I 20 AGRICULTURE NAFDAC, NIPRID approveherbal medicines lIynn"A. KU >lIIn
OIRECfOR Genenll of Niltional Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC). Dr Paul Ormi. said
his agency WoI.5 prtpared to collabor.ale with the Nige ria trullluteoTPhnmaccutlcal Rese3rch and Devf:lopmenl (NfPRID) to granl full approval to herbal medicine's ·)rnduced in the country Dr. Orh!- SOlid agricultural produce in the form of medicinal planu play important role In growing thl!' nalion's economy and ensures the promotiun of public health Sprahng during a public presentation of six medicinal plants and boolu by the Nlge. rian Medicinal Plants Developrn!'nl Comp.IIlY (NMPDC) in AbuJa.the NAFDAC boss Hid It is important to harness the po tentials of h"rbal medicineJl
DAILY TRUST
Tuesday, April 3. 2012
Pest, post-harvest losses threaten yam production
.".....
A new pmfrd aimed II. boosting yam production known as the Yam Im~t for Incomr and 1:.00..:1 Security In West Mria (YIlFSWAl
proj<alw_""'......,."",
and post-harwst Ios:sc:s wen having srriow impact on the region's food 5tCUrity and «onomy_
A stakmcrll made ~ 10 Daily Thtsr.said rnal ruran:htn on lhr project warned thai the ·pest
and post-Iw'vesl lows m~ dn-a51alrd the industry in rrcenl )UI'$This Irmd and ~ population growth. combined with threats from climatr change could be --atastruphk lOr the region: Y1IFSWA is supportrd by a $ 12 million grant from the Bill & MeUnda Gates r'OUfldation and ltd by the Inte:matlonal lnstitutr of Tropical AgricwtUR' (rrrA. but.d In
Nigma). Tht
proJ«f
woukl focus on
increasing y)eIds through improving Inill'kd.s and providing bruer seeds far this incredibly dh'ttSt, edible rubrr. Acconling 10 the 51atcment ~ind!gmous aups like ~ oftm are: refnted 10 as -orphan~ crops beuuse thry aren't traded internationally. and thus. lit!le Is Invested in impruring yidds compared to major gk.ba.I commodity crops like m:U1,e, wheat. I.lId rice. As I result., yam yldds fall far below potential
"Yams are bater acbpted 10 soli and climate conditions In the ~ Ihansomrcommoditycropsandan! Illrndypmerrtdln localdleu. These fKlOB man successful rfforts 10
boostyiddsare:likdytobrmonsustainabk: and l\a'fTa greater ~ on food security_ Furthermore, ~tine an abundance of a locally produI:ni nutritious staple liU fIIIIJ can pr0-
vide insun.nce again$( crur:ssparUd by I. rudden,stwp rise in RIobaIICod !,rica: the stattment added
for healthy itvU18 and for com·
mercial pin lie Slid ~"/e will check safety and efficacy Ln, I if all th!ngs .re correel NAF~)AC .nd NIPRIO will then gr.m the neccssary appm~l--
Mmister I,r .\grlculture and RUr.ll OevelC'plIlenl, Dr Ak.inwuml Adesina ,aid indigenous medicmal planl \ h;IVe thr polrn ual of generaring large revenue for thr govenmlrnl with. markrt .... orlh of 1~ billion dollars by2015. -Con.,,~ntionl htrbal prod uelS which It, global worth by ZOIS wUl be 7! billion dollars can be lappc..: illto by thr Nige· rian gOVffnmtrt,~ ht uid Ade!lna d '.so ribed lhe initi alive as new ,gl icullural bastd strattgy Ih.. farmtrs could rxplolt to tmba rk on commtrcial (uIlIYIIIII" of medicinal plants Ht also nptl d that agrlcul lurt is not a tltvelopmrnt sec tor but. busille!S that Is opened for Investment and can be prof. hable if Ihe valut chains .. rt focused nn Thr minis'el used Iht crre mony 10 unv6l1 the nrw ~ritty of cas5:l~ thai i5 natullIlly madt upof\"itamin \ bttacar-ottnrl
Group wants agency for small scale farmers B, rtni.l. tt.sYn CIVIL Society Coalition for Puvcrty Er.ldlcauon (CISCOPE) has ca1kd on the Federal Govrrnment 10 esl2b1Wt an agency solrly responsibil' for the need of small scale farmers across the country in order tostCUre the nation's food rupplychain.. Speaking al a onr day Interacth'r media roundtable in Abuj .. ~Irrday.chainmn oftht body. Or_ Oom Okoro. txpruscd worry Ihaltlle needs of small scalr rarmm ..... ho make up thr bulk oflhe fanning population in NigrTia was
neglrcted and int~ntiol1s targeted al such group of peoplt ntvtt gtl lO them brcausr they arr ovcrshadowrd bycoillmerdal and political farmtnggroups. lit lamented that small farmmdo not ha~ a voi~ wlll':n it comrs to poUcy formulat ion and were therefore nOI heard or tOOr netds taken inlo consklention by SO''emmertt hcoct the nerd fOf .. spcdal agency thai is SU!UI(1Ii}y mandated to handlr ~ues !lilt relatt to Sudl group
offarmcrs. According to him. 94 percent total agrk outpuIS and 80 pm:mI rL the food ooruumcd ....,thin
the: country Is from sm~U farn'lrO yet 11rq' art: not priOrity by govunment despltt Iht(trllraJ rule the sedor plays In the nalJOnj ovrrall Gross Domestic: I'mduct (GOP) ·Wt think !llrre should be a public Agrncy dedicated to the promotIon of small scalt agricul. lu~ just like tht Small and MeruulIl Enttrpn~ Dcvdopmt.nt Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) ..... hich cOllCC'fltrales growing our small saHo )P1'l!f1
busmrssrs and the Unh-~ BMk F..ducatioo Commis:sion which rmmote education so Ihal the agric sector would be slcOngrr and 5mall farmrrsan benefit from their dforls,w he Ald
Mandela's wife canvasses financial support for women in agriculture B,rlnll.lllmln
Ade$!na, s~ said womm In Moo 10 access to nnanc:W support to lmJ'fU"'T thdr agricultunl
WIFEof~/'olth Africa:sfonnn ~ Ncbon ~~ (,nca Machd. fw; ailed on A~ rllWlr.i<lJ imtltutions to AJf'I'Of1 womm in\"OlYCll inagrlalti,rr.. Mathe! said .'Ore than SO peKCfll of Afrian womm lIIm' imd>'td In ~~ .:tivrtIo; could do-tilttieywm' rUWK:lallf ~
"""'"' ""I*xnm
"""'" '~jIpOrt woukI posiuYClyalTrct
thdrfamttyandl
SpeaIong
world It on a vi5it to the Minister rL Akinwuml
Agnad~ and RIlfl'Jdndopmmt Dr
constilute IMf 50 prrcml rL the ItllalpopubtionoflVrnmrnAfllCl.but lheltlOSl utOOrtunatt oOt Is thai they don~ tw.~ ICaSf 10 his cnlrrprmrulS. Ju.u lew of tbmt tur~ iIIXaS r>'m to micro flJ1<llKt or soil Io;r.n ill the cut mal be Once I woman is ernpowemi. the f;umly ",ill bemfrt iltlulemdy. and the wtdr MlIid \00.She bmmlJ that mIy I few womrn hnt' bm
an
dittdfrom~mmtiinlervmtionslnlheagn
cuJlU~ 5«IOf
despitr dforu madt by Itx untral Hank olNigtm (CRN) towards lmpromnrnt rL ;agriculture in thr N"1geria. Acronjing to her. pan of the IUSOI'1 why shr visittd N"rgrria b to advocate more inclusion of women as bmtfldiJrits of agnrulture supporl from fUWlCilllnstihitions in tilt Afric:t and (rom thrirhomr~\J..
-I'm hm' 10 chalknge thrbanking Industry in Nigeria no! 10 lave womcn just at Ihe: nuero and
,unKx Ievd but that they shooJd msure they gd
both to the nudJlc and the top. Nigerian womm art vrrr hard workingmd one: ofthc most impor-
tanllhings they n«d for tM upliflmtnl ofthrir ~un1 bwtncss is ICaSSIo huge 10m. -VO't also wmt N"~ 10 host the 2nd SumRUt on Women Ernpowmnrut. whkh IS scM:Iulcrl lotm plKtbct~ Hth md 14rnofJuly. 2012. bring oneal the great African counlrinWlth ilgrt cu/turaI pot:t.nli<lk. TIIII WIll be a plallonn whnc "" will 51ntrglz.r and rccognitt thai if WOInm rompIemtnt ant: <II1OIM. IN resull will be grm.. Responding, Minbter of Agricullu~ Dr Adesina Akinwumi promISed to en~ th..t wmnrn '-e aro:ss lornaao Ioanand bd1~ accra ",f~