Agricultural loan scheme for Kwara youths

Sen. Bukola Saraki

Serving senator of the Federal Republic and former governor of Kwara State, Sen. Bukola Saraki has expressed resolve to introduce a revolving loan scheme for Kwara youths, reports DailyTrust.

Sen. Saraki said that the loan for youths in the state is to enable them embark on agriculture.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that the former Governor said that taking up agriculture production as a way of guaranteeing food security in the state and country at large, would assist in eradication of unemployment among the youths.

“If all the youths  coming  out of  Nigerian  institutions  of higher learning are properly incorporated into agricultural production within a short period of time,  the country  will  stop  importing certain items  and in turn start  exporting,” he said. 

He also said, there is need for proper implementation of agriculture as it has more capacity to increase the nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) than oil and other mineral resources.

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Incorporate natural resource to sustain food security - Experts

Experts have said that incorporation of natural resources in farming practices will provide sustainable solution to food insecurity in Africa, CoastWeek reports.

Natural resources incorporation in farming, NaijaAgroNet gathered that will help in the face of climate change, decline in soil fertility and shrinking size of arable land.

Addressing the Beating Famine conference, the regional Leader of World Vision East Africa, Mr. Charles Owubah reportedly said that restoring ecosystems will boost the resilience of food production systems in Africa.

The conference was organized by the Nairobi-based World Agro Forestry Center (ICRAF) and International Christian Charity, World Vision.

“Fighting hunger should go alongside reversing environmental degradation that has worsened this challenge in the region,” Owubah said. 

He urged countries to embrace ever green agriculture to boost crop and the resilience of small holders to climate change impacts such as droughts and floods.

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12 countries partner EU, FAO on managing obsolete pesticide

European Union

Twelve countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia are to work with the European Union (EU) and UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in order to handle their stocks of obsolete pesticides.

NaijaAgroNet authoritatively gathered that about 200,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides could be found in 12 Soviet Union republics and are kept in tens of thousands of unprotected sites.

EU and FAO are making provisions for the sum of 7 million Euro, about N1.44 billion for the next four years to assist Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The funds will be used in managing obsolete pesticides and to also reduce the risks of current stocks.

A press release made available to NaijaAgroNet indicated that the obsolete pesticides pose a serious threat to the health of the people around them and to the environment.

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

The joint effort will also see to the building of capacity to reduce risks from pesticides used in agriculture and avoid build-up of additional stockpiles in future.

FAO Director-General, Graziano da Silva said that pesticides may be an important input for farming but need to be used responsibly while protecting human health and the environment from their adverse effects.

"In our quest for sustainability and to meet the challenge of feeding a growing population while preserving our environment, we also need to take a good look at the different options we have to protect crops and improve productivity. This includes using natural means to protect and improve crop yields through sustainable crop intensification, or 'save and grow' techniques as we call it at FAO," FAO boss added.

EU Ambassador, Laurence Argimon-Pistre affirmed EU's established policy dialogue and cooperation on environment related issues with its eastern neighbours and Central Asian partners. 

"In its new Neighbourhood Policy, the EU will continue to pursue a higher level of environment protection with its eastern partners and be committed to combat environmental degradation," she added. "This includes obsolete pesticides and other hazardous chemicals, whose environmental and health risks are not only at stake for the region but also for the EU".

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John Kufuor is special envoy for tropical disease

Mr. John A. Kufuor

Former Ghananian President, Mr. John A. Kufuor, has been honoured by the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) as the organization’s new special envoy, reports MarketWatch.

NaijaAgroNet gathered this was to honour the former president for his political and humanitarian achievements in Africa and beyond.

Dr. Neeraj Mistry, Managing Director of the Global Network expressed the organization’s delight to have President Kufuor joining the cause of the organization.

"His record of progress in human development for the people of Ghana and globally speaks for itself,” Mistry said.

John Kufuor in his response affirmed that NTDs is a major factor in improving health systems and reducing poverty in endemic countries.

"I am delighted to apply my experience in improving health, nutrition, and food security programs in Africa to work with governments around the world," he said.

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Scientists call for new solutions to prevent fungal infections in plants and animals

Maize Plant affected by Fungi

Scientists has called for new solutions in order to prevent the proliferation of existing and emerging plants' and animals' fungal infections, a bid to prevent further loss of biodiversity, ScienceDaily reports.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the call was made following a data reviewed by scientists that revealed that emerging fungus is behind the problem where infectious disease causes extinction of a type of animal or plants.

The scientists who are from University of Oxford, Imperial College London and institutions in the United States affirmed that about 125milllion tones of the top five food crops - rice, wheat, maize, potatoes and soybeans - are being loss yearly, the loss they say could have been used to feed those in need if prevented.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the damage caused by fungi to rice, wheat and maize alone costs global agriculture $60 million, about N9.44 billion yearly. Read moreAdmin/LS

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