Anambra can feed Africa - CBN

NaijaAgroNet:

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commended the Anambra State government over what it tagged  the capacities of becoming Africa’s food basket, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The Director, Development Finance Department, CBN, represented by the bank’s Awka controller, Mr. C.M. Sokari assured the state and participants at the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) in Anambra State, in Awka, that several intervention programmes have been floated by the government.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that CBN in collaboration with the Federal Government is diversifying the nation’s economy from crude oil.

The launch of the programme, he said would reposition agriculture in the country.

“To fund the programme, the CBN had set aside N40 billion from the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund for farmers at a single-digit rate of nine per cent.

“…Nigeria, as we may all know, is a mjor rice producer with over 20 key rice producing states in the country most of which cultivate during both wet and dry seasons. Rice is one crop in which the country has comparative advantage to easily become self-sufficient, given the huge potentials that exist.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria has set the ball rolling and shown commitment to this programme and, therefore, expects that farmers and all relevant stakeholders in Anambra State would reciprocate by contributing their very best towards ensuring the successful implementation of this laudable programme,” he said.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Malnutrition: Why Aisha Buhari got involved?

NaijaAgroNet:

Indications have emerged on why the wife of President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari recently got involved in issues surrounding malnutrition in the country, NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that on Thursday, July 21, 2016, she launched an advocacy campaign ‘Get Involved’ under her Future Assured project, aimed at contributing to the acceleration of efforts to end preventable maternal, new born and child deaths.

This, NaijaAgroNet gathered, was to strengthen the accountability mechanisms in order to enhance the peace and development of the country.

The “Get Involved” NaijaAgroNet noted serves as quick interventionist programme which focuses on preventing annual death of thousands of malnourished Nigerian children living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the country.

The project, NaijaAgroNet learnt, envisaged the active participation of civil society, private sector and non-governmental organizations in response to the alarming outbreak of malnutrition in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, believing that jointly there will be a better Nigeria.

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Paris Agreement edges toward enforcement

VIDEO: Paris Agreement edges toward enforcement - World leaders gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York to bring the Paris Agreement closer toward entry into force. Here’s a summary of how far it has come.

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$5m vote to combat rogue fishery says FAO

NaijaAgroNet:

The sum of $5 million, about N157,6247,836.60 to combat rogue fishery according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Graziano da Silva disclosed this at the Our Ocean Conference in the United States capital, said, FAO has secured $5 million for this global programme, including funding from the organization's own resources.

FAO is also collaborating with Google to develop new platforms and research methodologies to support countries in improving their monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities.

Each year, illegal, he said, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is responsible for annual catches of up to 26 million tonnes, with a value of up to USD 23 billion.

This, he also said, undermines efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries and responsible fish stock management around the world.

In order to boost small-scale fisheries, Graziano da Silva highlighted to participants the need to increase support for small-scale fisheries on which 110 million people - 97 per cent of them in developing countries - depend for their livelihoods.

"They are among the poorest communities in the world and they risk to be further marginalized," the FAO Director-General warned.

He invited donors to support an ongoing FAO initiative that is aimed at providing policy support, promoting the sharing of experiences and empowering small-scale fisheries communities in the context of poverty eradication. Some $2.5 million have already been secured for this work, but more support is needed.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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Ghana chefs plan Happi Festival 2016

NaijaAgroNet:

Ghanaian Chefs have concluded plans to host a weeklong African Chefs United Haapi Festival, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A press statement from the interim committee of the Chefs Association Ghana (CAC) under the auspices of Ghana Tourism Federation and Ghana Tourism Authority invite the public to the  African Chefs United HAAPI  Festival –Ghana 2016,a project that celebrates Africa’s indigenous food, exotic drinks, arts and heritage.

Hospitality All African People Imbizo is an initiative of Chef Citrum Khumalo, founder of African Chefs United and was launched in Johannesburg on 19^th September, 2008.

The aim of the festival, NaijaAgroNet is to address some of the critical aspects of African heritage in the way food and beverages.

Also, NaijaAgroNet reports that nutrition and biodiversity will ensure that tourism is positioned as the best in the world.

This programme, NaijaAgroNet further reports would enhance skills development, create network and social cohesion amongst African culinary professionals as well as career guidance to young people.

“The objectives of HAAPI 2016 is to unite Africans, create the African festive atmosphere and improve interaction between African culinary specialists.

HAAPI GHANA 2016 is scheduled to take place officially from Mon. 26^th-29^th September, 2016.

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D-G urges effective implementation of global anti-rogue fishing treaty

NaijaAgroNet:

The recent entry into force of a ground-breaking international accord on illegal fishing is a welcome development but it now requires "strong and effective implementation", says Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva, reports NaijaAgroNet.  

In his speech at the Our Ocean Conference in the United States capital, Graziano da Silva lauded the signatories of the FAO-brokered Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA).

Also, da Silva provided United States Secretary of State John Kerry with an update on the status of the treaty, which came into force in June.

"In 2014 only 10 nations had ratified the PSMA," Kerry noted in his conference address. "All of us then decided that we could do better and we did ... because more than 60 nations have now ratified the PSMA and that is critical," he said, urging all other countries to follow suit in adhering to the treaty.

"We need everyone to come onboard, otherwise rogue fishing vessels will continue to find ways to land and introduce their illegal catches into the markets of non-PSMA countries," da Silva said.

He likened adherence to the treaty to the international community's commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "a situation in which no one can be left behind."

NaijaAgroNet recalls that under the treaty, parties are obliged to implement a number of measures while managing ports under their control, to detect illegal fishing, preventing ill-caught fish from being offloaded and sold, and ensuring that information on unscrupulous vessels is shared globally.

FAO has launched a global programme to support countries with the implementation of the treaty and complimentary instruments, Graziano da Silva said. These include the Voluntary Guidelines on Flag State Performance, which spell out a range of actions that countries can take to ensure that vessels registered under their flags do not conduct illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

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Pix: FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva

NEPAD says support for under-5 children, mothers dynamics to achieving 2025 zero hunger

NaijaAgroNet:

The Senior Advisor on Programme Development to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Mr. Martin Bwalya, has said that support for under-5 children and mothers as one of the dynamics of achieving zero hunger on the continent by 2025, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Bwalya said this at the formal launch of the Zero Hunger Report 2025 by NEPAD in conjunction with Pardee Center for International Futures in Pretoria, South Africa, outlining some conditions that must be met in order for Africa to realise this goal.

As said by him, the demand side on agriculture produce is increasing access, including incomes, consumer subsidies, prices, school feeding programmes, support to under-5 children and mothers, as well as pregnant women.

This, he said will not happen without the supply side which is productivity and production by way of expansion of cropland, yield increase, livestock heads and reduction of post-harvest losses.

Bwalya pointed out that overall, the food availability needs to be increased by 437 million metric tonnes by 2025 or 47 per cent of current demand.

“To do this requires cropland to increase by 1.5 per cent; crop yields need to increase by 3.2 per cent, and livestock head size needs to increase by 5.8 per cent year,” he said.

Insisting that in order for Africa to attain its goal by 2025, a wide range of actions by different actors to bring about the necessary substantial change in the dynamics of demand and supply is requisite, just as any efforts to eliminate hunger will have to factor in robust risk assessments, including climate change.

Corroborating Bwalya, the Regional Director for World Food Programme in Johannesburg, Chris Nikoi, emphasized that “If we continue on the current trajectory, we will not be able to achieve the Malabo Declaration target of ending hunger by 2025 and eliminating child stunting. Conditions for success include political will, as well as addressing the challenges of the impact of climate change and weather shocks.”

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Pix: Senior Advisor on Programme Development to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Mr. Martin Bwalya

Indonesia’s first certified timber enters Europe

NaijaAgroNet:

Indonesia and the European Union (EU) have signed a agreement to issue the world's first Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) timber licence as a major achievement in the fight against illegal logging, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This is coming as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has given its support to the initiative to combat illegal logging and boosts sustainable livelihoods.

NaijaAgroNet also reports that as of 15 November, the FLEGT licence could accompany shipments of timber exported from Indonesia to EU member states to certify that the timber has been harvested, transported, processed and traded according to Indonesian law.

"Indonesia has taken important steps to strengthen forest governance, combat illegal logging, modernize its forest sector, and improve business practices," said Robert Simpson of FAO's FLEGT Programme, which supports tropical timber-producing countries engaged in FLEGT initiatives.

"In addition to helping to limit the environmental damage caused by illegal logging, demonstrating timber legality opens the door to promoting the sustainable livelihoods of forest communities and increasing access to international wood markets," he said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that Indonesia supplies one third of tropical timber imports by value to the EU, one of the world's largest consumers of timber products. Since 2013, the EU Timber Regulation has prohibited European companies from placing illegal timber and timber products on the EU market.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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NEPAD, Pardee: Zero Hunger in Africa by 2025 is possible

NaijaAgroNet:

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has reiterated determination of Africa Union on the possibility of having zero hunger in the next nine years, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The NEPAD Agency’s CEO, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, gave this indication on the premise of the goals set in the 2014 Malabo Declaration through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), is ending hunger in Africa by 2025.

Speaking in Pretoria, South Africa at the unveiling of the Zero hunger in Africa by 2025 in collaboration Pardee Center for International Futures, he noted that nearly one in five people is hungry, even as hunger has decreased steadily since the mid-1990s, due to population growth, but has actually increased in absolute numbers.

In addition, Mayaki said, net food imports since the early 1990s have grown to about 14 per cent of the total demand, maintaining that one of the goals set in the 2014 Malabo Declaration through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), is ending hunger in Africa by 2025.

He emphasised that success in Africa will therefore be through regional integration, be it in ending hunger, agriculture or infrastructure, highlighting the major levers in policies, investments, technologies as well as human and institutional capacities necessary to sustain desired levels of supply and demand-access to food.

“We cannot continue doing business as we are doing it today, since growth in Africa has not been inclusive enough. We need improved capacity to implement various interventions to do things differently if we are to deliver on Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the goal of eliminating hunger by 2025,” Dr. Mayaki underscored.

Dr Lindiwe Sibanda , CEO of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), noted that hunger affects women and children disproportionately, while women are the backbone of agriculture in Africa.

“The face of hunger in Africa is that 32 percent of under-5 children are stunted – the numbers have stagnated instead of going down. If the cognitive capacity of children in Africa is reduced for life, who are the future leaders for the continent? Agriculture needs to be more nutrition sensitive. Hidden hunger challenges are therefore critical and need to be addressed,” Dr. Sibanda said.

Speaking at the same event, Lynette Chen, CEO of the NEPAD Business Foundation also maintained that food security and the trajectory of economic growth need to be balanced with nutrition sensitive agriculture.

During the launch of the report on ending hunger in Africa, it was recognised that while the goal of eliminating hunger by 2025 might be very ambitious, it is not impossible. Steve Hedden, Research System Developer from Pardee Center maintained that how we define hunger will dictate how we get there and how we reach our targets.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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CTA's AgriBusiness TV showcases 3 videos

NaijaAgroNet:

Video 1: Burkina Faso - Maths teacher and farmer

Francis Wendpanga IMA, 34 years, is the director of the college of Bagré (Centre-East of Burkina). He is also involved in crop and livestock farming, as well as the transformation of rice.

Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/2csn9db

Video 2: Mali - Taking over the abandoned family farm

Hawaou Mariko, holds a degree in enterprise management. In 2014, she takes over the abandoned family farm, and makes it a diversified agricultural enterprise. 

Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/2coV1UP

Video 3: Mauritius - Joining forces to build a business empire

Two brothers, Magen and Kanen Chinatamby founded a company to supply high quality fruits and vegetables in Mauritius. 

Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/2bX1uoQ

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