Food price index reveals price stability

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in its latest Food Outlook released early May 2012 revealed that food price seems to have stabilised at a relatively high level of 214 points.

Also, FAO revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement that the Food Price Index fell by 1.4 per cent of 235 points in April 2012 to 214 points, a figure still well above the under 200 which preceded the 2008 food crisis.

The May edition of the FAO Food Outlook, a global market analysis released twice a year also indicated generally improved supplies and continuing strong demand in the second half of the year.

Cereal production for year set a new record of 2.371 billion tonnes to beat 2.344billion tonnes of 2011.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the food import bill in 2012 could decline to $1.24 trillion, down slightly from last year’s record of $1.29 trillion.

According to the Food outlook, there is anticipation for a fall in wheat production to 675m tonnes, about 3.6 per cent decline, and countries that led the forecasted decline include Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, Morocco and the European Union.

Also, world milk production in 2012 is forecasted to grow by 2.7 per cent to 750m tonnes with the expectation that Asia will account for most of the increase. 

World trade in dairy products is equally expected to continue expanding in 2012. Demand remains firm, with imports anticipated to reach 52.7 million tonnes of milk equivalent.

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Nutrition project to narrow variety of human diets

A new international project launched at the World Nutrition Rio Congress 2012, the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Project is to address growing global concerns over poor nutrition.

The project as revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement aims to address the narrowing variety of people's diets, with nutritionally-poor processed foods dominating the world's dinner table.

Officials during the project launch asserted the renewed emphasis on sustaining the natural variety of crops and animals contributing to agri-business and the neglected nutritious traditional foods.

The project is necessary as the negative health effects of poor nutrition and the neglected traditional foods have led to a raft of global health issues.

The Director General of BioDiversity International, Emile Frison said the diversity of crops and their wild relatives, trees, animals, microbes and other species contribute to food production.

Also commenting on the new project, Braulio Dias, Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity affirmed the need to consider not only sustainably producing sufficient food, but also working towards diversified nutrition to combat the challenge of feeding the world population of around nine billion by 2050.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the world's largest public funder of international environmental projects, NaijaAgroNet gathered is supporting the multi-country project led by Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Bioversity International is coordinating the project with implementation support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

Monique Barbut, GEF Chairperson said GEF is making efforts to expand its engagement in the conservation and management of agricultural biodiversity which provides the mainstay for millions of people worldwide and food security to the world's most vulnerable populations.

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Africa's crop production lags behind - Food Laureate

Director General, FARA, Monty Jones

The Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Monty Jones, has said that crop production in Africa is lagging behind the rest of the world with a very wide gap, AfricaScienceNews.

Jones, a World Food Prize Laureate, NaijaAgroNet learnt, also affirmed a sharp decline in global agricultural exports with unreasonable increase in African food imports.

Jones said this at the recently concluded Second Ministerial Dialogue on Increasing Agricultural Productivity in Africa, which brings together agriculture, science and technology ministers in Africa as well as experts from the continent.

Former President of Ghana, Mr. John Kufuor, who also is a World Food Prize Laureate said, there is need for policies in order to transform the sector that holds most of the population to break the logjam of poverty.

"With the right policies in place, Africa has the potential to be the breadbasket of the world, starting with Africa itself," Kufuor said. 

Participants at the dialogue also expressed their concerns over the lack of progress by African governments in meeting their commitments to allocate at a minimum of 10 per cent of their budgets to agriculture.

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New species of frogs debut in Southern Leyte

A team of scientist recently discovered two new species of frogs in the forests of Southern Leyte, reports ABS.

The new species, NaijaAgroNet learnt was discovered while conducting a biodiversity resource assessment.

The new species belong to the genus Platymantis, which inhabit the mossy forests of the Nacolod Mountain Range in Southern Leyte.

This shows different body sizes, coloration patterns, and advertisement calls compared to other known species of Philippine Platymantis frogs. 

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the two species are allied to two different species groups, the Platymantis guentheri group and Platymantis hazelae group and was unveiled at the Marble Hall of the Museum of the Filipino People.

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Climate change makes biodiversity conversation more expensive - Studies

A piece of land affected by Climate Change

Three new studies by a group of international researchers, have attributed discussions on climate change as making biodiversity conversation more expensive.

The studies said, this has shown an increase in the cost of conserving biodiversity, clean water and clean air by more than 100 per cent, reports PhysOrg.

The studies NaijaAgroNet learnt was named 'Wake-up Call for cost-efficient biodiversity conservation and climate stabilizations' and was conducted in South Africa, Madagascar and California by Conservation International.

The lead author of the studies report, Lee Hannah, senior scientist for climate change biology at Conservation International said specific effects of climate change on species in South Africa, Madagascar and California are very different.

The costs of conserving climate change effects, Lee said will certainly increase considerably in all the regions examined.

"We can have a healthy planet and keep extra costs to a minimum by acting quickly to cut emissions and incorporate climate change into conservation plans," Lee Hannah said. 

Climate scientist and associate vice president for Environmental Defense Fund, Rebecca Shaw while commenting on the report of the study said the set of studies from around the world is a wake-up calls as people have been struggling to conserve the nature we depend on for clean air and clean water without climate change.

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SMEDAN, VSO sign women, young farmers’ deal

An agreement to establish and implement an agricultural development project was signed by Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), reports DailyTrust.

The agreement, tagged SMEDAN-VSO Agro-Enterprise Project, NaijaAgroNet learnt is to engage women and youths between the ages of 18 and 35 years in agrobiz.

Alhaji Muhammad Nadada Umar, SMEDAN Director-General said at the signing session that the agreement combines expertise of both bodies would add tremendous value to the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the nation's economy.

The pilot programme as revealed would be established in four states; Nasarawa, Ondo, Kaduna and Cross Rivers states. 

“Our organizations both share the same values in respect of assisting disadvantaged people. SMEDAN, as a gender-sensitive organization, with our high level of professionalism, has a lot to offer to this nation,” SMEDAN DG affirmed.

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World Bank to support Nigerian agric with N144b

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwuni Adesina

Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has said the World Bank would support the Federal Government's Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) with $900m about N144 billion, reports TheNation.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that $500 million, about N78.57 billion will be used for agriculture and the remaining $400 million, about N62.87 billion will be used to support agricultural irrigation system in the country.

Dr. Akinwunmi who attended the just concluded Nigeria Agricultural Forum held in the United States said senior directors of World Bank and country Director of Nigeria are excited that the nation is diversifying its economy through agriculture.

"They have agreed to support us in the direction we are going," the minister said.

The minister also made known that World Bank showed interest to aid the development of staple crops processing zones in Nigeria, with further attention to be paid to rice, cocoa and sorghum production.

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