FG commissions 12.5m capacity Sugarcane bio-factory

NaijaAgroNet:

The Federal Government has commissioned her first Sugarcane Bio-factory in Zaria, Kaduna, estimated at 12.5 million cane seedlings per annum,n line with the implementation of her Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Declaring the Sugarcane Bio-factory open for operations, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, NaijaAgroNet gathered, said the factory is one-million seedlings per annum capacity.

“The provision of high grade and quality seedlings of sugarcane is essential for the attainment of the set goals of the National Sugar Master Plan.This facility is designed to address a critical constraint facing Nigeria’s sugar industry – timely provision of high quality and clean seeds to sugar estates and farmers across Nigeria.” He said.

Aganga also stressed that the expectation in four years, is that five of this kind of facility would have been established across Nigeria with capacities of between 2million and 2.5million seedlings per annum each.

The NSMP whichis one of the major sectorial policies under the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, enunciated by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment was launched by the President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2014, with an ultimate goal to make Nigeria’s manufacturing sector highly competitive and dynamic.

It is believed that the efficiency in the cultivation and supply of sugarcane will enhance the efficient milling and production of sugar and associated by-products like ethanol and electricity.

The bio-factory would serve as a facility where disease-free crop seedlings would be rapidly micro-propagated under controlled laboratory environment for planting in the fields, as NaijaAgroNet learnt, and the NSMP projects that at least 250,000 hectares of sugarcane fields would be required for processing in about 28 mills of varying capacities to produce 1.79 metric tonnes of sugar in the first phase of the master plan.

Daniel Nsolibe/GEE

 

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Amb Patrick says books veritable for social re-engineering … Opara-Anyiam unveils Short Stories with Morals

NaijaAgroNet 

The CEO of Meljenstin Youth Empowerment Initiative and Reviewer of the book, Ambassador Chibuzor Patrick, has said that books are a veritable tool for social reengineering and nation building, NaijaAgroNet reports.

Speaking at the unveiling of a book, Short Stories with Morals by Vivian Opara-Anyiam, at the weekend, declared that there is nothing one can do without books.

“Books are the only tool that can change this generation. Reading is a skill whereby you get information for your life to be illuminated. Knowledge is the principal thing. It comes with wisdom because a closed book is a closed life. I have essay competition in Meljenstin just to encourage reading culture. Without books no generation can stand, because in reading we find solution to our problems”, she stated.

Short Stories with Morals, she informed NaijaAgroNet, is designed to touch every aspect of our lives. “It is simple in language, unique in its own way because the book deals on: respect, honesty, kindness, impatience, obedience, humility, forgiveness, anger, conscience, jealousy, wickedness, quarelling, greed, stealing and envy among other themes and these are issues we need to deal with in our society. As the reviewer of the book I recommend it for everyone: the parents for their children, the church for their members. A life will be changed positively after reading this book”. She advised the young ones to write instead of depending on uncles which in most cases do not work. She said there is no perfect book yet. “Put down that thing you call nonsense because tomorrow it may make sense to some people some day,” she concluded.

According to the writer of the book in an exclusive interview with NaijaAgroNet, her aim of writing the book is to impact morals in the life of Nigerian youths, children and young adults who love reading literature books. “When you look around, a lot has gone wrong with our morals .This book is written to serve as a corrective measure towards this direction, it will impact morals in the life of people after reading it, you will feel the impact of what you are reading and you will learn a lot, not just moral but other aspects of life. 

She admitted to NaijaAgroNet that the first obstacle she faced as a young writer was the issue of finance. “You have good intention or inspiration but when it comes to financial aspect you have to run up and down to look for money to implement it. But I give God the glory that I did not just write the book and abandon it, God gave  me the grace I was able to publish it which is what we are about to unveil today”.

She however dropped a word of advice to other upcoming writers, “if you know that you have the gift or the inspiration to write, you can start by putting those ideas down one day you can put those ideas of yours together to form a book”, adding that by the special grace of God by the end of next year her poem collections and short plays will be out.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE

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University don invents yam tubers growth regulators

NaijaAgroNet

A senior lecturer, Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, at the University of Ibadan (UI) Dr. Monrufat Balogun, has invented a technology for the production of Dormancy-Controlled Yam Seed Tubers reports NaijaAgroNet.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the technology is not a genetic modification and had no zero detection of plant-growth regulator, which would ensure increased availability of yam seedlings to all yam farmers to allow them, cultivate yams for more than one cycle.

"We want to see how yams can be grown anytime in the year and not necessarily only at the season.This technology would yield more income for farmers,” she said.

The expert speaking on assurance of the technology to the growth of the agricultural sector also said the research started in November 2014 and took two years to perfect it.

“We soak the tubers in some substances that are called ‘Growth Regulators’. After this, we check whether there is difference in sprouting between the ones soaked and the ones not soaked. After checking the tubers at the lab we found out that zero amounts of the substances were detected, so it is safe and people should not fear.” Balogun said.

She also said they are planning on training all stakeholders in yam production and consumption on this new technology.

The invention, NaijaAgroNet learnt, was in collaboration with Prof. Wayne Curtis of the Pennsylvania State University, under the United States National Academies-partnership for Enhanced Engagement in Research, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and would be fully out by 2016.

Daniel Nsolibe/GEE/Ed, Ops.

 
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Climate change mars coffee production in Tanzania

 NaijaAgroNet

Farmers in Tanzania have abandoned the production of coffee and cotton due  mainly to changes in local climate and resorted to the planting of more lucrative vegetables and flowers as temperatures rise and rainfall becomes less predictable, reports NaijaAgroNet

Ludovick Meela, a farmer from Tanzania’s northern Kilimanjaro region told reporters that “Coffee beans are no longer as profitable, as my harvests keep on falling, I need fast-growing crops I can sell for a quick income,” he stated.

"When my children were growing up, coffee was everything to me," he told journalists "I got a lot of income from it, which enabled me to gain economically, but all that is history." 

Information reaching NaijaAgroNet showed that in Tanzania, scientists have attributed the drop in arabica coffee yields to a rise in nighttime temperatures in recent decades.

The strain to Tanzania’s cash crops is the latest sign that climate change is altering how and where food is produced around the world.

In Honduras, banana farmers are seeing yields decline amid fierce cold snaps and erratic rain patterns. India’s wheat and rice crops are suffering from hotter weather, and in the U.S. West, enduring drought has caused the beef-cattle herd to shrink to its lowest level in more than 60 years, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Cyriacus Nnaj/GEE

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E-commerce to attract more entrepreneurial talents

  NaijaAgroNet

The China’s Agriculture Ministry has invested hugely on e-commerce with the hope of boosting more entrepreneurial talents to the local communities, NaijaAgroNet reports.

The new e-commerce scheme which NaijaAgroNet learnt, is having a major beneficial impact on the countryside is designed to help farmers collectively sell their products to larger markets.

"Before, it wasn't really worth me coming here to cultivate the Tea Oil. We'd maybe come five or six times a year. Now we're replanting all the time, and we come every month," said Zhu Qianhuang, a local farmer. Mr Zhu stated that he could not keep up with the demand for the Tea Oil.

 Qianhuang, NaijaAgroNet gathered, explained the benefits of the scheme further to reporters,  “this Camellia wood in Southeast China was once overgrown and unused. The tree produces Tea-Oil. Since 2011, the wood has been brought back to life, by local farmers. The revival is mainly because of rural e-commerce schemes, introduced by the local government.

 
Under the scheme, farmers in the area sell their products collectively, through larger agents. Wholesale orders are placed online from across the country.

"Rural poverty is caused by three factors - lack of skills, lack of information, and lack of incentive. If people group together, skills and resources can be shared. Right now, we have over 120 companies within our E-Commerce zone. That, NaijaAgroNet learnt, includes over eighty families, either employed or running their own businesses," said Ning Weisheng, Ningdu County Commerce Bureau.

Cyriacus Nnaji, GEE

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Mbanefo replaces Meko at Anambra Agric Ministry

NaijaAgroNet:

The governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, Monday in Awka the capital of Anambra shuffled his Executive cabinet with the appointment of five new Commissioners including Mr. Afamefuna Chinedu Mbanefo to replace Sir Austin Meko, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

The other four newly sworn-in Commissioners including Barrister Mrs. Mary Imelda Obinuju Nwogu as Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism; Sir  Okey Moka for Finance; Mr. Franks Chukwuemeka Offor  for Housing & Urban Development; and Barrister (Mrs.) Uzoamaka Gladys  Ilobi for Special Duties.

Governor Obiano told the new appointees that they came highly recommended for the jobs because of the value they would add to the administration. 

“Serving in this administration is an honour to you and I expect you to live up to the challenge as members of my cabinet. As you already know, we are moving well and we have brought you on board to help move Anambra State forward,” he said.

Obiano further charged them to justify the confidence he reposed in them in their appointment. 

“You can see that among the forms you have with you is your Job Specifications. You are expected to perform based on set parameters and there is also provision for periodic reviews.”

Responding on behalf of the appointees, Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Mary Imelda Obinuju Nwogu thanked Gov. Obiano for the opportunity given them to serve the state.

“We are highly elated and very happy to be found worthy by this administration. We are ready to work to move Anambra State forward especially in the area of the 4-Pillars of development where you have shown tremendous capacity and achievements as well as on the Enablers.” 

@Isaac Oyimah @ITRealms

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Pix courtesy Ikolo: Barrister Mrs Uzoamaka Gladys Ilobi (Commissioner for Special Duties), Mr. Frank Emeka Offor (Commissioner for Housing), Afamuefuna Chinedu Mbanefo (Commissioner for Agriculture), Sir. Okey Moka (Commissioner for Finance), Barrister Mrs. Mary Imelda Nwogu (Commissioner for Information) after being sworn in at the Governor's Lodge, Amawbia.

Over 1200 Stakeholders gather in Morocco for worldwide 3rd symphos

NaijaAgroNet:

A group of phosphate industry professionals, OCP Group, has assembled over 1,200 stakeholders in the city of Morocco for the third worldwide International Symposium on Innovation and Technology in the Phosphate Industry (Symphos) from Monday, 18th to 20th of May 2015 in Marrakesh, with the theme “Innovation to serve sustainable agriculture” reports NaijaAgroNet.

Participants, NaijaAgroNet reports are from all corners of the world, representing over 45 countries. 

The Symphos 2015 is a forum for meetings and discussions between the major international players in the phosphate and phosphate derivatives industry, and will build on the previous events, with greater focus on innovation to serve sustainable agriculture. In particular, this year’s event will cover themes regarding industrial processes, elements of value, fertilizers of the future and slow & controlled releases.

The African Press Organization in a press statement on behalf of OCP, noted that the event has become an international benchmark in the sector, offering a forum that promotes diversification, modernisation and development of the phosphate industry and support for the development needs of worldwide agriculture.

Aware that innovation is the primary tool for rational and sustainable exploitation of phosphate reserves, OCP Group uses Symphos to highlight its commitment to sustainable and prosperous agriculture throughout the world. By bringing together the global phosphate community to share expertise, skills and experiences, Symphos aims at contributing to the emergence of the ideas of tomorrow, and taking up the major challenge of soil and resource conservation for sustainable agriculture.


@Isaac Oyimah
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ITREALMS: NCMH celebrates 100th African Slums

ITREALMS: NCMH celebrates 100th African Slums:   ITRealms : The Nairobi Community Media House (NCMH) has roll out curtain on the 100th episode of the African Slum Journal, which s...

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