Open data training kicks off for CAADP journalists

NaijaAgroNet:

A week-long open data training for members of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Journalists Network kicked off in Hilton Hotels, Nairobi, Kenya, reports NaijaAgroNet.

CAADP, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is a growth-focused on agricultural development agenda by African Union (AU) Heads of States and Government, aimed at increasing agriculture growth rates to a minimum of six per cent annually to create wealth.

According to the Programme Manager, Policy, Markets and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) at CTA, Lamon Rutten, the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is leading the partnership for the open data training holding in Nairobi, Kenya from July 25-28, 2016.

This training, Rutten said, is part of the Global Open Data for Impact and Capacity Development on Agriculture and Nutrition (GODIVAN) scheme, a Department for International Development (DFID) project, implemented under a joint venture of international partners with the aim to increase production of the agricultural sector, improved nutrition for consumers and more evidence-based policy making, in which these desired changes are based on enabling communities practically engage with open data.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that within the context of this project, CTA in partnership with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency as facilitated by Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), is organising this 4-day open data training with the goal to build the capacity of media practitioners so as to monitor progress and report on the implementation of the CAADP through the use of agriculture data and research.

Remmy Nweke in Nairobi/ED, Ops

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Global per capita fish consumption rises above 20 kilogrammes a year

NaijaAgroNet:

The new State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report urged for more work to rein in over-fishing, just as global per capita fish consumption has risen above 20 kilogrammes a year, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Global per capita fish consumption, NaijaAgroNet gathered rose above 20 kilogrammes per year for the first time, thanks to stronger aquaculture supply and firm demand, record hauls for some key species and reduced wastage, according to a new FAO report published today.

“Yet despite notable progress in some areas, the state of the world's marine resources has not improved, the latest edition of the UN agency's The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) says that almost a third of commercial fish stocks are now fished at biologically unsustainable levels, triple the level of 1974,” a press statement from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) highlighted.

NaijaAgroNet also said that global total capture fishery production in 2014 was 93.4 million tonnes, including output from inland waters, up slightly over the previous two years. Just as Alaska pollock was the top species, replacing Anchoveta for the first time since 1998 and offering evidence that effective resource management practices have worked well.

“Record catches for four highly valuable groups - tunas, lobsters, shrimps and cephalopods - were reported in 2014,” FAO said.

SOFIA also said that there were around 4.6 million fishing vessels in the world in 2014, 90 per cent of which are in Asia and Africa, and only 64,000 of which were 24 meters or longer.

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said that globally, fish provided 6.7 per cent of all protein consumed by humans, as well as offering a rich source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, zinc and iron. Some 57 million people were engaged in the primary fish production sectors, a third of them in aquaculture.

Fishery products, FAO said, accounted for one percent of all global merchandise trade in value terms, representing more than nine percent of total agricultural exports. Worldwide exports amounted to $148 billion in 2014, up from $8 billion in 1976. Developing countries were the source of $80 billion of fishery exports, providing higher net trade revenues than meat, tobacco, rice and sugar combined.

"Life below water, which the Sustainable Development Agenda commits us to conserve, is a major ally in our effort to meet a host of challenges, from food security to climate change.  This report shows that capture fisheries can be managed sustainably, while also pointing to the enormous and growing potential of aquaculture to boost human nutrition and support livelihoods with productive jobs," FAO boss said.

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UN agencies jointly take stock of El Niño impacts in Africa, Asia-Pacific, gear up for La Niña

NaijaAgroNet:

Three United Nations (UN) agencies recently jointly took stock of the “Long tail” of global weather phenomenon continuing to affect food security of millions – La Niña knock-on likely effects, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A press statement by the trio of FAO’s media relations officer, Mr. Peter Mayer, IFAD Communications Officer, Joanne Levitan and WFP Media officer, Frances Kennedy, said the 2015-16 El Niño weather phenomenon has been one of the strongest and most widespread of the past hundred years, destroying the livelihoods of farming families across the globe and leaving millions of people hungry.

Drought, they said, has gripped large swathes of East and southern Africa, ravaging harvests, while in Asia and the Pacific, drought has hit East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Viet Nam, whereas, El Niño associated storms have wiped out harvests on Fiji and its neighbours.

NaijaAgroNet reports that El Niño’s impact on agriculture has continued to drive up food insecurity, even though the weather event is over, which is likely to be compounded by La Niña in a few months’ time.

Response plans, the UN agencies said, were in place that could prevent more people from going hungry – but they must be adequately funded to avoid another prolonged humanitarian crisis.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that on Wednesday 6 July, FAO, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP) – are convening a one-day meeting to look at these challenges and how to best respond to them.

Government representatives, regional bodies, food security experts, agricultural development practitioners, humanitarian response specialists and international donors were in attendance.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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2bn people live in drylands globally says FAO

NaijaAgroNet:

A total of 2 billion people live in drylands globally says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports NaijaAgroNet.

The new study from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) helps to fill a significant knowledge gap on the presence and extent of forests and trees in the world's drylands, where the food security and livelihoods of millions of people, already precarious, are increasingly being threatened by climate change.

The study's preliminary findings made available to NaijaAgroNet Tuesday showed the full report will be launched later this year, showed that trees are present with hugely varying densities on almost one-third of the world's 6.1 billion hectares of drylands, which cover an area more than twice the size of Africa. Almost 18 percent of this area contains forests.

In addition to an estimated 2 billion people, FAO said, 90 percent of whom are in developing countries, live in drylands. Recent studies have indicated the need to restore these areas to cope with the effects of drought, desertification and land degradation.

In particular, water availability in drylands is expected to decline further due to changes in climate and land use.  Poor people living in remote rural areas will be most vulnerable to food shortages, which combined with violence and social upheaval, are already leading to forced migration in dryland regions in Africa and western Asia.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that until now, there has been little statistically based knowledge on dryland trees - particularly those growing outside forests - despite their vital importance to humans and the environment.

FAO further said that the leaves and fruit of trees are sources of food for people and fodder for animals; their wood provides fuel for cooking and heating and can be a source of income for poor households; trees protect soils, crops and animals from the sun and winds, while forests are often rich in biodiversity.

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Buhari, 36 governors: ‘Devote 5% of security votes on child malnutrition’

NaijaAgroNet:

The President, Muhammadu Buhari and all the 36 State Governors have been enjoined to devote, at least, five per cent of their security votes to the fight against child malnutrition in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Participants at the a two-day Media Dialogue on Child Malnutrition organized by UNICEF in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture for media practitioners, nutritionists and other stakeholders in Nigeria, in Owerri, Imo State made this call.

For participants, there could be no greater threat to the country than the one posed by severe child malnutrition which puts the lives of over 2.5 million innocent children on the line annually.

They also noted that government at all levels should create a specific budget line for Nutrition and ensure prompt release of funds.

Participants equally urged the government to ensure the availability of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs) in every state for urgent interventions in cases of emergency.

In addition, they advocated for government to create enabling environment for local production of RUTFs to minimize cost.

According to participants, with more attention given to the prevention of malnutrition to avoid its irreversible consequences such as stunted growth and poor brain development, it is important to important to see malnutrition as part of security for the larger society through provision of at least 5 per cent withdrawn from the supposed ‘security votes’ which comes in various colour across the country.

To this end, participants pointed out that consumption of bio-fortified foods should be encouraged especially among young mothers and children.

While producers of flour, salt, vegetable oil and sugar should be closely monitored by the various regulatory agencies to ensure they are fortified with vitamin A and iodine.

The participants, further called on corporate bodies and individuals should also endeavour to devote part of their earnings to support the global efforts towards eradication of child malnutrition.

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ANEC 2016 goes to Rivers State with agriculture, investment topping agenda

NaijaAgroNet:

The 12^th edition of the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) is headed to oil-rich Rivers State with top on the agenda being agriculture and investment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The five-day conference slated for August 3 through 7 in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State comes with the theme: Economic Diversification: Agriculture as Option for a Prosperous Nigeria.

The Acting President of the Guild of Editors, Funke Egbemode, said no fewer than 300 Nigerian editors, a collection of mainstream farmers, agriculture financiers, policy-makers and captains of industry would be expected to grace the event.

“The sole emphasis on agriculture for this year’s conference was in response to the falling price of crude oil at the international market which has automatically reduced government’s earnings and revenue base. This is the first the conference is focusing on agriculture in the most pragmatic sense and it is meant to draw the nation’s attention to the limitless opportunities that abound in agriculture” Egbemode said.

She also quoted the host Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, as saying in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet that the conference would afford the state the opportunity to showcase its investment potentials.

According to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, Wike noted that the conference would be a fitting platform to partner with editors and the media to consolidate development in both the state and the nation at large.

Wike pointed out that the state is hosting several national and international events as a demonstration of the fact that Rivers State is an investors’ destination, stressing that the state is peaceful and the people hospitable.

“Hosting this year’s conference will also make the editors witness first-hand the development projects and programmes of my administration which has improved the living standard of the people,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the All Nigeria Editors’ Conference is the largest gathering of Nigerian editors and has become a watering hole of ideas that shaped government policies and programmes over the years, with the maiden edition held in 2004 at Ada, in Osun State.

Also, ANEC had previously attracted both local and foreign speakers as well as editors from organizations such as the West African Editors Forum (WAEF), the African Editors Forum (TAEF), the World Editors Forum (WEF) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

This year’s edition has been tailored primarily to focus on agriculture as a counterfoil to the dwindling receipts from crude oil.  Speakers include a rich mix of practicing farmers, agriculture financiers and policy-makers.

The Founder of HoneySuckle PTL Ventures, Mosunmola Cynthia Umoru, would speak on Agriculture as Panacea for Unemployment while Mr. Kola Adeniji of Niji Farms would talk on Agriculture as a Foreign Exchange Earner.

The Chief Executive of Bank of Agriculture, Professor Danbala Danju would be explaining the 'Role of Banks in Agriculture Financing while Kano-based farmer, Muhammad Abubakar, the Managing Director of L&Z Integrated Farms would experientially explore the topic: Making the Most of Agriculture Value Chain.

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AU identifies priority actions for sustainable small-scale fisheries

NaijaAgroNet:

The Head of NEPAD’s Natural Resources Governance Programme, Dr Hamady Diop, has said that they have identified priority actions for sustainable development of small-scale fisheries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Diop made this known at an AU-IBAR and NEPAD Agency’s joint side-event on Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa, held in Rome recently.

“The Policy Framework and Reform Strategy acknowledges the diversity of uses of fish resources and advocates a broad, inclusive approach to fisheries management and aquaculture development,” he said.

Diop also noted that the priority is a blue print for fisheries and aquaculture to effectively contribute to Africa’s transformational goals.

He pointed out that Africa’s priority actions for the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries include strengthening the governance of the sector; improving the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food and nutritional security, and wealth creation; as well as reducing the susceptibility of small-scale fisheries to climate change and related risks.

In the case of aquaculture, priority actions, he said, among others include establishing an enabling environment; improving service delivery; capacity building; trans-boundary ecosystem management for aquaculture, and; innovation, which also entails research and development.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa addresses  conservation and sustainable resource use; Small scale fisheries development, Sustainable aquaculture development, Responsible and equitable fish trade and marketing, Strengthened regional and sub regional cooperation, Awareness Enhancing and human capacity development and High seas fisheries.

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Acute child malnutrition in Nigeria no longer for North-East only

NaijaAgroNet:

Stakeholders in the health, especially on children welfare have raised alarmed that acute child malnutrition in Nigeria is no longer problem of North-East, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This alarm was contained in the communique issued in Owerri after a two-day  Media Dialogue on Child Malnutrition organized by UNICEF in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture for media practitioners, nutritionists and other stakeholders in Nigeria.

The event which held with the theme “Good nutrition- An investment for the future” at the end of the deliberations at De Legend Hotel, Owerri, Imo State, participants noted that child malnutrition is on the rise in Nigeria despite concerted efforts by government, UNICEF and other development partners to combat it.

They stated that more worrisome was the fact that cases of acute child malnutrition, contrary to erroneous perceptions in some quarters, are no longer a problem of only the North East and parts of North West affected by insurgency.

“Acute child malnutrition now cuts across every state in Nigeria, as there are confirmed and shocking cases of malnutrition in other states of the country,” part of the communique read.

For them, government should declare a state of emergency on child malnutrition as findings and researches have shown that over 2.5 million children suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) annually in Nigeria with about 20 per cent of them at the risk of imminent death unless there is quick intervention.

They also call on the Nigerian government to show more commitment towards the global efforts against child malnutrition, stressing that government at all levels should do more to complement the efforts of UNICEF and other development partners in fighting child malnutrition in the country.

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Pix: Baby Daniel Osuagwu ... a malnutrioushed child from Imo State

Fisheries contribute 1.26% to Africa GDP – Jia

NaijaAgroNet:

The Deputy Director at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Mr. Jiansan Jia, has disclosed that fisheries contributes 1.2 per cent to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Jia made this disclosure in his welcome remarks to the side event organised by the African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and the NEPAD Agency.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the event was convened at the 32nd FAO Committee on Fisheries, on 14 July in Rome, in order to share the African Union’s agenda on sustainable development and management of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture with the global community.

According to him, fish is a valuable and vital renewable resource which, if managed properly, and could provide huge benefits to both present and future generations.

African aquatic resources, he said, contributes significantly to food and nutritional security, income generation and economic welfare.

“The sector currently contributes 1.26 percent to Africa’s GDP and 6 percent to the continent’s agricultural GDP, but it could contribute so much more,” he declared.

With effective and sustainable management, Jia pointed out that aquatic resources have the potential to make even greater contributions to Africa’s economies and livelihoods.

Equally speaking, the AU-NEPAD Senior Advisor to Rome-based African Ambassadors, Ambassador Haladou Salha said priority actions have been identified.

“To this end, priority actions with clear milestones, indicators and responsibilities of stakeholders have been identified in the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa,” he said.

Salha, also pointed out the need to transform fisheries and aquaculture into a more vibrant sector as was reaffirmed by African leaders in the 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods.

“It is therefore in support of the goals of the Malabo Declaration, that the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa was developed and endorsed by the African Union Heads of State and Government.

For AU-IBAR’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Analyst, Mr. Obinna Anozie, AU-IBAR’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Analyst, presented the continental strategy’s focus on the development and management of small-scale fisheries and the development of aquaculture.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: Dr Hamady Diop (Head of NEPAD’s Natural Resources Governance Programme); Mr Obinna Anozie (AU-IBAR’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy Analyst); Ambassador Haladou Salha (AU-NEPAD Senior Advisor to Rome-based African Ambassadors)

Grazing Reserve: FG has no cattle business - South-South, South-East Legislators

NaijaAgroNet:

The Legislators from South-East and South-southern States of the Federation have asked the Federal Government (FG) to hands off the proposed bill before the National Assembly seeking for the creation of National Grazing Commission, insisting that FG has no cattle business, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The lawmakers who met in Owerri, the Imo State capital on the theme: "Alternatives to Militancy and the Harmonisation of South-East/South-South Grazing Reserve Proposals" unequivocally condemned the proposed National Grazing bill.

They insisted that it is glaring that the Federal Government thus far has no cattle business and at such should not pass a Discriminatory Law that favours cattle rearing which is a private enterprise, like any other private business.

The motions moved on the floor of the house, with all the Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in the two zones was presided over by the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Acho Ihim.

The motion on the position of the legislators of the South-East and South-south Houses of Assembly in respect of the Grazing reserves proposals and the activities of the herdsmen in the Geo-political zones, urged the Presidency among other things to step up action and direct security agencies in the country to brace up and be alive to their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property and save the people of the Geo-political zones from the hands of the marauding herdsmen. 

The response so far, they maintained, is below expectations, not proactive, and serious enough in tackling the challenges posed by the activities of the herdsmen.

They also moved for alternative measures to resolve the present dispute in the Niger Delta instead of the Militancy approach adopted by both the aggrieved people of the Niger Delta and the Federal Government.

And urged the Federal Government to reassess and revisit the performance of the Amnesty Programme, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report and the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) with a view to strengthening grey areas and improve their implementation.

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Pix: a cross section of participating lawmakers