Nigerian farmers and agricultural scientists have warned that ‘political farmers’ should not be permitted to hijack the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) ‘Agric for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP)’ and the zero-interest loans meant for smallholder farmers in the frantic efforts to prevent food shortage, hunger and unemployment post-COVID-19. The apex bank, on June [...]
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has engaged 6,111 farmers in the state’s mega farm scheme in 10 councils. According to him, the scheme will encourage farmers and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their communities and fully engage in farming. Also, the governor has supported 2,500 farmers in five councils with N12.5 million [...]
When Governor Udom Emmanuel set out to lubricate the once virgin well of agriculture in Akwa Ibom State with the establishment of Africa’s biggest coconut oil refinery, most people had no idea of coconut’s enormous potentials. But the Governor went ahead, displaying his propensity to plan towards an economy beyond crude oil, as if he [...]
GBfoods, a global leader in culinary product manufacturing, in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kebbi State Government and the Emirate of Yauri recently built a 20 billion naira Tomato processing factory, in Kebbi State. The factory is the second largest in Nigeria and the only fully backward integrated plant in ECOWAS. It [...]
For the past decades, Africa has been grappling with the sustainable diffusion of improved cassava varieties due to a weak and uncoordinated dissemination strategy. Consequently, improved varieties have often failed to reach the hands of farmers, forcing the yields of cassava in Africa to remain low. However, the project— Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Cassava Seed [...]
Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, says some countries asked Nigeria to supply them food during the COVID-19 lockdown measures. Speaking during an Instagram live chat with City People Magazine on Saturday, Fashola said President Muhammadu Buhari told the countries to wait because Nigerians must be well-fed first. He said the countries, which [...]
The recent approval of the Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea (popularly called beans) developed by the Institute for Agricultural Research, (IAR) Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has continued to generate reactions, creating more anxiety than applause over the innovation. Recall that in late January, the Federal Government through a decision document issued by the National Biosafety Management [...]
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday opened a 200,000 capacity yam facility at the Zaki Biam International Market in Benue State. The market is assumed to be the biggest yam market in the world, accounting for about 70% of the yams cultivated in the country with over 200 trucks loading two million tubers of yams weekly. [...]
Hussain Ibrahim, Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), says his agency has developed technology to optimise kilishi production. Kilishi is a dried form of kebab made from cow, sheep or goat meat. While appearing before the senate committee on science and technology in Abuja on Monday, Ibrahim listed it as one [...]
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting fish and seafood trade. Future consequences will be far-reaching. Ahead of its yearly international conference to be held in Alexandria, Egypt, the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society has raised concerns on the impact of the pandemic on sustainable aquaculture, DANIEL ESSIET writes. For the African Chapter of the World [...]
Nigerian farmers were on the verge of planting the newly released Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea before the outbreak of COVID-19. The Regional Director, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Dr Issoufou Kollo Abdourhamane, speaks on the impact of the pandemic on the release of the cowpea variety. COLLINS NNABUIFE brings excerpts. HOW has [...]
The federal government is to secure €995million worth of agricultural equipment for Nigerian farmers. These agricultural machineries comprising tractors and other agricultural machineries will be leased out to farmers. This is coming under the in-kind facility for agricultural mechanisation to develop agricultural mechanization, recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The in-kind facility is [...]
The rapid spread of the Coronavirus globally has taken a toll on the global economy, but non-oil export is soaring and providing a good return on investment. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria is witnessing an increasing demand for its agricultural products. With the increase in demand on non-oil export, the country’s over-reliance on crude oil [...]
Amidst the upsurge of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nigerian food system would be strained in the coming weeks and months, some agricultural experts have posited. The experts, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, also suggested ways the country can navigate this period of uncertainty and ensure food security, especially in the light of the declining purchasing [...]
The Management of TIAMIN RICE LIMITED on Sunday disclosed that the Kano State government had directed them to shut down their factory over alleged air pollution which “aggravates Coronavirus patients” in the state. Tiamin Rice is a leading rice mill in Kano with 320 metric tonnes daily production capacity, and has well over 223 workers [...]
Rice ATMs- Machines that gives out free rice -- it sounds too good to be true. But these "rice ATMs" have been set up around Vietnam by the government to help those who need it most during the coronavirus pandemic. Vietnam has 265 cases of the novel coronavirus and zero deaths, numbers that are significantly [...]
Amidst the upsurge in the Coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations Food And Agricultural Organisation has issued seven key guidelines to maintain a healthy diet. The tips contained in a a 47-second video recently published on the FAO website succinctly explained diet practices to inculcate in order to remain healthy. According to the FAO, during this COVID-19 pandemic, [...]
Farmers and agri-business operators have commenced moves aimed at averting food supply crisis that may arise from the current lockdown in states following the outbreak of coronavirus. Operators under the aegis of Agric Bureau Association of Nigeria stated that it was time for all stakeholders in the country’s agricultural sector to think about how to [...]
It Is No Longer News That Lagos, The Commercial Capital Of Nigeria Doubles As The Epicenter Of Coronavirus Infection In Nigeria With Over 65 Cases. Lagos State Has Enjoyed Huge Financial Donations And Other Forms Of Support From The Federal Government, Individuals And Corporate Organizations Since The State Recorded Its First Case Last Month. Today, [...]
The Lagos State Government has set up makeshift food markets in some schools across the state to enable residents to have access to food supply. The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Gbolahan Lawal, who stated this on Thursday, noted that the markets were set up to prevent panic buying among the residents following the directive of [...]
