1HEGlJARDIAN,~Octobe:r7.2012
149
BUSINESSAGRO
PathwayTo Cocoa Fanngate Prosperi1LY Iyf.-rt(ldl,.
E cultivation of 1l~ ,000 hKti!.res of cocoa wllh new hybrid cocoa pods developed by Nigerian researchers Is the plank on which tne Cresh Initiative 10 double production 10 500,000 melTlc tons by l OIS would r61. Hitheno,the present production volume o f 250 ,000 metric tons has lugely been withoul any value addition and ro bs Ihe nallon of valuable Corelgn exchange. The (iIcts came up allhe 1St International COCO.ti Conference holding ,n Ibad'm, Oyo Stale ,u Dr Aklnwuml Ades inil, Minister of Agriculture and RUr.lll Development addrl!Su-d the con· rab In a keynole address. Repres ented by Dr. Talabl Odeyeml, who iJ a d ireCior in the Ministry, the Minis ter called fo r IncRased effort loward .lidding value to cocoa during procesSing 10 lully exploit (he economiC possibilities along the value chain. But the realities of lack of a solid data base ')s') muns of growing the sector w.u highlighted by President, COCOOI Assoclnlon of Nigerl,) (CAN), Mr. Saylnil Riman In his address to parricipants.
TI
However. he nld there is a plan by the association to build this b.lSe that would Include information on COCOOI farms and farmers narionwlde. Riman said il5 the transformation is being driven forward. ~the momentum can only be SUSIalned in an environment where data Is eHectl ... e, tunsparent, robust and available 2~/7." He noted Ihat Ihe agenda on agriculture has triggered delivery oC Input like fenilizer and Onanc· 109 puih. aJl 10 a bid to l.olIke cocoa to a
tendenc:les or the value chain ilOd ha ...e the buy-in and ownership of Ihe key cocoa s takeholders... ~ The conference, by the time It winds down _would have worked out the framework, using the CMTC,to bring back quallry and pricing commensurate with the Nige.rlan-origin bean, which stakeholders deuribed as 'extremely rich In
.Homa , consistent WiJ~gIO~' best practices and of best qu. I stdldard compared With others p i UCt somewhere.' RJman frowned at t • un USolJnt red taPf: associated wlt~ ttl' Ex on Earnings Grant (EEG) scheme Ich hould give way to win tbe conn nee f lukebolders
'n 'h' ,,'u, ,h.'n" d,n.ld" p,",,,,,,. 'Y.
n::t ~~llfiih~r.. uon ISthe name of lhe g<lme <IS CAN, iiccordlng to Its president, is Cliscussing wllh International partners alongSide the Federal Mlnlslry of Agriculture and Ru~1 Development. A high point o f the r.0siti ... ~ expectations of the cocoa s u.keho den is the establishment oC Coccw. Marketing" Trade Corporollion (C MTC), a dtarlnghouse and regulator-of the coccw. community. The booy would be a public sKlor-fadllt:.lttd but private sKtor-operated, In public-private-parrnershlp ( PPP) arriingemenL The nope of stakehofders, Kiman said,ls that as a critical system In the cocoa «onomy, "the CMTC must be dynamic, free of governm~m bureiiuc racy and r~neC[ the
NRCRI Affirms Cassava rransfonnation On Course ~orHouse cXRepre:semaliYt5
'\..corruruut't on llgrlrulture. Mrs Bmy~fI has
~ wonyaverthtdeliy in ~Iease Ofbudgt'W)' appropriated funds 10 the benelklaries and u~ the federal goYmlmem to address the mal-
ter forspe!dil!rbudgeclmplementiltloo especiaJJy to boo5l (000 production and research. ApkdispokeallheNarional Root CropsRe$earrh IrutlruU' INROU I Umudlb< Umuahia ~Ia $Q.te when she: led the comrn.ittff members on mrutoI)' oversight asslgrunent WKlnesday saying that ideally, fUnds ~1U5ed mould match the IMJ of budgl"l Implementation and In line with the cal·
<nd.U.
Shtalsosaklthat pan ofhtrrommlut't's usign-
Ea,*",;:::;:~r:::'
mell! In NROU wa.s to establish the Je...el of applkaflon of lIle ~1eaRd funds by the Insurure which she Silk! was being effected commendabl)t The NRCRI Executive DirKtOf, Dr.lulius Ol:onltwo had ru.ffirmed to the Committre membmi lhe Institute'S $USlillned COUIlt in impM!mentlng the Ca.ssw.a Transformation programme oT the fedem government and Its IlallOlliIl mandated:; -tethe challenges It raad which among ot Wl'~ larereIeaw of funds appropriat to It and laue season planting. He 8ilvr its national mmdale as researchIng into the ~enetk improo.enent, produc. don, procl'SSlng. storage and marketing of
sysrem of south taSt agrt)«O~I zone of Nigeria compn5l1lgAbia,Akwii lbom.
..,...
~
lng<o
hE"""""
will 5000 til ~ Tts"l lful place as Anambra, ~ Cross RMr, expon arner. a ma;or Ebony!, Enugu, Im.)and Riven; ~ ~ or ht r in lhtS COUll-
Ennobling Nigerian YOUdl 111Ul g ProQU(:tiv(1 A.$Jribu p,leJ" (2)
ther ~ucatlon to P.'t thein tdtvam that, gift"n the opponunlt~ It can ITIOYl' knowledge and sltiUs.ln the Near Em mountiloms. They tmpDWft' thenudYes ~~"~"gn"Mna.fi~."gn~'!!'n~"'n~L andbulldtht:irskillsandronfidence; II....,~ ...... fr .............. o:u...... h->""'.-rirIru.U!inCDllllllunl ... d..... caoon. oot thto educa.tion system is ~! !::;"-~~'nd _._ """n",a'!".~n' notdebvrnnga worldOrct'tha, .....-.. .........,...... ...... .. --..""'.... , ....~ roles in Joca organisaoons. employed dimands.AS a ~ult,In 'roungpeople have embra.crd new some counoies, Including N~na. mrdla. and Used illO make theirY06ces ~~~~~~~U:~ tra::,"ng heard. We need 10 listen to tht:m. But aloneare not enough 10 """'r:l.nltt ~ illso need to.do more - we need to re:spondtothelSSUl'Stheyaremldng. sustain........ se -mlp _ t, OrlO We'have to pllJ'olKie opportunities foi support stan-ups iliat Will employ these energeOc)'OlUlgpeople toeon~ earners. Young oldulrs' access lO tribute to society.rw;f to 1M big bauks fillollla In FW"'J a~ 15 VItal. h~nity faces today _against hunger; When basIC educaoon, tr.unlng and 1JO"'t~ envlronmentill degr.Klatlon finana::.re a...allib1e, ~g rural peG- imd dlJl\ate change. pie5elzetheseOJ>PO!tUlUtleS.The Pu 1.-....1 fimisnot )'OlIflg gener.ltlOn of today ha.s shown ltlngyoung run ,--r e
_. ."" _0--'
root and tuber crops namely cassava.yam.cocoyam,gmger; potata.SVoftt potato, sugar beet etc.rod ca'T)'tng out tfieMCh Imo the farmIng
ilR option; It iun obllgatkln. Some p people are to lead the fightl'or global emmenlS and regions have rKlIglll5ed_ lood 5tCUOt)4 they must"be convinced Ihlsanda.remakfnti~r:ClCDmmltmenaand• of aJUiruj~'SpottnndOolltoprovide .~l-'~ft _t-. n.._ '-' _. b wfnessopenlngsa opponunities "A.U'6 aLL....1l. "II: cue, ... grwenrnenr for- decem empl......... nt. 11lc n~t laldngapos.itiveSlepinthlsnobledirK· "".!:'... non. The African '!buth Ola.ntr, released IncentiYes mUll: ,II: malfd so tlhey in 20os. liIrge1,5 education and skills want tosta)' In rural areas. Bask infra. development for- )u"lIIg people in order structure arid utilities such iiS roads, to enhance decent empiOynienl oppor. wa~ e.ltctrial)l ilOO information and tunltles. Young ~leand women a.re :~':;~~~~~~la1sotargeredInlheftmMlllennium ''-' DeveloPl'Oeil! Coals (MDG~ which aims 1(Rd SIleCifiGIIv Cortot'Bdlcalt exnvne poveny a.nd young j-,eoplt,all playthm piln In this.. huogt!f. With fun a.ncI prndornve A keY i:haIlenge is to expand lhe range employment for .11 ~ of economic opporrunldes av.lilable ro AgTIrulllll't is 100 orten seen ilS iiJl (hem - both as em~ or as mkrounprodlJOJVe 5tClO( offenng few IMII- entTeJnneurs - .and l'fU\lre tt..at they hood . If J Ifd .nabielOgalntbesklllstheyneedto opportunlDa ta en yuung tiloke ildvanli1.ge oC those opponunities.. Illsan.pproprlaU!momentlorefiecr on tbe role thai young people can play
Don oC Itm ael need to en UI"t thaI
twion5~ to
b~
We see 1M hanisms, inso-
~a.reIn
I ",you peop~(O n 'OIved est jobs.. Because '_' _ young )Il; S situ tiOlU vMY ~ [0 gtOfl. a.r mUll: be fienble semil - to local sodo«onomic rta tio.'s..
~~v:: :~::rsh ~~~t.
jonathiln, ~ sec 0Il1l0 do, which lnforms ~ I;k:aol:"touth Empowe \tnt thr gil Agriculture \'r'ofu;m1n e (YW' Beginning now Mtll a n.\ d./y WUI In Ahuja, VEAl'Is int -n ~ed Iit-h n OUt gBffimtS (ijpo othe)'UllUto fflCOU tt,em tt in¥eSlln agnculture,W1 uj)P.Ol1 romthegow:mmenlo xjgh 1\0, States (Lagos and inthea~turalandruril Ekm) 51~1 Ilhprognmme economlesoCdeYelopingcoontrles.IoW in~J Jr~al\ ume:s,lhefedneed SlnIegies that wtWs.b I be paten- nill Intent with 01.11 ual of the next gl!nerildon 0( iarmers 0" lD tX) Jd the scope.oo .md rora.1 entrepreneurs at n<.tional lXM:!ra.ge lipan tl h the enctre and kIcaI ~ countI)l AgricuINI1! Is the 1e.Jdlng provfder 0( El:p.i.ndI' g tur.d4waJers' Iivrhhood employment for rura1)'OUng people In opd0l\S3oMiing II! Improved Income) most dew:loping CDUIltJie:s.. H~ would Jle 1he1).rge to migrale to the re,i1lty 1$ that It rarelypwlkJes iliy.. um.n.n .s.But itj.sd that theR Ing wa~ JObs In thugriCulrural se<tor all! ...oInt! _Jble ~ constrained by mtvDified by Iowpil~ low Itmsof buma.n~~i ,ra.l, finallCWL naturaJ., prodUam1)t underemployment, dan- socI.a.I Of "Ii)l.ial caprt;)[ Thevnerd to gerouswork be tatgelfj- [~I;ied to be fit!lped to and no sooaJ protection. Thus, the thlnItoC qe.¥iOOclmkrocn(erpnses issue is predoinlnamly the ;n-allabllny In the am~nuaJ sector. They nerd of decent work. r.1IMr than lack of mentoril)j" ',be) need a.ssurances or worit:.Insuch an enw'OlUnel' t, it Is IlOI: support 1i1IrPgtM!fTlment. They also surprising that larg!! numbets or need to ~ ~«I to participate In are turning thtlr backs decision-making In malters conctmon tun'.. Many pmtr ttl migrate Ing them. nils ~"jIJ \\~ will buikl il crop to aJl[res in search oldeafll oI'fOUtha~uwrstorsthat employment ilnd the opporrunity ro will ensur~ Ihe food security or NIgl'flil d1...emJy their Wnllies' blromes by and keep I be o1gJirulrural emnomy .sending money home. pefpttl..Wly VlDwI1 andSllStiJlnable.. We. need thenefore 1'0 promcxe poll. (ConcJur:h tt) clesandprognmmesthumultinm.l It. ~t.'''~AsIJiunt ....... ImpnMRltfllS In tbequalityof agricul- IftIShIJItt): QIb."~""'" tur'aljobs,especIa1Iythroughtheadop- .~rlftlllJnl~
ron>
er.o
~
...
=-::::e::.':~ -::::.-=.:.-::.::.-::.n~""'=""""""-""""-