AGRA, Mozambique boost smallholder farmers with maize, sweet potato varieties

NaijaAgroNet:

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is collaborating with the government of Mozambique, to boost small holder farmers with maize, sweet potato varieties through the Umbeluzi Agriculture Research Centre in Maputo.

This was revealed during a field visit by participants at the just ended 2013 African Green Revolution Forum organized by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the forum was in collaboration with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of NEPAD with some staff joining in the field visit penultimate Tuesday, September 3, 2013.

Also gathered by NaijaAgroNet was that the maize and sweet potato breeding projects centre visited by were projects supported by AGRA at Umbeluzi Agriculture Research Centre.

Leading the participants into the project, Dr Pedro Fato, who has been breeding maize for over 20 years, said that his work at Umbeluzi entails breeding maize that is tolerant to multiple constraints such as down mildew, and pests that are prevalent both in the field and in storage.

Dr Fato equally said that down mildew is especially prevalent in low lying areas in Mozambique, hence the importance of this project in Mozambique that has a high number of areas that often get water logged.

Dr Fato further elucidated that down mildew is carried on through seeds, and the maize breeding project has so far produced twelve maize varieties. 

According to him, the focus of this breeding project is small scale farmers who make up 90 per cent of maize growers in Mozambique, even as the project has so far released five hybrids into the market since 2002.

He stressed the varieties are now producing better yields per hectare as testified by local farmers.

Commenting, AGRA representative, Mr Richard Mwanza, pointed out that AGRA supports programmes in 16 countries across the continent.

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Pix: Mr Richard Mwanza of AGRA

RIFAN tasks Plateau govt to revive agric training centre

 NaijaAgroNet:

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Plateau State chapter has called on the state government to revive the Shendam Agricultural Services and Training Centre (ASTC), in order to boost the agricultural needs of farmers in the zone.

The Association chairman, Mr. Joshua Bitrus, made this known to NaijaAgroNet, in Shendam Local Council Development Area of the State, explaining that the ASTC was set up by the Governor Jonah Jang-led administration was a good incentive for the agricultural sector.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the ASTC in Shendam covers the six local governments in the Southern zone that renders partial or skeletal services.

The RIFAN Chairman appealed to the governor to make it operational so that the farmers could enjoy the excellent programmes and ASTC deliver world class services to farmers in the state in an excellent and affordable rate.

Bitrus applauded the State Government for providing 100 tractors in each of the centres, and noted that the ASTC headquarters in Kassa render services to the northern zone and Mangu take charge of the central zone have been operational for the past three years.

 “Each of the centres has the same and equal equipment; all the offices are equal; there is no partiality of any kind and we thank government for that. But we are appealing that the Shendam centre be commissioned and be made fully operational like others. I have enjoyed the services and I know how good it is because the tractors worked in my farm for over two weeks and I must confess, it was wonderful,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the Federal Government has been assisting farmers with inputs under Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) while the ASTC  will position Plateau  as a state that can produce enough rice to feed the nation.”

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Pix: Gov. Jonah Jang of Plateau State

FCT signs MOU for N1.25billion abattoi

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, in an effort to maintain its status as the nation’s capital, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and lease agreement valued at N1.25 billion with a private investor, Capital Meat Processing Company Nigeria Limited, for the establishment of the ultra-modern Abuja Central Abattoir at Tungan Maje in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Minister of State for FCT, Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde alongside the Secretary, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mrs. Olvadi Bema Madayi signed on behalf of FCT Administration, while Chairman, Capital Meat Processing Company Limited, Umaru Mutallab, and the Chief Executive Officer, Aliyu El-Nafatu, signed for the company.

Akintunde said that the FCT administration decided to embark on the construction of the abattoir by entering into a public-private partnership (PPP) management to ensure that residents of the territory consumed beef in a conducive and hygienic environment.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that the project has a completion period of 12 months and it is expected to create about 1,000 jobs, which will include professionals like veterinarians, para-veterinarians, livestock officers, butchers, technicians, labourers and drivers, among others.

“When completed, the abattoir will have the capacity of slaughtering 500 heads of cattle and 1,500 sheep and goat per day. In the meat processing and fabrication component, about 40 tonnes of meat would be processed into about 10 number of products, such as sausages, hotdogs, steaks, premium and briskets, among others,” she said.
NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the foreign technical partners of the private investor will transfer meat processing technology to their Nigerian partners, who will be trained in the art of processing, curing, aging, fabrication, storage and packaging of meat.
The Minister explained that the new abattoir would be of international standard and will fulfil all the necessary requirements of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in the setting up of abattoir.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Capital Meat Processing Company Limited, Umaru Mutallab applauded the FCT Administration for its commitment to ensuring that a hygienic environment is provided for meat processing in the territory.

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CADP set to host Agric stakeholders forum

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) has perfected plans to host stakeholders in the Agricultural sector in an interactive forum in Lagos.

The state project coordinator, Kehinde Ogunyinka informed NaijaAgroNet that the forum is aimed at showcasing the results and impacts of CADP on small-medium commercial farmers in the State and to attract both local and foreign investors.

Ogunyinka listed some the projects by the Lagos State Commercial Agriculture Development Project (CADP) to include 22.19 km rural roads in 10 locations, provision of transformers, extension lines and accessories and another 12.83 km rural roads that is ongoing in six other farming locations in Lagos State.

He said that CADP has supported 331 commodity interest groups engaged in poultry, rice and aquaculture value chains in the execution of their business plans to the tune of N657.487 million in Lagos State.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the forum has been scheduled for Wednesday 18, September, 2013 at Johnson Agiri Complex in Oko Oba, Agege in Lagos.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the forum will attract  over one hundred and forty participants which will include small and medium scale rice, poultry and aquaculture farmers, processors, marketers, financial Institutions, community leaders and Non-governmental Organizations, state policy makers, representatives of the World Bank, members of the House Committee on Agriculture and the media.

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Pix: Gov. Tunde Fashola of Lagos State

Mainstreet Bank commits N10bn to fertiliser distribution

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

Mainstreet Bank plc has committed N10 billion to the funding of fertiliser distribution through agro dealers in Nigeria to complement the federal government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Managing Director, Mainstreet Bank, Faith Tuedor-Matthews disclosed this to NaijaAgroNet at the 2013 Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) held in Abuja recently, revealing the bank’s successful intervention in the procurement and distribution of fertiliser had impacted about one million real farmers in Nigeria.

She said that her institution was developing a project initiative in partnership with willing state governments to support funding of primary production activities in some key crops, following the success achieved through the federal government’s Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS).

The Mainstreet Bank boss acknowledged that GESS had been supportive of small farmers who are the ultimate drivers of food production and agricultural development in Nigeria.

Commenting on the use of seed production chain to boost the success of GESS, she said that there are four critical steps which all stakeholders should embrace, which includes: the need for greater investment in Research and Development (R&D) in the seeds sector, quality control of the seeds to ensure standards, deliberate branding of the seeds to achieve market differentiation as well as investing greater effort on general awareness.

She canvassed that government, seed companies, farmers and the researchers to work together to improve the quality of hybrid seeds available to farmers and  crops such as rice, sorghum, cassava, cotton, soya beans, and Maize should be provided to the small farmers who have major buyers or Agro processors.

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Nigeria targets 10% global fertilizer market by 2017-Alison Madueke

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The development of new fertilizer plants in the country will position Nigeria as the nation targets control of 10 per cent of global fertilizer by 2017, to assist in the drive in all sector of the economy, especially the agricultural sector.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke disclosed to NaijaAgroNet while speaking recently at a plenary session of the 19th Nigerian Economic Summit titled, “Building a World Class Petrochemical and Fertilizer Industry in Nigeria.”

 Alison-Madueke said that the need to get the gas sector to drive growth in all sectors of the economy mostly in agricultural sector necessitated the excision of some key areas of the Gas Master Plan from the Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB) for accelerated implementation under the Gas Revolution Agenda.

The Minister listed some of the proposed fertilizer plants to include the Dangote Petrochemical and Fertilizer Plant to be built at Olokola, Indorama Fertilizer Plant at Eleme, Brass Fertilizer Company at Brass, Nagarjuna Fertilizer Plant at Ogidigben, and another plant by the International Fertilizer Association.
 

Speaking further on the gas policy framework, Alison-Madueke explained that the thrust of the two-pronged policy of gas-to-power and gas-to-industries is to drive linkages between the power and industrial sectors with the agricultural sector serving as a linchpin in the industrial sector on account of its enormous job creation potential and multiplier effect in the economy.

The Managing Director of Gas Aggregator Company of Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Allen, stated that apart from Notore which is already into fertilizer production, six new companies have approached the Gas Aggregator Company to firm up gas supply arrangements for their fertilizer plants and that talks are at an advanced stage with the companies.

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*pix: Alison-Madueke Minister of Petroleum Resources

Biotop Green oils, Energy Ltd partners Unilorin on Jatropha plant

 Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Biotop Green Oils and Energy Limited are partnering the University of Ilorin to explore fully the commercial potential of the Jatropha plant which is set to turn investors into multi-millionaires.

The partnership is coming on the heels of the just concluded third conference organised by the Jatropha Plantation and Development Maintenance Committee of the University of Ilorin with the theme “Breaking down barriers and advancing into new realms of Jatropha – the humble plant.”

NaijaAgroNet gathered that one of the most remarkable uses of Jatropha is the production of the bio-fuel on commercial scale and also in use to powering generators and stoves for cooking.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Biotop, Olajiga Temitope said the company working hard on the other commercial uses of Jatropha by introducing distributors of bio-fuel in many place and trying to co-opt users of cooking stove as distributors of the product.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the local organising committee of the international conference and a Professor of animal production at the university Moshood Yinka Belewu said that Jatropha seed cake is relatively cheap and can be mixed with energy sources such as maize to compound livestock feeds.

Belewu explained that the juice from the Jatropha leaves can be used in the treatment and prevention of many ailments, while the stem can be cut and used as a chewing stick to cure bleeding gums and smelling mouth.

He disclosed that the university has produced ceiling boards that are better than Asbestos from Jatropha and is currently working in the lab to produce toothpaste from the plant which is capable of turning prospective investors into multi-millionaires.

A Jatropha farmer in Minna, Niger State, Garba Attahiru, said that selling the Jatropha harvests to the processing company has boosted his income appreciably more than the farmers that engage in the cultivation of other crops.

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AGRF decries acute financial gap in African agriculture

Anthony Nwakaegh/NaijaAgroNet

The African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) has decried what it described as acute financial gap that exists in the development of Africa’s agriculture.

NaijaAgroNet gathered the Forum, which saw over 200 delegates from across Africa and internationally in attendant, focused on the critical role to be played by public-private- partnerships (PPP) and business models in the development of Africa’s agriculture, noted that

the global gap in finance for agriculture stands at about $450 billion, and is more acute on the continent of Africa than anywhere else.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that evidence abound that only 10 per cent of African smallholder farmers have access to the financing they need to expand their production and raise their income.

According to the convenor of the AGRF, Irungu Houghton “Throughout the African continent, we are witnessing successful partnerships between the private and public sectors and smallholder farmers. But these partnerships are still too rare. We will only be able to transform Africa’s agriculture, and alleviate food insecurity and poverty, if smallholders have the funds to boost their crop yields and expand their business.”

Also speaking at the Forum, the Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Smallholder Farmers of Malawi, Dyborn Chibonga, said “Some African governments have gone some way towards addressing affordability and accessibility of production inputs, but challenges still persist. Each and every year smallholder farmers are pulled into a downward spiral of taking out high-interest loans in order to buy farming inputs for the following season. Without access to credit, smallholders cannot raise productivity.”

 

The President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a partner in the AGRF, Jane Karuku, said “2014 is a critical year for agriculture, when African governments will be setting investment targets and plans to develop agriculture over the coming decade. The African Union has recognised this crucial moment and designated 2014 as the Year for Food Security and Agriculture. We are delighted to announce that next year’s AGRF will be co-hosted with the African Union in Addis Ababa in September 2014.”

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Gov Shema urges govt to focus on agriculture

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema has added his voice to the clarion call by well-meaning Nigerians on federal, state and local governments to make agricultural development their focal point.

Governor Shema made this call while speaking at the opening ceremony of LAKAJA Agricultural Growth Corridor Investment Summit in Abuja, stressing that “the USAID summit was absolutely important because it offers a unique opportunity for citizens to expand their potentials in agricultural development and to have clear access to market.”

Shema explained that agriculture is the way forward not only for northern Nigeria but for the entire country because the nation’s soil is fertile that could grow seeds from the first day of January to the last day in December.

On agricultural development in Katsina State, the Governor said his state was working hard and had revived irrigation schemes, asserting “we have a Shanghai-Katsina Initiative, we are working in Niger Porto-novo where we have a 3.4 billion initiative going on training young farmers on modern ways of farming and we are supporting agriculture to be turned around, mechanised with improved variety of seedlings and other varieties of essential services important to farmers.”

He said that as part of the preparation against the 2013 flood warnings, the state government has cleared the waterways and also put up standby emergency teams who will move in to assist in any ravaged area.

 “Those villages that are very close to major waterways or river tributaries were the ones most affected by last year’s flood, but we are working hard to sensitise the people to make sure that their homes are moved away from the flood prone areas and then we are giving assistance, shelter, health facilities and others,” Shema said.

On his part, the Governor of Niger State, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said that his adminstration was committed to supporting initiatives that would transform the state agriculture sector, stressing that Niger State stands as a hub in the corridor because it has greater advantage in landmass, three major hydro-electric power stations and route linkages to the South-West of Nigeria

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World Bank, ADB, IFAD boost agriculture with N200.3bn

Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet

The World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the African Development Bank (ADB) have approved $1.23 billion, about N200.3bn to boost food production in Nigeria, according to the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

 

He disclosed this NaijaAgroNet in Abuja, during a press meeting on the activities of the ministry, saying that $900 million was approved by the World Bank, $250 million by ADB and $80 million by IFAD.   

He explained that the international community is rallying round government’s effort, saying that $500 million of $900 million obtained from the World Bank was meant for agriculture, while $400 million would support water and irrigation projects.

‘‘As you know, the World Bank has agreed to invest $900 million behind agricultural transformation in Nigeria, $500 million for agriculture and $400 million for water and irrigation. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), their board has approved the release of $80 million to Nigeria to support the agricultural transformation going on in Nigeria. The African Development Bank is considering $250 million in support of the transformation agenda on agriculture,” he said.

He further disclosed that American billionaire and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has agreed to co-opt with the eminent persons group to advise President Goodluck Jonathan on matters concerning agriculture and health in the country.

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