Cotton farmers get improved seeds from RMRDC

Cotton farmers under the aegis of National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) have received four metric tonnes of improved cottonneseeds from the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).


Dr. Hussaini Doko Ibrahim, Director-General of the council, while addressing the farmers at the official ceremony held at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, recently, said the council was concerned by the declining performance of the Cotton, Textiles and Garment sector (CTG), and was, therefore, motivated to continue boosting cotton production. He said this was to enable idle ginneries starved of cotton seed to come back to operation.

“In continuation of the boosting programme, RMRDC presented 5.82 tonnes of cotton seeds to farmers in 2015 and 4.3 tonnes of improved cotton seeds (SAMCOT 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13) to all cotton farmers under the umbrella of National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) in 2016. The council is today providing additional four tonnes of cotton seeds (Samcot 8, 9 and 10) to farmers under the umbrella of the National Cotton Growers Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) for this year’s planting season,” he said.

Dr. Ibrahim lamented that out of the 54 ginneries available in Nigeria, only 22 were functioning, albeit at very low capacity utilisation. He added that this trend had a spirally limiting effect on the cotton value chain development locally, culminating in the folding up of several textile industries (83) between 1995 and 2017, and leaving only 23 functioning at low capacity utilisation.

“Ginning capacity of the existing ginneries is about 650,000 tonnes of seed cotton but current production is less than 60,000 tonnes per annum; representing about 10 per cent capacity utilisation,” he stressed.

In an effort to achieve economic diversification, the government has tried to revive cotton production through the activities of the Presidential Committee on Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG).

The director also said there was enormous potential associated with the entire cotton value chain. He, therefore, challenged the private sector, ginners, farmers and all stakeholders to assist in mass production of cotton seeds in order to meet national demand.

President of NACOTAN, represented by the National Secretary-General, Alhaji Hassan Buhari, expressed gratitude to RMRDC and other relevant stakeholders for making cotton seeds available to NACOTAN for the 2017 planting season.

He, however, challenged government to assist in the area of cotton market to enable cotton farmers market their produce easily.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Agric forum to encourage greater technology use by women

Image
Organizers of a one-day agricultural forum for women in Benin, the Edo State capital, have said the event will focus on increasing the awareness of available agricultural and outreach technologies for women in agriculture. The forum which will be anchored by Market Development Programme in the Niger Delta (MADE) with funding from UK Aid, is collaborating with Markets II, funded by USAID and Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, PIND and the Edo State Cooperative Farmers’ Agency is being held for womenas part of activities to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. Mr. Fidelis Ekom, MADE’s Communications and Advocacy Manager, in a statement at the weekend said the forum also seeks to facilitate mindset change for women in the adoption of modern technologies and to facilitate engagement between women in agriculture and relevant value chain actors. Ekom said the forum will bring together women farmers in aquaculture, cassava, palm oil, poultry, hon
Read more

7 FEPSAN members to produce 1m tonnes under Presidential Fertiliser Initiative

Image
Seven active blending companies within the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have been revived and are among the 1st of five batches that would produce 1 million tonnes of fertiliser under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, Thomas Etuh, President of FEPSAN has said. Etuh who disclosed this while speaking on Presidential Fertiliser Initiative noted that most of the plants owned by FEPSAN members are being revived after being dormant for over a decade. He expressed the hope that more plants would join the initiative before the end of April “Some of the blending plants which have already been supplied with raw materials including phosphate from Morocco and are blending include Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd, Kaduna, producing 300,000 metric tonnes; Al-Yuma Fertilizer Company (300,000 metric tonnes) in Madobi-Kano; Kano Agricultural Supply Company, supplying 15 trailers daily and Golden Fertiliser based in Lagos. “Others blending plants ha
Read more

Saudi investors identify Kwara as host for proposed Agric City

Image
In a move that will further boost food security in Nigeria and contribute to the diversification agenda of the government, Zain Al-abdin Group, an investment company based in Saudi Arabia, has announced plans to set up a multi-purpose Agric City in Kwara State. Speaking to newsmen at the end of his visit to the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed in Ilorin, Zain Al-Abdin Nafawi, Chairman of Zain Al-abdin Group said the city or settlement will comprise a cluster of farms specialising in cultivation, processing and export of rice, maize and vegetables. Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, Governor, Kwara State   Governor Ahmed in his welcome speech to the Saudi delegation noted that the multimillion dollar investment is in line with the state government’s plan to broaden the state’s economy, feed the people and provide feed stock for industries. He expressed delight at the decision of the Saudi group to invest in Kwara State. Nafawi who led the delegation including other
Read more