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Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere, Coordinator and Vice President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), has said the controversial 1977 Land Use Act does not really constitute a major disincentive to farming in the country since between 85 to 90 per cent of farmers in the country are small holders who operate mainly on family land holdings.   Dr. Emmanuel Ijewere  Coordinator and Vice President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) Ijewere said the Act, however, is a major hindrance to successful commercial farming in the country because it makes freehold ownership of land impossible and only allows leases of 99 years for non-family ownership of land in the country. The NABG boss who gave the explanation recently while speaking as a guest at the monthly forum of Nigeria Association of Agriculture Journalists (NAAJ) in Lagos said the Land Use Act was intended to make land accessible for development but it has been subjected to abuse by some people in government. He disclosed that a c

Kabiru Mohammed, President of National Federation of Cowpea Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, has the Federal Government should encourage farmers to embrace organic farming by banning fertilizer imports. Speaking to newsmen at the end of a meeting of the association in Abuja recently, Mohammed said organic farming would reduce the cost of production for the farmers as the method would eliminate the need for expensive chemicals and fertilizers. He added that organic farms would save energy and protect the environment which will benefit the country in the long term. Speaking further, Mohammed said it is unfortunate that lack of tractors poses the greatest challenge to beans production in the country today. He said beans farmers found themselves such a pitiable situation because the government does not give farm equipment directly to farmers. “The government should create enabling environment for farmers by bringing in farm equipment which shoul

The price of maize has soared in the country, amid increase in the global prices of the commodity and other grains, an outlook review by Novus Agro Nig. Limited, an agro commodity price tracker, has revealed. There is over 83 per cent price increase, as a metric ton of maize now sells for N183,130 in Lagos, as against N100, 000 sold last year. The outlook, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, showed that the soaring price of maize defied a two-year market trend since January 2016. The outlook revealed that the price increase followed the rise in the Naira exchange rate to the dollar, from N225 in December 2015 to N305 in mid-January 2016. Price per mega ton of the commodity rose from between N45,000 and N50,000 in October 2015 to N65,000 in January 2016. “There is a global rise in maize prices, with spikes in Southern Africa, due to drought in 2015, with current maize contracts for March delivery in South Africa hitting $315 in this week’

Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), who has worked for two decades to transform agriculture in Africa, is the recipient of the 2017 World Food Prize.   Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Adesina is credited with significantly expanding food production in Nigeria, introducing initiatives to exponentially increase the availability of credit for smallholder farmers across Africa and galvanizing the political will to transform African agriculture. “The selection of President Akinwumi Adesina as the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate reflects both his breakthrough achievements as minister of agriculture of Nigeria and his critical role in the development of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa,” said

The Federal Government has estimated about $8 billion earnings from the export of yams to other countries if the yam export programme succeeds.   Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who gave this indication when he received the Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme in Abuja recently said the initiative would enable the country to diversify foreign exchange earnings from the oil and gas sector. According to him, Ghana is exporting yams but Nigeria is not, yet Nigeria accounts for 61 per cent of the world yam production. “This programme has to succeed; we must sell whatever we produce to the world because we are buying too much. We allowed ourselves to be deceived. “I saw figures of Ghana’s earning from yam export and their targets for the future and it was quite impressive. If Ghana can aim at a few billion dollars a year from yams, there is no reason why Nigeria cannot quadru

Two Nigerians are among the 100 young leaders selected by Bayer AG, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and agriculture, to participate in the third Youth Ag-Summit in Brussels, Belgium. The selected young leaders from Nigeria are Boris Nwachukwu, a medical student of the University of Port-Harcourt and Matthew Oguche. The summit which is in furtherance of Bayer’s Agricultural Education Programme, is being organised in partnership with Groene Kring (GK) and Fédération des Jeunes Agriculteurs (FJA) and will hold between October 9 and 13, 2017. The theme of the summit is “Feeding a Hungry Planet.” It is aimed at addressing the UN Sustainability Goals of ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Nwachukwu said: “I was in the clinic attending to a client in our facility when I got the selection mail. My spirit went wild, but I had to hold my lips from screaming: I dream of a day where n

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently organised a seminar for farmers and small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as part of its a campaign to bring more businesses into the formal economy. The theme of the seminar was “Promoting Financial System Stability and Economic Development.”   Godwin Emefiele Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria The seminar had the objective of ensuring financial inclusion for businesses in the informal economy by educating attendees on its numerous real sector intervention programmes that are designed for the promotion of citizens’ wellbeing and economic development. Hajia Khadijah Kasim, CBN’s Deputy Director, Consumer Protection, said the bank has embarked on enlightenment campaign to inform people about interventions and recent developments in the financial system. “We want to interact with you one on one. The bank’s officials are here to talk to you about rights and responsibilities of bank customers, h

Five state governors in Nigeria have endorsed a peer advisory mechanism that will enable them to monitor the implementation of their respective agricultural plans with a view to ending hunger by 2030. The states are Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Ogun and Sokoto. The peer advisory mechanism, brainchild of the Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum (NZHF), has the objective of reviewing, monitoring and advising states in Nigeria on the ways and means by which they can achieve zero hunger by 2030 using available resources. According to a communique issued at the end of the maiden edition of the NZHF in Makurdi recently, members of the NZHF which cut across the private sector, government and development partners agreed to hold advisory meetings every quarter across the states. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Goodwill Ambassador and Chairman of NZHF is optimistic that more states will join the peer advisory mechanism in due course. Dr

Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, has advised the Federal Government to sign up for the African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment (ENABLE) youth programme and become the third African country after Cameroon and Sudan to benefit from funds under the AfDB Feed Africa initiative. The ENABLE youth programme is modelled after the highly successful International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Youth Agripreneur (IYA) programme. By signing up, business opportunities and decent employment along priority agricultural value chains of various enterprises will be created for 1,000 young women and men across the country. Speaking during a visit to IITA in Ibadan recently, Adeosun said the Federal Government should work on how it can roll out the programme nationally. “We came here - IITA - to assess a project (ENABLE Youth). From what I have seen today, I am extremely impressed and inspired!” Dr Nteranya Sanginga, Director General

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has said the Federal Government is committed to putting an end to the rejection of agricultural exports from the country in the international market.   Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development The minister who was speaking recently in Abuja on plans to commence export of certified yams to the UK and US later this month said the government has embarked on various initiatives and interventions to ensure the success of the plan. Describing the incidences of rejection of Nigerian commodity and produce in international markets as embarrassing, Ogbeh said government’s commitment to putting an end to the state of affairs is irrevocable. He added that “The health of Nigerians is also paramount and the populace needs good quality food as well. There is nothing like Nigerian or local standards, but international standards to which we cannot but adhere in our local handling of food, consumption and

Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in Ondo State has developed strategy to increase cocoa production in the state as part of efforts to ensure that Nigeria ranks among the best producers and exporters of cocoa across the globe. Rufus Durotoye, Head of the NEPC in Ondo State, disclosed this to newsmen in Akure, the Ondo State capital, recently. He said apart from cocoa, 13 other National Strategic Export Products (NSEP) have been targeted by the NEPC as alternatives to crude oil to shore up the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Durotoye said the council had met with stakeholders across the 16 cocoa producing local government areas of the state, saying that cocoa farmers in the state have expressed their readiness to work with the council. He said “the mandate given to us is to move the quantity of cocoa production from the current 240,000 metric tonnes to 400,000 metric tonnes within the next five years and as a product specialist we must put in our best to achie

Cross River State Government has awarded N1.16 billion contract for the commencement of work on a model banana farm project in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.   Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State Source: informationng.com Prof. Anthony Eneji, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, who disclosed this in an interview recently in Calabar said the contract represents the first phase, adding that work would commence on a 100 hectares out of the 250 hectares of land allocated for the project. He said the contractor has been mobilised to site, adding that the second phase will be based in Boki Local Government Area. “The farm will grow different species of banana, and thereafter, turn them into finished products such as fruit juice, banana sweets, chips and so on,” he said. The commissioner said the state is blessed with natural crops like banana, plantain, pineapples and cucumber, among others.

Presidential Amnesty Programme has registered 500 ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region for training and empowerment in Edo College of Agriculture.   Source: Information Nigeria Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd), Coordinator and Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently said empowerment of the ex-agitators is vital to the achievement of meaningful development in the Niger Delta. Boroh said the programme will henceforth focus more on agriculture because the sector is more effective than other sectors in reducing poverty. He noted that the field of agricultural research requires brain power and one way of achieving this is by increasing the trend and numbers of youth choosing agriculture as a career. He said before industrial revolution, agriculture was the primary source of the economy for most countries including Nigeria. According to Boroh, most countries were also dependent on agriculture i

Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria has said revival of the cassava bread initiative bt the Federal Government is capable of injecting about N255 billion into the country’s economy every year. Speaking on the initiative earlier today, Mr. Joseph Ubah, Publicity Secretary of the association noted that the initiative, which involves the use of composite flour containing 10 per cent cassava flour, for baking bread, would discourage wheat export and promote cassava production in the country. Ubah lamented the inconsistency in government policies, observing that large consignments of wheat were still being imported into the country. He said a revival of the initiative was, would see the money being saved from wheat importation used to fund national development projects or tackle other pressing issues in the country. Ubah stressed that the revival of the cassava bread initiative would boost the economy and encourage cassava farmers to improve their prod

Several players in the nation’s agricultural food chain have described the recent promise by the federal government to crash the prices of rice and other foodstuffs within next two weeks as impractical and unrealistic.   Audu Ogbeh Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Firing the first salvo, Professor Victor Chude, President, Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSSN), said Nigerians are too sophisticated to fall for such a cheap gimmick, stressing that the possibility of witnessing crashing food prices in two weeks is non-existent. While dismissing the promise as a political and ambitious statement, Chude said there is a distinct possibility of prices crashing in the long run if the right actions are taken and Implemented by the government. He said, "Remember the committee had listed the high cost of transportation, poor infrastructure, particularly poor state of our roads, high cost of fuel, bottlenecks on our highways, multiple control post, ravaging pest

Beans are one of the foods which the body needs for optimal growth.  Rich in B vitamins and folic acid, beans contain minerals including iron, selenium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, and have high fibre content. Beans belong to the family of crops referred to as legumes. There are many varieties of beans but the type used in preparing Nigerian beans recipes are the kidney shaped black eyed beans and the brown beans. The demand for beans is high in all parts of the country. Requirements For Beans Farming In order to guarantee high return on investment, land area of five hectares and above is recommended. In case of insufficient fund, one can acquire land with long lease. Beans don’t grow well in areas with too much rain. The crop requires moderate but well distributed rainfall of about 300 to 400 mm per crop cycle. Dry weather is essential during harvest while prolonged dry conditions or extreme wetness is harmful to the crop. Climbing types will yield well in

Olam International has updated the Olam Farmer Information System (OFIS), giving 100,000 smallholder farmers access to detailed information about their farms. Each farm has been mapped and surveyed with an Android app. The collected data offers tailored support to smallholders and more precise details to customers making critical choices about financial interventions, such as agri-training, school or healthcare infrastructure. OFIS Director Simon Brayn-Smith emphasizes the platform’s capability in helping all participants in the supply chain. “You have to remember that while big data usage is commonplace among large-scale farms, our field officers are working in some of the world’s most isolated places,” he says. “With the OFIS technology they have been able to survey and record, on the spot, thousands of farms, the surrounding landscape, as well as the farmer’s social circumstances. This gives the farmers, Olam and our customers greater insight to tackle issues from po

Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN), the umbrella body for wheat farmers in Nigeria, has said the Federal Government should produce a national policy on wheat to encourage increased production by members of the association. Alhaji Salim Muhammad, National President of WFAN who made the call in Kano while speaking to newsmen recently noted that such a policy would provide deliberate plans and actions for decision makers in guiding farmers and guarantee improved wheat production in the country. Lamenting the continuous neglect of wheat farming by past governments, Muhammad, who is also a member of the Presidential Task Force on Wheat, said it is unfortunate that the government has failed to provide any form of support to wheat farmers in this year’s farming season. He recommended that the proposed policy should encompass wheat processing, packaging and marketing for effectiveness and efficiency. In his contribution, Alhaji Farouk Rabiu, Chairman, All Farmers A

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that, between 1962 and 1968, Nigeria’s major foreign exchange earner was the agricultural sector. Palm oil and groundnuts made up around 47% of the country’s exports. However, Nigeria’s position as an agricultural powerhouse has declined as oil gained prominence in Africa’s largest economy. “The oil sector represents 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria but accounts for 98% of the foreign exchange earnings of the country and 80% of the revenues for the government,” says the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina. Following the crash in crude oil prices, agriculture is slowly emerging as a remedy for the economic woes of Nigeria. “We have to provide counter cyclical reports. Nigeria is too big to fail. We will support Nigeria with a $1-billion support program and a number of policy reforms that have to be done to rejig the economy and we have coordinated with others on thi

Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the high rate of smuggling of agricultural products into the country as economic sabotage.   Senate President Bukola Saraki A statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr Chuks Okocha, recently in Abuja, noted that Saraki said this to a delegation from the Poultry Farmers’ Association of Nigeria when they paid him a courtesy visit. “We all know that about 40 per cent to 50 per cent of poultry products are still being smuggled into the country and this is bad. Something needs to be done about it. Nigeria Customs must sit up because it is an economic sabotage. “It is now that we must stop this smuggling particularly on agricultural products like rice and chicken. We will take this up aggressively. Without that, we are only wasting our time. Nothing we are going to do at this level in support of agriculture if products are still going to be smuggled in. “Chicken is still being smuggled in and rice as well. This is

Members of various civil society groups recently staged a rally at the main entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja to demand an end to the planned introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into Nigeria's foods and farming scheme.   Olusola Saraki Senate President They carried placards inscribed with 'March Against Poison’ while their leaders entered the assembly grounds to submit a petition for a repeal of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act signed into law in April 2015 by former President Goodluck Jonathan. The petition dated June 7 and addressed to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that the Act had become a law for permitting the entry of GMOs into the country rather than secure the bio-safety of Nigerians. The petition was signed by Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Home of Mother Earth Foundation; Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Convener of Nigerians Against GMOs; Jackie Ikotuonye, Country Representative,

Members of the House of Representatives have condemned the heavy reliance on importation of food items into the country in spite of the availability of vast arable lands. It is estimated that Nigerians spend over $10 billion to import food items every year.   Yakubu Dogara Speaker, House of Representatives The House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions made the denunciation at a public hearing on three bills namely: a bill for an Act to amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act; a bill for an Act to establish the Universities of Veterinary Teaching Hospital and a bill for an Act to establish Nigerian Agricultural Associations. The committee urged the executive arm of the government to ensure food sufficiency in the country through a deliberate policy that will reposition the agricultural sector for sustainable productivity. Honourable Linus Okorie, Chairman of the House Committee, identified underfunding as the major cause of the challenges fac

In order to boost agriculture, create wealth and jobs in the Edo State, the Edo State House of Assembly has given the go-ahead to the state government to secure loan facilities of N11 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other sources.   Godwin Obaseki (right), Edo State Governor According to the state government, N6 billion will be provided by the CBN under the Anchor Borrower’s Scheme while the remaining N5 billion will help finance agriculture related projects in the state. Farmers in the state will be encouraged to access loans under the Anchor Borrower’s Scheme. The state government will use the remainder to develop 5,000 hectares of farms and establish five greenhouses for tomatoes and vegetables as well as 120 fish ponds. In addition to approving the loans, the assembly also approved the governor’s request to access the Federal Government Special Intervention on Fertilizer programme. This scheme aims to make fertilizer more available to farmers and

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has said the Federal Government is unable to pay compensation of nearly N2 billion to hundreds of poultry farmers affected by bird flu attack because the budget has not been signed into law. Speaking on the menace of pests on farms at a meeting with the 36 state commissioners for agriculture and representative of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ogbeh described the situation as a national catastrophe, saying apart from the bird flu attack pests have destroyed maize, cocoa, rice and cotton, among other crops on farms across the country. He disclosed that the government needs a total sum of N1, 813, 893, 320 to compensate owners of over 800 poultry farms affected by the bird flu attack, adding that 81 poultry farmers had yet to submit their claims. He said efforts are underway to persuade the Budget Office and Federal Ministry of Finance to help provide the needed funds to pay poultry farmers’ compensati

As part of efforts to expand its research agenda and create impact at farm level, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) recently inaugurated a new research station in Ago-Owu in Osun State. The Ago-Owu research station, is located in Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State, will primarily serve as a research and training facility that will back the state’s agricultural programmes and offer training support to the youth. Nteranya Sanginga, Director General of IITA, said, “This research facility is part of our strategy to take research closer to the people. Our plan is to make this station a one-stop shop where farmers’ needs will be addressed,” he said. Under the refreshed IITA strategy, IITA plans to lift 11 million people out of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020 and to reclaim 7.5 million hectares of degraded land and put the land into sustainable use. Achieving this goal entails IITA expanding its partnership scope and strengthening old pa