XXII
TI IE NATION FRlDA) OCTOBER 12.2012
AGRO-BUSINESS
10,000 farmlands destroyed by flood in Adamawa ""Jh. only dNr toIubon to nOtd
f"od 0'1SI$15
'01" p~t5 It .u
lev"Ls 10 urgently interve~ and provwe far-mrn With "SrM:Ullunll u!pUti and Uo O"N~ ttit enAblins rnvlronD\al1 for thnn to prBoCtlK ilnption farming - Hlmma Mid Also rf'actulg to the deovdopmm l, the prqect malUlger. uu teriya "fWlbon pro,ectoJ the Uppe- Ben..,.
Rlvltt Bum Drv~opmenl Authoc-tty. YoQ"MrD M.mt!O, lUd.bout
221
fa~ W~
JlffKtro with Ul
etim.ltrd l!iO hectara 01 (oumLands deJitroy1!d -In In, 221 lilrme~ from .... ke GeTiyo irng.lJon pfO)Kt In Yol. J'l,orth I,.oQrGovftTU1'lmt UN have
bftn IdeltiflC'd With an e5bm.llt. 01 1.50 hec:b~ .rructed by the R'Cm1
flood , Ie MJd the farmers were in ~ of l.S5islllnce in order to rI"CO\'er horn the shock cI the ~. Commissioner for AgTiculture Mrs Lucy bNku ~preMd ~ over the impUation ollhr Rood 00 the ft'Ivisakftl bumPft" hill,....*MR Ishttu nokd tN.1 the pnca of foodstuffs had skyroc:ke1ed in DWlrbts KrOSS the sbte. an aftermath of the Rood ·Constdf'nng tM pr1ce' of food ~ulf I..5t ,-r It ttu:i tuM, ~. ;~ indo..... ol confusion in ~ 01 the food commodirie now
_.
.....
Afriu .. Nllut ... M, "Ifhard
lb.rJru~
Ch.;nnl", "'unloff, !Orof
Agri c foundation warns of looming In food shortage
HE Trusl lural INAFN), Adamu. food shorta dnnibed I u being 5 Abdullahi '"1'1 I briefi ~ilion of tURI Show lIImenlm f~ from diHsler. h Govnnmen
hailm Board of a iOf\ollI Awicul • un la JOn of ~i~ :"nl·O· Abdullahl "am~1 flf a poNib~ ,_ U'li 21 '13 "m ;at: ~ ~ IIrrl-ultural aector
'1!'1, '
• «,v~.h'
w.rnlng dur of the shih ~f NIt oNI Agricul· , Ab,." .atll-M !ItdorMsuf rl y and natural d"J(d tN: FftleTllI !!Db ui. on JnlMI"~ f;,q nI '"' on d') WJI' ~~., ,mg.IJOn In . ill ...... 01 food
I~ .}I~d
...
""., aoct'"the 19ft .",""" ~
Ie ,I placement (If , m.nd curtJliI onu- • <tile oombifW'fJ NI~ Impo!ll"lible. or -ml~ ollli,ricultural U'ly ~.ce he) ~.tIeo the I'rel n ~ .or:wohon of NI :it ,I to further rr-
ANO 1'1 .n Igflcullural Slate Fl.rming is iln 1m· porlil.nt p.1Irt of hfe In the !Iute .A tarr.e prrcentase of 1M slate's portilill.Jon work m lhe .griculluno!.iIOd ~toral industnet The state hilt the lo llowin& liS the main belnA produced groundnu • Guinea com. Mal';e . SugilTcane. Gum Arabic. Rice.
K
cr0r.'
hon~y, gin~r
~pprr, ~onnA
leaves. lu.prCInt' hrrbt and "t'St'lables. The liveslock compnw clttle. sheep. goalS. and don~. camds .mbo.... GrNler diveBlly have b«n dellelop~d • wid~ rl.nge 01 ~n_ fruit and veze1Jl· ble crops. The ~hlte produce illmosl aD of the 'gricullunol products it consumes Crop growing, contributes to over 50 per ernl of the vl.lue of agrkulturt' ellery yeIT GrIm crops Ire IIpreild f.irll
i~;":::v~~, ~~~s~fi~~
Mluno InlenWt-.l,.M. O.rid IUdul1", .n.d folWWf Vln-Ch.lnnllor. of lhe Aatlnd fll'lllff kit III ...... rUOTO: AlltOOUN WtUJAM'S
T
Towards an agrarian legacy in Kano
tte.
Adenlkln .nd " oko, Abut-
From otue~
d~ the food shorUge. the ~l!m' Ifto"ltl should ~ dfor1 III food
~,,~ and preen-.lion. and al50 efTlbilrk C"Jn ~mcy fanning He !'.!lid despile 1M fiKI the SC'(". lo r employs over 10 pH ernl of lhe counlry', .clille labour lorc~ II conlTibutes about 40 pH ernl 01 lhe GrOM Domestic product (GOP). .nd a«oonl5 fOf .bout 5tX pt'fCftIt 01 the f~Ign 6CMng~. the lI«tor "" remainid grossly undrrd"~I· ~. with a stunted ~rowth AbdulLah.J ~ thai i.nthe6O'. thr Ntion'li .gficultu~ provided for .lfI'IOIl 80 per eml 01 the oo.r-Uc fo....d requirements. WIth lots of cash cmpI fOr e'<J'Ol1. but blday Nigt'nil can no longer feed i~If, ~ the 'food Imports I.re growing II an .Iarm'"f\!lIte 0111 per emt per IlUlum HOW c.n we halle pe«e, • nee· -..ry cundition fOt" lkvelopnM!OI. when local production 15 fiuling .. nd ou r farmers are beln~ dlli-
up ilround 60 per Cftll of III lhe lind F_nt"Ie"S OC'CUpy hUfl;e ""'J15 oI_u.. As Imgalion sy5lems wt'rt' esIlblished furl her inl.nd, new fIT,ruflg ~ke!I other than caltie grum! b«ame mo~ vlablt' The cr~l.lion of railwilyl h.u helped 10 connect the more remoit' furt1e:rs Wllh qUicker • .nd easter lraf\5porl of 1M'll producr to CliteS- Uvt'Slock grilling Ictillity. mllnly CIIllle, Il.kes p~ in II1()IiI arNI oIlhe farming zones Bul the porulalion 15 pmlK'ted to grow k" COfIsequent't'. tM'" iI'" subs.... tally mo~ mooth5 to ft'ed 11m mH~ the industry has to find waY" 10 IOcreil5e il., pro-d\JctK-n_ll1e only wily forwlid I.J 10 furthrT improlle lhe !«Ior's rificiency by us inA smarler and more lu,lalnlb fe producllon methods Tht'1le d(>V~lopmt'ntll halle creIted opporlunilies in the aAncultural sector Opporlunl~ for inll~51or.t exlsl In Ihe art'as of 1I:fft'nhouJe technoJoglH, irngalion. liustalnable a1l:rtcullure, fOOd pr0cn5108 (v.luNdded) mdUSlry and nrw (pt.nt) lIiltidleS The mveslors art' 8Oln& to benefit from ngng MmaOO lOf pml"Lilry prnducts."lhe farmns are veT)' fKq)live 10 nrw I«hno loglft In some Cltll of "Kano.large Iracls of and Ire prone 10 droughts . .!Omt'tlmM Wllng sevenl years Thtol"t'forto, Iniga lion I, A very important ractor in m.aking fum In, viable In inland Kano. Due 10 c"m.le change. tMre 15 _ growing _waTflleS8 in the ilgrlcultunl I«lor thai 'bu~I I'IeS5 ~ u.~uaJ is no Ic>ngn an ophon. As I resu.lI, a lrend is ~mng ing 10wiI,d, more su~tllnlbfe filnnlllg ~tlCe ThI5 tff'nd IS laf5ely forbfted by .n~cunsumerilwar_
Govt urged to ban importation of rice Tanbil sblle can produce.D the nee needed in the country If ~ " wriou~ness Ind commltmenl by Ihe government au you lake KWlIlI. Ihere 15' pnJtt'd It I!I undertalanJt in Shlngo f.vrn.os and I. project like. tfUsan lranIIionn the5OCk7«OIWAlucllbhdof our rurOlI d-n.n. ~ fUnono 5Iud
01, iI.nd dt'mAnd for better producN agricultul1lJ products ~'bk· ing the bet use 01" tM .",ilable Willer resou~ h.u bftn a challenge for many ye.rs , Tht' demand for more efficient Irngilhon systelrull his Incn>.~ Ik!!:ldes, tlw 1II.Ie government endorws the USf' of mort' dflOml irng'lion 'ystem,. Thert' Ire DtIIly lIutaliVt'"'l. whICh an halle • ,ub$tlnbal im~ w.th ample opyortUnltit's fOt" fUlure growth..
::;peafk
ing
lJIr~ Includ~
.mwv-
productlvily SfoWlh .gricultunl ,u,tainable mdhodt of apteulture will be lhe fulure, n_ "arletit'S of pl.nl5, lIegelilb~ grusn ."d tfft'J will be In Import.nt pAri of this To this end.lht' government I' delf'rmtned 10 provide v.netles which .rt' Ideally suited for the 10111
-=roJS the .5b1t~·1 key Indu5t~ AI more
' Co¥lmor Mils. K ....nk ...no lIy DIriat E.uIM
,llle', condItions. un grow In harsh. warm c"m.le'l, n~ I~, walt'r .nd Ite r.eSl resLstanl Across the lIille. he g,o\'emlneflt provides aMIS~na to farmen Ind pnm.ry product'f"'I to encourilge producUon. f'mploymen l ilnd ex-
port The SOllernment I' working to use SClentihc .nd lw:hmCilI Ad· lIance! to INIke flrml'r~ effiCient In food productlllll} Over "i,()O(l women ilrt' 10 be Inined In I.mmill Ir .., hon in the slalt' The women would t-e camped Ind "amed for a Ie'" ",·t'eu at tht' k.adl"' •. Damballa ilnd GwarlO .nLm .. 1 l,.cllO" ~chools In the ,t.le. followin~ which thf'y would l"I' gillen cow,," to relt Pari of the I.rrl.n~emt'nt i~ lhal the women WLII be tnllnt'd 10 ot>lain milk from the (OWIi whICh they willlM'1I .nd "'\UfO 1M monev in other worlhy IIf,Hures. The polky of the ~ovemfIWnl is to lum around 1M .gncultulallif'Ctor "-' lheyam halle all-ye..,-round fl.rm Ing. $0 thlt Ihe farmers Will be perm.nenlly engaR.d, .nd hue IIJIlue for lhelr labOur Right now. lhe .... te 1\ wur","~ on 6tilbhshmg a t<"lm.. to fact on-' In the 'lIte Ind rartneJlng With relevant agenoH to ~u"' better storilge Anolher pro,ecl III t'S1.bh~hlnlt preervillion Ind IIlorl.~t' fJIClhl1ft The government Is eduCltlng fl.men abnut .nolo"ln which mikes mliu urunarull.t-Ie inler nationally Agriculture In LGAs In K.nf> S!.lle IS ~ethn~ I boo5t JI5 the go" errur>enl hi, "'~iI.M'd Nr,oo nufuon to thf' 44 l..ocill (;ovnrunenl Area .. of the ~~Ie for a~ncullu~ produc IJOn The lmounl was for the rur chaJe of lltott'llna!), dru~. establishment of ort:hard$. annual ammAl VJlCCnUllton e1lt'«1w .nd pur cha!l(' of fillt' motoJl;"vclC"l for iI,:nculturl.l f'Jltt'T\.~I(>fI (>/(I(e" In t'lch local govemment Tht' gOllemmenl h"d alw pur cha5ed"and d15lribuiN flO pieces of Ir"clion equipment Oller 50(1 youthli halle bt'nefltftl from 1M p'~rlmme. and the ~ovemment had rt')u\-mated lhe k.ano~te
''''1.
AI\; ~~Ie'!!e~~r~::'lr=YtoW~.
Ible It procu~ enough ferttll5ef for fumers Kano Slille had '(,0 t'!itilblishrd iI nldlo .&llIt-. 10f fumers 10 heir provide usefultipt thai will fKlhIi,le !KJund agricultuf.1 perform .ott
Tht' gO\,ffoor I, ~Iablishlng 14 mSlitules for youth df'\,t'lopmeni ilnd ei!hl of these In,,,tutes a", for ilgrKu lurt'