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Mr Emeka Edeh, Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture, said the state government has decided to focus more on the agriculture sector in a bid to fast-track the state’s economic development. Disclosing this in Enugu recently, Edeh said the state government will invest massively in areas where it has comparative advantages in the agricultural value chain. “We are promoting livestock, vegetable and agro-processing and these are very important aspects of the value chains. “What we are doing is adding value to produce processing and marketing; that is why we want to key into value chain development,’’ he said. Besides, the commissioner said the state government was involved in cassava production and processing, adding that the government was similarly developing other crops in which it had comparative advantages. He said the state government had been mobilising farmers to partake in all its agricultural programmes.

National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has said plans are underway to train 600 graduates under a job creation scheme known as the Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS). Mr. Edumund Onwuliri, Deputy Director Information and Public Relations of NDE, who disclosed this in Abuja recently said the scheme would be tested in 19 states of the federation and the FCT to enhance food production, employment and wealth creation. Onwuliri who described the SADTS as an agricultural production and distribution system said, the scheme aims to provide more profitable farm income, promote environmental stewardship and enhance quality of life for families and communities through farms. He said the new scheme would involve three approaches which include the field training, trainee farmer’s mentorship and linkages, and Identification of off-takers. Participating states in the first phase include Abia, Anambra Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, G

Lagos State Government has declared that it will do everything possible to ensure consistency in the quality of its Lake (Lagos-Kebbi) Rice product, adding that the product product will remain affordable for interested Nigerians in the foreseeable future.   Oluwatoyin Suarau, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, who disclosed this recently, explained that every bag of Lake Rice passes through several stages of quality analysis assessment before being brought to the market for sale. “Our Lake Rice is of good quality. The major difference between Lake Rice and imported rice is that the imported has a minimum storage of five to six years storage life span, but Lake Rice is fresh.” Suarau, disclosed that hundreds of trailers load of LAKE Rice are awaiting distribution to designated sales centres as part of the effort to ensure availability of the product to citizens and attain food sufficiency. “Food

African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina’s agripreneur fund to assist the African youth has increased to $600,000.   Adesina, middle , with Obasanjo, left after receiving his World Food Prize award NAN Adesina last week after winning the 2017 World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, said he was dedicating the $250,000 cash prize to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing financing for the youth of Africa in agriculture to feed Africa. Motivated by the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate’s decision, donors have made additional contributions to the fund.  “The World Food Prize-Africa Institute will support young agripreneurs, whom we will call Borlaug-Adesina Fellows. This will allow us to strategically continue Dr. Norman Borlaug’s legacy of taking agricultural technologies to the farmers, and my philosophy of promoting and engaging agriculture as a business,” Adesina announced when he delivered the Laureate Address at a Luncheon during the World Food Prize-Borl

 Alhaji Olayinka Adeyemi, a 73 years old farmer, has emerged the Overall Best Farmer of the year in Ekiti state, winning N1 million prize. Alhaji Olayinka has been in farming since 1965. Chief Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), organiser of Afe Babalola Agricultural Exhibition code named “ABA-EX 2017” gave the prize to the winner at the closing of the exhibition at the Afe Babalola University ( ABUAD ) in Ado Ekiti recently. The agric exhibition, where Adeyemi won the prize was organised by Gov. Ayo Fayose. The Septuagenarian was among about 300 other farmers shortlisted for the government exhibition from among leading farmers in all the 16 local government areas of the state. Two farmers each from the 16 council areas received N150, 000 and N100, 000 respectively for coming first and second at the local level. Babalola offered to start buying farm produce from farmers in the state. This, the legal luminary said would save farmers in the sta

Nigerian farmers including the Trade Network Initiative (TNI) farmers, under the aegis of the Federation of Agricultural Commodities of Nigeria (FACAN), have expressed worry over high interest rate charged in the Nigerian Incentive-based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) credit scheme. According to them, small scale farmers may not be able to access the funds because of the double digit interest rate, adding that the operational guidelines put in place by NIRSAL was only good on paper, but not feasible in practice notwithstanding NIRSAL’s lofty objectives. Speaking during a one-day stakeholder consultation on increasing small holder farmers’ access to credit recently, Chris Kaka, National Programme Coordinator of TNI, said: “No farmer given loan at a double digit interest rate would be able to make returns and go home happy.” Kaka explained that to a great extent, NIRSAL facility has been able to mainstream gender into the scheme, as there is no need for wo

African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced plans to invest $24 billion in agriculture over the next 10 years as part of an effort to unlock the Africa’s agriculture potential and assure food security across the continent.   Dr. Akinwumi Adesina President of AfDB Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the bank, disclosed this at a side event of the ongoing Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, USA yesterday. Adesina spoke on the need for supportive public policies and significant investments in infrastructure, especially for roads, irrigation, storage, warehousing and agro-processing, adding that AfDB is willing and ready to provide support to strengthen African agricultural research and development systems to play significant roles in the transformation processes. He said AfDB’s support will ensure that valuable research no longer gathers dust on the shelves of academia. Adesina said AfDB’s Feed Africa strategy had launched the Transformation o

African Development Bank (AfDB) has said it plans to make agriculture a profitable business as well as create 10,000 young agricultural entrepreneurs per country in the next 10 years.   Dr. Akinwumi Adesina  President of AfDB Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of AfDB, disclosed this at the 2017 World Food Day celebration which had the theme: “change the future of migration; Invest in food security and rural development.” It was held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, yesterday. The World Food Day is celebrated yearly on October 16, to promote worldwide awareness for those who suffer from hunger and need to ensure food security and nutritious diets. Adesina said Africa’s food security depended on attracting young people to agriculture and agribusiness, adding that the sector can potentially create wealth and employment for African youth, thereby stemming migration. He urged African leaders to make agriculture attractive to young Africans to stem migration. “In 2016

Sterling Bank Plc, your one-customer bank, has won the Best Bank in Support of Agriculture Award at the Business Day Banking Awards 2017 held at the weekend in Lagos. The award is in recognition of Sterling Bank’s peerless support to the entire value chain in the agriculture sector of the economy. The awards, organized by Nigeria’s leading business newspaper, BusinessDay Nigeria, is regarded as the banking industry’s benchmark for outstanding performance. It was inaugurated in 2012 to recognise Nigerian banks that diligently managed their resources to attain a healthy balance between risk, safety and profitability. L-R: Mrs. Bukola Awosanya, Head of Agriculture and Export Desk, Sterling Bank; Mrs. Funke Opeke, Managing Director, CEO, MainOne Cable Company; Mrs. Mojisola Bakare, General Manager, Corporate Banking, Sterling Bank and Henry Bassey, Chief Marketing Officer, Sterling Bank at the Businessday Banking Awards 2017 at which Sterling Bank emerged the best bank su

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has said total value of Nigeria’s trade in agricultural goods in the second quarter of 2017 stood at N261.9 billion.   Chief Audu Ogbeh Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ogbeh who was speaking in Abuja recently said the figure represented 4.60 percent of total trade in the period under review. He added that agricultural exports represented just 0.96 percent of total exports during the period. Giving a breakdown of the various destinations of agriculture related exports, he explained that 66.38 percent of the exported items went to Asia, 24.98 percent to Europe, 4.37 percent to the Americas while Africa received 3.88 percent and the Oceania received 0.39 percent. The minister said agriculture related exports between April and June comprised of cashew nuts worth N13.5 billion or 45.4 percent of the total agriculture exports and 1.37 percent of total exports. Specifically, he said cashew nu

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s leading businessman and industrialist, has hinted that the era of importing food items and other agricultural products in Nigeria is gradually nearing its end. Dangote made this known during the Financial Times’ 4th annual Africa Summit at Claridges in London. Aliko Dangote Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies The summit, which had Nigeria’s Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Congolese presidential aspirant, Moise Katumbi, and about 300 business leaders, had the theme ‘What Makes Africa Work’ aimed at x-raying challenges in doing business in Africa and proffering solutions. “We are not going to import anything any longer,” the chairman of Dangote Group of Companies said. He believed that the over dependence on oil has not been beneficial to the country in recent times as such it became relevant for the country to diversify and tap into her abundant natural and mineral resources. In 2007, Nigeria was the second largest importer of cement

As part of its Cashew Expansion Programme, the Edo State Government has agreed to partner with the Federal Government for the cultivation of 6,000 hectares of cashew farmlands in the state. Mr. Monday Osaigbovo, Edo State Commissioner for Agricultural and Natural Resources, who disclosed this as part of the presentation of highlights of the ministry’s activities at the Edo State House of Assembly said six local governments known to be conducive for the production of the cash crop in the state have been given the go-ahead to provide land for the project. The local governments include Akoko-Edo, Etsako Central, Etsako East, Etsako West, Owan East and Owan West. He said the state government is also collaborating with the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, Iyanomo in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to establish a rubber nursery in the state-owned College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi. Osaigbovo explained that 525 farmers benef

  Ogun State Government has distributed equipment worth more than N150 million to farmers in rural areas of the state to boost agricultural production.   Governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, who disclosed this while distributing the equipment to farmers in Eri, an agrarian community in Ijebu North East of the state, said the equipment were procured with assistance from the Federal Government and the World Bank. Amosun who was represented by Mr. Stephen Ipinniwa, Permanent Secretary of the Ogun State Ministry for Agriculture, noted that farmers can now hire modern farm equipment at subsidized rates as part of efforts to boost food production in the state. He added that the objective of the initiative is to encourage young people to develop interest in farming so that they can readily replace the aging population of farmers in the state.

Dr Kadijat Abdulaziz, Head of Quality Control, Nigeria Commodity Exchange, has urged federal and state governments to ensure synergy between agriculture extension workers and farmers for greater efficiency and increased production. Abdulaziz gave the advise at a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja organised by Synergos Nigeria recently. “Government should bring back agriculture extension workers. These are people who served like the bridge between researchers and farmers. Train them so that they can go back and train the farmers. Government must also bring back model farms. ‘’In those days, government had model farms where these extension workers became proficient in what they did. Not just to train the extension workers on theory but also practical, so that when they go back to the farmers and impact the right knowledge to them. “Farmers get convinced when they see things in practical terms. Most farmers want to pay to get premium price than to lose their commodities a

Mr. Michel Deleen, Head of Netherlands Mission in Nigeria, has said farmers in Nigeria and other stakeholders in the sector must work towards maximising yields per hectare if the country is to succeed in earning huge revenue from export of agricultural products.   Audu Ogbeh Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Speaking at the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG)’s AgrikExpo and conference in Abuja recently, Deleen said the country must also develop effective storage strategy for agricultural produce. He acknowledged Nigeria’s current efforts at exporting crops like sesame, ginger and cashew nuts and reminded Nigerians that agriculture is a special business that requires passion and commitment to grow even into processing. The envoy disclosed that Netherlands is now world’s number two agricultural produce exporting country. He argued that his country achieved the feat by focusing more on innovative technologies that help to increase farm production per hectare.

Three agricultural products namely soya beans, cashew nut and sesame seeds are turning big export earners for Nigeria, as economic policy makers attempt to wean the country away from crude oil.   VP Osinbajo, extreme right, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, third right, at the National Economic Council Meeting in Abuja recently: Udoma showcases cashew nut, sesame seed and soya beans in his presentation   The three products, along with coffee, rubber, kolanuts, palm kernel, cotton, kolanut, ginger, timber, shrimps, were showcased as exportable goods, by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, at a presentation at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja on Thursday. The meeting, which was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, decided to set up a National Export Promotion Committee to ramp up the export of non-oil products. The committee has Jigawa Governor Mohammed B. Abubakar as chairman, with Trade and Investment Minister, Dr. Ok

Kogi State Government has assured Nigerians that rice produced by farmers in the state will bridge the gap between demand and supply across the nation. Addressing newsmen in Lokoja recently, Kingsley Fanwo, Director General on Media and Publicity to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, said the state is emerging the number one agricultural state in the federation. According to him, Kogi State is “poised to strengthen her lead in cashew production as well as take over the leading role in cassava and rice production”. He said, “Kogi State had declared a state of emergency in the agricultural sector long before the unstable revenue generation in the state. The visionary administration of Alh Yahaya Bello has placed agriculture on the front burners of its economic prosperity plan known as the New Direction Agenda. “A massive revolution is going on across the state in the area of rice production. Kampe Omi Dam Project is breathing down on the leading rice producers in th

The Federal Government has said it is planning a national dialogue to consider the re-establishment of marketing boards. Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture, disclosed the plan in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja recently. Mr. Ogbeh who was speaking on the country’s 57th Independence anniversary, said that although marketing boards facilitated exportation of agricultural produce in the past, there was need for stakeholders to deliberate on their revival. He said the dialogue would enable agriculture stakeholders to discuss and analyse the impact and challenges of the boards during its operation with a view to deciding whether or not to re-establish them. The minister noted that the boards, while in existence, ensured that exported agricultural produce were not rejected at the international markets as they met the required standards and quality. “About two months ago, we met in my office with t

Stakeholders at the recently concluded Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) conference and Agrikexpo in Abuja have called for increased access to modern agricultural techniques to boost food production in the country.   Audu Ogbeh Minister of Agriculture and Rural Devt According to them, unless Nigerian farmers embrace new technology, it may be difficult to feed the teeming population of children, men and women across the country. Speaking on the Challenges Facing Agribusiness in Nigeria, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, said technology is vitally important for success in every aspect of the agricultural value chain, as it could help reduce 95 per cent of the drudgery in the sector. Dangote, who was represented by Mansur Ahmed, Executive Director, Stakeholders Management and Corporate Communications, noted that if Africa must exit from current challenges bedeviling the continent, it must focus on agriculture “because there lies our capacity all the resources that