How budget 2012 opened ways for agric development RESIDENT Goodluck Jona Ulan. while presentIl1g Budget for the yea r 20 12. at a Joint Sesslolls of the National Assembly In Ahuja, on Tuesday. 13 December. 2012. reeled oul some fls cal polices l'J1d revolution programmes thai would transform t he naHon 's agric ultural s ector and m ake t h e c : lUl11ry to regain Its lost glory 10 the secto r .
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tll ghllgh l lng th e delennlnallon of his f ederal
Gover nm ent to s hih th e attention of th e c o u nt ry's eco n omy dependent o n th e down s lream seClor to th e agricultural seClor, Pres ldent Jonalll8n said, ~ I wish to reHerate h e re that th e principa l objective of my admlnSU"aUon's fiscal policy In tht area of tariITs and trade Is to promote tn dustrlallsauon a nd the growtJl of the ma nufacturIngand agricultural SeclOrs of the economy and above a ll , to generate employment for Nlgertans. However. so me of th e majo r highlights of the recenU:1 announced Budget 2012 and how It would cause posIU"e changes In the t.'Ounlry·s agricultural .seelor .J.rc presenled below:
the desire of many agrtcuJture ~rts, Nigertans and food technologiSts. • As from 20 12, all cqulpmenlS, machlnc nes and technology required In the processing of high quality cassava flour. as well as machines for processing of composite fl our blendlng like graters. peelers, fennentCI'8. washers. nash drters, eiC. will enjoy a duty-f~ regime as an l/lcenUvc lo bakers for composite (lOUT uUlIsation .
-Consulta tion with the sector, according to Pr"t:sldent J ona than , Is on-gOing and It Is to ensure a s mooth tranSition. • There would be a further look at rtce a nd wheat sectors In order to s timulate la rge scale domesllc producuon. • Wheat flour will attract a levy of 65 per cent as from July. 20 12, In order to bring the duty to 100 per . cent. • Wheat grain wtll also a ttract a 15 per cent levy with the purpose ofbrtnglng the du ty to 20 percen t. • For the Jmporters of brown rtce. the federa l Govenunenl will from 2012, charge a levy of 25 per cent on brown rtce to brtng II to 30 per cent. • However. to enl:ourage domesuc rtce productlon on a la rge scale. Presiden t Jonath an said. "a Icvy of 40 per cent wtll be. placed on Imported polIshed rtce. leading to an effective duty rate of 50
embargo will take effect from March 3 1st. 20 12 . • Bakers a nd flour millers In the country wUl be _:":B~a:n:..:o:n_.h::;'~I:m2PO:::':ta:":o:n:..:o~r:,a:,, :::a:,:a~n:o:u:,,:a:n:d::..:th:':'::--Cgl ~~:n:::'~8~n~t:o:n:u:m:.::to:.::t"'=n:; slt from wheat usage In bre.ad baklng to the adopuon of cassavanour. They would also have the opportunity ag.l:u llure exto ~Joy a corporate lax ~".~~o ' kl.u" . "h'am Incentive of 12 pcr cenl ~r cent. , ad ~d_ _ ~ .. rebate If th ey a ttain 40 Not only that. as from Dec~mber 31. 2012. all scribed th e \grlcult ural h igh level. but also to the propos~d ban on Imporper cent blending. rice millers are expected to mo\'e towa rds domesHc Transform ation Agenda front burner among other ta Uon ofwhcat fiour a nd TIlls means that Nlge- production and milling of rice. To achieve Ihls air:;, of the p res t III civilia n crops that could trans- thc dJreclive for Ule Inrtans ",,"Ould start to cnJoy lhe levy of 50 pcr cent will be raised to 100 per I:en t cassava bread which has Note: President J on athan said the e.ra of walvgovernmen t In the coun- fo nn the economy of the elus ion of cassava fiour try as n ca ta )'SI 10 agrt- country. Is a welcome de· Into the producllon of been d escrtbed as nour- ers and con cessions for rtce and wh eat Importacul tu ral d e\'!lopmenL velopment . bread by feed millers a nd Ishmg, tasty and good as lion are gone. This means II may becomes a n ofMr SI\\"Okll. a n apen He also said s ince NI· bread-bakers, UleC: AVA from 2012. This has been fence for any Individual to Import rtce. wll h Ca,ssava : Added gcrta Is a number one pro- expert desl: rlbed the L..._-;--;;-_::;;.:~:;::::_;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Value fur Mnca IC:AVAI. duccr of the crop globally. pollcy as a good one. say- I A N ag ri culture while Speaki lg In Lagos cassava should be used Ing the sugma attached expe rt as well as recently o n the tOpiC: to b oost the n a tlo n 's to cassava In Nigeria cassava a nd maIZe. "The Cassoua Reuolu- economy. ",,"Ou ld definitely change. farmer , O la dcl e fiorl. : The Key to S iwoku said steps -Every ~tep taking by Awobamlse. has called on Nigeria 's £Conomic He- take n 50 far by ttle fed - the go\'emment so far to Nigerians . cspeclally to the sector from pasl the coast Is now clear for fanners In the country, to a dmini strators of the th e m as the fed eral couery. dcocrlbcd cas- eral Government 10 add furthcr un veil the poten. saya as a g,)lden crop. value to cassava produc· Uals of cassava as a mao clap_ for PreSident ministry. ad ding that Government has PUI zero saying tile crop cou ld tlon and processing h as Jor ke y to Nlgerla's Goodluck Jonathan over the comtng on board of d UlY on the Importation the 2012 budge t Dr Adeslna was not only of agrtcullure machinery transfru m th( econom)'of been lauded by many econom), recovc ry 111 but Go d - an d certai n speC ifi ed the c ou ntr" w ith in a people, st ressi ng t h at s tead of solely dependpre se ntlon done lasl IImel y equlpments , w/lh the ordalncd . s h ort perloc.. o f time If WIUl the special attcntlon Ing on the down s tream week. Reacting to the 20 12 effect from January 3 1. o n cassava. whiCh Is sector s hould be lauded. He also laid praCtiSing well harnessed . Acocrdlng to Ule staIr aimed at redUCing the Many peo ple o ft e n farmers, r esea r c h budget as presented by 2012. In h is words, Good luck of the Unl\'C'.: rslly of A..-rt- wastages attached to Its think Clt553va Is on ly a Institutes, Importers of President ' '1:> farm Inputs and cu ltu r c. Abeokuta proceSSing. cassava Is a food crop wlthout knowmach ineries. as well as Jo nathan 10 th e Joi n t - Impo rte rs of vehicles should m ake It part of Sess ion of the National IUNMBI Ogun Stote. all crop which could liberate tng tha t cassava has over food s turr deal e rs . their bUSiness activities the efforts of the present our economy. crea te em· 40 other by- produ c ts especia lly rice . wheat Assembly last wcck, Ule to Import agriculture; fanner said the fed eral cMllan admlnstrallon tn ployment for ttle jobless which ca n liberate the and cassava by-products GQvernment ha s n ow machinery like tractors, thecoUlllI)'. coupled \Vith and as such could be de- log Jam In the naUon ·s Im'portent lo -salu te th e remove<i"some obstacles nas h driers a n-d other the delennlnatalon o f scrtbed.:as a major key to indus trial sector. cou rage of the prestnt o n th e road of processing and storage present Mlnl~;ter of Agrt- thecounUY'sccollomyre"Cassava Is a crop of Minis ter o f Agriculture development of th e facilities for h arvested culture to br..ng cassa\'a covery. Industrial Importance. an.d Rural Development. nation's ag ric ultural ag ri c ultura l produce . producl.lOn Il l t only to a Co ~mentlll g o n the no phannaceuUcal comDr Aklnwuml Adesln a sec tor, charging those They would make more pany, I repeat. can close who 15 d e termine to who are Interested In ptoflt In s tead of Its eyes 10 cassava and tran sform th e natlon's fanning , but who are yct ~ traung only on the Itsby. products. However, agrtcullural sector. to make ~p th eir minds ~ ortal.lon of with g reater allentlon He di sclosed this to Join . the - mOVin g "U ulomoblles. ~ paid to cassava In wh il e rea c ting to the traln ."I al;>:o wapt people recent limes . I be1leve Federal Government's He said Ole pracUce of es pec laily agriculture all the stigma attached 2012 Budget farming In the country experts. to harness Ulls pres entation and wo uld henceforth be new oppor tun/l y by to cassava by some Nt· analysis. gerlans wou ld go b e· According to him . It lucrative a nd a ltractlve bel:omlng Impo rte rs o f cause II Is now evldenl was very clear now thai as certain policies reeled farm machines a nd that cassava Is nol only for the first time. the out In budget2012.lf'A-'C1I equipment si n ce It Is Impl e menled would now zero dut. ~ synonymous toJlifu and cou ntry Is having a The farmer also make. life to be more gard . bUI It Is a lso a dedlcatcd and commlUed difficult for those he advised fanners to foml golden crop tilat could be Mlnlster of Agriculture, described as middlemen. themselves Into groups used to tum around our wh o Is d e termined 10 In the sector. and associations as well econmy.- he s tated. cause pos itive revoluuon Join fa rme rs' S p ea k ing further. as He. !he'Ffore. encourIn the n allon's Awobamlse appealed to cooperatlves .so that they aged cassava fanners to agricultural sector. automobile dealers In could be finan Cially Inc rease th eir ouput. Awobamlse explained the country to Include bouyant and empowered saying they a rc on the that th e nati o n s farm machineries and 10 buy m odern farm part orbecomlng mllllonagricultural sector have proceSSing equlpmenll equlpments which h e aires If Uley could harsuffered too long wHhout tec hno lOgy a s part of emphasised wou ld be ness !he golden oppon.uan appre c iable and thetr Impo rta tion chcap and affordable as nit meanJngful contrtbuUon business. s tressing tha t from next year.
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Traru,formati"on agenda '11 end sti,gma ' ch d atta e to cassava _Expert PJ
'Automobile dealers should start importing farm machinery'
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