UK supports agricultural statistics with N3.9bn

The Food and Agriculture Organisatoion (FAO) of the United Nations has signed an agreement with the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom to improve agricultural statistics.

According to the agreement, as revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement made available by the UN agency, the Department for International Development is to support an innovative new global partnership with the sum of $25million, about N3.938 billion.

The innovative new global partnership is to ensure the improvement of agricultural statistics available to governments and farmers around the world.

The UK's contribution is to cover the programme's first phrase between 2012 and 2016. NaijaAgroNet also gathered that the contribution will support mainly African and Asian countries.

Commenting on the agreement, FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva said "Empowering farmers can change their lives. By improving statistics, this programme will contribute to this goal."

"The UK Government's generous support will help deliver enormous benefits to governments around the world and the people they serve," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.

The first phase of the programmes is to improve how governments organize and manage their statistical systems and on technical assistance and staff training in national statistics offices and ministries of agriculture. 

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the DFID's contribution will also support research to identify innovative approaches for cost-efficient data collection, analysis and dissemination. This includes digital and georeferencing technology and devices, such as smartphones, GPS and satellites.

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East African govts fight drought with new strategies

Governments of the Horn of Africa under the aegis of Inter-Governmental Authority of Development (IGAD) are working towards fighting drought and famine through the application of early warning mechanisms, reports CoastWeek.

Leaders of the seven countries that make up IGAD recently met in Kenya, which resulted in creation of new strategies to enable the region battle drought and famine.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that participants asserted that most of the requests for support made by IGAD from donors are usually meant to address drought emergency cases.

Participants also agreed the new plan should be based on addressing resilience and should be backed by a very strong drought early warning mechanisms that is well linked to institutions that coordinate response.

Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Executive Secretary affirmed the need to undertake and sustain long term programs aimed at vulnerability reduction and resilience building, following the changing cycle of drought where it was now occurring every two years. 

Highlighting the need for infrastructural investments in dry land areas to facilitate creation of wealth, Mahboub Maalim said “The region requires long term investments that will form the bedrock of this resilience. Short term projects should well link to the overall long term objectives." Readmore

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African governments should come together for water resources management - Minister

Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, Nigeria's Minister for Water Resources affirmed the need for African governments to combine their efforts and resources in order to face challenges in the water resources management, AfricaSTI reports.

In her words, the continent will not be able to overcome the challenges if resources and efforts are not pull together.

This NaijaAgroNet gathered was said at the launch of the 4th edition of the United Nations Water Development report held recently at World Water Forum in Marseille, France.

“In most parts of Africa, the main problem is not lack or inadequacy of water resources but the capacity and capability to exploit and manage it," she asserted.

The Nigerian Minister also highlighted the need for the Africa Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), which is the highest political body in the continent to ensure a coordinated approach to managing and allocating water across competing sectors to meet multiple goals and ensure balanced progress in all the sectors. 

"We are also mindful of the fact that strong institutions, political will and stakeholder involvement are necessary to achieve the set objectives," she said. Read more

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No single govt can fight hunger - FAO boss

The 32nd meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO’s) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean ended in Buenos Aires, with the Director-General of FAO, Mr. Graziano da Silva asserting that no single government can fight hunger alone.

The fight against hunger, FAO boss noted, should not be the commitment of a single government but a decision of the entire society.

He also said the initiative against food insecurity is for every country and urged governments to embrace the initiative alongside parliaments, civil society, private and academic sectors.

As revealed to NaijaAgroNet in press statement made available by FAO, some of the issues top on the agenda during the meeting included the challenges of food and agriculture, defined priorities for FAO's regional work for the next two years.

Equally, FAO said, food security, climate change adaptation, smallholder agriculture and food safety were deliberated upon.

"The challenges the world faces today are increasingly interconnected. You cannot talk about food security without talking about climate change, or about development without talking about sustainability or social inclusion; not to mention food prices. Nor can we think that we can respond to the challenges we are facing as individuals", said Graziano da Silva. 

NaijaAgroNet recalled that the conference witnessed renewal of commitments by governments for Latin America and the Caribbean without Hunger in 2025.

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Feed-the-Future, others to help goat producers

Feed the Future, an initiative of the United State government to fight global hunger with the partnership of scientific organisations in order to help U.S. and African goat producers enhance breeding and productivity, reports USDA. 

The goat project is being funded by USAID’s Norman Borlaug Commemorative Research Initiative, African research partners and others.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that goat DNA and performance measures will be collected from more than 20 distinct goat populations from Africa, the United States, the Middle East and some portion of Asia and Brazil.

Researchers, NaijaAgroNet further learnt will identify unique genes in each population and develop genetic preservation plans.

Also, researchers will consider how breeds differ in performance traits like milk yield and parasite resistance. 

According to the report, the project will associate those differences with the DNA, enabling farmers to more quickly breed healthier, more productive goats than with observing performance traits alone. Read more

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Incorporate science in fight to boost food security - Expert

Following a recent study that revealed a yearly loss of about 1.3 billion tonnes of food, an expert has called for the incorporation of science in order to boost food security, reports Trust.

Carlos Nobre, national secretary of Research and Development Policies and Programmes in Brazil's ministry of Science and Technology made the call as the global population is expected to reach nine billion by 2050.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that he affirmed science as having a fundamental role to play, hence agriculture must become more resilient and the development of scientific knowledge must bolster sustainability and food security.

Nobre who is also a member of the Independent Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, comprising prominent scientists from 13 countries also made known that one-third of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Read more

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