council (IABC) meeting in which plans to chart out a course of action for food security for its population, trade and economic cooperation in various sectors including infrastructure and energy were made.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that Sharma also took up with the African Trade Ministers the issue of food security and the urgent need to protect the livelihood of both urban and rural poor in the developing and least developed countries.

He explained that India-Africa trade has crossed $70 billion about N11,184,588,132,348.95 in 2012 and is expected to reach $100 billion about N15, 977,988,713,653.12 by 2015 and called for fast tracking the process on the proposed free trade pact with the 19-nation Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

“We are aiming at $200 billion about N 31,930,009,419,352.78 bilateral trade with the African nations by 2020 and strongly feel that this can be achieved without any difficulty,” Sharma said.

NaijaAgroNet  also got the hint that the WTO Bali round of negotiations, scheduled for December, formed part of the discussion, with India making it clear that it would not compromise on the livelihood of poor and marginalised sections covered under the Food Security Programme, even as members expect a successful outcome to ensure the continued credibility of WTO as an institution.

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FCTA boosts farmers with N500m agric loans

The Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Mrs Olajumoke Akinjide said that the administration  has disbursed over N500 million to farmers under the agriculture loan scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as part of measures to boost agriculture development and food supply in the territory.

Akinjide made this known to NaijaAgroNet during a visit by the management team of Bank of Agriculture (BOA) led by the Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Santuraki, to her office in Abuja and stressed that Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has entered into a public private partnership (PPP) agreement with an Israeli Firm, SEC Equipment, to build an Agriculture Services and Training Centre in Abuja.

She informed the BOA boss, that in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, the FCTA is committed to the development of viable agricultural entrepreneurship through provision of free technical expertise and farm subsidies and to also make the sector attractive to youths and women.

NaijaAgroNet noted that FCTA would partner with the Bank of Agriculture to grow the agriculture sector and ensured that the Agriculture Services and Training Centre, when completed and operational, would become a one-stop agriculture centre in Nigeria.

Santuraki, explained that the visit by the management team was to strengthen the partnership between the bank and the FCT Administration in the areas of agricultural financing for the benefit of farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs in the capital territory.

“We have noted the giant strides that the Administration is taking to build a virile economy in FCT using agriculture as the foundation. Your effort is most appropriate at this time in the history of Nigeria when agriculture is occupying an important place in the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda,” Santuraki said.

He explained that BOA had granted agriculture loans of over N50 billion to support the agribusiness in the last 10 years, created 6,000 enterprises, six million direct and indirect jobs and added that the bank  is in a better position to manage funds earmarked by FCTA for agricultural development and poverty alleviation in the FCT.

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Livestock union tasks Rivers govt on modern abattoir

The Chairman of Trans Amadi Goat Butchers Union, Trans Amadi abattoir, Rivers State, Chief Agudichi Orji has called on the Rivers State Government to redeem its promise of building a modern abattoir for livestock butchers and traders at the Trans Amadi slaughter market, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Orji said that the butchers are desirous of such a modern abattoir that would boost the activities at the market, being one of the viable abattoirs in the state.

The chairman of Trans Amadi Goat Butchers Union applauded the administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi for providing water within the abattoir which has strengthened the butchers in ensuring the cleanliness of the area.

He commended  the activities of the veterinary officers who ensures  that quality live stocks were sold in the market, and added that anybody  caught doing the contrary in the market would be suspended or made to pay fine.

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*Gov. Amechi