Nigerian Tribune
15 Tuesday, 22 March, 2011
of foods, major headache for farmers'
-Dr Samuel Olakojo
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N agriculture expert at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moor Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Samuel Olakojo, has sa id that if he has the opportunity of being at the helms of affairs of the nation's agriculture ministry, one of his major and immediate assignment would be to find a lasting solution to the problem of middlemen, who has become a major headache for practising farmers in the country. He also vowed to find a way out for the country in the area of regular importation of foods, which according to him, ought to have reduced drastically because thiS was giving the country a negative image among committees of nations in the world. He stated this while responding to questions posed to him by Tribune Agriculture on some of the problems still confronting the nalion's agricu ltural sector despite the huge resources the Federal Government had invested in the sector in recent times. On what he felt should be done to help the farm-
ers to Increase their production capacity, Dr Olakojo said there should be a stop to policy somersault in the country, stressing that this has had negative effects on the nation's agricultural sector. He also advised the government to curb wastages in the area of harvested produce adding that the resuscitation of the Agriculture Marketing Boards would find a solution to this menace. "Good policies like the recently introduced Agriculture Marketing Board ought to have been brought back for long in order to tackle problems confronting farmers in the country. But we thank God that the board i~
now back. At least,
government would be able to mop up or buy excess farm prod uce from farmers among other advantages, he sta ted. He also posited that there was the need for the
country to stop importing foods that can produced in abundance in Nigeria, stressing that it was not a good omen for agrarian countries like Nigeria. "We need to discourage food importation. It does not portray us as a serious nation. No wonder many people are saying government is only paying lip service to agricultural development. But I hope the marketing board should be able to address this major problem," he stated. Furthermore, the don said the country should be able to harness the opportunity in many crops to stabil ise the prices of food commodities and guarantee food sufficiency for the citizens, affirming that some crops which used to be regarded as food crops has now assumed the status of cash crops. Such crops, according to him, include; yam, oil palm, cashew, cassava, millet, e tc. Also thrown his weight behind the bringing back of agriculture marketing board, and argued that it would make prices of crops to be more
foods also allow the agricultural sector to lo se potential workers to other sectors of the eco nomy," he stated . Moreover, the don said those who are agams t agriculture marketing board should be made to realise that there would be tremendous tran sformation of rural areas, which is where 80 p e r cent of farmers resides. He also said ta xation will be more easier for government because gove rn ment would be able to monitor the board activi ties and there would be creation of jobs for jobless youths since they know that there is a steady market for whatever they produce on thei r farms . "I want my colleagues who are against the marketing board to have路 a re-think. The board is a good step towards achieving economic growth and development for the country and as such, the board should be supported," he coneluded.
regulated , guaranteed constant sales of farm produce ; allow farmers to have a reward for their efforts and labour since prices of agricultural products wou ld be fixed; reduce th e problem of middlemen which often take over 40 per cent profit from farmers; as we ll as encourage youths to embrace farming. Dr Olakojo tasked those at the h elms of affair of this n ation to discourage importation of foods, affirming that importation has been draining the nation's external reserve. "Importation of
fore the fibre is removed and washed in sieves. It is becoming increasingly used in horticulture and agriculture. Fibrivoire, a company based in Grand Bassam, south east Cote d'ivoire, uses coir to make peat, substrate and fibre. It's products are proving highly successful, wi th most of its output sold in Asia, Europe, France, Holland, Spain, UK, and the USA. Peat is made from ground coir and used as compost for growing
Coconut, the great all rounder GRTCUL TURE experts said coir, the sllff fibre that grows on the coconut husk merits some atten tion . The l.ignocellulosic fibre, which is biodegradable and stronger though less flexible than cotton, is used to make a number of agricultura l and industrial products. Coir is found over the entire surface of both green and mature (brown) coconuts. The nuts are soaked in water to soften them be-
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vegetables, especially for SOilless cuilivalion. The substrate, made from fibres, peat and coir waste, is sold .as potting compost for plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers . It has excellent water-retaining properties and is used for hydroponic cultivation. Coconut fibre is also useful for making automobile interiors and fittings; mattresses, ropes and string; road signs and advertising hoardings.
Improved soybean varieties offer new opportu~ities for .farmef.,~
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WO African nalions, Malawi and Nigeria, ha ve recently released three improved soybean varieties that can enhance the productivity of the crop and offer farmers better opportunities. The three varieties are code-named TGx17402F, TGx1987-10F, and TGx1987-62F. " TGx1740-2F was developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (llTA) in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Research Services (OARS) in Malawi . Varieties TGx 1987-1 OF and TGx1987-62F were developed by liT A in collabora ti on with Nigeria's National Cerea l Research In stitute (NCRl). The on-station and on-farm tes ting of
TGx1740-2E, TGx198710F, and TGxl987-62F was funded by the Tropical Legumes II project. The Malawi Agricultural Technology Clearing Committee (ATCC) on 18 January 2011 officially approved the release of TGx1740-2F while the Nigeria Varietal Release Committee released TGx1987-10F and TGxl987-62F on 2 December, 2010 . According to Hailu Tefera, lIT A soybean breeder based in Malawi , the varieties outperformed the standard and local checks grown in the two co untri es, offering high grain .yield in multiple locations under onstation and on-farm tria ls. "I n Nigeria, medium-maturing varieties TGx1987-10F and TGx1987-62F proved highly resistant to rust,
bacterial blight, and Cercospora leaf spot," stated Ranajit Bandyopadhyay, II TA pathologiSt. The varieties are preferred by many farmers because they smother weeds and reduce the cost of weeding. Farmers that participated in the on-farm trials of the varieties last year said they preferred them especially for their golden color at maturity. In Malawi, TGx17402F gave the highest mean grain y ield of 2464 kg/ ha. According to the llTA data, "it 路 exceeded the grnin variety Nasoko and the widely grown promiscuous variety Magoye which were used as checks by 10 per cent and 32 per cent during the two-year multilocation on-station trials,"
The variety performed equally well during on-farm participatory variety selection trials in four districts of central Malawi In the 2009/10 season , it out yie ld ed all the new types Ot soybean varieties under testing by giving 2248 kg/ha. It also surpassed Nasoko and Magoye by 15 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively . "Farmers had many reasons for fa llin g in love with this variety because it matures early, has more pods per plant up to the top of the plant, performs well under poor and erratic rainfall, and has better lodging resistance ," stated Tefera. Speaking further, Dr Tefera said " It is a big milestone for lIT A as this is the first time that
an lITA-developed promiscuous soybean vanet y, one that is able to nodulate effectively with diverse indigenous Rhizobia in the soil is released in MalawI ." High In nutritive value, soybean is fast gaining appeal in Africa as it offers a cheap source of protein. The crop IS also emerging as an important feed, food, as well as raw materiaJ
for producing high quality protein products. For smallholder farmers, it is an important
cash crop and also im proves soil fertility because of its ability to fi x high amounts of atmospheric nitrogen. The development of these varieties serves as a boost to African nations as, together with partners, they strive to reduce hunger and poverty