Category: Agric

FG to farmers: 81,000 metric tonnes of seeds available

Caleb Onwe,

    Amidst speculation that Nigerian farmers would encounter shortage of seeds during this farming season, due to the impact of COVID-19, the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has said about 81, 000 metric tonnes of assorted seeds have been processed and made available for the farmers. Director General of NASC, Dr. Philip Ojo, who disclosed this Wednesday during a Virtual Press Conference, noted that the Seeds Council had to take some proactive measures, to ensure that the adverse effects of COVID-19 was mitigated for Nigerian farmers. Ojo stated that…

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COVID-19: Poultry farmers in Kaduna slash prices of chickens, eggs

Correspondents

    Poultry farmers in parts of Kaduna State have slashed prices of chicken and eggs for fear of running into loss following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has grounded businesses across the globe. A survey conducted on Friday by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna revealed that a full grown chicken which was sold between N2,500 and N3,000 is now sold for as low as N1,500, while a crate of eggs now attracts N700 as against N1,000. A cross section of the farmers, who spoke with NAN, disclosed…

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Amid rapid cash burn, Arik cuts workers salaries by 80%

Wole Shadare

  *90% work force proceed on leave without pay   As airlines’ cash reserves dry up, Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik is showing vulnerability to COVID-19 pandemic as the airline has taken drastic measure to avoid the drop into extinction. Consequently, the carrier in a statement by its Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu said after careful deliberation and analyses, management has decided to implement an 80 per cent pay cut for all members of staff across the entire organisation for the month of April 2020. He further disclosed that…

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Flood: Nigeria’s agriculture in stormy petrel

Taiwo Hassan

The recent flood and outbreak of fungal disease amid heavy rainfall across Nigeria have threatened food security, as many farms have been destroyed in the process. Taiwo Hassan examines the economic implications of these   The rainy season is the time of the year when most of a regions’ average annual rainfall occurs, the average in this part of the world is approximately 180cm (70in) in the West to about 430cm (170in) in certain part of the East, but only 50cm (20in) in the extreme North. The rainy season is…

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Restructuring of cotton industry lauded

Online Editor

The Cotton Ginners Association of Nigeria has affirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention in the country’s agricultural sector has created more jobs for cotton farmers. A member of the association and cotton farmer in Gombe State, Alhaji Abbas Na-Bingi, disclosed this in an interview in Gombe . He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention in the country’s agricultural sector has created more jobs for cotton farmers. He said he had abandoned cotton farming before President Buhari’s administration as a result of poor motivation, adding that the Federal Government’s seriousness towards the…

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Seed licence: Agenda to enhance food security

Online Editor

To enhance food security, the Federal Government has licensed 158 seed companies to commence production of quality seeds. Taiwo Hassan reports     The use of improved quality crop seed by farmers has been recognised as the most important effort in boosting agricultural production and ensuring food security. Improved quality seed is not only the cheapest and basic potential for increasing yield but also fundamental in raising the efficiency of other inputs like fertilisers, agro-chemicals and agro-machinery. In fact, greater percentage of improvement in agricultural production has come from the…

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Tilapia fish import: Can Nigeria meet local needs?

Taiwo Hassan

Recently, the Tilapia and Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria (TADAN) urged the Federal Government to include Tilapia, a farmed fish species on its import prohibition to encourage local production. But can Nigeria meet local needs, Taiwo Hassan asks in this report?     Fish gap With Nigeria’s budding population estimated at over 180 million, availability of fish to feed the growing populace is very essential. But in spite of the abundant opportunity endowed in the country’s local fish industry, it is saddening that most of the fishes consumed by Nigerians…

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Katsina Govt leases Songhai farm to Dangote group

Agency Report

Katsina State Government has leased its Songhai Farm located in Dutsinma to Dangote Group at the cost of N500 million. Gov. Aminu Masari who signed the agreement on Thursday in Katsina said that the lease would run for 10 years. “The Katsina government is happy that a competent investor like Aliko Dangote has indicated interest to make proper use of the Songhai farm which has been laying unused for some years. “The government is ready to provide several incentives for more investors to come to the state; government is also…

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Biotechnology: Gateway to Nigeria’s food sufficiency

CALEB ONWE

When the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) was introduced into Nigeria, it faced stiff opposition because it was not part of the nation’s farming culture. But Nigeria embraces the adoption of bio-technology as conventional agriculture to boost food security, productivity. CALEB ONWE writes     The tortuous journey to creating food security through bio-technology has been undulating, but it is a sacrifice worth making by stakeholders who have been involved in the processes. Over the years, farmers’ productivity and profitability have continued to decline in Nigeria and other developing countries, due…

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Food production: Banking on organic farming

TAIWO HASSAN

In preparation for the 2018 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit in Lagos, stakeholders have indicated willingness to work extensively for complete development of the value chain for organic produce in Nigeria. Taiwo Hassan reports     Unlike other African countries, Nigeria is yet to develop its potential in terms of organic farming, even though she is an agrarian country with a track record of being the world’s leading producer of some crops at one time or the other. Organic farming in an organized manner is still at an infancy stage…

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