Agriculture
IFAD commits $604.6m in Nigerian agric sector
IFAD commits $604.6m in Nigerian agric sector
By: Our Reporter
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said it has directly invested 604.6 million dollars in Nigeria’s Agricultural sector through domestic and international co-financing from 2016 to 2023.
It said that 5,144,805 persons across 28 states of the country benefitted from viable interventions initiated by the programme.
Mr Abdulhameed Girai, the Monitoring and Evaluation Adviser, FGN/CPAT-Country Programme Advisory Team, disclosed this on Thursday in Maiduguri at a two-day Regional Consultative workshop for Nigeria’s 2024-2029 project.
He said the beneracieries benefited under its Country Strategic Opportunities programme (COSOP) in the past severn years.
According to him, IFAD is providing viable interventions to support farmers and facilitate sustainable agricultural development in the country.
He listed the programmes to include: Value Chain Development Program (VCDP); the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise Programme (LIFE-ND, and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ).
He said the beneficiaries had also benefited from other IFAD’s intervention such as Creating Employment Opportunities for Rural Youths in Africa and support to integrate agribusiness hubs in Nigeria.
“Youth Empowerment in Agri-Business and Sustainable Agriculture Projects (YEASA), Promoting Sustainable Cage Agriculture in West Africa (proSCAWA) as well as Agricultural Transformation in Nigeria towards achieving zero hunger initiative.
“FGN/IFAD projects have supported and strengthened 4,464 farmer organisation’s; 51,415 rural producers; 3,761 marketing groups; 240 Community Development Associations (CDAs) and 138 Financial Saving Associations (FSAs),” he said.
He stressed that the aim of the workshop was to interact and get feedback from stakeholders, government officials, farmers and youths on how to improve the next programme for 2024-2029.
Aldo; Mr Yusuf Halliru, IFAD’s Financial Inclusion Specialist, said the exercise was designed to allow for consultations to fast track implementation of the programme.
“We are ending the one for 2016/2023 because the stakeholders need to own the document, IFAD finds it necessary to come to the regions to speak to the beneficiaries.
“We want to get the feedback of beneficiaries, stakeholders in terms of what is their expectations from the viewpoint of the farmers, women, persons with disabilities”.
Similarly; Alhaji Darma Muhammad, Programme Manager, Borno State Agricultural Development Programme, said the workshop would chart a way towards achieving greater goals of IFAD programme.
He said the programme had encouraged agricultural productivity and improved income generation of over 200,000 farmers in Borno.
IFAD commits $604.6m in Nigerian agric sector
Agriculture
Experts, CSOs Propose Bill to Outlaw Genetically Modified Crops in Nigeria
Experts, CSOs Propose Bill to Outlaw Genetically Modified Crops in Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
Coalition of Civil Societies Organisations and several agricultural experts including farmers have proposed a bill for an Act for the prohibition of Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) in Nigeria, insisting that it is to guide against degeneration of health and wellbeing of Nigerians
The experts who took turns to speak at a press conference on investigative research and public hearing on GMOs.held on Wednesday in Abuja, said the proliferation of GMOs in the country is worrisome and should be outlawed in the country.
The Programme Manager of Health of the Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) Joyce Brown lamented that the Nigeria Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) is yet to conduct any clinical trials on the GMOs being brought into the country, claiming that what is seen on their website is the applications for bringing in GMOs into the country with no assessments report to actually certify that the GMOs are safe.
She said the country does not need GMOs to solve it’s food insecurity, insisting that food insecurity is caused by poverty, insecurity, inequality among others, noting that instead of resorting to GMOs, the country should rather addressed the problems.
She however advised that looking at the country’s agricultural landscape, a sustainable approach such as agroecology should be adopted to boost food production and not GMOs
On his part, a renowned teacher and agricultural consultant, Prof Johnson Ekpere said that the previous government ratified GMO without understanding the basic precepts that guide GMO which is the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety
He stressed that the government must ensure that the basic tenets that guide this protocol is understood by those implementing the law for successful adoption and integration.
He also called on the government to set up a biosafety research facility that will help them understand what they are doing and take drastic risk assessment of our biotechnology
The Deputy Director of Center for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, Prof. Qrisstuberg Amua stated that NBMA should be a biosafety regulatory agency not a management agency, insisting that the misapplication of their names has translated them into a promoter of foreign technology that are at the detriment of Nigerians
He however warned that that the unregulated biosafety research can exercebate biosafety challenges which is what is currently manifesting in Nigeria as the chemical pesticides used are known disruptors of echo systems.
Another expert, Dr Segun Adebayo called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Federal Completion and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to rise up their duty by controlling what is being brought into the country saying Nigerians are eating poison.
A farmer Mrs Ejim Nnena insisted that farmers say No to GMO as the adoption of the technology means poverty, serious nutrition crisis among others.
She maintained that if they are given GMO seeds and cannot replant it, it is poverty in disguise adding that if they have to spray chemicals to enable the seed germinate properly that means farmers are being pushed out of the field into slavery..
She said what farmers are asking for is adequate security on the farms, extension workers to guide the, mapped out areas for farm activities, provide seed banks.
Experts, CSOs Propose Bill to Outlaw Genetically Modified Crops in Nigeria
Agriculture
ThriveAgric partners Mercy Corps to launch its first multipurpose grain cleaning and milling facility in Gombe
ThriveAgric partners Mercy Corps to launch its first multipurpose grain cleaning and milling facility in Gombe
ThriveAgric, a leading agri-tech company committed to advancing food security in Africa in collaboration with Mercy Corps has unveiled its Multipurpose Grain Facility project in Nasarawo Industrial Layout in Gombe State.
The project, which is under the Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity (RRA) initiative is intended to enhance the local economy, empower smallholder farmers and improve the agricultural value chain.
It Is also expected to contribute to Nigeria’s self-sufficiency and economic diversification goals.
As part of the project, a multipurpose rice cleaning and milling facility was established at the layout.
Inaugurating the facility on Wednesday, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State who was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, Dr Barnabas Malle, said that the facility would help to reduce post-harvest losses.
Yahaya said that such losses often caused huge financial losses to smallholder farmers.
He said that the project would complement the State Government’s commitment toward strengthening agriculture and enhancing the lives of smallholder farmers.
He said that rice production plays a crucial role in food security and local livelihoods.
“Our farmers have often faced serious challenges, from post- harvest losses to limited access to modern facilities.
“This new facility, made possible through the collaborative efforts of ThriveAgric and Mercy Corps under the RRA, is a direct response to these challenges.
“It will enhance our ability to process rice efficiently, improve the quality of our yields, and minimise losses that impact both income and food availability.
“This is a catalyst for economic growth as this facility is set to create value addition to the commodity,” he said.
The governor commended ThriveAgric and Mercy Corps for their support, adding that it would reduce poverty and ensure farmers get good returns on their investment.
The Chief Executive Officer of ThriveAgric, Mr Uka Eje, said the initiative was one of the many partnerships aimed at supporting smallholder farmers through value addition.
Eje said that value addition remains a necessary tool to helping farmers to earn more from their labour.
According to him, the project launch symbolises ThriveAgric’s commitment to building an Africa that feeds itself and the world, adding that “by enabling local processing, we’re addressing a core challenge in the agricultural value chain – post-harvest losses while empowering farmers with the tools needed to produce high-quality grains that command better market prices.
“For us, we want to make sure that the farmers are rightly incentivised to go back to farming in order to earn more.
“Agriculture is beyond a cultural activity, it is largely commerce and through this work and initiative, we want to ensure that it is profitable commerce for the smallholder farmers.
“This launch is a groundbreaking achievement as ThriveAgric’s first multipurpose grain cleaning and milling facility.
“We’re not just building infrastructure; we’re creating a sustainable solution that positions Nigerian agriculture for greater economic impact and resilience,” he said.
He said that the rice processing facility would impact 20,000 farmers directly and indirectly.
Also, the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager of Mercy Corps, Mr Shadrack Gideon, said that the initiative was business model to help drive investment into the state.
Gideon further said that the move would improve smallholder farmers’ incomes, hence he urged them to embrace the initiative.
A rice farmer from Billiri, Mrs Blessing Stephen, said the initiative would greatly assist smallholder farmers, reduce wastage during rice processing, improve rice quality and farmers’ incomes.
Stephen said: “I am happy that we now have this facility where we can clean and process our rice to look like foreign one, this will help us to sell them quickly with more profits.
“It usually took me months to process 100 bags of paddy rice manually.
“And because of the stress, I ended up selling them at give away prices, but now within days I can process all my paddies.”
Our Correspondent reports that the multipurpose grain cleaning and milling facility which is a state-of-the-art facility with a processing capacity of 15-20 metric tonnes will enhance the quality of grains such as rice, maize, and millet by removing impurities like stones and dirt.
The advanced equipment, including temperature and humidity control systems will also ensure that farmers can access premium markets with a projected income increase of up 30 per cent.
With over 50 local job opportunities directly created through the new facility, and an additional boost for agri-SMEs engaged with the One-Stop Shops, the project is set to drive economic empowerment, especially for women and youth.
ThriveAgric partners Mercy Corps to launch its first multipurpose grain cleaning and milling facility in Gombe
Agriculture
Farmers Harvesting Unripe Sorghum, other Farm Products in Yobe
Farmers Harvesting Unripe Sorghum, other Farm Products in Yobe
By: Kolo Gulani
There’s no doubt, Yobe State Government has been trying in terms of security of lives and properties in the state since the assumption of Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON and beyond.
Recall that in 2019, Gov. Buni donates security patrol vehicles to NDLEA, NAFDAC and other security agencies mainly to rid the state of the problem of drug abuse and the use of unwholesome products, especially among the youths.
It’s also worth to mention that the state government had also donated 30 Toyota Hilux vehicles for security surveillance to the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in the state.
The governor made the donation while constituting ‘Haba Maza Squad’ involving Nigerian Police and other security agencies aimed at ensuring peace and security across the state.
Meanwhile, we have to also commend the establishment of Operation Haba Maza as they have tried their possible best in safeguarding the state.
Unfortunately, in the recent days, there are some lingering problems that the attention of Yobe State Government has to be drawn. The issue of farmer/herder conflicts which forced many farmers harvesting unripe sorghum and other farm products in the state.
It’s found out that many farmlands were destroyed by the herders in various local government areas in the state more particularly, Gulani and Gujba. The menace is yet to be curbed despite the efforts made by the state government, traditional rulers and concerned authorities in deploying security personnel to various areas as well as constituting dialogue.
Findings also revealed that there are cases of robbing the vulnerable people inside keke, burglary and theft in the Damaturu metropolis.
Farmers Harvesting Unripe Sorghum, other Farm Products in Yobe
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