IFAD to support Yemen with N6.6b

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has promised to support agriculture and rural development in Yemen with the sum of $41 million, about N6.61 billion.

IFAD made the pledge after a two-day meeting held in Saudi Arabia, according to a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet by Jessica Thomas from IFAD.

The $41 million pledge is made up of $31 million from IFAD’s core resources and $10 million from the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), a new financing instrument established by IFAD to scale up and integrate climate change adaptation in smallholder development projects.

The meeting was developed by Yemen’s Government of National Reconciliation with support from the European Union (EU), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), World Bank (WB) and United Nations organisations and IFAD.

Also, the meeting attracted over 280 participants from 27 donor countries, 36 regional development international financial institutions, and observers from NGOs as well as private sector.

The money pledge according to IFAD is for Yemen government to develop new projects during the transition period.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that IFAD commenced operations in Yemen since 1979 which has seen to the enhancement of rural economic growth through the support given to national programmes in the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

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Cereal price remain high in Nigeria despite good harvest

Maize Plant

Despite a bountiful harvest in 2011 in Nigeria, the market price of cereal is still on the upward trend.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the forecast for cereals production for 2012 set a new record at 2,371 million tonnes as against 2,344 million tonnes of 2011.

Resources made available to NaijaAgroNet by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed that the growing price of cereal is attributable to the removal of fuel subsidy in the early days of 2012 by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Other factors responsible for the price hike include civil strive and insecurity in the northern part of the country, strong cereal demand from the brewing as well as the huge demand from poultry sector.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that in spite of the huge record forecast, the Sahel belt still has a reduction in cereal production which also affected supplies.

Ironically, FAO affirmed that some sub-regions recorded price reductions during the early period of the harvest season, citing an instance with Damanau International Market in Kano, which recorded the highest decline in the West Africa region within this period.

According the UN agency, Dawanau International Market recorded a 12 per cent and 15 per cent decline in the prices of maize and sorghum respectively compared a month prior to harvest.

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Burkina Faso loses N24.9b to food deficiencies - World Bank

Compaoré, Burkina Faso President

Global financial apex institution, the World Bank has discovered lose of $158 million, about N24.979 billion by Burkina Faso, to vitamin and mineral deficiencies annually.

According to World Bank, micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in Burkina Faso which contributes greatly to loss of lives as well as diminished productivity.

Further NaijaAgroNet learnt that improving core micronutrient interventions amounts to $10 million, about 1.58 billion per year.

Highlighting other challenges facing the West African country, the international bank revealed that more than one-third of child deaths are attributable to under-nutrition and increased severity of disease, and that 36 per cent of children under the age of five are stunted, 19 per cent are wasted, and 32 per cent are underweight.

Part of the recommendations proffered by World Bank for Burkina Faso includes involving multiple sectors to ensure that diverse and nutritious diets are available, and accessible to all household members.

The recommended sectors to be involved include agriculture, education, transport, gender, the food industry, health and other sectors.

Steps taken by the international financial institution include the recent support to Burkina Faso with $40 million, about N6.31billion Agricultural Productivity and Food Security Project.

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BioFISA records achievement against hunger

An initiative of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), BioFISA after four years of operation can now boost of some achievements in fighting hunger, curing diseases as well as livestock sustainability.

NEPAD revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement that BioFISA over the past four years has made effective progress in the areas of the control of HIV infection, livestock disease and development of plant genetic resources guidelines.

The Director of the NEPAD Southern African Network for Bioscience (SANBio), Prof Luke Mumba attributed the achievements to the use of biosciences at BioFISA's primary strategy and continued support from the governments of the Finland and South Africa.

According to Prof. Mumba, BioFISA has helped small-scale farmers in growing and preserving mushroom, developing fish farming and promoting indigenous knowledge systems and scientific validation of traditional remedies.

“Now that we have started making use of the treasure in Africa, there is an imperative need to now focus on preserving, protecting and responsibly sharing indigenous knowledge within African communities to build synergies,” Prof Mumba added.

Speaking about the achievements of BioFISA, a Senior Coordinator of NEPAD's CEO’s Office, Mr. Abdoul Salam Bello said the programmes has affected over 600 small-scale mushroom growers in Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland, while training more than 100 agriculture extension officers and researchers from Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia in mushroom farming.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that BioFISA which is a Finland and Southern Africa Partnership Programme to Strengthen NEPAD/SANBio currently covers eight research and development projects in 12 Southern African countries in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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FAO boss urges academia to join fight against hunger

José, FAO Director General

The Director-General of the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva has called on the academia to be involved in the essential and politically important research into rural poverty.

According to José, one of the great challenges man faces today is to make use of academic knowledge to comprehend and improve the life of rural populations all over the world. “We need to look at the reality outside of university walls,” he said.

José in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet affirmed that food insecurity, nutrient deficiencies and unsafe food top the list of most pressing issues in the fight against hunger and rural development.

Unequal competition between small-scale and large scale food producers, NaijaAgroNet gathered also contributes to hunger, yet small-scale farmers account for a larger percentage of food produce and any unequal competition will drive them out of operation.

“Academics should look into the issue of governance of the food and agriculture sector, both at global and local levels, and how to achieve a fair distribution of benefits,” José recommended that there is the need to reduce transportation and storage cost as well as food waste and loss if we want more people to be eating healthy diets, based on fresh foods.

The FAO boss also recommended a better conceptual clarification and practical proposals from academics and policy makers.

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Bioenergy investors invade Africa, tackles food security

Head of NEPAD Energy Programme, Professor Mosad Elmissiry

A two-day bioenergy symposium brought together the experts and bio-energy investors to Johannesburg city in South Africa to deliberate on exploration of the continent’s resources by bioenergy industry for better energy and food security.

The bioenergy symposium hosted by the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) discussed ways of tapping into Africa’s resources in a bid to produce clean energy fuels.

The Energy Programme Head, at NEPAD, Prof. Mosad Elmissiry said NEPAD’ objective is to drive bioenergy programmatic activities and see real results that NEPAD is a result-oriented organisation.

The symposium also sees to the review of conditions, criteria and operation model to set-up Incubator Fund.

Also speaking about the outcome of the symposium, the Project Team leader of BizClim, Gavin Maxwell said Africa needs a solution that encourages enterprise and rewards work.

“This needs both public and private investment harnessed and distributed through a trusted channel, and that is the idea role for the Bio-Enterprise Incubator Fund,” Gavin explained.

He added that as BizClim is a European Union Project providing technical assistance for improving the business climate in Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean, it has the interest of Africa at heart to be part of the symposium.

NEPAD boss, Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki told participants to think radically on how to forge strong partnerships which could tackle developmental challenges in the continent as NEPAD’s role is to ensure the implementations of decisions are taken on energy.

Equally commenting, Ms. Nomfundo Mthembu of Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), says “Their approach is commendable as it involves a wide variety of delegates from the Bioenergy community. Unlike other development approaches, this approach is a “bottom-up” approach which is mostly guaranteed to achieve a higher level of success.”

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ECOWAS partner UNDP to boost food production

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered in a scheme towards value addition for a number of key crops in the West Africa sub-region.

The partnership seeks to boost food production in the sub-region while creating jobs, increasing farmers' income opportunities and Small and Medium Enterprise that deal with cash crops.

Some of the crops sidelined for the initiative include mangoes, onions and cassavas. NaijaAgroNet learnt that Cassava has been chosen following its classification as staple food in Sierra Leone and Ghana over the past three years while Nigeria is on the forefront of its producers in the region.

Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mali are the leading producers of onion in the region, however NaijaAgroNet further gathered that these three countries face stiff competition from farmers in Europe, Asia and North Africa as regards quality and packaging.

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Invest in forestry, get triple investment returns - IIED

Duncan Macqueen, IIED Forest Team Leader

Forestry experts at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) have called on investors to invest in locally controlled forest as the sector offers a triple investment returns.

The Head of forest team at IIED, Duncan Macqueen said the investment would also lead to secured income streams for people that depend on forest for survival which would in turn give better prospects for forest protection.

Macqueen revelation, according to NaijaAgroNet findings show that investment in locally controlled forestry also needs advocacy in a bid to secure and formalise commercial forest rights as well as business capacity development to convert the rights to self-sufficient businesses.

He also preached organisation should build to achieve scale efficiencies and market negotiating power, and deal brokering so as to ensure that investors play fair with local groups.

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IITA, ABUAD sign MoU to unlock potentials in Africa

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) in order to unlock Africa's potential in agriculture, natural resources and human.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the MoU is to serve as a linking bridge between the two institutions to boost cooperation so as to complement each other's research efforts.

Commenting on the MoU, Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga expressed the institute's excitement over the MoU that IITA is confident to work with ABUAD to tackle hunger and poverty challenges on the continent.

"The MoU will help in building the critical human capital that will address the present and future challenges of not only agriculture but also development," Dr. Sanginga said, adding that agriculture is faced with several constraints like climate change, pests and diseases.

He said the objective of the MoU is a meaningful avenue to engage the youths and give them the tools to be productive.

Specifically, IITA and ABUAD will collaborate in research and development topics of mutual interest, develop joint research and development project proposals, organize joint research activities, conferences, and workshops, establish linkages between IITA and ABUAD scientists, exchange students, and share research materials and publications of common interest.

Vice-Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Sidi Osho said the MoU would also help to boost food production and security. Prof. Osho also revealed that the MoU will confer great benefits on the university in terms of international linkages, exchange programs, strengthening research and offering qualitative strategies for administrative capacity.

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UN calls for urgent actions against food price hike

The United Nations (UN) agencies have called for swift and coordinated international actions in a bid to maintain stable prices for food stocks.

In a press statement jointly prepared by three UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) made available to NaijaAgroNet, revealed the need to maintain food price so that it does not turn to a catastrophe.

This, the agencies said, could hurt tens of millions over the coming months, and that the problems of some high food prices must be solved as well as the long-term issue of how we produce and consume.

Also, the agencies, disclosed that the food price hike does not affect every country in same way that the urban, rural poor and those in food import-dependent countries are most vulnerable to the international increase in prices as the listed categories spent a larger part of their incomes on food.

Findings by the bodies affirmed that although some smallholder farmers fall into the category of poor and food insecure that they can powered to take the food price hike advantages by becoming part of the solution and improve the overall food security.

NaijaAgroNet learnt that part of initiatives employed by the UN agencies comprise the UN High-Level Task Force on Global Food Security and Agricultural Markets Information System (AMIS), to improve transparency in the global food market.

Also part of the initiative, the Rapid Response Forum was set up to facilitate coordinated policy responses by the major world producers and traders of key cereals and soybeans.

WFP made an estimation of extra $200 million, about N31.6 billion per year for food assistance for every 10 per cent increase in food price; everyone is vulnerable as global grain production in a good year is not enough to meet the growing demand for food.

 

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