DAILY TRUST
Tuesday. March 20. 2012
AGRICULTURE Agric stakeholders to implement govt's transformation agenda
FG registers 2.5 million farmers nationwide 111E FcderaI GcMmmmt Sil)'S. has so fur ~~ 1llIn!han 25 nuIbon
foumm under lIS &rnlers' eensus Q:I!t00< """""""'-
STAKEHOLDERS
agncullure
the
In
The DUl.'ClOr. I:cder..J lleputment oiRuriil ~litnl,l\tr[);uud Ila-
IOrmomoo Agmtb ( ....TA) of
oodd<doo<d <hom"""""""", Daoud s;;ud that !he chlil ~ been captumt In !he onpng nallonW'kle funnm~ion c:xemse
1M FetkraJ Gm-ernmenl by
i Ie mien/cd FeckraI~'I!I1UllmI:i;
5«tot
haw
agreed 10 adopt and llIlpk. mcnll~ AgncuhurtTnns
readmc:ss 10 pnMde the foumm ""1th adoquw: f.arrn inpUlS 10 SlIPPOll 1hnn "'" """" """"",",, prod"""",-
I It:Mnof~lhanelgtll nUIIion bms weR di5tJibulcd 10 aU tt'K' lloItes oftht ~ and rer for the n:g """""-
. """"
The dut-dorexpbu1«l lhat the IM-
gd was 10 ~fiVC' mdbon fmners yearly. 110 dlal. by 20 IS. II ~ 20 IruI·
lion Of dlCtll ",ulid haW' been ~
tmd. I~ V'\~ assuranct' that
the CUIOK wooId mwn:: that all Ihcsmall scak £Willers captured Tl'«I\'fd :Ide. <palr ~JPOfL
where lhe bnntt gtU a Idq.n
f'K' ' ' '
OI\lhe~ll ll yo(frruluer a:\JodIer mpub aIb....rd to hun or h;r WIth lhe
acttS5 PIll muntlC'fai adr:s.g!\a'«lagro-
-""~
The Eumm ~ apeard kJ he rrgtSlerrd thRJugh d'K' l:1rctroruc \\'011 let (E W.tRee) Growth I~
Daoud SiUd lhe sygcm h..t t>ecn in $(;fne pUot SWt.S I" k "'" lhe dWlrtJgo and lh;a pm n..clll "'b
Prograrnmr under the Agnculturnl
workrng 'ow;mK prrfcctulg :~ Plo gnanuneowmg 10 Ihe brsc-. t1wt \I't.lt: IJmuB;:d dunng!he lesc ru 1..1 ~
TransformiltlOfl ~ policy, The E-Wallr! S)'Sk'n is a schen'K'
t~M
msunng UYI nlot dWns of CompanlllW advanla~ across tht-tr arns a« gI\Tfl oprnnum atlentM.)O M«1mg al the 391h N~1OfUI CounaI on Agnew
lure tholt ",oas held III Eougu.
the 36
SIOIl o; cOl'llmiMion·
us of agrICulture ;md Olhn itnchokkn who made rr~nI.11OIU uprelied rt'adlll';:l>\ 10 coopt'r.;Ilr ""'Ih ~'mlmcnl in makmg Nl~rllo foodsuffk.~nl:mdm
the
cunmg dawn food nnportiil-
lion by promotlllglhc \'OIri fOod cropt. vatu<' chams
ow.
un.ktlht-~
Addrei5lng Iht- council.
Mmliler of Agnculture and [)c-o.dopn~nI,
Run!
Dr
ALflWUlni Adam .., s.ud "
the hlghtst dtcwoo rmbng I.Kpn In lhe srrtor, 1M coun
ul O"'~ Nignuns ,he dwy of u,lnyomung the- AT.... 10 i\CtIOrb th,u would bmd'ttall He' s;ud N'gma is now the 1argt'St importer of ri..-c~ In !.he world cspuWly from coomrlO IIkr Th:II\.md and Indg, spendmg about NJS6 bllhon a ynr (about NI biI hon a day). He Sllli MNi~.. is tcxby a net fOod unponmg natIOn. spmdlllg about NI.J lril lion 00 lw.K food Items Itkt '" hcu, no;:c, .sugM and fish amongOlhcn. · What is sad about dus as tb Nigma has over 84 million hectares of anbIt' bnd. pbm
""~. 10
pcrf«t
crops all bbour
~;1Il
COO
grow
round. low
and
~rt1k
soe!
10 he a milJI'W klOd aportll1g counlty
-Yrt. we ~w dcvdopcd a Wk for n'U)1hI.ng wt 1$ importtd, n\itkin\ NIgt'nI a nd fOod Imponc:r Mnnwhik. lhe com-
Nigeria produces first pro vitamin A cassava 8, fIN A. lUwlI
NIGERIA has produced the fiBi n-cr pro V r' !ilffiln A (beu carotenr rich) fortified cassava In Africa that is conskkrcd 10 bt: I~ nutritious Ih.lon the a&lng ViIIlt'tJU. Abou l thrN vant1'K'S of the bet.lo a rOCene cassava wert: bunched
by the Minister of Agricultuft o.tnd Rural devdopmt'nI. Dr. Akmwumi Adt:smol dunng the ",UUnd al the NatklNl Roo Crops RociIn:h h15lJlulr (NRCRl).LJmud1ite, Abu. Stille..
AmwdingtolhemmlSler,NllPU is tht: largcsI producer of cassaV.lo In
lhe world, producmg Oftf 34 million mdric tons of1M cmp. lit' s;ud the prodUClion of the In1pfOftd vilnehcs hils placed Nignu on thr ~I nup in terms research on micronul.ne:m (vnmm a, iron, 'lU X:
and KJdioe)
SI:q>Ir foods..
Im~menl
m
tk wd: -nus iUC.CCSSfu1elTon IS part ofd'K' ~of the f«knl Gov· ernment 10 tran.sform agricultuu; oor bcw: 1$ to crt2te new rnarkeu for cw;ava and thIS include: high qualilYCtiSava flour 10 be used In repbdng some of Ihc wheat flour bd ng imponed 10 produce bread:
high fTuctosecassan syrup 10 repbcr the 2«).000 metric Ions or 5ug;ar CUT rt'fldy hemg used in the Juice man ubcluring industry; drird c:assan Lhips; and the production orethmol. "'Our pi is to :MId anothet' 17 mUlIOft metric Ions of cassava 10 our Jonlt:Slic IOOd supply. 11'K' Agricul·
a:presad conrKknce mlhe ~baldy of
tural TraruJornulion Action Plan hopes locmilr 1.3 milIionjobsacross the casgn valt'K' dwns butl'roduc. Ing moR food is not mough. ~ musI also ensure IIl;It therr is enhoanccd food nutrition and health....
crops ofgiob;tI repuleand ha . hbud
AClmg Executive Dirrctor of the institule. Dr. Thomas ELulike
NRCRI lOeOfllmUt' 10 bla, r he nad
the atta of ImprovN crop 1..01 '1 nutn IlOnaDy and in rc:s.lSliInCe III 1lk:..illp--
lion 10 changmg rum..."c C,Jfl.lmo lOS. 1k said. ' ROO t.ilS IraN formed 11110 a leadmg rtS<.i1rJlu:n tre of a:cdIe:nce for
root
.mJ n.ber
the IroIll of biol«hnology I 'uoJSh the oabIishn'K'nt of a cultule Il:.sur bbor.IIOfJ. mokoJ..b.r br«oUll(, 0( root crops and eooflned Odd trw of genetically modir.ed enp .utd r«ently btu fomficallOft 0 5t.lpie
cmS's.:·
mlS5lOnen of agncullure In
am. KanoandTanb;iSWa
haveassuredochtr membns of Ihccouna! ttw !heir Sl~C5 ;,&U already unplmlwling the Iramfornullioo ilgeocb in acconbnce wuh crops of com~""IIVC' ~dv.lIn. aclOiS lhe VMIOUS eluins.
~'ftnOrofEnuguStiile, ",jd d'K' stille IS poistd 10 ensure lhal
Sullivan Otime.
II alWllS lOad suffidmcy by the ynT 20 ISand also apon 80 pm:rnl 0( Its total oulpul by 2020
E/African countries sit on sugar glut: Ecobank: SEVERAL East African coontries includ ing ~:mJ Kmyaare5lumgon surpluscsofsugu and ate Jedung homes for supplies Imporled afit'l" WI years droughl. a semor analysl gjd yeszenby. -l...aIe last year 1<eny.J. Tanunlil and Ugand.iII banned exports of su~r and allowed dut y·free tmports, but unfortun:.atdy some Inden got a bit camtd aw..y and unponed rM too much.AiJ Edward Gcorgt:. head of II'll! soft cornmodi tics rtSnf[h drsk II ~n~ Afncan banlong group. F.cob>nk.
-AI 1M beginning of the ynr !he new JUgU SOlI' son st:.art«i. ~ cane becolfT"t' a\..ulabk. rd'incn §lartM miUmg again. and now sn'eraI countries afe sllllngoo a gtul of sugar; (It'orgc. who fre<qumtly tnvrls 10 the I'epon.loId R.-....tm. l ie estlma trd ihal Ug;uKla CUITelllly hiId §lodtsof narty 40.000 10.bol unsokl ""hile sug;u - around ISptranl of rWlC".na1eonswnptlOll - and lhat Kmya hiW:I slodc.s of m..wc ttun 20.000 Ions.. -In othn COOlltnes m tf'K'rtgIOO as ",-dL t.heu _100 mudl sugar:' C.eorgt SOld
Asked whdher' the surplus sups WClUiJ W..dy be re-aponcd or consumed in domesuc n uriell, George ",.d. -quite 11 rew oftl'K' su~;es Q I tx reo apontd Counltki Sikh as lJgiIOd:.a .00 Ktnya already nport sugM 10 :)outh Sucbn anJ I IRe - n ils (Irmd) CUI COfllinur or tncrea~ · ~wJ~bagconc.cmwuhowdl lC'K'."II1y
the surplus baggtd 5UgMli ",ere being 51:. ortJ. -~ Ltnyoflhe Cllm~rues lmported ba, gt .1white StlgM whKh has a linutat storagt: ilfe..If., t · Slum wdl. llcan las!: fOrup IOlwoyears,-hesud (I ~I!UIm:)