Photo Update: MOU Signing Ceremony Between FMARD & Nigerian Breweries Plc on the Development and Commercialization of Hybrid Sorghum

FG Signs MoU With Nigerian Breweries To Drive Increased Availabilty of Hybrid Sorghum

In tandem with the focus of the on-going ATA to unlock the potentials embedded in the agriculture sector, the Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigerian Breweries Plc, in a bid to drive development and commercialization of high quality sorghum varieties in the country.
Speaking at the event which held at Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, noted that despite being the largest producer of food sorghum in the world, Nigeria was yet to harness the crop’s potential to drive economic input, stating that one of the objectives of the recently signed agreement was to increase the number of out-grower farmers engaged by Nigerian Breweries Plc from the initial 250,000 to 2.5 million as well as access to high quality sorghum varieties..
Adesina while commending the research activities of Nigerian Breweries in the development of a sorghum hybrid with the capacity to yield 4 metric tons per hectare against the average yield of 0.5 metric tons, he further outlined the expected outcome of the partnership to include; formation of production and purchase clusters, increased production to 13 million metric tons by 2015, improved nutrition, as well as linkage with processors and markets.
The Minister using the event as a medium, reiterated government’s commitment to the Agriculture Transformation Agenda and the preparedness of the Ministry to involve credible stakeholders in the development of the sorghum seed sector, as well as provide seed companies access to finance through the Seed Venture Capital Fund (SVCF).
Decrying the acquired taste for foreign products as against quality local products by Nigerian consumers, the Chairman Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kola Jamodu, stressed that Nigeria had no reason to depend on imported food for her survival thus pledging the commitment of Nigerian Breweries to enhance availability of high yield sorghum seeds through breeding and selection programmes for large scale commercial production in order to support the agricultural transformation of the present administration.
Highlighting the achievements of the company, Jamodu stated that the company’s local sourcing of its raw materials has resulted in the creation of jobs for 250,000 local farmers who produce hybrid sorghum.
Speaking to AgroNigeria team, he expressed optimism that the partnership with the Federal Government would further expand and strengthen the company’s efforts in developing the sorghum value chain in Nigeria.

15,000 Katsina Farmers To Benefit From State Sponsored Modern Agriculture Training

15,000 farmers in Katsina State have been selected from the three senatorial zones as beneficiaries to be trained in modern agriculture practices, as part of the State Government’s measures to drive increased agricultural output and ensure food security.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Musa Adamu in an interview with press men recently in Katsina State.
Adamu highlighting the current achievements of the present administration towards advancing the agriculture sector in the state, stated that 5,000 hectares of farms each in Dutsin-ma, Funtua and Mai’adua, had been established by the government to accommodate the engagement of youths who were recently trained in Benin Republic while pledging the support of the government to expand production, through the purchase of the farm produce of the state farmers.
Furthermore, he outlined that the government had established livestock, fisheries, bee-keeping, irrigation and seeds production centres on the three farms, and has begun earning revenue from the Dutsin-ma centre from sales of vegetables, fish, poultry, animals and grains.
According to him, 60 youths of the state had been sponsored by the government for training at the Songhai Farms, Port Novo – Benin Republic in a bid to eradicate poverty, create employment opportunities as well as advance agricultural productivity.
The beneficiaries of Songhai Agricultural Initiative he commented would be given free seeds, subsidized fertilizer and pesticides.

Zamfara Farmers Receive 100% Mechanization Support From FG

In pursuit of the Presidency’s transformation agenda to upscale the welfare of small-holder and rural farmers, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has flagged-off the emergency mechanization intervention support services for Zamfara Farmers.
The Private Sector Driven Agricultural Mechanization Programme (PSDAMP) was flagged off in Gusau with 20 tractors, 20 power tillers and various harvest and post harvest equipments, which will be deployed across Zamfara through the State chapter of the Tractor Owners and Operators Association (TOOAN).
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Adesina disclosed that the ₦193 million needed to provide the services to the farmers will be covered fully by the Presidency through the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme till the end of the Dry season and the next wet season production.
The programme which is being funded under the present administration’s Agriculture Transformation Agenda will be set-up in four senatorial zones to provide farmers with up to 50% discount of equipment hiring services.
The Zamfara intervention is set to mechanize 8,000 hectares of land, add 32,000 metric tons of food at four metric tons per hectare and create 1,000 direct jobs for the unemployed. In his words, “agriculture and rural development are critical to the growth of Nigeria’s economy and must be at the forefront of the Transformation Agenda.”
According to Adesina, over ₦50 billion is set to be expended to establish 118 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises (AEHE) across Nigeria with 6,000 tractors, 15,000 power tillers and various harvest and post harvest equipment between the year 2014 and 2016, in order to provide farmers with affordable mechanization services.

Osun Rice Stakeholders Urged to Participate in Strategic Grains Reserve Project

In view of the need to drive the success of the School Feeding and Health Programme (O-MEALS) through increased rice production, rice stakeholders and farmers in Osun state have been enjoined to participate in the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) initiative of the Federal Government.
This appeal was made by Mrs. Olubunmi Ayoola, the Director and State Operation Officer for Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme – O-MEALS, during a stakeholders meeting organized by the O-MEALS Office in collaboration with Partnership for Child Development (PCD) London.
Mrs. Ayoola while seeking the cooperation and commitment of all the stakeholders particularly the rice farmers, expressed the interest of the O-MEALS office towards increased rice production and support of the farmers as it is a part of the O-MEALS menu, noting that this will have a multiplier effect on the state’s economy as well as drive empowerment of the community.
With Osun silos having the storage capacity of 50,000 metric tonne of quality rice, 3 local government areas in the state comprising of Osogbo, Ejigbo and Atakumosa have been selected as the kick-off communities in anticipation of the Federal Government’s approval according to the Representative, Partnership for Child Development (PCD) in Nigeria, Mrs Abimbola Adesanmi.
Also present at the meeting were the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, State of Osun Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment as well as O-meals food vendors.

Female Stakeholders Encouraged to Harness Agribusiness Opportunities

In view of the identified capacity of female farmers to drive agricultural advancement and economic diversification, the National President, Nigerian Cooperative Women Alliance (NICOWA) Chief Esther Eka, has called for increased involvement of Nigerian women in agribusiness.
She made the call while addressing pressmen at the recently held National Agricultural Exhibition in commemoration of the World Food Day where NICOWA was awarded Best Coordinating Agricultural Group by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
According to her, NICOWA which is the umbrella body of all women cooperative societies in the country is poised to mobilise women to optimally benefit from agro allied businesses while serving as agents of peace, stability and progress in their communities.
In her words, “This is purely an approval of our commitments to the reduction of poverty among us as it is not easy to build any human network. NICOWA for us is a child of necessity, a platform that gives leverage to Nigerian women. It gladdens my heart that both local and international institutions are concerned about the modest progress we have made so far. These awards are indications that we are on the right track”.
Using the event as a medium, she encouraged Nigerian women to adequately utilize their acquired skills in agribusiness, to influence national development as well as strive for peaceful co-existence by engaging in selfless service and peace fostering activities.

Nigerian Agriculture to be Upscaled with Precision Farming Techniques

With the aim to enhance farm output in Nigeria, a week-long training workshop on Global Positioning System (GPS) was recently conducted for Coordinators and Assistant Coordinating Officers of West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), drawn from several universities, research institutes and Agricultural Development Projects across the country.
The workshop which held in Kaduna, was aimed at acquainting participants with Precision farming techniques in terms of using technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Yield Monitors Guidance Systems for various rate application.
Speaking at the event, the National Project Coordinator of WAAPP, Prof. Damian Chikwendu, explained Precision Agriculture as an integrated crop management system that attempts to determine the kind and amount of input which the actual crop needs for small areas within a farm field.
Emphasizing the need for accurate measurement of farm sizes, track project activities and sites, Prof. Chikwendu said, the precision system of agriculture  is often referred to as GPS (Global Position System) based agriculture, variable-rate farming, precision farming, site-specific farming, among others.
According to him, Precision Farming is, “doing the right thing, at the right place and at the right time” and thus starts with the ability of good managers and operators to effectively utilize materials and equipment such as planters, harvesters, fertilizer applicators etc. to enhance farm output.
While commending the effort of WAAPP for initiating the training, Aminu Usman, the Lead Consultant of Clemence and Geoconsult – the training partner for the workshop spoke on the importance of the Global Positioning System, noting that the training would expose participants to unending possibilities and applications in everyday field operations.
Based on the relevance of the workshop, participants were urged to seize the opportunity of the platform to improve their knowledge to enable them join hands in the current drive to take the country to a level of sustainable agricultural development and food security.