grlc trans ormation agenda incomplete without mechanisation'
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ag leulture expert and the Nallonal ret.lry, Agricultural Ma· chlnery aud equlpmenl Fabricators AssocIation ')f Nigeria IAMEFANJ. Mr Tony Egha has dl8dosc:d that
the departments of agricultural engineering in Nigerian be manufactured with local matenIso be hId d ais. skills and faclllUes and 10 Slana ooer au e an dardl:l!c and certify. In collaboraUon equipped to produce w e ll trained agricultural eng meers so as with the Standards Organizations to provide qual(fied personnel to drive our mechanisation. " of Nigeria (SON). agricultural rna"AU
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universities and polytechnics should
the" naUon llgticultural sector may not experience meaningful and appreciable development If machanl!aU"ln ts not giving a space or allowed to play a UI.i~Ol role In the proc:c.s.s of taking the practiC<' of farmlltl! to a higher level SO that food can be cht'ap an.1 surplus In the country. "'ccordln~ 10 him, mechanisation Is not only a major pi l ot on which successful and proOtable fanlling leSIS, It is also a vehic le for the agricultural trarsfcnnauon agenda or PreSident Goodluck Jonathan's J.dmlnlslraUon In his determined cIforLS to clveulfy the nation's source of Income. \ir Egha rc:ltc.rated thai since the vision of the FetleraJ Ministry of Agriculture Is 10 make sure thl:l t therr 15 a reduclloon In drudgery. small effective work ~on"e In ensuring rood security and meetIng the Induslrlal raw malerlals and export needs of Ihe naltOI . then, there should be a greater consideration f-lr mechanisation and the wile of an appruprll" te tec hnology in the practice or fanning. Anotht:r nl JSlon of the nation's ministry of ag· rlCl.I1I UTe . he r Irther posited, 15 to promote the development of .Igrlculture and management of re laIrd naturrl resources to achieve a sustainable food secur1t) . production o f agricultural raw malertaJs In o rder 10 meet the needs of our ~alldlng lndustrlal seClor and export market wllh the effcct of cnha.m:IO{ hnn Income and rcduclug poverty. 111e exJ)Cr' l urther asserled Uml Ule transfonnalion agenda ' Jf the Federal Government would achle~ lIS gOLls and obJcct l\'es If proper attention can be gh'Cn tl mechanl!l8l1on_ lItl5 bec:omes Im peraUve lccn usc mechantsaUon reduced drudgery: creates smal l (fTccU\'c. workforce.; leads top food security: as well as help to produce the surplus that can be u s ed '0· raw matertals and enhance ranne" Income. - he emphasised. t\s%cd 10 I'xpla!n the reasons why the )'ouths are not s howln~ a quick response In embracing fannlng.Engln ·er Egba said one discouraging fac· tor which ImJ=edes young people's readlnCSl!l and wtDlngness to participate In fanning Is the drudg· cry , tediouSlle'ls, and rrustraUngty low Income associated wltil the traditional metilods of farming. Introductiull of Improved technOlogies, he stressed, Is c~pable of reducing the: rssoclated drudgery and cumber· someness, ;)1 - well as HE Minister or enhance pro·juclivlLy Agrlcu)ture and wh ich hr puslted preRural Deve· diets UICfe8f!ed 1ocome_ His w \l rds -II will lopmen!, Dr Aklnwumt also make falmlng at- Adcslna, has promised oveU 121.000 tractive to young people, the thus. there 5 thus the pracllslng armers in need to lraln a new gen- Abla ~t:ate at they will eration o f farmers on bene8t from the Growth met'han1n.lIcn lechnolo- Enhancemept Support Scheme (OESS) of the gles ,· SpcWrlg on the roles Federal Govfmment this of agricul t ural research y ..... tic made this known 10sUlutes If' achieving food sccurUy. ne said 10 recenUy In Umuahla during the Oag-off of the order 10 a chl l!ve the goal of the agrtc ultural trans- OESS and the ornclaJ formaUon. I .s Impor- proclamation of N 1 tant tlla the govern - bUUon loana that the ment sllnul1 enhance Abla State lgovemmenl and empow.-r Institu - was giVIng to the tions IIkt tl.e NaUonal pract:l!!1ng farmers In the Centre ro r Ag;' lculturaJ slate. According to Dr. Mcchanls.lt!o n (NCAMI. NCAM. a { c')rdlng to Adesina. for every slngle him , was "omllily eSlab- fanner that wants to do lished by Uccre~ (now Ac:t rice or mab;c famllng. of the Natlom:1 Msem· Pre.&ldenl Jonalhan has announced that seeds b~y l No.3f1 01 I 990 with
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chines. equipment and engineering practices In usc In Nigeria.
Other functions of NCAM Include; to bring Into focus mechanlcallee-hnologle5 and equIpment developed by various InstltuUons. agenCies or bodh::s and evaluate their suitabilIty for adoption; as well as to assist In the commerCialization of proven machines. equipment. tools and techniques; and to disseminate Information on methods and progrommes for aehlevlng speedy agricultural mechanIzation. The centre (I.e NCAMI, Egba further posited, has been empowered to develop and test a large array of mechantsatlon technologies for ClItample, lractor!:l. weeders, peelers , threshers, planters, harvesters. seed broadcasters. fertilizer spreaders. and various crops proceSSing machineries and devices for different categories of Nigerian crops. MThe extension and transfer to local fabricators and other members of the public of these technologies should be slIstalned and expanded . 1\11 the department of agricultural engineering In -"r. Tony Egba. Nationa l Secretary, AlfEFAN Nigerian univerSIties and the mandate to (rull- track Ule positive lransforma- polytechnics should also be overhauled and lion In the agricultural sector of lhe Nigerian equipped to prodUce well trained agricultural economy In order 10 increase the quantity and qual- engineers so as to provide quallflcd personnel to Ity oragrlcultural products through the introduction drive our mechanisation,' he said. On his advice for the Federal Government. the and development of nccd· ba.$c:d, home-grown agriAMEFAN National Secretary said it 15 Important cultural mechanization technologies. This mandate, the expert emphaslsed. Is being to note that no matter how good our production achieved through sOllie dcslgnlted and and spe· system may be. we must have a good and robust cine functions which Includes; to encourage and pOSI harvest technology to achieve our food engage In adapuve and Innovative: research towan:b security. This could easUy be: aehleved If we have the developmenl of Indigenous machines for fann - a very emclent proccsslng machines 10 add value Ing and processing technlquc.s; to design and de - to our products. (To be con tinued next weelcJ velop simple and low-cost equipment which can
FG distributes free rice, maize seeds to farmers
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be given to them for free of charge In 50 kg bags of ct.rUfled nee seeds and 40 kg bag of certified maize seeds, In the programme aimed at benefitting poor farmers, he said five mUllan fllrlDerw an: targeted for GESS whlcb would lasl for over five years. Commending Abla State government for belng consistent Ln paying up Its .tate's counlerparl. suppon for FADAMA and AgrIcultural Transformation Agenda, Ule minister rccogntstd the challenge of creaUng 1ocomes and lncreaslng benefits for all our farmenJ. The amouqt of Incentives for fanners In the states. he said. are SUch that each farmer will pay 50 per ccnt of N88,OOO forcach package of Inputs
Recognts.tng that Abla State produces the best cocoa Canner In the country. the minister announced the release of ctgbt new varieties of cocoa hybrids which will be y1cldlng 2 tonnes per hectare as opposed to lhe 0.04 tonnes per hectan:, a dlfTcrencc. he said was more than nvcfold. "We are dlsU1buUng 25,000 pods of these hybrids for fanners In Abla State for free,· he promised. Dr. Adeslna further dlselosed Ihat 8136 bUllon would be earned this year from cassava chips' eltport. One of Ihose poised to be Involved. he Indicated, was Eu PhllJp Ajornlwc. The conversion of reSldenUa.1 houses to commerdal or the ear-
Dings and wages. he breakthroughs. stressing reasoned. arc Inadequate that, ·our extenSion In meeting our servlcC$ will be re· - a g r - I c u l t u r a l integrated to offer ustfuJ services to our farmers.expectations, Chukwu Wachukwu. The commissioner also a consultant on the loan noted lbet a huge and chairman of the Investment Is coming occasion, charged pros- into agrtcuHure In Abla pective bendlclaries 10 State and this Is Just Identify agricultural about to begtn as the opportunities In every state would become one local governm.ent area, of those to n:ckon with agricultural using the loput supply In syslem In applying the productivity. Governor Theodore funds and the off-takel'!!' OrJI of Abla State, Sy!ltem to administer the un~ed the rca!IOIl5 for funds. Wachukwu further stgntng an MoU wtth the said Abla State alms at Federal MInistry of over 62.000 tons of AgrIculture, say10g the cassava tubers proc- MMoU will guarantee the essing. as well as 1,750 collaboration of the tons of rice and 2.250 Fcdcra1 Govanmc:nt and Abla State that will crates of eggs dally, The slate's ensure the Implemecommissioner, Ike ntaUOn of the AgrtcuIturai Onyenweaku, was TransfonnaUon Agenda 10 e.xpecung agrIc·bustne:5s Abla Slate."
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