41) DAILY SUN Mondoy, April 23, 2012
V\f:
mftl pby I n important role in rnsuring food security in the country lIS mlJority of the small Kah 1:lnnen: are ,,'omen. 5.-d1y, even lIS majoI" produceB of food in the ccunuy. !bey are not gM:n Ihcir due L'CC<'gnitioa by the government., ~levant aul1:«lIic:s and ageoClCS.. tn a bid ID ICOCIJUrnge them, !he AssocialJon of ~.mU1 Scale Agro Producers Ul Nigena ( ASSAPlN). was fonned 10 recogmu ~'OITlC'I £nrmm; ao:I. to let them know thot dcsl-ib: their small contributions at YIlOOUS SIll!!!5. they are tlx ones thai have been feedmgthtlnntion.. ASSAPIN president. Amma Bala lublin. ~'ho m!ldc this known n:ccotly al !he W1vci~ mg ol'tbe otg:aIlU2lllOll m Umt..l3fua..lhe Abin stal.. c:tpItaI said dw such n:cogrutioo would ent nura&e the small scale flUll'lenl in Nigena.. Jubnn SaKI the efforts of the: women Wlthout ocmlng together in\.O a body Iikc: AS&APIN can yield DDlhing . "r-/o-.hing can rome 0Il1 of their efflJfts lIS mdi.>idual$ if they don't get support from G<r.crnors.MiniscncsofAgncultwe, Women Affi.ir.l, COlIlIIJI:n:e amlmdustry. TIle South Eau Zone lauocbing took place at tilt; Easlem Comfort Hotel and it was an eye ('~ner for the small scale Agm
Group seeks supJlort for small scale farmers
from
ranners .
I
thell
Agricultural
transformauon
A""",,Also speaking. COfT1l'"3de Cl:uis N Okom saJd that fartnm can do fanrung wllhout capilal,noting that those who take loans an:
....'"Today ,""""'-
-"""'.
11K organization is an authc:Dlic mediwn throul,lh \\--hich agricuItund progr1IIDIDC!I can be channeled 10 the real small sca1e TIle Umuahia launching brings the nwnber of 5l!1es in wtticb ASSAPIN has been IaJmcb:d 10 tv.~ty in the SoutJt..West, SouthSouth, north-wesc and the Soutb-east, as the ~id;nt said that the 0fglIflizatj0a will be laundcd in aU !be states ofrhe federation. TI'IC ~I,sajd th:it the body came uno mlence when it was maugurated in Mardi 25, 10!O aI. !he radio House m Ahuja, adding !hat t1:e 1au:odnng is the dimlu of abwt tIm:e }UIS of bnainsforrnmg, evaluation and I'CJeM\!h camcd out by sc:vcml Nigennn NGOs that an: mgnculJurally!dated ntiE _ dooc in collaboration wi!h many Nig:!rian Small ScaIc FIII'TJX'n, dJoscn from
was the lJUUIlSIay of the Nigerian economy before 011 was dtscovered and It was the II"ICOfl1C from AgncuJture that was used to develop oil and fimd education U "'''ell as othcf devclopmeo131 projeCtS m Nipll.. We used to ClI:pCIr'I ooc:oa, but today our k.aders have JlC:glected Agriculture fOCUSIng on 011 to the extent thai Ihe nnnu:d allocation to Agricul~ 15 less than 2 per ct:nl of the nation's budget. This is f(U belo ..... the MAPUTO dedarnlJon of I0 per cent from all Afncnn IXIUIltnes budgets on Agncul\1.ue. The flag off of the exercISe is already Identifying those In thl5 group 10 begin to Il'ik govmtlnctlt to tmplemcnt the MapulO declaration to inc:n:ase inveslmCnt in AgneullW'e, create access to markets. make pollClC5 thai will l"avor the margtnaHzrd group of small scale farTTJCn pIU1icularly women. 10 have i!IIXleS:S to famt land This flag offisaboauoed at enabling youihs ..... ho have lost hope 10 deveklp ~ in Agriculture now that goY~ emmelll is iacklmg II in a diffCl'OlI way by laking AgncuIum: 115 a professIOn. 10 mfonn them 10 organt7% ihcmsclves tnlO groupe; forthem to enpgt: with government 10 benefit
tbosc who IlIke
108115
from the
banks an: not farmm, beeau9I! the real f1l/11}-
m don't get access to loans from the banks. aU ow:r the federation • working IOgethcr lied four goals as parnmount 10 the sustainunder the auspices of\Viccs of food security able food pmduction tarF of the nation. (VFS) and Oxfiun Nigena. which include incmtsc in government invest"At the end ofthc evaluation cxcn:iIc:s, it ment in agriculture, resc:arcb support 10 6umwas conspicuously revealed that c:xocpI !he Cl'S. as well as promotion ofie:adc:clJip rob Small Scale Farrnas.s::ome wgelhcr as an association, • food production in Nigeria will noc improve and the lac of Nigerian Small ScaIc fannm will Mt be bener. AI !be moment. sma» Sc:alc f3.JmefS m fragmented and have no common front through I,l,ilich !hey can cxp!tSS their f!!Cllngs and it is this gap !hat ASSAPIN has come 10
fill" lubrin said Uwl!he orpruzatlOO 118!1
KIouj_
in v."Ofl'ICn In Agriculture. Speaking 10 Daily Sun, Ihc NationaJ ProgJammc Cardinalor-. Mr Adu Yarima Cbarks said that they v.~ in the Sou!h East to bring the Small Scale fiurners thai an: woriting as individunls info groups, especially !he women who constiWte r:Ner 80 per cent of small acalc fltrmm in Nigeria "Govcmmcnt'l dcciOOo in Agriculnnl prodocing procc:ss is very low. Agncultute
FIUTT1CI1; need loam that an:: mlcrc§t free with wbich to procure equipment like tr.IIcIon and other fo.mting implc:mcnts. During Iwvests, the prices of famt pnxIuce an: very iow. and m such a SItuation. what f3.JmefS need ....'OOki be storage facilities and that is where we want ~Ito come in. When we have abundance.1he govcmmcru should come 10 OUfaid , buying our products in bulk so that we can make profiL l..and!i allocated 10 f~ in some slates an: sold 10 estate dcvelopcn and other lminess me, - he said. ASSAPIN is a non Govemmcnlal 0rgant2llu0n regtSlCRd with !he that aim of ensuring hunger fi!!C nauon and sustamable
--
Agric ex1ension agents should educate fanners on climate change'
m.n KASSlDY UCHENDU, Ns!..M:a
D
lC tor Nkholu Ozor iJ I senior ucan:h officer- at Ihe African Tec:hnology Polley Studies Netwo rk (ATPS). Nllrobl Keoya. He b the anchor mart for the partufcn hip bf'h\·H:n his orpniDlion aod the Ulllnn!ty or Nigeria Ntdklla. He was W. the unll"Cnity m:colly 10 I Uffid the 17 Annual lntemadonal Conllnn!:e of Agrh::u lfu ntl EIIenslon Soqdy of J'l.1gerb with som .. mcmbcn of hb '..rp.nb;ation. finfy Sun <XJl"OO'td him II the end of the ~til!g session of me eonfm:nce and he ~ on !he dangm of handling climate
chaM!
ISSUCS with tuity. the academic "A'I'ullch m deaJing WIth !be climate change phc1"ommoo, and need 10 mobilize agriculflml l l:xtcnsion agents. He warned thaI no IlDt;on can afford 10 toy wt!h climate change:
~.;ex~r~excapc
~
29 courttlles in Africa. e and Amenca and we: have bc:cJ pow-
llave chapter5 In
ern l ill the clmwe: thangc acuVIUCS In tbe UnJler5ny ofNigena. Nsukka. Sinr:e after my pt.stgntduat.e lI1I.inmg in Nanobi. I ha\"e brelllhic 1O!Dl1J'Cc: fimd IlJ support the UNN, 10 e.ury out I"e5IC:Ift:h activillCS. training progm~ on climate change: mucs. Since aflt:r ny ViSit Iast ) 'ear 10 Nigc:na for climate dwlg: e\'enIS, we 1uIl.<e had scric:s of climate chi ng: 8CUVlties here, especially IlJ !lal5iuze UIlll·e!Slty eommurutics OIl the need to condud! re:scut;h uaioings OIl climate change
adaptation. And I am glad 10 sec that, !he UIIlvcmty admuusU'atlm ha.'! keyed into thI5 prugnunme. They havc: accepted 10 climateproof aU !he ~ in the university. That i.s why you see that CIo"!:r}' Iiw:uIty m the univer· sity participating in clirnate change CYalts, especially as regards 10 revtSing the cumcu· }urn of every dcpanmcnt to produce and integrate. !he issues of climate chmge in their IXlUlSC5. They ate already doing it, they ha\"C formed climate change oommittees in difi"crcut dcpartmClll! and faculOcs in !he unn·efSlty lIS I wnole. We ate to the UIIivcmty 10 en:IJlC this awara)CSS and climate proof all the ooun;es in the uni~ty. You auJ sec, the changes are going on well. The UIIi\mty vice dlancclJor. Professor Bartho OkokJ has grlICiously supported the: programrne and provided supponrve funds also. Thinp an: going OIl well dcaru; of faculties have Iii Iceyed into it. As I speak, a Masta-'s ~ gnunmc that wiU run as climatic change: pmgnunmc has been idctttiftcd. The CXlllU:rut\ee lS oow woriongon.lOCXlSt the relevant OOUJSes to be climate proofed. Like I told you, dun!},! our last mcetmg thc: deans have shared the hfl currieuJwn with the stakeholden and once we finish revising the Masta-'$ degree: prognuruuc cumculum because evoy faculty needs \0 axne in and show thelr pre:scnoe in the Master 's COUJX bemg deslgnc:d, .....e shall SIBIl the prooes:!i of curriculum It:fOfTllS after-which 11 will be JlR:'"SCIlted 10 the UniVCfSity Smate ror appltwai. Once the senate approves, then it Will be sent to !he National Uni~ities Commission
(NUC) fOf approval. thtn we will stan dcgn:c: pmg11IIllIDC 011 climate change. Re-ui:sdalOI 01 ogric extension agents Yes the fanner will cvennmlly catch up wi!h the spirit of climate change sermon. I strungly believe that change is the only thing that is oonsta/ll, I believe that the message will grnduaIly reach the grassroots, because, if ..... edon·\ change, we ~ gomg 10 find OUJsch"CS m a vuy di1IicuIt situation III no disIlInt time. The exlenSion workers are supposed 10 caoy JIfO'"Cn Il:Choologies lUld rcscan:h m.:omrrcxbtion from the unl\'Cmlies down to thc: ranners, so thai funnm c:an now apply rho!;c: n:x:omllEllliations in their faJlJlina practices. We will even need 10 change !he ex.tension agents. because if they don', have II dumge ofawwdc,. they will DOl be able 10 know thaI ~ worid is changing; that it JS not business as usual again. They need 10 first or all, ha\'e a m-1)ncntation 15 those wbo de:aJ with fannm: dircctly wuil the extension 1gents know that they need a thangc of mind and altitude. The ciunate thange we an: talking about is no respecter- of class or colour. A.fteT" the ~cntation, the agents will kam new methods and tools fordelivering messages 10 ranners. The: extension SlBff needs 10 be adcqu:ucly mobilized. I was once an c:xtCll!ion agent, the moraJe of CXteJlSlOll agent is very low because of lack of mobilimtion. In this country, extenslOl1 scrvias are still public, wilike in Europe and Amc:rica whc:n: the exlal5ioo services an= private. If you area fanner, you are !he one to approach an alens;on agent for his sovia::s.
But because: ~ government IS In charw=. the agent takes his duty as ooc of the gu\"CITIment jobs. Again. their sa\ancs ate 00f paid as and when due, they lack loglSbcS, 81 lllnc:s too. vehicle. even TI'IOlofq'cle 10 anend 10 their duties m the interior- area. Both the government and !he private sedor. farmer. extension agent; aJl the 5IDkchoklers. the: pas must collabooue 10 make the cnNIdc a reality in AIiica.