THE NATION, 22 OCTOBER, 2012

TlIENATlQ

MONDAY.OCT08ER22.20I2~_ _ _ _ _7

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ISSUES For some years, the growlh of the agricultural s<>ctor has been stunted by paucity of funds, crude implements, lack of government support and land tenure system. These have triggered food insecurity. But the u,gos State government is set to reverse the trend by boosting farming and food production through U,e building of farm cstat!!s and settlements across the state. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

IIEagncul!ullll ~plays .... un· port.n! role Ul lag05 ~te'5 ec0nomiC de ...elopment. Tl\t' 5«1or dOH not Jlbl provid~ Nfill empAoyRlftlt and I.Iphft fliRt ancomeIi. II alsO t!fl§Ufft food secunty But food sUPl?hes to the sule 15 short of WMI 15 reqUired The CommlS.SlOfln lor Agncullure and Cooperatives. PWl('e COOlanan lawll, Aid aggregilte food 5upphed InlcfTUllly

T

wu less thin 10 per cent of consumptIOn

101.11

Path to agric revolution

In addition, nalional

dem .. na for Igflcuitural produce IS

eXlMndtng fiIIp.aly .nd tho.!re Ire ogny Riches the 5toJ\e un exploit. glyen Its natunl advilnuses uwal wid the 'llite Wb po~ 10 filLSe the w to 2S per cent In the next rive ye.,.. through ils v.uiow prOJect!.

To tlus end, the stille hu Intensified fanmng Actl\lihes m lreu where il hAs comp.r.hve. ecologlc.ll .Ind SOCIOeconomiC .Idvanl.lgn TheR areu. he slaled. Include ftWr~, IIveslad•• \'egel.ble proJucllon • .IS well .II ariroprocessing. with emphasIS on nee illnd C.lU.lV. }.Ie '.Ild marketing and the whole value cham would alsO be given .IUention rhus. the itale is pursuing the "iullegy of bUilding fum eslilles .Ind !teulemenls .Icross malar fuming commumlles. he wad Through the eslillf:S. the go\'emmenl enVISions .. Iransformiltlon from fr.lgmenled and small'"5C.lle farms 10 ml~ IVilled. clustered .Ind larg~scale agri6uSIllebe5 l<.:ey agncuhural rommo(lIties covert:d under the farm lid\t~me are

nce. vegetable. poultry, piggery and .qu.culture By usmg farm HlalH. Lawai Wid 1M "ute W.lS movUlK tOW.lnh .. model which IS not only mduSlve but anchored on milflo:.et--cenlnclty. rconomlt'S of scale ilnd v.lue ch.in Integriliion of the vilnous factors involved In the production of the commodil ...·!1 He Wid r.~ Wi~ the esllllies would benefit from extension lervlces ilnd inputs. such .III Joeedltnp, (erllh5efS lind pestiCides, .ddmg thIIt the govemment W.lS maLng efforb 10 develop cnllclIl mfrastructu~. such as ro.ds In "'IUKUItU~ zones_ This is 10 support the prlville ~tor's investment In open.ll ng mfrillilructure. such as processing plants. grow~1 (-ums and hiltchenes, he noted He observed tNt the absence of fllnn+l~ market ch.i1ll5 wu the pnmary obsLlCle mhlbltmg agn-bu.mess bll.eofl For thIS reason, he s.ld the government WiS workmg 10 IIlIow f.nn-to--market chams to operate eWcaently

~1!~2~-,~=.nn.nl The AlSncullure Youth Empowerment Scheme IS .1.1 Aug. F.rm Settlement in Ere l.oc.i.l Government AreI.. Through the sCheme,lhe litale IS IIItT.lC'hng young men to fllrmlng One hundred youlhs were drllwn and housed Within the eltlolt' 1hey were trained for 18 months m crops inJ live liloc" productlOf\.

DormitOries are IIv.ll.ble for new mtld..es while the progrAmme offe~ rrIiOUrtti, haoo..on lnuung. .nd IKhnlClo1 ani"ance on sustlllnllble pracllcer.

Th~e Include production, processing, business principles. lind marketin g of farm-raised prOducts. luch U nml, chid.~ lind \'egetablH Dunng their trillrung. the young faflJlef5 rAlSe 1&mS, poultry, rl5h ilnd vegetilbles.

Fanner-trllinees lite expected to operille Independently .fter Ihe 18 monlhs of tr.IRlng Also, the p~ LJ trauurtg the sludents to: produce buildint: malerials for gret'n housel>, Improve SOil fertility. de-

vdop Irfigaiion. m.lna.ge pel>b/wreds .nd promote m.,letlng As a r6uh.

Lag05'-'f\S can now .Ia'I!M hot an.t sweet pep~r and pumplun I!jJem . "The rNson for .Idoptmg the Stfiltegy.

Lawai explllined. ",".15 to reduce dependency on the government for employment, crea le and susllllm new jobs .IIld reduce frustration .unong young poopleWith the avelOlge age 01 Tilnners mcre;u.

Ing .nd the sector f.dng ."iIIs shortIIge, he Wid II Willi imJlOfUnI fOf the In-duslry 10 Itttllci and frilin young people Lawai Aid the progr<llmme I\u completed Iwo cycles Of traU\ll\g. Internship lind r.ettlement With 100 youthli each durmg the review penod lie Illild ttw flf'S1 b.lch 01 youths lh.Il frilduliled in December 2010. are llbou 10 roettle in newly-built 1000uI1It two-bedroom fbts at the f.nn set:tiemmt fu.l"ont!d after the L.BeIHype - Kl.bbulz 1hey ~ will be empow~ With 10000ns to esl.bhsh IMIf firms, p.Yllble Wltrun rive yHlS The prodLKIS (rom the scheme mclude o,'er 1.500 cntes of eggs d.lUy. 32,000 broileu monlhly. +ra tOlU'llfS of fresh fISh prr cycle .Il\d about 160 tOfUlei of cabbage. Wiler melon. cu"'"""". ""'1'<' and """'''' ~.fy ''S. etlblr wnlCh ~g marlrtftl In the.IUte. The settlement, l..i\ul Wid, ~ .I rugh1y dl\len.lfled sySlI!lIl. The Head Of Tf.llrung and Course Of, ficer. Vegetables, Agnc-Yes Trlllning · Conlin ....d on pas..

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36

THE N A TION MONDAY OCTOBER 22.2012

ISSUES

Path to agric revolution · CClntl n u~d

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P~S~

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Institute, Mr An;olaiya Hakeem, said the aim of the Scheme was 10 breed II new generation of agro-enlrepreneurs In poultry, fish farming. bee-keepmg and ,an·all seilson vegetable farming cycle.

"Since thl.!l programme started in 2009, we have trained about 300 you ths and we are in the fourth batch. We train them in poultry farming. c rop farming. fish farming . meat production and 50 on. We 6et our sludenu through advertisements in the media_ After thai, we conduct II test for them, we usually take 36 females and 64 males for each balch, makin 100 students for a .session: he said .

He said afler the training. the partidpanl! afe divided inlo cooperatives and e.ch group would be given NIOO milllon to execute its agricultural venture.

"Apart from the NIOO million, the participants are also given accommodation where they can live with their familles.We also havea fully automated layer pen.

We can't even meet the itcmand of the market now: he said, adding that at the eslate, there is a hakhery where hem lay eggs.

The eggs are collected an<J incubated until they ~ to hatch in about 20 days. "The ch.lcb live in large grow-out houses."

A laily tl1linee and leader of G2 group under the programme.

M~s Esther Akinlelu, sees her fulure in agriculture. She made the switch in career after graduating with • degree in Public Aaministrillion. She is keen on developing her skills, knowledge and expenence to advance her career in the Illdustry.

Oladuran OIoude, leader of GI, is a gl1lduate of Ovil Engineering.

GroWUlS up on II (.. rm settlemenl gave j'um an understanding of the business administration side of agric enterprise, as well as the daily demands of the businesses. .He and hIS colleagues lire learning vegetable proouction, using plasliculture plots under the green house.

One of the resident instructors, Mr Vascular Olusola, said the young farmers need to have the mind5et of entrepreneurs to succeed and enjoy farming and the ind~dence thai comes with il Mr Johnson Oluwashola, the Proted OffKeT, Ram Ranch, said the institute has .bout 1,500 rams. He said the rams were brougM in when they were five mooths old, adding fhal though they were not Illvolved in tne breeding of the films, the U\!titute would soon embark on breeding at th.! ranch. Johman said the suecess recorded at the farm was due to the state goyemmenfs investment in agriculture 10 creale ;oos and enhai\ce food .security.

lkorodu f ish Facm ~ Established on a 34-hectare parcel of land at Odogunyan, lk urodu, the estate Is producing lin averagt> of 10,000 lonnes 01 fresh fISh per annum A technology dem onstratIOn ~ntre, com· pnsing SO,OOO iuvenil~ /cyde fish hatcher), and 300- kilogramme

fish capacity" a processing unit has been built.

A fish fanner in the estate, Mrs Bolaji Dama, said the government has helped farmers a Jot by ass~ting them with feeds, adding that tfle sovemment provided the needed information to farmers on how to improve Ihclr farms.

Mn Danaa said: "1 am proud of the government, because it has made things ~ for fanners like us. Being on thIS estale to farm. has helped me in getting .ccess to inlormalion from Ihe government.Government also suh!;idises some of the products for us and I was even op~ 10 get a loan from the WOrld Bank through the assistance of the government.

"1 started fl.sh farming with three ponds on one plot five yean ago, now J have 18 ponds (Xl three plots of land_ People come with big trucks to buy fish and we sell them iIS fingerlings. We really need more ~ple to go into fish farmin$ in Lagos Slate because we can I satisfy those that come 10 buy_Sometimes, they buy se\'en to eight thousand tonnes and we can'l meet that demand here.~

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Ketu-Ereyun fis h fann

A nolheT initiative of the s:~­ ment is the proposed KetuFish Fann Estate. II will be §i on a 6O-hectare land on the liotJdn-Epe Road. This \O,-as conceptualised as II

follow-up to the lkorodu Fish Farm Esblle. In the same manner, it has been divided into 482 plols for allocatioo to interested and qualified members of the public. Uke the Ikorodu Fish Farm. thl! Ketu £rerun Foo Farm also has capacity for 10,llXl tOl1nes bul with additional supportlnt; facililiM like hatcheries, pl"OCe5Smg and marbting centresIhe est"le is ellJ'E."Cted to produce about 4.685 million lonnes of fresh Cish annually when fully eslablished.

Akinola Oyebola, said the programme hM created remunerative economic opportunities for young people in agriculture and built the skills they need 10 take ~vantage 01 theeCJf!lXlffimities. He

~ ~lcl,Fs~~f~~~o~

profitable farms Of start businesses which would make u~tanding citizens and community leaders of tomorrow One of the benefidarles of the ~ Mr Adeniyi Ayino. said the programme hlll!l he.lped him II. lot, ilddtng that now he Could operate a tractor ~ well and work perfectly as a rice farmer. 1t is an interesting programme. it is a good opporrunity-1or youths loday and because we want to partiCIpate in the solu· tlon in ensuTlnf5 food security in la~08 statl! thai IS why !OllIe cil us go Into agriculture.- .... said

lmota rice processinG Mill ThI! estabbslunent of this plant has created the fiBt intrgrated net'rompilny In Nigma And I.'!WlIed farmen to WTf'ln the value captured in the downstrNm segment The company will,guill1U1tee a minimum income 10 fannl!rs . Shedding more light on the nee mill. a consUltant to tne Laf.os State government on nee

:i~ecthe [~~il?::~I\i:::=

Iechnology to the rughes:! .~tiooal standard5 to procell 2O,(Xll tonnes 01 paddy rice per annum. Operating ~ timnlly. the rice miU is estimatoo to produce ~ween l5O,(IX) and 4OO,ooJ Rice-far-Job is located on about bag.'!! of rice yearly, he ~id.

200 hectares of land in Itaikin, Ere The primllry goal cil the prqect. he and Ikoga in Badagry. The setlle- • said, Is to reduce depndmt'e on imment hilS a modem rice pr0ce:55ing ported rice and alsO create jobs and and milling centre OIl Imota. The Weal'" '" tho """"".

The mill proprogramme was launched 111 2008 Cl'58E'!I25I0nr0es of paddy rice which to creatl! jobs fOT the unemr.loyed; conslsl of hulle-. dHtoner polli!her, strengthen local capacity or rice grader, mour!iDfter and automated production; achieve a tKoduction Sagging and weghing bndgl!. per blrget of 1.600 tonnes paddy per hour. annum and facilitate access to m :1!'

ThI! foUowing ~ inclusive in the pr~g I!<.Jlrlpment. ~ge: IG-Iunne!Oilking lilnk,.aset The prograroml! has positively Of per-boiler and simmer, 15- trJnne impacted 180 farmers within the caf?<'dty dner and 6O-Ionne silo al"1St three yean. The foUTllers pro- taChed to the factory . The factory W8!l duced about 180 tonness of rice. buill with two other slruduTl! fOf whidl re still rar off from the c0n- ....d! ri« _ _ d 10.000 ..... sumption larget of 540,000 tCll'U'leS capaoty and fini!hed rice store cum per annum loi lagos alone. office space.ThI! complex hilS Thl! officer in chatgl! of the 600KVA generator, an mdustnal programme in the Ministry 01 A '- bon!hoIe and two.sets of water tanh; cullure and C~peralivH, ~r

Rice-for-job farm Settlement

or

a steel aver head tank of SS'(o) i1tres capaoty and sets of ground plasbc !iuib with a total capacity oI45,.1lX) litres. The mill with Of'timum ope-atills. capacity can pf"OCH! up to 2O,(D) tonnes Variy and l5esbmaled ro generate at least 50.£00 jobs. Apart &tin the whole grain table m, the following by-products lIrt' also money earners: brokm rice, used for rice pudding. tuwo; ground Tn and rice' flour. Rice ban - hidUy sort after for livestock feeds, OIi ~Itact and the wsmetic industry Fashola SilId rire prCX1"!§lSfti at the null are far better than poUshed rice that are in the market becau.."I! of its nutritious value. He s;tid the miU has three main buildillSS' l11t' first ." where the raw paddy ~ brought from the farm Is kept. then to mam building where the rice IS procesed and to the 5t~ room WMrt' ills before it is dispatched to tho "",keL Accordingtohim. -Weproduce25 Iunnei per flour and an approxunate 15JXK1 to 2O.(XXl tonnes p!!I' annum."

On the type of rice processed at the mill. FashoLa said: "Eko rice is a special brand of rice which ls FARO 44 or FARO 52. We USI! this type of gram of rice for unifomuty and that helps in monitonng the standard we prodUCt!. WI! Sp!!(:lahSl" In par· boiled nee.. We su~ply our ria _10 the government wlt}lIn the nurus· try and within !he A1aUSil axis~ Farmers at the seUlemenl5 will soon reduce post-harvest 1osse5, increase income. and ao;eo!& post-harvest facilities with the rice processing planl which has become operationaL The planl is a fulfillment of farmers' dream of a fadlity that houses all the equipmmt fOr successful rice production. The project aims to improve the efficiency of riCI! production, storage, drYing, and J1T'OC'5Sing to redu«< posI-hMv15110fi'ie!l and improve the quality cl rice grains for human coosumption. With all the equipment ready for ~tion. the farn'lelS ~ optimistic that the facility Will assist them 10 increase not only their Illcome but also the attainment of xIIsufficiency in rice production for the

!:!!r

,lale

High qualit y cass ava flour factory n.e Ministry or Agriculture and

JAfter the training, the participants a.re divided into co-operatives and each group would be given NIOO million to execute its agricultural venture. Apar! fro m the N100 million, the participants are also given accommodation where they can live wHh their families.We also have a fully automated layer pen. We can't even meet the demand of the market now ___ at Ule estate, there is a hatchery where hens lay eggs. The eggs are collected and incubated until they begin to hatch in abo ut 20 days. The chicks live in large grow-out houses'

CoopentltVe5 will hE' settint: up a 1.000 metnc h;Jnnr high qualtty cassava proce5l5lllg factory In Imota.

When: fullr. operabOllal. the CilS5aVil facwry wtll directly and indirectly

:::re~~ :~11~ wpW,P~he'"F~:~i

Government's plall to red uce thl! nalton's dependence- on Imported wht'at

[ Okodo poul try estate The Erikorodo Poultry Eslate.

Ikorodu. is ol'\e o f the five farm estales Ul vanous parts of Ihe st.Jte to bring about sl!lf-sufftclency In chiCKen productIOn The poultry est"te, has IO.OOO-bi rd ca pacity mechanised broiler house. 2.000 birds pet day pr0ce:55ing capacity plant 8nd 15t per hour feed inill. ~alung With reporten, the?nodplIl Agric OffiCl!r. Mr Idns Abideen. !IIlld the estille has a ked mtll. a prc:tCeS9ng plant HI! said occupants of the emre are expected to build chicken farms wllere the ducb are ral.ged !-Ie disclosed that broiler ctuc:kem are bred. epeoally for meahne>s, qUick growth, and wei$ht gam_ Thry are bred for ex~~Ive weight gain. especially In their breasts ancfthighs. 1ne ducks

~ib!ul~ s~~ebmlt~

=:

chicks usuallv Wi!I~ about41b (1.8 kg). and aT!! readY for slaughter When the chickens are old ~gh fOf slaush:b!r, Abide6l said they an.' taken to the p~ plant At the pmcet'ling phml, workefS take the bitdsand hiuig, them by their feet on it con~ bell. In a typical praces, the bUds on the COfWeyor are first passed through a vat of I!I«trirltd 5a1t Wilter calird a stun cabinet. The mild Mtrical cum'Ilt in the Wilter !Itun! or paralyses the binh.

The birds' CIIn:a¥le!I hang until all the blood has dr.nned.

Pi g farminG estate The ~ State Government has two PlS rinn estates - the Oke-Aro

Pig Farm Estate and the Gberigbe rig Fann E!slate - located on a 111~r. 01 land. The goal is for 1.200 pig fanners 10 nurture a total pig populalXtn 01 O\'er BS,(O).

vegeta ble farm seUl ements The state government is ~ the v~ble fanrung estate inibatlVes. sunilar m corocept to fish and pig farming erogrammes. To this ena, about ~ ~ of land hitVl! hem deignated as vq!;etable falTl\S in three differenl locationS - Igbodu (SO hecta~). lyu Cin (20 hectan!S) and Araga (fi ve hectares) Faml settlements are tl'l'lIlt'li as it stabll! place for fanl1f!l'S to Iivl!_ ~m"" ~ and pnssd'1~ raISE' arumals F/U1l1 e"tareprovldeo;tandllrd ~i­ denlml and rrocessing f"dlilies fN farme r5