THE GUARDIAN, Sunday, January 8,2012
59
BUSINESMGRO:
Governor of Lagos State. Babaruride Fasho
Lagos Govt Scales Up Capacity To Produce Rice Locally ants on rice". "Now, we have also secured technical partnership to provide irrigation system and now it is being installed.-So, as the year comes to an end, I am just going around to see what progress we are making in our various communities, particularly as it relates to those projects that have the capacity to immediately provide food, which is a major economic issue in our country and also provide jobs, which is
also a major issue. And so, we have been earlier today to our rice Mil] in Imota to see what is happening where the rice will be processed. We have now come to where the rice will come from - the Itoga rice field in Badagry," Fashola explained. The governor was taken round the facilities tor the irrigation of the rice field He had also earlier inspected the new 20,000 metric tonnes capacity rice mill built by the state government at imota, Ikorodu.
Agric Fosters Peace In Plateau
400 layer chickens said they have been able to save up to NlOOOOO, which they got through the sale of eggs at the rate of N650 per create, and the chicken dungs sold forNlOOO per 50kg. The secretary of the Mecury Cooperative Asssociation, Mr AjilekAbun is a graduate of international School for sport and Physical Education University of Cuoa. He said he has been unable to secure any good job since he finished school. But on hearing about the on-going World bank project in the state, he and his association were able to secure a grant of N350.179 for irrigation farming at Bassa local government area. His association, made up of 17 men, was able to secure irrigation pipes, agro chemicals, fertiliser and seed, which has improved their yield of tomato, pepper, green beans and cabbage tremendously, making them employers oflabour.
By Kamal Tayo Oropo AGOS State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, assured that the state government can now scale up capacity to produce more rice locally to reduce import dependence. He gave the assurance after inspecting the rice field and irrigation facility in Itoga, Badagry. He saia that, someday, the country would be able to export rice from the Itoga rice field and
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From Joke Akanrau, Abuja
ANIADI and David live in Yan Doka Street Jos North, in Plateau State. They have to meet everyday with a group of 21 farmers despite the incessant religious clashes. They share ideas, farm together, discuss and check each other's progress. This was an instance of men and women brought together by the Fadama 111 Project initiated by the World Bank, targeting the rural poor (farmers, pastoralists, Fisher Folks, traders, processors, hunters, gatherers, as well as other economic interest groups), disadvantaged groups such as the widows, the handicapped, the unemployed youth. People Living With HiV, among other, Service Providers, Public and Private operators and Semi Professional Associations operating in the project areas. Despite the incessant crisis in farmers in the state still came and
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many other fields in the state. The governor recalled that the field was one of the state's projects in the last four years under the Rice for |ob Scheme for young schoo! leavers. "We have also realised that we can improve on the yield being delivered per hectare of rice and one of the components of improving the yield is adequacy of water supply. So, we have commissioned this irrigation system on the advice of our agricultural consult-
stayed together, as beneficiaries have to come together as group, made up of 21-25 members, often cutting across tribes and religions. "It is a welcomed programme," said one beneficiary, "especially with the crisis in the state. Through this facilities, we were able to relate together in different Fadama User Groups and towns. We interact and relate, because, at times, when you look at the situation in Jos with strong boundaries, if you are a Muslim you dare not cross to a Christian community, but with this Fadama we tend to relate together. We share Ideas. If government can take up projects like this, I think crisis in Plateau state will be solved, because most money is going on security. This is the major security issue that we have." Abdulkareem, leader of a youth
By Fabian Odum
T A 7 H EN | P' i t M i l l e i".ManagingDirecior %/%/and Vice President, EMRC, one of the V V organisers of the Johannesburg Agribusiness Forum that took place last November came to Abuja to canvass the nation's support for, and attendance at the event, a number of opportunities lay open. African leaders and senior government officials queued behind the United Nations Development Programme's call for private sector to drive agribusiness growth and food security in the continent. In the main, it was for the African economies ÂŁo give greater consideration to the small, but organised, farmer units and cooperatives so they would emerge stronger and compete in the larger continental and international market. The three-day session discussed the role of
group cattle fattening association, said they started "by contributing among ourselves." And when ihey got N328.0000 grant from the Fadama III project, they were able to purchase four cows. He added that, initially, "we had little knowledge about agriculture; but now, the situation is different because after the World Bank rounds off their project in the country, we will still be in agriculture." He expressed hopes of expanding their business, as they started with four cows, "but we want to have more than that and even expand to other terrain outside Jos." He said they receive assistance both in cash a'nd in kind from the Fadama as they have tried to renovate the place for the cattle rearing. He said, some-
times, "we contribute our own quota so as to feed the animals because the money Fadama gave us is not enough." The chairman of a Women cattle Rearers Fadama User group, Mrs. Aishatu Yusuf, said they have the challenge of not getting good quality cows for fattening. She said, next time they want to purchase the cow, they will engage the service provider, probably we may need to go far away to get good breeds. She noted that, in the FCA, 10 groups are into fattening, while the other five are in to poultry production. Harmony Fadama Project Site, a poultry group, has its own success story. The group of 12 women, made of within the age of 50 years, started in 2009 with
Award-winning Kenyan Shows How Agribusiness Holds KeyTo Food Security the private sector in stimulating business , in the agricultural sector such as market development, financing, boosting regional and international trade and development and application of innovative technologies forsrnall farmers. To further encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among rural farmers, the forum set in motion entries for the EMRC-Rabobank Project Incubator Award in which the winner receives cash prize of $15,000 (about N2.4mil!ion}. It was sponsored by the Rabobank Foundation. The 2011 Project Incubator Award was won
by Everlyne Cherobon of Emeden, Kenya, a On how she came to win, Cherobon said rural farmer organisation involved in bee- she "developed an integrated model that keeping and sunflower production in the not only addressed production and marketdry lands of Kenya. Her group recently ing problems, but also input supply and expanded to more dry land crops such as financial access. I also did a wider outreach groundnuts, beans, millet and sorghum, and increased membership of smallholder and had access to micro-loans for member farmers. 1 established farmers' resource farmers, and intends to increase produccentres to act as linking points for farmers.' tion. Her plans within the next five years, is to In a post-award remarks, Cherobon said make her organisation a leading player in "there is business sense in working with rural agriculture in her home country, smallholder farmers in Africa. It means a especially among rural farmers. In adoilot of attention needs to be focused on tion, Cherobon projects a turnover of over them." 525,000 by end of 2012 and SiOO,000 in five years.