Corporate Farmers International

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Proposed Nigerian reality show looking to lure the youth back to farming

Reality television hit the mainstream about a decade ago with the launch of Big Brother and Survivor. Since then hundreds of reality shows have been created, from Keeping Up with the Kardashians to Donald Trump’s The Apprentice.

A Nigerian company, Hayzee Mind Concept, is now planning to launch a reality show where contestants will have to demonstrate their farming skills. The idea behind Corporate Farmers is to provide entertainment while showing Nigerian youths that farming can be a viable career. Hayzee Mind Concept hopes for the show to launch in the first quarter of 2013. How we made it in Africa asked Akin Alabi, CEO of Hayzee Mind Concept, about his plans for the show.

Give us an overview of Corporate Farmers and explain why you decided to focus on farming?
The concept came from a desire to do something new, something more creative in the agricultural media industry. We came up with something that will bring the African youth back to engage in agriculture, just like our forefathers cherished going to the farm.

The main reason why we decided to focus on agriculture is because food is essential for our existence. Without it there is no life. So we decided the best possible way to encourage the youth is by combining agriculture and entertainment.
Tell us a bit more about how the proposed show will work
The show will feature 36 Nigerian youths (18-30 years) from all the states in Nigeria. Nine groups comprising of four contestants will each be allocated a plot of land. The show will run for 36 days. The selection process will entail an audition, which will be done by professionals in the agriculture industry.
Contestants will participate in a range of farming related activities, including poultry, snail breeding, fishery, piggery, etc. There will be an eviction process and the winner will go home with very rewarding prizes.
How would you describe the average Nigerian youth’s perception about farming as a career?
The average Nigerian young person’s perception of farming is rather negative because they are not well informed about agriculture. The government does not encourage the Nigerian youth to participate in farming. All that the youth is interested in is to go to the studio and sing or dance.

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

farmlandgrab.org | Why socially responsible investing should not be seen as a burden

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Kenton Dashiell of IITA

Kenton Dashiell is the Deputy Director General for Partnerships and Capacity Building. Dr. Dashiell received degrees from Purdue University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Florida in Agronomy and Crop Breeding.
He was the Soybean Breeder for IITA based in Ibadan, Nigeria from 1983 to 2001. While at IITA he worked with several partners in the National Agricultural Research Systems and other IITA scientists to develop soybean varieties with promiscuous nodulation, high grain and fodder yields, good resistance to pod shattering and several diseases. Some of these varieties were tested and released in several African countries and are now being grown by smallholder farmers. He was the Leader of the Grain Legume Improvement Program at IITA for many years and managed soybean and cowpea projects in several African countries. Before leaving IITA in2001 he was the Director of the Crop improvement Division. Before joining IITA in 2012 he was the Leader of the N2Africa Project based with CIAT-TSBF in Nairobi, Kenya. This project is working with partners in eight African countries to increase the productivity and nitrogen fixation of grain legumes. He was the Location Coordinator and Research Leader for the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory at the USDA-ARS in Brookings, South Dakota, for 6 years and, the groundnut breeder at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, for 3 years.
At present his biggest interests include moving technologies that increase crop yields in farmers’ fields and improving the health and nutrition of African families from the labs and research fields to the end users, and building the capacity of the next generation of agricultural scientists, technicians, extension agents and farmers. He is always looking for new partners for IITA in the areas of agriculture, food, nutrition, and health.
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