Agriculture
FAO Distributes Training Materials to Agric Extension Workers in Benue
Thé United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has distributed 15 training materials to 20 agricultural extension workers in Benue to support its step-down training in the state.
The organisation’s Focal Person for the training in Benue, Mr Frank Azuu, said this on Wednesday in Makurdi, while distributing the items to the workers drawn from various government ministries in the state.
Azuu, who is also the Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to Gov. Samuel Ortom, said the measure was intended to facilitate the step-down training for farmers and herders in Guma, Makurdi, Logo and Kwande Local Government Areas (LGAs).
He said the LGAs were selected because of their volatility to farmers/herders conflicts in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items included fertilizers, premix, trays, cement, plastic buckets, bowls, molasses and stickers.
The governor’s aide said the items were meant for the step-down training in the LGAs selected for the pilot scheme.
He said the extension workers had already been trained by facilitators from FAO during the ground-breaking, mobilisation and sensitisation phase.
Azuu said the participants, mostly extension workers, were trained in methods of promoting peaceful coexistence between herders and other land users to avoid conflicts.
He said they were also taught the strategies for harmonious coexistence by exploring alternative feedstock methods to guarantee food sufficiency.
Azuu said the 20 agents were expected to step down the FAO training on “Alternative Feedstock and Value Chains” in the herders/farmers crisis affected areas of the state.
He said the exercise, which began on February 12, with the training of extension workers in Makurdi, was expected to end on March 5.
Speaking to NAN, Mr Abraham Mbaakaa, an agent and extension worker, said the training would provide beneficiaries the opportunities to boost their economy and gurranttee peace among the communities.
Earlier, the FAO consultant attached to the training in the state, Mr Idris Gabdo, said the organisation had a fool-proof mechanism of monitoring the training.
Gabdo said the state government was made an implementing partner with the extension workers in each of the pilot states.
“The whole idea is for the state to provide the enabling environment for the project to succeed and also assist in tracking the participants to their locations.
“We also have a platform where we record feedback from the participants.
“They report their activities with pictures and we use the Global Positioning System to monitor their exact locations as well,” Gabdo said.
He said the aim of the project was to promote food sufficiency through enhanced cordial relationship between herders and farmers in rural communities. (NAN)
Agriculture
NCP Approves Repositioning of Agriculture Bank
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has given its nod to the recommendations aimed at repositioning the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to ensure food security for Nigerians.
Chaired by the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, the NCP approved the recommendations from the committee on BOA during its second meeting of 2024 held on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
In his address at the meeting, the Vice President emphasized the importance of optimizing BOA as part of the administration’s agenda to provide food security for the nation.
He urged the committee to engage professionals with integrity to manage the process effectively.Presenting the committee’s report, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, who is also the Vice-chairman of the NCP, highlighted the decision to reposition BOA for efficiency and effectiveness. He expressed confidence that the recommendations would guide the Council in revitalizing the Bank of Agriculture and positioning it globally.
One of the Key recommendations includes upgrading the Bank’s ICT infrastructure to automate processes and ensure accountability.
Recall that in 2023, an 8-member inter-ministerial team was set up by the NCP to review the state of affairs at BOA, given its critical role in agriculture and the administration’s commitment to food security.
Additionally, in 2016, the NCP approved collaboration between the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with the Federal Ministry of Finance, to restructure and recapitalize BOA.
According to a statement by BPE Head of Public Communications, Amina Tukur Othman on Friday, the BOA, formerly known as Nigeria Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank, waa established in 1992.
It is owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) holding 60% and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) holding 40%. The Bank is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).
Agriculture
Mrs Soludo Launches Organic Garden Competition in Anambra Secondary Schools
Wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, on Saturday launched the organic garden competition in secondary schools in Anambra to encourage children to learn more about food and farming.
Soludo, while addressing Healthy Living Teacher Ambassadors in Awka, said the organic garden competition would help teach children the importance of food and farming and its impact on their lives.
She described organic farming as a process that involved the use of natural food sources and nutrients for farming practices without fertiliser or other chemicals.
“This competition is part of the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Campaign to achieve a culture of health consciousness, drive organic agriculture with emphasis on food safety and sustainable living.
“It will help our students learn valuable lessons about where their food comes from, the benefits of eating fresh and healthy foods, and how to care for the environment.
“Vegetable seeds will be distributed to schools and at the end of every term, schools with the three best gardens will be rewarded.
“Our children at a tender age will start to appreciate agriculture as an essential way of life and the need to be part of building solutions that foster healthy foods in the society,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Afam Obidike, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said the schools garden competition would increase student’s knowledge about the nutritional value of foods.
In her remarks, Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, Chairperson, Post Primary Schools Service Commission, said schools in the state would offer Health Living lecture every Wednesday after break to help students learn how to be healthy and grow into healthy adults.
Reports says that the programme featured distribution of okro, carrot, pepper, tomatoes, watermelon and cucumber seeds to the school teachers to begin the process of their school gardens.(NAN)
Agriculture
Food Inflation: Agric Ministry Receives 2.15m Bags of Fertilisers from CBN
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has received 2.15 million bags of assorted fertilisers from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Reports says that the assorted fertilisers would be distributed to farmers to curb food inflation in the country as well as boost food production and food security.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, who spoke at the event on Wednesday in Abuja, expressed gratitude to the President Bola Tinubu and CBN for the gesture.
Kyari assured the CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, that the inputs would be judiciously used and delivered to the intended farmers.
“Thank you very much; this is more than goodies; 2.
15 million bags of assorted fertilisers; we want to express our profound appreciation on behalf of the Nigerian farmers and President Tinubu.“Also, we appreciate you, our dear brother, the CBN governor and your team for giving us this wonderful gift.
“I want to assure you that it will be judiciously used and it will be delivered to the last man and intended farmers where they can reap the benefits of this huge gesture.
“They (farmers) can in turn cultivate and produce more that would stem the galloping food inflation that is affecting our country.’’
He said that challenges such as food prices, food cultivation, flooding and climate change among others had impacted on agricultural production in the country, adding that insecurity was on decline.
“l am happy to say that those things I mentioned are on the decline; insecurity is on the decline and we are mitigating against climate change.
“We are sensitising farmers to go into dry season agriculture.’’
Kyari said that there was need to need to boost and repair irrigation infrastructure so as to have all year round farming.
“Which (irrigation) is even more secured than that of the wet season farming,” he said.
Earlier, Cardoso expressed enthusiasm for the visit and presentation which was to address the issue of escalating cost of food in the country.
According to him, food prices are crucial components of inflation.
He said that the CBN aimed to enhance its partnership with the ministry to improve food production.
“This is precisely why we convene today to strengthen our collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to mitigate the surge in food prices.
“The gesture is in alignment with our strategic shift towards focusing on our fundamental mandate.
“The CBN has veered away from direct quasi-fiscal interventions and transitioned towards leveraging conventional monetary policy tools for executing monetary policies effectively.
“In this light, we aim to extend our support and foster closer ties with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with the mandate and expertise to undertake these critical initiatives.
“Consequently, we aim to enhance our partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, bolstering your endeavours to enhance food productivity and security, ultimately curbing food inflation and fortifying our pursuit of price stability.
“In pursuit of these shared goals, we are delighted to announce the allocation of 2.15 million bags of fertilisers valued at over N100 billion which we humbly hand over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
“This contribution from CBN aims to amplify food production capabilities and foster price stabilisation within the agricultural sector,” he said.(NAN)