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T H E NATION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2012
AGRO-BUSINESS
Ekiti to boost cocoa production
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• 0)'0 Slal~ Commiuionn for "'S.icullu .... Natu ..... RHOUrn,. and Rural De'-elopmenl. 8imbo Kolad .. plant;ng ~ srnelina t~ 10 naS off the t.- pbntlnglforHlaUon nmpalsn by Ch.r(oa' Dul ...s "'.5_I_lion of Nisula, In 1111'ro,
Kalol. Loc-.t Go .. unm .. nl Aru.
Kwara inaugurates committee on s"" agnc master p1an A N II-man COllumttee tu lIn-
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charged to work diligently to enSun!
the
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u( food
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and
agro-driv{'n economic prosperity are achie\'cd within !tlated timelines Inauguralmg the comnnl!et> III 1lorin ('111 Tuesdav. Ahmed, who is
also its chainnan. said KAMP, a Ih"(,,-}'l'iU plan dc\'c!opcd In pMI· ner;iup with Cornell Univl'r.'II)'. New York. Uru"tm'llyof Imn and Kwara Siale Universily, is a carefullr articulated plan for making Kwilr;J lhl' agricultur;J1 hub m Ult? West African sub-reglOn. Ilaving pioneered succesdul rommemal agriculture in thr pre"lollS adminiSlr.ltiOfl, we are f1lO\" ing a step further with KAMI' through a parl.ner5hip among the academia, the private sector, rarm· en> Hnd gonmuTleni We decided to benchmark against besl practices globally, which led lIS to sign all MoU withComelllast July, the first bv iI sub n.1tKlrlaI anywhere 11\ th{' \\:orJd", he said. Acrording to him, his belief is that agnculiure can be
Stories by Daniel Eillet, Agtl, Cor'Il"pondeont the mainstay of the econom}" if planned and implemented as oot+ hned m KA/\"tP. While pledging to provide the committee with support nect'Ssary for the sucre;:sfu] implementation of Its mandale, GOvernor Ahmed said members had been carefully chosen based on Iheir track'reCord and capacity to make \'aluab~ rontn"butions 10 the suc+ cessful implementation of KAlI.iP and urged them. to be diligent in thetr WOI"\.. as a~ture is ihe ful· cnun of the state's l"COOOOlic plans as enshnned m shared Pru>perity. He said with KAM.!'", the state wiU be leading the way in agricul· ture refonns but with an emphasis on partnership with critic.al stakeholders such as the aGlderma, effective planning and an embedded mechillusm for moniloring and evalualion. TIle conuniltee's tenns of reference, according to lhe Senior ~ cial Assislant, lnvestment Polley
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and Strategy, Abayomi 9gWlShola. are 10 deveiOp a ~l<!rnl frrunework to achieve theoH!rilll goals of KAMP .1nd develop a 5pl'Cific work scope for eitch mil"eslone. Others are to de\elop iI financing stti1l~y for the ocIu('Vement 01 targets With the privale sector, donor agcnoes, venture capital and private equity Arms whilst the gtJ\'enmlCflt ensures that the enablUlg environn"lel\l IS put u\ ploce at all time 10 support the pri\'ate sector irwestmt'flts Olher members of the conunitlee Me Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State Unh·ersily. Professor Rirsheed NiI'Allah, Com missionl.!r for Works and Transporl, Dr Amuda Kannike, Commissioner for Finanre, Alhali Demola Banu. Commissioner for Agricollure, Mr Bode Olayemi. Abayomi ()gunshola, Direclor General of Bureau of lands, Mr. Tope D.uamola, Senior Special ASSI.5I+ ant 011 Media and Communicalions, Dr Muyideen 0luwa{emi Akorede and Senior Speci31 AsslSt+ ant on Agriculture, A.lhaji Babatunde Mahmud Ajcigbe
Wlder GES can be improved upat if moreeffurt IS put mto 5enSttrsalioo Notmg that ma,mty cllhe fanners did not nave money to redeIm tlv:-ir inputs when rolkJut \\"iI!'i done, he SllgrestecllhiIt future rdklut ofGESshouId De between t:An!Jnber and JilIluary when f;;umers are sclling their cocoa IIfler 1"\iU"\-"eSting. Ambi observed sharp practices ilmong beneficiaries - Iesilirig to mutual s~ ammg <;upplieni. agrodrolers lind flll"lN!fS as there were aJses of adullerated products and a cage oJ underweight fei1i.liser by me SUPDiier. lie suggcsled that cocoa G~ rollout shuuld be n....<isited and carried out In four designated areas and £.umers well mobilised ahead of the exercise in future Theacting Oir«lor, T~~and Ruml Develo!;,ment Servire, ~n Stale, Mr OIu~ga James Ch-esola, ~thal r.ome~d.id not have Hnanoal muscles to buy products from dealer<; "Some suppliers. did not release goods until \hieo nurumwn SOper-cent or the cost 01 goods was pard 10 dealt$. Some supplii>rs mmpJained (If dislance of ffiit'mption sites to farmers"
asm:-
Lagos threatens to shut unhygienic abattoirs
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pl,m,nt "" Kw""
AgncullUfe Masterplan (KAMP) has ~ Ul.'ugllratt'<i by the stille Governor, AI"al; Abdulf"lnh Almled TIle Committee h.,S been
KITI Slate govl'rnmenl IS mountmg a campal~n to revive cocoa prodUCtion in the state. The.. Dire-clor, Tree Crops Unit,Ekiti State Ministry of Agricir1+ ture. Mr. Rufus Arabi made thIS disclosure in lbadan during the review of Cocoa Transfonnallon Agenda Implementatinn Plan for 201'2 and deliberation on implementation of plans for 2013. He said Ihe stale has 66,000 hectares of land, which has bt.'t'n set aside for cocoa production, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture, m collaboration with lfie EkUi State Uni\'('rsity, has established 11 lo-OOctare cocoa clonal ~rden within the uni\'a-sity farUl.. nUs will provide a platform for tra~lninresearch and generate hybrid I-Ie Silld the state will estlbl ;mother fi\'e-hec· tare cocoa seed garden within the uniH!rsity researCh farm Arabi -llso disclosed that Ih~ Growth Enhanc:-ement Support (GES) 01 the FederoI Qr.;emment was having positive impact in the stille. Although, he said the first GES exercL.«e in ihestale had 5OOlt'chal.lens-es, Arabi noted that the redempuon
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HE 1..1g05 S"1te government hasthreatCl1Cd ludosedown abattoirs and slaughtering ar~as, which Hre nol hr,gienic and compliant wHir Iht> re evant laws guvcming meat slaughtering Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawai said this while speaking With lOumalists after a serrunat on the.triode of meat transporlillioll III Log"" Lawai warned thai theslal(> gO\" entnU!I"Lt would nol cond{ll1l'anV act of uncleanness and lawlessne5s in me<ll processing and delivery. 5De;lking thrOO~ the 5enl(1f Special Assistant 10 the Govemor on A~ and C~tives, Dr Nureni FUnsho, he said the stale will not hesitate 10 lock UP. any aballoir found 10 be unhyglt!n1C or noncompliant with tht' relevant laws gO\lerning me<lt s1aughlering in the
,tate.
According to him, attention will be iilven 10 all Mea!; of food supply cham with emphasis now on the consumption of wholesome meal by the dUzens. lawai disclosed thai the stale government will comm~nce from January full Inlplcml'ntalion of refrigerated slandiird transport sfl!' tern forrnealslaughtcrcd at the vati-
ous !'Ilaughtering facilities in the stRte. I-Ie added that tillS is in act"Ordnncewilh the prm'isionsof section ~Z or llit' Medlimpect.ion La,,' of Lagos Slate, CAP M3 of 2003. So far, he said, 100 refrigeraled vehicles haye been acquired. He Silld the larget is ZOO \'ehlcles will CO\'er all areOlS of LagOli, addmg that nobody w[jJ be alI{1wed 10 lfa.m;pur.t meal except through sllch "ehides The commi,<sioner said thego\"(>rnment is ready 10 ~nsure measures to boosl meat hygiene, handling a.nd o;a.nilation proce+ .Jures. lie said all raw meat products have to be: transported and handled \\'ith cafe to prevenl cnntamination lawai sa.id effcctwe enforcement of the law is important 11\ ensuring best prac:tices in meat handling. He said Ihe government will spare no efforts 10 enhance food safety controls and work 10 ensure meal products art'" safe. The Lagos government roiled oul a policy barinin~ the weof rickety vehicles and motorcycles m the tramler of meat throughout the slitte. Under Lhe policy, the mode of meal hmllage will be through dedicat.ed refrigerated meat vans.
'Rising food prices killing small farmers'
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URGING agri<.' commodity p~ \'111 not Improve the foi~ of <mall scale ~. a don. Prof AbfoIc;u.n\,·a1e haswamed. Speaking with Tilt Nation, c;>gUnwi!le. ol lecturer IJl AgnrultwaJ EXt('mlon and Rural Oe\'e!oP~II, Facult\" ("If Agncultural ScienCeS, l..IIdokt' ·\\..lI'Itola UniverSIty, OgIx>lllOSho.Ch-o Siale. pUnted out that. in !!pIle ol"the l.vge quanbties of foodsluffs pf(ll,luced. small farm(>r! h.ld no 1I11T1Il'nC"e on the f"""ICP.'i paId When m1SU~ pay more for ~Il" rroducl~. Ihe fanner< o;hIJ do not ben('fit, Olttributing it to the r~ of n'l.1ny intl'nOl'diOl~ A.~Ol~llt,he s.."lid sm."lIl!CalefltmlCIS ItTe p;ud \'ery \IIW prJa'S from their
farm prOOl..I(l' Under norm"l circumstances, he noted that lugh consumer pria.><; art'" suppa'jed to tr.mslate ~ve \llt("l lugh prodUCM" pnreo; for the small!lCilJc farme ....
,\("rordlllg to hIm, to" producer
prices for the ~mall SCille farmers marns lhry cannot earn enough to solve their problems of basic needs. He sud most small §C3.ie (ilITI"ICrj q-U their produce through trader< cI fann produce who ~ ~y de~ as middJemen. The major problem Is Ihal a good number of middlemen take ad\'antage of the ignorance of the .. mall <;call' fanners about market opporluniltes for their product' and cheal Ih(>m ath(>r through the weights and mea.5ures they use 10 purchase farm produce or through outnght payment of exploltOltlve prices lligh cost of production and of doing business,ht' noted, ho1S blocked small-scale fanners from growing into commercial fafl1\CfS. UnIe!;S small-scale farmers are gI\'en vast taJt~,'" said theY will mntmllt' 10 inrur high costs 01 production as fertilizer prices, fllt.'l and C\'err other es5Il'Iltial goods go up
· Fum~n.1
the iust
condud~d
Nation,,1 A8ric Show in Tudun·\\,.d;a, N"uraw"
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