Nigeria Can Now Produce Wheat Economically -Arc Echono

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture And Rural Development has said Nigeria can now produce wheat economically.

This was disclosed by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Arc. Sonny Echono at a press briefing during the 1^stAnnual General Meeting (AGM), of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), held at the Muson Centre in Lagos recently.
Arc Echono disclosed that in the past, wheat was introduced based on the need to do so, since wheat were imported; this according to him, was a drain on our foreign exchange and the wheat produced then was not economical but was subsidised. “This is because at a breakeven price, if the cost at which we produce a metric ton of wheat is less, how much are we going to sell?” He said
Echono however noted that with the development of two major varieties, “Norman Borlaug” and “Reyna-28” by Lake Chad Research Institute, Nigeria is now getting yield that will enable her wheat farmers compete with imported wheat.

He further said that due to the new development, the ministry is multiplying the seeds using farmers, in other to ensure that there will be enough seeds for enough farmers to plant and upscale, also the ministry has gotten the sympathy and support of Nigeria millers, to ensure that a similar quota for rice is put in place for wheat, in order to protect the local production industry and ensure that all the wheat we produce locally are first exhausted before allowing the importation of supply gap for our industry.
Echono disclosed that the ministry is also promoting substitution of wheat, so as to reduce our dependency on imported wheat, especially now that Nigeria do not have the foreign exchange to expend on wheat importation.

He noted that the ministry is targeting all the wheat farmers in the country and making available to them seeds at a very subsidized rate of about 80%; ensuring that everyone who produces wheat, if the industry have not up taken it, it will be bought from them and also ensuring that the right quality of these seeds are given to all the farmers who want to grow wheat in the wheat region.
The Government, Arc Echono disclosed, has also procure for lease a lot of implement to assist the wheat farmers such as water pump, stretchers and so on, and it will be made available to wheat farmers to encourage them to grow more wheat in the dry season.

Nigeria Must Turn To Agriculture Now, Says Buhari

                              Buhari

 PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has declared that given the reality of the global financial situation, the time has come for Nigerians to do more than pay mere lip service to agriculture, as crude oil and gas exports will no longer be sufficient as the country’s major revenue earner.

Buhari made the declaration at an audience with Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, the Nigerian-born President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President said: “It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many as want to go into agricultural ventures.”

The President pledged that his administration would cut short the long bureaucratic processes that Nigerian farmers had to go through to get any form of assistance from government.

He told the IFAD President that improvement of the productivity of farmers, dry season farming and creative ways to combat the shrinking of the Lake Chad would also receive the attention of his administration.

“There is so much to be done. We will try and articulate a programme and consult organisations like IFAD for advise,” Buhari said, adding that foreign exchange will be conserved for machinery and other items needed for production, “instead of using it to import things like toothpicks.”

Nwanze congratulated the President on his victory at the general elections and assured him that IFAD was ready to give all possible assistance to the Federal Government and Nigerian farmers to boost agricultural production in the country.

IFAD is an international organisation dedicated to addressing issues of agriculture and poverty alleviation. It was established in 1978 and has been collaborating 

Source: http://newngrguardiannewscom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/bUHARI-Copy.jpg

Corporate Farmers International Limited unveils new corporate Logo

The Management of CFIL Lagos Nigeria has unveiled her new logo to the public. The new logo is to improve on her corporate profile and re-brand the company in the opportunity ahead within Corporate Nigeria.

Can reality television boost our interest in agriculture?

 

Image: Filming taking place in a Farmers Apprentice challenge (Supplied)

Economists describe the impact prime-time reality television can have on an industry as ‘The MasterChef Effect.’ Now, a reality program from the United Kingdom is testing whether the format can be used to broaden the appeal of farming, writes Monique Bowley.


In Australia programs like My Kitchen Rules, The Block and The Biggest Loser have helped boost interest and spending on fine dining, home renovations and fitness.

The audience have quite a romanticised view of what it's like out on the land. We don't want to see the reality of what it's like. Caroline Spencer, Fremantle Media

Now, a farming publication in the United Kingdom is trying to capitalise on the influence of reality television by producing Farmers Apprentice.
Described as a cross between The Apprentice and The Great British Bakeoff, Farmers Apprentice is an online video series that follows 10 contestants as they compete against each other in a variety of farming challenges.
Debbie Beaton is the editorial projects director for Farmers Weekly magazine, which produces Farmers Apprentice. She says the program was developed in response to the need for massive recruitment in agriculture.
‘There was a report in the UK saying that there are 60,000 new recruits needed by 2020 in order for the industry to keep just sustaining itself,’ Beaton says.
‘The problem is, this is an industry full of worthiness, but they do everything quietly and independently. We thought ... let’s do something that's going to have some real impact. We want to unashamedly show that farming is an attractive career option.’

 

 Image: Ingredients of a reality TV show: stern judges and cheeky characters. (Supplied)

 

Image: Farming is a dream not yet realised by these students (Supplied)

The aim of the reality program was to reach bright young graduates and show them the challenges and benefits of a career in agriculture.
Farmers Apprentice also built on a renewed interest in food and food production, which grew out of revamped cooking programs on television.
‘Chefs have put farming back in the spotlight. They're very keen to support provenance and local food and as a result, this has played well into the hands of farmers and producers,’ Beaton says.
‘It's transforming the image of farming.’
In its first season, the web-based program reached 10 million people, and was noticed by the UK Minister for Agriculture.
However, one of the biggest questions is whether it would have sufficient appeal to work in a prime-time slot on national television.
Caroline Spencer is the director for development at FremantleMedia, and has produced highly successful reality programs that include MasterChef, Farmer Wants a Wife and The Biggest Loser.
She says an Australian reality show focused on farming would be a hard sell.
‘If you look at something like MasterChef, everyone eats, so there is a reason people want to tune in by virtue of that, ’ says Spencer.
‘If you look at Farmer Wants a Wife, it was about a universal theme—love. That's why they have such broad mass appeal and why they resonate so strongly.’
‘I think we ... have quite a romanticised view of what it's like out on the land. We don't want to see the reality of what it's like.’
Despite this, Spencer admits that reality programs have shown that with the right production, a mundane activity like cooking can work on prime-time television.
‘I never fail to be surprised by some of the challenges we put on MasterChef—like chopping onions—that we managed to make entertaining,’ she says.

#AgriBusinesstotheBIGSCREEN

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, Corporate Farmers International Limited is planning to launch a reality show jointly with the IITA Ibadan Nigeria where contestants will have to demonstrate their Agribusiness skills. 

The idea behind Corporate Farmers is to provide Agribusiness with entertainment while showing Nigerian youths that Agriculture  can be a viable career. 

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 Abribusiness and entertainment.

Tell us a bit more about how the proposed show will work
The show will feature 40 Nigerian youths (18-30 years) from all the states in Nigeria. Nine groups comprising of four contestants will each be allocated a farm. The show will run for Thirteen weeks on the BIG SCREEN at the IITA in Ibadan while 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.

Our vision is to get Corporate Nigeria invest in Agribusiness

Who are IITA Youth Agripreneurs?

We are group of young graduates involved in agribusiness, with the aim of being a unit that would serve as a model to other young people planning to venture into agribusiness and becoming the trainer of trainers.
The activities of the group cut across the value-chains of different crops including cassava, maize, plantain/banana, and soybean.
For cassava, we are into stem multiplication and root production. For maize and soybean, their focus is on seed multiplication (both certified and foundation seeds), whereas for the plantain/banana, they are into sucker multiplication and fruit production.
We have managed to bridge the gender inequality gap in the team, with our present number standing at 11 men and 10 women.

The activities of the group cut across the value-chains of different crops including cassava, maize, plantain/banana, and soybean. For cassava, the Youth Agripreneurs are into stem multiplication and root production. For maize and soybean, their focus is on seed multiplication (both certified and foundation seeds), whereas for the plantain/banana, they are into sucker multiplication and fruit production.
The Agripreneurs look forward to collaborating with sponsors and investors, as one of their future plans is to expand their production. They wish to become self-independent and self-employed, having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills, and ultimately become employers of labour.

Apart of Agribusiness, IITA Youth Agripreneus has a Goal to Train other African Youth in Agribusiness based on the following Topics:
cassava, maize, plantain/banana, and soybean.
For cassava, we are into stem multiplication and root production;For maize and soybean, their focus is on seed multiplication (both certified and foundation seeds), whereas for the plantain/banana, they are into sucker multiplication and fruit production. The fish farming Training can also be added.

Making Agriculture “Cool” for Youth

Agriculture’s image among young people is changing—from Brooklyn, New York to Nairobi, Kenya—where youth are now turning to farming and the food system as a viable career path.

Bernard Pollack

 

Agriculture has an image problem. Simply put, for the majority of the world’s youth, agriculture simply isn’t seen as being “cool” or attractive. Most think of it only as back-breaking labor, without an economic pay-off — and little room for career advancement.

With an ageing population of farmers, it’s clear that agriculture needs to attract more young people. This is a global challenge: half the farmers in the United States are 55 years or older, while in sub-Saharan Africa, the average age of farmers is around 60 years old.
“The exodus of rural youth means fewer small-scale farmers tomorrow, potentially drastically changing the profile of farming,” according to a recent report by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
The U.N. International Labour Organization predicts that, globally, there will be 74.2 million unemployed young people this year, an increase of 3.8 million since 2007. Youth unemployment is both a threat and an opportunity. The agricultural sector offers huge potential for job creation. Realizing this can radically change the image of agriculture among young people.
And agriculture’s image among young people is changing—from Brooklyn, New York to Nairobi, Kenya—where youth are now turning to farming and the food system as a viable career path.
“Increased access to education and new forms of agriculture-based enterprise mean that young people can be a vital force for innovation in family farming, increasing incomes and well-being for both farmers and local communities. Young people can transform the agricultural sector by applying new technologies and new thinking” said Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary of the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR).
Agriculture means more than subsistence farming - today, young people can explore career options in permaculture design, biodynamic farming, communication technologies, forecasting, marketing, logistics, quality assurance, urban agriculture projects, food preparation, environmental sciences, advanced technologies, and more.
Farmers, businesses, policy-makers, and educators need to promote agriculture as an intellectually stimulating and economically sustainable career—and make jobs in the agriculture and food system “cool” for young people all over the world.

A resurgence of interest among young farmers is happening and it’s vital to support this growth.
In collaboration with GFAR, Food Tank has compiled an exciting list of organizations working with young people around the world to make agriculture and agriculture-related work more appealing and change public perceptions so that agriculture is not just seen as cool, but is recognized as a vitally important career.
In the United States, the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project works to strengthen local food systems by supporting new farmers. The farmer training program helps young farmers learn what it takes to run a small farm operation from business planning to specialized advanced workshops in livestock and healthy food.
And in southeastern New England, the Young Farmer Network hosts “Young Farmer Night,” a series of free regular social and educational events that bring farmers of all ages and experience levels together to network and collaborate.
U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden recently announced resources and policy changes to improve the financial security of new and beginning farmers and ranchers. This includes a new website that will be a one-stop resource where farmers and ranchers can explore the variety of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiatives designed to help them succeed.
Last year in Africa, Joseph Macharia started a Facebook page, “Mkulima Young,” to encourage youth to engage in agriculture. The page serves as a social forum for youth, a place to ask questions, and create agriculture networks. Macharia posts photos and inspirational stories of farmers to empower youth in his community.
In Kenya, Uganda, Antigua, and Barbuda, the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) foster market demand for sustainable food while also providing youth with tools to begin growing their own sustainable food. JFFLS goal is to empower vulnerable youth and provide them with skills needed for long-term food security.
Farm Africa began a farm training program for rural youth, growing vegetables, mushrooms, and passionfruit in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. They teach students how to get the best price at market and encourage them to get involved in local governance.
The European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) is the “voice of Europe’s next generation of farmers.” CEJA’s main objective is to support the renewal of generation in the agriculture sector by being a platform for information and education exchange.

The International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth (MIJARC) has 2 million young rural people as members, contributing to and promoting the sustainable development of agricultural and rural areas all over the world, to make rural areas attractive and viable for young people.
The Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) began a new program of training, capacity building, and promoting young farmer-leaders under age 35 in Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana, Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia, Barbados, and St. Vincent. Fifteen of the participants have started blogs to share ideas and opinions on the agriculture sector including, Nyamekye Mapp of Tobago, and her search for agrifootsoldiers.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Rural Youth Talents Program in South America seeks to publicize and share knowledge from lessons learned in rural youth agriculture programs. The goal is to establish and strengthen networks of youth involved in food and agriculture, as well involve more youth in the field.

The South Asia Youth Camp on Agriculture and Water mobilizes youth between ages 18 and 36 to influence government leaders to take action on climate change and responsibility for agriculture and water. The camp brings together youth to share opinions, ideas, take action, and protect the rights of smallholder producers in South Asia.

And education is changing too:
The Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations in Agriculture and Life Sciences (GCHERA) brings together over 600 agricultural universities, involving around a million students per year. GCHERA is working to change university curricula around the world, to make agriculture-based courses more attractive to young people and more relevant to the skills and opportunities they now seek.
The Earth University in Costa Rica works to prepare future leaders with ethical values to contribute to the sustainable development of the tropics. Their courses include both work experience sessions and students developing and running their own agribusinesses through the class.
Wageningen University in the Netherlands has, over the last decade, completely redefined its courses to meet the needs and priorities of today’s young people. Wageningen now focuses on the theme ‘healthy food and living environment’ and works closely together with both governments and the business community.

Also, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) is an international movement of nearly 8,000 young professionals, a vibrant network, both online and on the ground, inspiring young people into a wide range of agriculture careers and to play active roles for innovative agricultural development.
These projects and many other initiatives, programs, and people are making agriculture cool again. What programs do you know about that are making agriculture more appealing to younger generations? Let us know!

The Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) brings together all those working to strengthen and transform agricultural research for development around the world. During 2014 and the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF), GFAR is working with Food Tank to showcase and raise awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders and help identify efficient ways to support family farmers.

by Danielle Nierenberg and Sarah Small