13
THE NA11 N FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 20U
AGFIC'·'BUSINESS
MDB, ITTA to assist farmE~:rs in flooded states
T
HE .\ irlu', Development
Sink (ArtlBlligricultuJlII-uto eartner with th·lntt'fl ationa! InstItute of Trop,cal Agii(!.Iiture (UTA) to SUPJlO.fI laWler;. IvUh early ytelds vanet:iec Iii Ootid l.liected states
Stories by Daniel Esslel, Alilrl!; COml.pondilnt
SI~ted pro~lrmme is
The Da cna' (!o!-ordiniltor of AfOB Co IInunill'-~ased agricultural and em! d· veloproent programmf. ). Ib~a lim Arabi gave [his iI~S" r JACe in Yoti!, the Adam.;aw,,: 5tate C~"1aL Arabi, ~ho SJJ(I c "fter II meetmg with tome f!. vemmen! offtcirus and ~ff"'Cted armers. said the measu", tI,"S t\. (UClail unminenl food~. i'«lule of the nood~ lie said ~ !Croft ~i15 to intervene in the II en! II od crisis In some flood al;' It'd ~ 11 es in the woe. -The b~n1l; hl" concluded aTrangel1'N!fl! -Yith !"le management of nTA Iq urgrntl)' proviae and release .... fly ,-Hid urieties of maiuo. «()\Irrea, ri~ among others 10 fa n f1'JC'1i affected states 10 cu.r tail U e lin 'linm.t food cri· sis," Arnb Faid He !i.lId al t" ~hort·bme varl· elles 10 ~, pro"l led were to reo
l
;,iaao!he already submerged crop!! whenever the flOod subsidised and .... as expected 10 be harvested ,yithin 60 days to 80 days this year."Anylime from now, when the flood begin 10 subsidise, rarm· ers should start planting Ihe seeds l,ecause we still have two months or more of rain season in some ;)arts of the country and thai penod would enable them grow the c:rop!I;" he said Arabl, who IS the Zonal Dire!;' ror, North·East, Federal MlItistry jf AgricuJlu~ ilfld Rurcd Dl!vclopment. said that among the benefi· dary .slates were Adilmawa, Bauch,. Gombe, Kwara and Kaduna. He also said there wasar· rangemm.1 10 extffld the proVision ·jr i11e seeds to othu affected .tilles.1be directorexp~ shock In the level of deva!tation ca.usrd by the flood. espectOlllr on rOlnru Jnd urged the feden and state gO\lemments to Sit Olnd find II last· -ng solutIOn 10 the dl!l1l51er
How to l:urb hunger, by governor
G
o\'rRNOR Uma.-u AI+ Makurll 0 N;u;uawa Stale IwcolJlc-l 'naJltlefso{gov· emmeni to loe c;)nmllted towllrds imPfO\'ing lt1;ricluture 10 il\''ert hun·
g"
He SPOkt .n Ltf;t, the slate capt· tal wrule 7II'l'nl"t. a one-day 1N'et. ing CJI1'lnllfd hV UNICEF D-Fipld o{fi~ In !iHch to r stllkeholdpu from 10 stat£'! A the fmeration. Al-lliku:. salJ thr only panact!a to eliminall' ,un~. r that was threat· eninllIl'1O(! tha'l .ne miUion chilo dn!n m tllIl!; S.1he l-oglon ....as for Ni· gerians to ulili~e 1m- nation's vast
aWnot~II':"'1.~ vulnerable
groups It) h· tIu I!I ts of dtsee:se. illit·
I~nc,..mo. rod ~·ertv were women HIlCI ,:hilrll"'f\."11 is, therefore. a clancY! c:,JI 01 ,LI,1oo sundry 10 come togeth . .,. I... qllon! the ~. bilities uf ;.wln ~ lur people from immment 11I1I1g•., -rhe cnt<. pan \{. .. to dle threat of h~lsou·will o utilise the huge
eracy,
~n::~~~'~Whidlllil~
'To thi$ end, ,,: must OVerrDmt' the lip .....,.,; 'e c'fI drOlN' 10 realISe our dream I r a. h eYing food !'uffi· d~O;«U;t} "Id, indeed, oLh." dt"\-'e nell' 1\1"00(,," AI kUTII S111d his adnunistmllon plat:ed;/l rug!. PU!lllum OTI the pro\'JSion of !Je.;;'C8C'::'J II amerube!; to the """,Ie He saitJ IIf"a h a!lRlmed of6re In 2011. he hi.1 sl",,,, n leen interest 11'1 5)~tn@ ",ith l '\fICEF and other
· Cammlulan .., for Asricuthlll! .nd Coopl!ntlyl!S, Prlnc., Cboh,h.n uw.1 C• .,.,ond lell) .nd St.utor Cb.,ns.. Ash.f. friSh" di:ttributlns f1:thinS Item:t 10 recipient, In USoti.
Llnvestment, research key to more food production' 1m, Ogunwale said the purpose 0( extensw;Jn seJVKe!i ill 10. transfer J;1obal agnc lIlformalton mto localiSed knowledge that would be U!ieful for the Jocal farmer wndiilOns. lie 5o.-ud there w~ need for Ihe nation to tra.nslate ItshugeagricultUl'ilI potential inlo reality by encouragll'lg roc:.u proch..lCbon and strt'ngthcitinI the ,.&Iue ad·
Jevelopment partnen with a view to medlng the devdopment aspira.
_or .........1e
" It 15 pertIDenl to Jellemte that in.· provenlCflt III the livmg ronditions
·,f the otu:enry reqUIres collabora· tive efforts al au llrnes. 'Ihts means
UNICEF alone should not be leh WIth this ~ rt5pOI1Sibility "SImilarl y, GO\lernment alone rlInnol shoulder the burden; It is, therefore. ~ry thataJI hands~ onded: Ioadueveihedeslredgoab.AI·Makura said the sUIte govern· 'll('f11 I...,d already ~igned Ihe Prognmme Implementation Agree· ment (PIA) With UNfCEf, remaking thai the 0l~""1 WAS aimed al artuahSUlg the ot:,ecIive!l of the fund for 2011: "Accordingly. efforts are being vmpteled to ensure tile release oJ the Nasar"wa 5ta1e counlt'rpart c0ntribution to facilitate the replication of projt.'cts of the fund !IO that additioIlaI conununibl'5 wouJd benefit in the stiltc." TIlt' ~emor noted that tIus year's thernI!; "'"J'he SahehiUI Nu· cntkJn Cns1s ·A 0111 for CollectIVe <\rtion- WiIS ilpl AI·MUura said the theme ~ a rt'flection of the Pn!'''iIiling food situIlion In the Sahel ~ion. among whkh wen- many AfrKiln counlrie5. lnc1udmg parl!'! of Nig(!rja compns'.nr, :lOllle State5 lIt zone 'O'EarlJer, '.he UNICEF Nigena ~re9ffililbve. \if Ibniliima FaJI, emphasised an m~ted ilpproKh. in which all reIf'Vant $Kl~ should work rollIIbo:1I.1i..e1y to addl15!l the nutrition situIbon lIt the counuy
dibon~
-'O;--or
luraJ
s!.P~~ ::l~t!rw a::~
cal govenunenl 51i1ff and exlmsion should be lfained in food produc· lim so thai they bectJrnp familiar with appro . . ches to improvement and knOwledge d food production rneth-ods. Stn5smg the role d extrnslOll lII'l'Vire. the expert said It 15 a key to achieving ~uJ local capacty buddmg by IIS§I5ling farmers 10 choor.e the IIpp1llpnille farming 5)'5' tern. whidt will jticld results Within
a IooWty (Jpnwalr sax! tnO"eI!5e In agncul twaT.ll00producbvil y benefitlhepoorand dwellers through reduction in rood f"'1C'S- He said the government can unprove production for SlTlaIl farm· ersbypmvidlllS thenl bettefac:ce'l!io 10 information Olnd farmmg tech+ rUques generated by tilt' extension sen~
Aa:ord tohim,~andlocalislng thai mi. rend,tions need huSt" human .md msti· tubonal capaCIty, and nual extt'flSl(lTl
~nokJgy
n3
WTVIt't' offers the best pathway· for 10000isUlg technolog~ The don ~ that Investment in extension Wl'\'jce CiUI improv~ agncullural rroduchl;,ty. ,Increase farmer.;' tOC'OlJle...d. will induce •
conductJ\"f'~pnlgR'!'&en
which 1.\ critical In the of agncullure productiVIty
Vtronment.
proce!5
Farmers get inputs in Adamawa A w~r~~~~~ ;ifJi~
.l""\:ere in Yola distributed 10 27 farmers' groups from nillt' local governrnent i1fl!B5ol Adamawa. 1he Pro;ect Manager 0( the Agricultural Development Proje<:t (AOPI In Adama....a, Mr 0uU Maxwell,gave the figure dunng the distnbutlon of the items. Max ....ell said the inputs distributed were under the community. based agnculturt' and rural developmenl pro;ert. I Ie said; ~L1:st}~r undl.'!" ther~ gramme. assorted agricultura in·
puts worth Nl5 million Wt'f'e distributed. Olnd Similarly thlll r.ea,. items worth more trum N7 mllhon will be dIStributed to fanners. I'llee include 10 groundnut oil extractors, 14 sewinS m..chines, 135 cockerels. and 10 p1gs among olh· ers." He said the .~et:hve of the pro,cd was to ronlnbute to nallona\ food security and incnase iICl'eSS to rural infrMtmcture in the pro;ect;J.re\lS. The programme manager lip' pealed to !fie ¢lte government and benefihng locill governments to support tlie prorect bv redeemmg their counlf!fJ'"lrt fundS.. In his keynote! IIddn!S5, Permanent
Secrelilry, slate Mmutry of Agricul ture, Malam Jafaru Gabdo, e,.govemmenfs sallsrnchon Of' the pnJj(!Cl lnat\oltser ftx- St'fVK1!S ~ in ~ state -rile stale govt'llUTle"lt on lIS part will Slve necessary. enablmg envi· ronmenl for the partnership and govemment 15 aware of the coun· ferpart funds IlITeaB being owed lind will liaiM! with relevant au· thorities for Immediate settle· men!. ~ Gabdo .said He u~ the benefiting groupo; tn ublise ffie items JudIciously 10 Improve agncultural rroduction and Intomt' generahon for the ott;f.t'fll)'
f.'eMed
'Fisheries in need of fr'nding'