Kenya launches first African soil atlas

                 

                   

NaijaAgroNet

The first Atlas of Africa that collects vital information on African soils has been launched in Nakuru, Kenya.

The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture Sicily Kariuki  said at the Soil Science Society of East Africa and the African Soil Science Society conference in Nakuru that the soil atlas is to raise awareness on the significance of soil as a natural resource to farmers, politicians, agricultural stakeholders and the importance of the resource and how it affects livelihoods.

“Healthy and fertile soils are the cornerstones of food security, key environmental services, social cohesion and the economies of most African countries. Unfortunately, soil in Africa tends to reach public awareness only when it fails to feed the people living from it,” states the atlas.

According to the atlas, Africa is the only continent in the world where the annual per capita food production is lower than its estimated population growth because of land degradation and soil fertility decline over time.

The atlas further explains the origin and functions of soil, describing the different types of soil, their relevance to both local and global issues linked to soil with diagrams, illustration tables and maps and this has helped readers understand the information and research work, the principal threats to soil and the steps being taken to protect soil resources.

The soil atlas is said to form the basis for a Pan-African assessment on the state of soil resources and compiles the contributions of dozens of soil experts from Africa and Europe with useful information for policy makers and researchers.

NaijaAgroNet noted that the atlas will help to create strategies and structures for better land and water management practices which will lead to increased food production that will ensure food security and environmental protection.

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UN appoints Gebisa Ejeta to scientific advisory board

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Professor of Agronomy and Director of Purdue’s Center, Gebisa Ejeta,  for Global Food Security has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the U.N. Scientific Advisory Board.

According to Managing Director of the Center for Global Food Security, Gary Burniske , Ejeta’s scientific achievements and passion for pushing food security to the forefront of international policy agenda distinguished him among scientists considered for the board.

 “His exemplary research on Striga-resistant and drought-tolerant sorghum has tremendous potential to substantially boost crop yields, and subsequently food security, across Sub-Saharan Africa,” Burniske said.

NaijaAgroNet  noted that the board comprised of 26 of the world’s top scientists, positioned to realize the UN’s vision of sustainable development drafted at the UN’s Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and to provide scientific expertise to the secretary-general and executive heads of U.N. organizations.

Ejeta credits Purdue for his success, providing him with a graduate education and a professional environment to conduct his world-changing research.

He noted that Purdue has recently placed more emphasis on plant science research than ever in President Mitch Daniels’ recently announced ‘Purdue Moves’ initiative, stressing that “The liberty to do research that improves lives in faraway places is a golden opportunity for anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of poor people. For that, I’ll be forever grateful.”

NaijaAgroNet found out that Ejeta was once a victim of the same poverty his ground-breaking research has ameliorated in much of Africa and if not for his illiterate mother’s belief in the value of education, he would never have risen beyond his circumstances to improve food security for millions.

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Rwanda youth meet to develop ICT solutions for agriculture

NaijaAgroNet:

Rwanda Information Communication Technology (ICT) students and technology entrepreneurs assembled at KLab, the Rwanda's technical hub for a 36-hour programming competition to come up with ICT solutions for the agriculture sector.

The competition organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Rwandan Information Communication Technology (ICT) chamber   saw the participants tasked with challenges to come up with ICT solutions that would either help with information sharing/communication between farmers and extension workers or make it possible for farmers to access financial services with ease.

Founder and Managing Director of Axis Ltd, Clement Uwajeneza, said the panel of judges was made up of managing directors of tech companies, a professor from Carnegie Mellon University Rwanda Campus and a representative of the ministry of education who looked out for the feasibility, originality and practicality of the innovations presented to see how they would solve the challenges farmers face.

NaijaAgroNet learnt from Uwajeneza that the competition also served to select the country's representatives to an oncoming regional solutions competition that will take place during the ICT4Ag conference due in Kigali from November 4 to 7.

The winning group made up of students from Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (Kist) presented a hardware and software solution, and fertiliser logic that determine the quantity of Nitrogen Phosphorus and potassium in the soil. They were awarded with a laptop, a chance to participate in the upcoming regional competition and incubation facilities to polish their projects, while the other four runners-up were also awarded with laptops.

Hillary Muramira, a member of winning group, said that being in touch with the end user of their innovation enabled them to come up with a winning project.

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Nutritionist advises farmers to invest in walnut cultivation

NaijaAgroNet:

A nutritionist, Mrs Veronica Ajayi of Global Foods Limited, Osogbo, Osun State, has called on farmers in Nigeria to invest more in the cultivation of walnut because of its nutritional values and medicinal benefits.

Mrs Ajayi gave her opinion in Osogbo and explained noting that the fruit otherwise known as ‘asala’ in Yoruba and ‘ukpa’ in Igbo languages are consumed by people without knowing its potential and valued nutrients.

NaijaAgroNet gathered from Ajayi’s statement that researchers have discovered that it contains vital nutrients that aid human growth while the leaves, nuts and trees could be used in the treatment of ailments such as dysentery, infertility and stress, among others.

 She implored farmers to invest in walnut that could fetch them more than N500, 000 annually cultivating on only one hectare land.

 With additional reports  from NAN

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Uganda host symposium & exhibition on agric November

NaijaAgroNet:

 A 5-day international symposium and exhibition designed to reflect on agricultural development in the East African Community (EAC) in the last 50 years is billed to hold 4-8 November 2013 at the Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The event is organized by the EAC Secretariat, Kilimo Trust, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Uganda's Ministries of East African Community Affairs (MEACA- Uganda), and Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF- Uganda) respectively.

The Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social sectors at the EAC Secretariat Hon. Jesca Eriyo states that "the event is also being held at a time when the continent's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is marking 10 years of implementation, stressing that it is only two years away from the target year 2015 for the EAC Partner States to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

NaijaAgroNet learnt  from Eriyo that the “symposium, the YiA workshop, the seminars and the executive roundtable will provide an opportunity to evaluate progress, lessons, and prospects for the future - in relation to national efforts since independence by articulating an EAC regional vision of  agriculture for the future as a modern and vibrant sector that fully takes advantage of the region's endowment with resources (youthful population, arable land, water and now the realization of oil and gas) coupled with the ever increasing global demand for food and agricultural products.”

Participants at the event will engage the private sector in agriculture including farmers, leaders of farmer organizations and agribusiness players along agricultural value chains; government ministries and departments; national agricultural research organizations; universities, and extension service providers; international and regional development organizations supporting agriculture in the EAC Region; civil society organizations; youth in agriculture among other practitioners in the agricultural sector.

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Smith debunks Belmont Meats link to source of E.coil

NaijaAgroNet

The Chief Executive Officer of Belmont Meats, Duffy Smith has debunked the assertion that the possible E.coil contamination of a ground beef originated from his Toronto plant, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Smith, whose company has been at the center of a ground beef recall, said that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is checking where the beef trim that his company uses to make burgers came from so that the source of the E. coli can be traced.

"We fully vetted all our production systems and checks. They cover the gamut of federal requirements for handling raw meat and our operations are clean. They (CFIA) have gone back into the supply chain and they are working with several suppliers trying to source where the contamination came from," Duffy said.

Smith said the beef Belmont uses is certified and inspected by the CFIA from Canadian beef suppliers, which he declined to name, while a spokesman for the CFIA, Guy Gravelle said in an email from Ottawa that he could confirm that the agency continues to investigate.

It will be recalled that NaijaAgroNet reported this story of beef that has been linked to nine confirmed cases of people getting sick from E. coli in the province, two probable cases and four suspected cases.

It recorded also that the three main beef-processing plants in the country include two operated by Cargill Canada in High River, Alta., and Guelph, Ont, and the other is the JBS Food Canada Inc. plant in Brooks, Alta., formerly owned by XL Foods which was at the centre of the largest meat recall in Canadian history last year when eighteen people became ill.

 Since the agency began issuing health hazard alerts earlier this month about possible E. coli, Belmont has recalled about 68,000 kilograms of beef, including products distributed across Canada.While details of the alerts and recalls, including which products are involved, are posted on the agency's website.

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FG engages non-militant youths in ICT, agric training

NaijaAgroNet              

The Federal Government has approved N807 million for the training of 2700 Niger Delta youth who are non-militants in information communication (ICT) technology and  agriculture in continuation of existing Programme with the Ministry of Agriculture, at the cost of N258.7 million and N549 million respectively, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Rueben Abati, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Minister of State for Niger Delta, Dairus Ishaku, explained that the contract is part of the continuous engagement of government with youth and traditional rulers, hence government have decided to attach the youth to employers after the training.

“The training will be staggered across states in the Niger Delta area, including Cross Rivers and other states,” he said.

The federal government already spends billions of naira annually to train former Niger Delta militants who accepted the government’s amnesty programme.

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pix:President Goodluck Jonathan

FG plans reduction on wheat importation by 20 %

NaijaAgroNet

The Federal Government has advanced plans to cut down wheat importation by 20 per cent and save over N127 billion from its annual wheat import bill of over N635 billion as from 2014.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina dropped the hint in Lokoja during a two-day training workshop on cassava bread organised for master bakers from the North Central zone, stressing that government took the stance in order to reduce the bill and  implement its policy of 20 per cent substitution of wheat with cassava flour in bread production.

The Minister who was represented by his technical adviser on cassava value chain, Toyin Adetunji said that the master bakers’ training was part of measures aimed at developing cassava industry, create jobs and boost the income of the people.

NaijaAgroNet reports that Nigeria has become the pace setter in cassava production with a capacity of 40 million metric tons per annum, and being trailed by Brazil, Thailand and Indonesia.

“The challenge to us as a nation is that Thailand, which is the third largest producer of cassava, controls over 80 percent of the world market of cassava starch. Hence, there is need for us to play our role as a leading producer nation,” he said.

He disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved N10 billion as cassava bread development fund while the training of the 770 master bakers cut  across the six geo-political zones with a minimum of six bakers from each local government area of the country.

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Costco recalls ground beef due to E. coli

NaijaAgroNet

Costco is recalling lean fresh ground beef that was sold to 342 customers at its Coon Rapids location last month because the product could be contaminated with a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria, NaijaAgroNet report.

NaijaAgroNet gathered from the U.S. Department of Agriculture  that the recall affects 383 units of 88 per cent lean fresh ground beef sold between September  4 and September  7 and added that one person became ill late last month from E. coli O157: H7, and Minnesota officials confirmed a link to the ground beef.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Health are continuing to investigate the contaminated product, while officials said Costco has been trying to reach customers who purchased the ground beef.

NaijaAgroNet records that E.coli is short for the medical term Escherichia coli, a common type of bacteria that can get into food, like beef and vegetables. E. coli O157:H7 can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Older adults and children under five are more likely to suffer from complications from the illness, which can lead to kidney failure.

*With additional report from Minnesota Public Radio

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WAAPP to produce 250m fingerlings, brood stock

NaijaAgroNet

The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) in Nigeria has declared that it will produce 250 million fast growing fingerlings as well as high quality brood stock in one year for farmers.

The WAAPP’s National Project Coordinator, Prof. Damian Chikwendu, gave this assurance while addressing newsmen on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja and stressed that the programme is focused  to promote some newly introduced agricultural technology among farmers.

“We have about 120 communities we are working with while the research institutes and colleges are working with some secondary schools as well. We are trying to promote interest in agriculture among students in secondary schools. We are also working with research institutes to multiply breeder seeds, improve foundation seeds as well as working with the private sector to multiply certified seeds. We are also working with the research institutes and universities to multiply fast growing fingerlings and high quality brood stock; our target for fingerlings for one year is to provide 250 million fingerlings. The seeds and fingerlings that are being produced are for farmers and they are getting them already. The programme is also working toward popularising all local genetic materials, “Prof. Chikwendu said.

He mentioned the `Shika brown’ as an example  of a layer breed of chicken developed by the National Animal Production Research Institute, and said  that the “brown parent stocks” of the new breed would be reproduced with the parent stock and day old chicks distributed to farmers for adoption.

The World Bank Regional Task Team Leader in West Africa Dr Abdoulaye Toure, said the idea of the programme was to share innovations among countries to help develop the sector as well as food security and reduce poverty among West African countries, and urged countries to ensure speedy adoption of technologies and new approaches to development.

NaijaAgroNet recalls  that WAAPP is an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  initiative coordinated at the sub-regional level by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development, but  in Nigeria, it was approved by the World Bank and is being coordinated by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), an agency of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to cooperate with the West African sub-region in technology generation and dissemination.

The ARCN Executive Secretary, Prof. Baba-Yusuf Abubakar, also said that WAAPP programmes were in line with the federal government  Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), as it has supported some of the research institutes to produce the foundation seeds that eventually go to the National Seeds Council and then finally to the farmers.

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