Search NaijaAgroNet

Friday, June 8, 2012

Climate Change @ Bonn: LDC group seeks new talk plan, adoption by 75% majority


New dimension has been added to the clamour for a better environmental change with a call by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) of the world for the United Nations climate change talk to adopt a 75 per cent majority of any latest Protocol with a timeline.
This formed submission by LDC Group at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which holds in Bonn between 14 and 25, May 2012 at the Maritim Hotel.
LDCs are classified as the world’s poorest countries and in order to up persuade the UN climate change to talk more on how to reach their goal of having an effective and legally binding agreement ready for governments to adopt by 2015.
The LDC group chairman, Pa Ousman Jarju, the group’s spokesperson, Sandra Freitas, informed that the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group’s formal submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, under which the talks take place, seeks the inclusion of some demands.
These demands encompass new legally binding agreement to take the form of a new protocol under the convention that builds on and enhances the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.
Addition to toe six points of demands are that parties should agree new rules to allow the adoption of the Protocol by a 75 per cent majority, not by consensus as under current rules; A final negotiating text should be ready a full year ahead of the 2015 deadline rather than the usual six months deadline that the UNFCCC imposes.
Further, the LDC group noted that this would raise the ambition of commitments to mitigate climate change before 2020 must be the top priority;  The new Protocol should have as a key objective, the full implementation of mitigation, adaptation and finance and capacity building among others; and Systems for monitoring, reporting and verifying finance and mitigation actions must not be weaker than but should build upon those that already exist in the Kyoto Protocol.
Pa Ousman Jarju pointed out that at the last year’s conference of parties to the convention in Durban, South Africa, it was agreed to complete negotiations by 2015, but such deadlines have been broken before.
“Our countries cannot wait. We are already feeling the effects of climate change, but the time has come for us to be leaders in the international effort to address this global challenge,” he said.
Equally, he said, the creation of a new body to negotiate a second protocol under the Convention represents an overdue acknowledgement by all Parties that the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol alone are insufficient to drive action consistent with the ultimate objective of the Convention.
“Urgent action is needed by all Parties to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system, and in particular to stay below 2°C and keep open the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial in the long-term as called for by the most vulnerable countries,” he said.
According to the group, as negotiators gather in Bonn for the latest round of talks this week, the LDC group also proposes changes to the way the negotiations work to make them faster and fairer.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that to ensure that all issues could be dealt with, the group says the number and duration of future negotiation sessions must be agreed in Bonn, along with a timetable to discuss particular issues.
The group further says parties should consider electing officers to the bureau that will run the talks for more than the usual two year period, to ensure continuity and that the size of the bureau should perhaps be expanded given the urgency of its task and that wide range of topics it must work on.
Pa Ousman Jarju emphasised that the LDC group comes to the Bonn climate change talks with a strong set of recommendations, stressing “In the spirit of international cooperation and with our desire to see the UN climate change convention meet its objective, we urge other parties to join our call for these improvements to the negotiating process and its final goals.”
 
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology

AGCO to establish multi-million tractor factory in Nigeria


   A multi-million Naira assembly plant is being targeted by North American company, AGCO which specializes in manufacturing of agricultural equipments, in anticipation of Nigeria’s dream to grow the sector with 300,000 within the next three years.
AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, groundscare and implements through more than 8,500 independent dealers and distributors around the world.
DigitalSENSE News investigation reveals that AGCO is likely to provide this number of tractors through its worldwide retail financing scheme known as Agricredit joint venture.
Experts at Investopedia says joint venture is the cooperation of two or more individuals or businesses in which each agrees to share profit, loss and control in a specific enterprise. Describing it as a good way for companies to partner without having to merge and are typically taxed as a partnership.
Making this disclosure recently, the Federal Minister in-charge of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina, noted that AGCO is the largest manufacturer of Marcy Ferguson tractors globally.
He also stressed that FG has advanced strategies for the establishment of assembly plants in the country following a discussion with the manufacturer in April.
“Nigeria needs at least 300,000 tractors, to enable our youth to get into agriculture as a business,” he declared.
Equally speaking in Abuja, Dr. Adesina reiterated the resolve of the Federal Government, pointing out that already the Nigerian government has concluded farmers’ census, while introducing an agric-wallet and employment of 36 agriculture directors, who have been deployed nationwide at the state capitals.
AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, groundscare and implements through more than 8,500 independent dealers and distributors around the world. AGCO provides retail financing worldwide through its Agricredit joint venture.
DigitalSENSE News gathered that historically, AGCO Corporation has its roots in the North American farm equipment industry with its heritage reaching as far back as the mid 1800’s through many of its brands. However, its direct lineage is from the Allis-Chalmers brand name.
Also, in 1990 KHD sold its Deutz Allis division to AGCO and ever since, the company has become a world-wide farm machinery company through market growth and strategic acquisitions.
Today, AGCO prides itself with sales of approximately USD$7 billion, about N 1,104,949,957,275.39 trillion, and AGCO is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AG.

 
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology

Nigeria, five others benefit from Gates’ largesse


    Farmers from six African countries, including Nigeria, are to benefit from the largesse of the second phase of the Commercial Products (COMPRO-II) project being funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to NaijaAgroNet investigations, Gates Foundation has before now approved the project which amounts to $7 million, about N1.09 billion, with Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, and Tanzania as the six countries to benefit from the second phase of the project.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet also revealed that the project is tagged ‘Institutionalization of quality assurance mechanism and dissemination of top quality commercial products to increase crop yields and improve food security of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.’
IITA Director General, Nteranya Sanginga noted that the main objectives of the project are to institutionalize quality assurance mechanisms and facilitate the rapid dissemination of top quality commercial products to increase yields and also improve security of smallholder farmers.
Further, he said the project is to increase awareness among over two million smallholder farmers on effective and profitable commercial products by 2016 through public-private partnership.
Prem Warrior, a senior Programme Officer at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said that the expected outcome of the project is the institutionalization of screening and approval of commercial products.
The phase II of the project proposes to transit technologies used for the phase 1 of the project into Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda; institutionalize regulatory and quality control processes;    disseminate effective products through public-private partnerships; develop communication tools, and    strengthen human capacity.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that at the end of the project, more farmers are expected to confidently use the quality assurance products because of their safety, efficacy, and quality will be ensured through institutionalized regulatory and quality assurance mechanisms.
 Yinka Awosanya/LS
 ... Linking agrobiz, people & technology

Monday, June 4, 2012

With hunger, sustainable development is not feasible - FAO


The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has affirmed that sustainable development is unfeasible if hunger and malnutrition are not eradicated.
José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director General said there cannot be anything called sustainable development when nearly one of every seven men, women and children are victims of undernourishment.
FAO in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet revealed that millions of people are still hungry despite the significant progress in development and food production as there are no means to purchase the food needed for a healthy and productive life.
FAO made the pronouncement in preparation for the Rio+20 summit coming up this month in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that a sustainable future is being put to a limit as a result of the challenges of food security.
"At the Rio summit we have the golden opportunity to explore the convergence between the agendas of food security and sustainability to ensure that happens," FAO boss said forecasting the summit as an opportunity to discuss food security issues.
Hunger reduction and sustainable development, FAO revealed are irrevocably connected, hence a better governance of the agricultural and food systems are key to achieving both targets.
Further, NaijaAgroNet gathered that three quarters of the world's poor and hungry live in rural areas and most of them depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. 
The UN agency also made known that about forty per cent of the world's degraded lands are in areas with high poverty rates, making hunger to put in motion a vicious cycle of reduced productivity.
Yinka Awosanya/LS
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology

Saturday, June 2, 2012

World Bank commends Lagos on CADP implementation


The Lagos State implementation of Commercial Agriculture Development Projects (CADP) has received commendations from the World Bank country Director, Ms Francois Marie Nelle.
Other programmes, she said, were laudable include road rehabilitation projects and the energy interventions in support of agro-processing technology.
NaijaAgroNet learnt that the World Bank country director also assured the state of World Bank’s future partnership in projects implementation.
Mr. Bukar Tijani, Minister of State for Agriculture confirmed that the Lagos State agricultural policy is in line with the transformation agenda of the federal government towards food security.
While applauding Lagos State for investing in project interventions, Mr. Tijani affirmed that the federal government would do more in terms of agricultural commercialization to make food sufficient and also improve agricultural value chains.
Responding, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Co-operatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal said the state's collaboration with the Federal Government and World Bank in the Commercial Agricultural Development Projects (CADP) is on a fruitful path as it has improved business environment for agriculture by assisting participating small and medium scale commercial farmers.
Admin/LS
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology