Production and Distribution of quality seeds to Farmers in Nigeria will create 40 million jobs -

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has called for development, production and distribution of quality seeds to farmers in Nigeria in order to boost agricultural output and

create over 40 million jobs for the unemployed population, during his visit to Premier Seeds Nigeria Limited, Zaria, Kaduna State.

Top China university renews research ties with IRRI

The China Agricultural University (CAU) signed an agreement with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on 15 March 2017, renewing a partnership to boost research, training, and knowledge and technologies exchange between the two institutions.

Under the new agreement, CAU and IRRI scientists will collaborate on several areas of rice research including genomics and advanced breeding.

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Role of mechanization in sustainable rice production highlighted during international exhibit

BANGKOK, Thailand— “There is a need to mechanize the rural areas to increase productivity as that is a key driver for change in the rice sector,” Dr. Bas Bouman, the director of a global partnership platform for making rice research more effective in meeting development challenges.

The leader of the CGIAR Research Program on Rice (RICE) made the statement at the AGRITECHNICA Asia, a trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center on 15-17 March.

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NiMet DG forecasts livestock disease outbreaks

The new Director-General (DG) of Nigerian Meterological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, said the expected heat stress may continue throughout the year causing outbreak of heat-related disease and he advised farmers to arrange for alternative sources of water for their livestock during the period.

“The relevant authorities should also encourage farmers to adopt international best practices in animal husbandry through provision of ranches and fodder for livestock as well as ensuring controlled grazing of animals to reduce clashes among farm owners and herdsmen,” he noted.

Gov. Tambuwal Approves Recruitment Of Additional Agric Extension Workers

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has approved the enrollment of additional extension workers to increase manpower and expertise in the state’s wheat value chain.

According to the governor of Sokoto State, those to be employed include university graduates and holders of national diploma in agricultural science, agric-economy, crop science and related disciplines.

IFAD Grant Call for Proposals: Scaling-up Empowerment through Household Methodologies

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is seeking proposals to implement a project on “Scaling-up empowerment through household methodologies: from thousands to millions” in order to build knowledge, skills and expertise at local, national, regional and global levels to upscale household methodologies to empower millions of women, men and rural youth for rural inclusiveness.

The purpose of the call for proposals is to identify, through a competitive selection process, an organisation which will be responsible for the overall programme coordination at global level and the implementation in selected countries in different regions either directly through its subsidiary staff or by outsourcing services to local service providers.

Costs of garri, rice others rise as inflation rate drops – NBS

The selected food price watch data released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the average prices of yam, beef, tinned milk, onion, frozen chicken, tomato and beans also recorded exceptional leaps in the last one year.

This is even as the NBS reported in a separate report, also released yesterday, that Nigeria recorded first drop in inflation rate in 15 months as the rate slowed by 0.94 per cent from the 18.72 per cent recorded in January to 17.78 per cent in February 2017.

Fresh tomatoes arrive Lagos from Kano by rail after 58 years,

History was made on Tuesday as fresh tomatoes from Kano arrived Lagos by rail after 58 years.

Emmanuel Itoya Ijewere, an outstanding businessman disclosed this at the FirstBank’s maiden Agric Expo 2017, held at Eko Hotel and Suites, on Tuesday.

First Bank Nigeria hosted its first ever Agric Expo summit in Lagos

First Bank Nigeria limited, Nigeria’s leading financial services firm in furtherance of its support and value for the development of the Agricultural sector, hosted its first ever Agric Expo summit in Lagos.

Giving the opening remarks at the event, the MD/CEO of First Bank of Nigeria Dr Adesola Adeduntan described Agriculture as the sector that “Holds sway in the mission to eradicate poverty in the country”. 

Governor Aminu Tambuwal Flags Off N1.56bn Fadama III Scheme

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has flagged off this year’s Fadama III dry season intervention in the state.

The event, which held at Kurfi village of Kware LGA, will cover the 23 local government councils with a collective cost of N1.56 billion.

Sokoto carrot farmers request for seeds, processing factory

Sokoto State is well-known as the major producers of carrot. It is cultivated in most of the local government areas of the state.

Carrot farmers in the state have stressed the need for a processing factory in the state for value addition and sufficient use of carrot for consumption and export.

Olam Nigeria won the 2016 productivity award for rice production

The Olam Rice Farm has been honoured with the National Productivity Order of Merit award (NPOM) for the year 2016.

Olam Rice Farm in Rukubi, Nasarawa State, sits on 14,000 hectares equipped with a 105,000 metric tonnes capacity rice mill.

New features added to AgriSync Management tool

AgriSync has updated its collaboration and service management tool so that professional Ag advisers can see, track, and solve farmers’ problems remotely with a smart device.

“The advisers and farmers using AgriSync gave us great feedback about ways to increase their efficiency and ultimately make their problem-solving and organizing efforts a little easier,” said Casey Niemann, AgriSync president.

New Agrible Pocket Spray Smart App for Farmers

Pocket Spray Smart is an iOS app, which works with Agrible’s Morning Farm Report software, to help farmers choose when to spray their fields. It displays to a farmer, up to three days in advance, what conditions look like hour by hour for spraying.

The app provides information on wind speed and direction, timing, and duration of temperature inversions that could impact spraying, and whether the soil will support equipment in the palm of your hand to best determine when to spray herbicides. 

Smuggled harmful frozen fish – Senator Heineken Lokpobiri

The Federal Government warns Nigerians on smuggled harmful frozen fish illegally imported into the country through land borders.

This was revealed by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri while speaking at the Abuja headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

Chi Farms marks 10 years of partnership with Aviagen

Chi Farms Limited is celebrating 10 years of partnership with the global market leader in poultry genetics and owner of the popular ‘Arbor Acres’ broiler brand, Aviagen.

In a press release, Chi Farms General Manager, Dr Tunji Olaitan expressed that the partnership had made Chi Farms Limited the leading Grand Parent Integrator and distributor of quality day-old chicks in Nigeria.

Plans to allocate 250 hectares of land for agricultural development in Kwara State

The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr.  Goke Bamidele, went to inspect the arable farmland at Ejidonugari in Moro Local Government Area of the state for the plans to cultivate 250 hectares of land for 2017 Off-Takers Demand Driven Agriculture exercise (ODDA).

According to him “The major purpose of this exercise is to earmark 250 hectares of land for the 2017 Off-Takers Demand Driven Agriculture exercise across the state. The farm land was identified by the Kwara State House of Assembly members, who desire to participate in the ODDA scheme as a group”.

Inadequacy of cold storage space for potato crop - Bengal farmers

Potato farmers in West Bengal, which is the second largest producers of potato in the country after Uttar Pradesh, is in severe shortage of cold storage capacity which may cause rural level socio-economic crisis in many districts of the state if not properly managed.

As the potato sowing and reaping timeline goes, farmers start loading their produce at cold storages during March by paying an advance to procure storage authorization known as ‘bond.’ The stock starts coming out of storage from May onward depending upon market demand and pricing level.

Hydroponics Technology

Farmers are leveraging on hydroponics technology which is the growing of plants in a soil less medium, or an aquatic based environment unlike the Orthodox agriculture that requires working tiresomely with hoe and machete

An Agropreneur, Angel Adelaja, describes hydroponics as a process of growing plants without soil in water, saying it is a technology that makes nutrients readily available to plants for better and healthier growth.

Sugar output to fall 19% this season

The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said harvest in the 2016-17 season beginning October would be about 20.3 million tones, compared with 25.1 million tonnes in the earlier season. In January this year, ISMA had forecast production of 21.3 million tonnes. 

  

"Considering the opening balance of 7.75 million tonne, and an estimated production of 20.3 million tonnes and consumption of 23.8-24 million tonnes, the closing balance in the current season would be 4-4.2 million tones,” ISMA said in a press statement. “This balance will be enough to meet the domestic requirement until almost end of November 2017." 

FG To Organise Seminar on International Women’s Day

The Federal Government has said it would organise a day seminar on food packaging and group formation in Sokoto State to observe this year’s international women’s day celebrations.

In a release by the Office of the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, the seminar tagged “Be Bold for Change” hopes to positively impact the lives of the women and help build their capacity for sustainable enterprises.

BUA offered Interest Free Loan to 2,000 Rice Farmers

BUA Rice Milling Company, Kano, exhibited their commitment to boost rice farming by offering a non interest loan of enhanced rice seeds, pump machines and other tools worth Two Hundred and Eighty eight thousand naira (N288,000) to each of the 2000 targeted rice farmers in Kano State, Nigeria.

In an interview with the Chief Executive Officer of BUA Rice Milling Company, Kano, Alhaji Kabiru Isyaku Rabiu, he expressed optimism to the mutual relation between the rice farmers and the rice milling company.

Dangote Tomato concludes arrangement with Gombe, Sokoto farmers

The Dangote Tomato Processing Company, Kadawa, Kano state has concluded arrangement to purchase fresh tomatoes from farmers in Gombe and Sokoto States.

The Managing Director, Alhaji Abdulkarim Kaita disclosed this in Kano.

Japan Contributes to Emergency Food Assistance in Libya via WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of US$700,000 from the Government of Japan that will provide vital food support to tens of thousands of Libyans affected by ongoing conflict since 2011.

 

“As we speak, over one million people are suffering from displacement and major food shortages in Libya,” said WFP Libya Country Director Wagdi Othman. “This timely contribution from Japan is a vital step towards easing the increasingly worsening food shortages affecting too many families.”

Agriculture University cautions farmers against Aphid damage to wheat crops

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has advised the farmers to remain observant and regularly monitor their wheat crop for aphid damage.

Cloudy weather without any rainfall is highly favourable for their development cautioned RS Gill, head, Department of Entomology, Punjab Agriculture University.

Government hikes minimum wage for agriculture labourer

Labour ministry has nearly doubled the minimum wage for agriculture labourers including those hired on contract, barely six months after a significant increase in minimum wages for non-agricultural labourers. Centre had on August 1 last year raised minimum wage of non-agricultural workers by 42% 

According to a labour ministry notification, an unskilled agriculture labourer would be entitled to get a minimum wage of Rs 300 per day in C-category towns as against Rs 160 now while those in B and A category towns will get Rs 303 and Rs 333 respectively. 

Washington State Professor Lav Khot Finds Sky-high Opportunities for Drones in Agriculture

The work of researchers like Dr. Lav Khot is showing that we’ve only scratched the surface of what this relatively new technology can do for agriculture.

Khot works for Washington State University’s Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems and in the agricultural automation engineering research emphasis area of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

Peter Tiu Laviña resigns as National Irrigation Administration (NIA)

Chief Peter Tiu Laviña the former campaign spokesperson of Duterte, was appointed as National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Chief in November.

Laviña has resigned from his post amidst corruption accusations. Laviña on his Facebook page on Tuesday said “All the while I thought I would just leave and move on. He he he we need to fight off the intrigues!” 

"Paalam!
I have been vilified in the past; my name used, abused and maligned. Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again. There are rumors circulating that I have asked money from NIA contractors. These are not true!" he said in a separate post.