SUNDAY PUNCH
BUSINESS
Agric - Economy
DECEM BER 18, 2011
22
Agric experts canvass science-based food production The group led by the President of Bio-resources Institute of Nigeria and former Chairman, Independent Electoral Commi5sion, Prof. Maurice
FRIDAY OLQKOR
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at ... XPERTS a biotrade round ta b l e
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natural prooucts from herbs and lawo-forestry have called o~.farmers ,?nd
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other
5lakeho~ers
lwu, said there was need to align biological research
with farmi ng to make the country economically sustainable. According to him, agricultural practice wi thout science is incomplete. He stressed tha i 8iotrnde project would enhance
to inject
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science resea'rch in the development 9f agricultural value-chalns. ! ! They also said it would create jobs ~ntI alleviate poverty in rural a reas.
O~un l cautions
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O OA fa rmers ~ in Qmin S late h,w I been med to a 'd the use of banned ~icides fJd herbicides on their crpps and far{TlS, I n l offe~ce. which a ttradJ fiv~15year!'i l imprisonmenl or a fine of
the capability of Nigeria to produce value-added foods and agro.foro3try . products including services for both domestic and International
markets. The former INEC boss staled thai the project would be focused in four major areas, which were project assessment, _ val ue chain a nalysis. market research with technicallrade capacity and technical trade capacity development. He mentioned that
the inclusion of science to agriculture was vital to growing the sector in country, adding that techniques used in medical and mathematical science would be brought to bear in agriculture to boost food p roduction. His said, "The present initiative is aimed a t harnessing our expertise and experience in this field to facilitate the conversion of Nigeria's plant resources into value-added
commercial successes through international networking, profiling. product certification and sales. "As facilitator1 , our main focus will be on enhancing sustainable b io-re50utceS management, product deve lopme nt, value -added processing and marketing." He expressed optimism that the oulc:ome of the roundtable would provide the impetus to link agriculture. with science
cocoa farmers on banned chemicals discovered to be harmful for human consumption. "The new legislation o n maximum residue levels ha d a ffected some consignment o f cocoa beans that were exported into European countries, Ja-pfln and the United States df America. These consignments have been [e~rned to the African countries they had been imported from, and this has resulfed in huge economic of foreign
F I l:) tt f d· f· h orurp wa1nts lei er un Ing or agnc re earc
exchange 10 them," he said. The commissioner listed approved chemicals as Dursban and Adara lo r insecticides. Ridomil" Gold. Funguran-O H, Nordoll 75Wp, Champ D.P for fungicides Touchdown forle and Round-up for herbicides and Actellie 25EC for storage. Headvisedfarmerstovisit produce offices nearest 10 them for guidance on these regulations and assured thai an enlightenment workshop
Olubori, in his response farmers' requesl for SUbsidy on cocoa agroinputs, said thai plans were underway for the provision of hyd rocarbon free jutebags, one ~ion improved variety cocoa seedlings and other agro-inputs a t highly subsidised rates. The commISSioner, who disclosed tha i Ogun Slate occupied the fourth position among the 14 cocoa producing states in the federation. said thai governmentwasworklng lo
STANLEY OPARA
Food
would again be held 10
improve cocoa production andbyextensioninvestment opportunities in the slate.
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The State CommisslOfler for Agricyl h.ik. Mr. Aye OIUhari' rve l tl le lwa*"ing during a visit to
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N II I Ion a I fxie nsion R iew i"ndl I Plan ing I Meeting have carled on the Federal Govemmenl 10 provide ~u' te and timely fund for )JEtter ~Ice from the NaBynai Agricultural Research Instilutes and Agricultural ,IO!\leloprrlent J?yojeru In 'Nigen.,./ The slakeholde~mad~ up of representative! Of NARIS. ADPs. prtvate organisations. partrlers. international captains of ln~uslries In agrie sector. acadefrics. students j and farme~! j held several sessions of1dtscpulons wgere they obse~ !~hat! research ihstitutes and ADl's bd tIeen
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states.. t I t The fou !<Illy evenl, Dece~ber which 6 al the NaUoIiaIlAQrlcultural Extension ~d Rese~rch l.ialson Serv:i~ef , Ahmadu Zaria, Bello University also provided aJI the major stakeholders &gricuIture
ile9an!P'l I
tpe opporl~ni
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t(l ~instonn
on the best strnt£gle5 for the
~cceleratiJ, ahd tlctuaiisalion o f the pot~ntlAI of ithe Agric form Agend~. The 1 mJeting also I discovered many I te:seart:h Institutes and ADPs were understaffl:d an~ in I some casJs lackl:d qualified
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farmers and stakeholders in Ijebu-Easl Local Governmen t Area of the state. Olubori explained tha i new legislations on maximum residue levels forbade the use of c;:hemicals such as DDT, Undane, GamaJi n 20. Copper Sulphate (Somi Soro), Dieldrin, Parathion. pinoseb and Dinoseb Salts among others because their residues have been
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Fnne/ !esrrdal1y in t.the l area o f p ttnshn 5eTce. which they said h!K1 hindrred many fleldshows and fanrers
and technology as well as commerce 10 assist state governments a nd organised privale sector to successfully develop an export market for food and agro-foreslry products in the United Slates, Europe and Asian ma rkel!. He also spoke on how loc.al farmers would benefit from the p roject. saying they were developing a network betwee.n the large (arm ho lders <md small scale farmers. lwu was optimist.ic that stale governments would take a cue from the capacity b~ilding to educate the rural farm ers. He said. ~ Nlgeria has aU the necessary capacity like the National Agency o f food a nd Drug Administration Control to regulate, the National Research Council a nd the entire agencies must work hand in hand to help alleviate poverty. provide job through (arming.The Commissioner for Agriculture in Delta Stale., Mr. Usan Ukubeyinje, pledged 10 support the Biotrade p roject. add ing thai the state had keyed into the transformation agenda of the Federal Governmen t
visIts for the deployment and testing of innovations and technologies in Ihe loc:.aI areas for prompt adoption by farmiml. The Vice Chzlncellor. Ahmadu Bello University. Professor Abdulahi Mustapha. In his addnw.. lamented that Nigeria was still listed among the lOIN Income
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Deficie] t
Countries
because of the slow pace 01 fu rther educate farmers on development in agriculture. He explained that one of the . OU I f thls was"-'lIior g~Jem~~~I: adequately fuhd NAERLS being Ihe only research Institute wilh'the mandate for agriculrural ext~nsion service for the entire nation.
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Bosak MFB unveils l Group Leaders Congress
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S A K Mi cro f inance Bank Umiled has unveiled a .lI_...... G roup Leaders' Congress toaeale a piatform fOI leaders of various CUSlomer groups borrowing from the bank under the group tending model to Inleract regularly. The congress, according to a stalement from the bank, was constituted by the bank as part of its effort 10 consolidate its lead in the microrinance retaU business In various markets aaoss Lagos. The Managing Director. Bosak MFB. Mr. Kola Bene. in his address at the ceremony was quoted assaying thallhe congress would foste r more understanding bet\.Veen the bank and its customers. This, he said. would afford the bank an opportunity 10 minimise default on credit facilities granted with feedbacks fro m the group leaden. Headd edthatthe ul timate desire of Ihe bank was to lift
~erty
people above line, while also offering them the deserved for their hard work with im proved standard of livi~. Beno saidj the bank was developil19 additional products that lwould meel cwlomers' need in the area o f education for their children and fatnily heal th. The bank also offered scholarship 10 four children of leaders present al the otaISion. I Among officers elederl to eJlecUtive positions of the congress v.-ere Alhaji Ogunniyi AI eed as chainnan; Mrs. Olabisi Olab in}o, Mrs. FolashadeAbe and Mrs. Eunit2 orisasona. Bosak MfB's Head, Business StralepY and Social Impact Assessf11enl unit of the bank, Mr. Dan Ala, was also elected CUi)the HCJetary for the execul.i1fe5. MWi th the congress, we hope to dose] tie:s with all custo mers an~ expand our homon to other markel locations in jl lagos,.. the bank said.
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