Page 38, THIS DAY, Vol. 16, No. 5930
Tuesd ay, July 19, 201]
BusinessWORLD riC Firm Invests to Boost Soyabean Production NigCria-bascd company. Karma Foods Lirniu:d, is esa."lblislung • S20mil1ion factory to boost soyDbt:tn protlucUon in the country. According to 11. slalcment imJed by the International Institute ofTmpicaI Agriculture (UTA), this investment is t.l:pcdcd 10 lake deliYeT)' of JocaJly protJucaJ SO)'bcam at the entl of this yrar's h:!n'est. anti open up new mruketing OWOJIunitics for Nigeri:Vl 5fJY~
A
~rarmers
lfTA s:\id the 7S'px) metric
tuns pmcessing cnpacity fOCfO. ry. which is \ocItt'd rrar Abuja Intan.1lionaI Airport close 10
ev..,gwlIlaI;b about 30 minutl:! drhe from Nigeria's Cilpitlll city of Abu';;' will aeat-: 3IkIitional ~Je and susaainabk: demand for soybe:1n in one of Afric:fs
m.p 1~ua:r5.
Karma r'OOlbl"ans to 5()UI'Ce its soybean demand locally. the OJairTTWl of the finn , Mr. Dipak ~lirclIandani said. "We hope thai this im~ menl will help ~ition 50)'bean prndocUon in Nigeria. and JTt(R impon.:lfItly. it will profit the Nigoian soybean farmer b«:ause he now nlll only has opIions to ~H his products. but also c:tn plant wllb a ~se or ~t)' and the 3S..-<ur.JnCe th3l his produce ho'lS a cnrnnutkd buyer:' he 00tJcd. 1b fnet l the company's soybe:ln demand, IUrma Foods and ~ardltn from the hUl!'mational Institute or Tropical Agricull~ under the 100 pe:rcent 0
By CrIIsot! Osogit!
tocyelicaJ glUL~, The
Molecular
Gcnt:ticistIPlaI Breeder al the
Tropical Legume U project md [he University of Agriculture tI.'l:lkun1i will be bl!lc:ksIopping r:um:rs in Benuest."1Ie with bcsI: procticcs in soybean production. "We :Itt Beooc famlO1 ;as key Slakeholda'! in thi! pmjttt beca.tsc the Slate pbys a leading role in SO}bean production:· ....'id Mirehalld.1lti. ACC1.1Idin~ to him, \he rompan)' is the biggest soybean factory in Sub Saharan Africa. ap:u1 from SwthAfrica.OOt.Iing [hal it will be cmIUng tms of thou~ of jobs along the SO) bean I"3IUC chain, ..'hich will help I1:'ducc the k:\l:1 of unernployment in Nigeria, The IITA S~trms Ar.oo?""islDr. Alpha Kanlo'lr.l. Sllitl the m~ of K:uma Foot1s will go a long way in inrnasing SO}'bcan production in northern Nigeria wilb a resul llUlt incrca:o:e in fanner.;' inccrnc, He c.\plaincd that IITA and partncB are aln:::ady promoting 5O}'bcnn production through the provision of high )'ieltling Improved varieties. creating ll~arencss. pmmoIil18 SUStainable .!larl produc6ofl systnns eOlllnlUnity seed schemes and stmlgthening Il.c capacities oC seed companlC$ 10 package and sell imp!U\l:d~. Described as a 'mimcie bean· or 'goIden bean· because of its cheap procetn-rich gnun, SO}'bean production ill Nigeria has been stymied by unfaYOr.lble m:vket which often times no:sults
Unill:rsity of Agricultu~ Makwtli. Or. Lucky Ormigui. s.,id the new partllCrship
between researdt and industry will mall:: sust.IIinabIe demarw.:I and supply for the C'OTntncxlity, :md m:ike the fannet'5 proud hence.. thq' now have ... \'U)' large and committed buyCJ who
is reaching 001 to them. 01'0 the )'ean. IITA has m3lk substantial efforts 10 impro\l: the productivity of Ille crop by dcI'Cloping high yielding, early maturing \'ilrieties
C3JI3bIe or oodulatmg in association with Ioc:aI rhimbia. and possessing other good agronomic tra.illi. The instituIC 11:15 3lw rJe\'Clopal and n:1eased rusr: n::sistmI SO}'bean.
IFPRI Launches-Food Price Monitoring he IntartaliomJ r-cul N it')' Resean:h TnstiMe (IF?IU) has laun::tnJ the E::I;msr.'C Food Price Variability Early Warning Syslem. This new I0OI Il1C1SUreS c.\~il'e food prKe \wiabilityand is the only mccmnismcum:ntlya...ailaNelOidcntify time spans of increased priIr \'lIriabiIity, It is updated daily and fon:wams po\icym:lkers aJ1d t..un.1flitarian agencies periIXh artime \\ith e:o:ocssiI'C food priIr \lIri.1bility, Ba9:d on sophisticated Slalistiat! modeling (NEXQ: Nottp:Ddldlic E.\tJ'CmCQuar«j1c Model), Ib~ first-of·its kind I0OI provide! daily price 1'Zriability ratings ror four major crops_ hard .. tcI.a:xn. ani soybeans. Da1a ror the motkI are ~ from dosing prices oC
T
or
'heal.son ..
future QJIltr.lCt5 U'lKIcd 00 tlr OUcagn Boan! o(Tr.Jdc and in the ca'ie 0( hard wheat. the: Kansas Boord ofT!3tIc. "'RJr Il.:: first time C\'Cr. ~ is l\Il insuumcnt 10 mellSUn: Jrriods 0( extreme p;ce \'l!ri-abi lity;Ma.,imo Torero. Directet or IA'Rl"s M:ricets. Trade, aOO Institutions DiI'iqgo. .said. 'ibis tool wiD help 10
reduce ioo::mislcnt infmmUon
00 ~
variabilily on~.:: glob-
aI b'CI by (XUI.;uing timel y m~
rnrui;ei illrOllllabon_" The I'l"EChaniqn ill ~ cially timely:n;l important as it supportS two of tb! Itt{lfM)C'ndaticlm in the "Action Plan on Food ~ \'ol3Ulity and Agriculnm:- issued by the ~ Agriwlturo MiniSlrn! on June in Paris. Frrst. it pm'ides infonmtr.utsparaJ[
tioo 10 [he Agricullure Markrt Inform.'lIion System (M'nS) on price variability in gIobnJ mar"""'.,,., _ _ of C.'I.t'CSSh1: pia: variWility iII1: occurring and how long ~IC)' 13sI.
S«mJ.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,of
~
humanitarian fOllti
~'CS 10 be coordin:lIed by the
World r'ClOd Programme. It pr0vides poIjcyrnab:n and 0Ihm with 3 gkJbal trigger mechanism 10 dew:1op co.mlry-k!ld COI'lIingetlC)' plans. includin~ the need 10 rd=<c and lise g;.un~"'CS dJring periOOs d. OtJ'CmC p;oc variability. "'PoIicymal.:cr.; rftd comi$tent 100ls to idcnlify ~ or increased ~ variabilitY:-!i3YS Carlos r. lartin'l Filho. lFPRI i\lCnior ~ fel}OW, "WillI bdIcr aOO mro: pm:i5e informa-
rion. they <31 dc\ise policies 10 mitigate the imjXlm of mI:Jtility on both produ:ers and con~. pw6cubrly the poclfeSt C'OOSUrneB in dC\'Clopillg COUIltric:s." By poviding aJ1 e:srly \\':Imlog systm\ 10 aJert the ..uid of price abnomUllities for key aJOUTJJditics in the global ago~ marb:1l.. plIicyrmkm aM 0Iher SlakrhokIman m:IIce beIkr infcnrrd plans arxI dec .. SiOO5. including whether or wllm to n:1c:ase 5IOCks from erntrgency grain rescr'\U. Timely, 8I:DJT'3Ie. and tr..1SpItent man;et inrOlll1:l1ion IS important ror addn:s:smg foot! p;oc \'Oblility and achEving the ultirn:tt goal of inlpt'O\ing foOO security, esp:cially ~g poor pcvpIe in de\'doping c:ounrics. R"'" X
FAD to Accord South Sudan Agric Support
F
AO i5 ..'(Jr\cjllg in South
J Sudan to assisl the world's l newest nation deo.'dop a
strong and sustainable agricultuml sectOf. The UN agency has drown up a 550 mJiliOft Interim Assistance Plan (lAI') for !he agricultura! r.ector thai will build capacity in mmisterial md !'tale ngriculruml e.'l.1eIlS1on oR'K'CS, mcdialc to f'!'C'\nlIOOIImcc ()\n w:lter I'C5OUI"CeS aoo tbl:iop!he livestock sector The lAP " 1" contI1Dutc to the
lEI\' P'mlrnenl'S ()\nall
dC\'elopmcllt plan for South Sudan. The: interim pbn a1so includes die esIlIblishmcnt of:l. seed production SKtor m.:! aJ1 u,ooo and peri-urball ngncul[ure component as many n:tlIr'net$ :II't"M ill the capital Jum and QCher major 10'0\'0$ in SaudI Sudan nod will need to produce as much as their own food as possible. · South SUd,1I1 is enormously rich in terms of nmum! ~. ruxJ ... ith 9S pennlt 0( the popubltion <kpcndcnt on them for sun1\'lII, it h:\.~ huge p.:tIen[i:tl for SUS\:Iin:Ib1c growth through a!!neu!tu~~ said Gcuge Okccfl.llcadofOR'It'e. FAO South Sod.'Vl. F,\O CIIrmJt!y rmnnges a .56 1 millionenlerJmcyreh:Ibillubon pro~ in South 'iud.'VI til:.! hrur already helpro !.."'O 000 reuulIee and internally Jispl:lCCd households '\ ho Ikd heir f:tm1S durin! the conflict ~ to agnculttBt:. a.<; well :IS I'ulnernble houscholds who are hOMin, th!:: retu",~. The su~ otroal iocludes training )'oung people in rllm~ FleW Schools nnt! buildmg adrninistrall\'e rnp.-x:i~.
In :tddition. as part of Ilr Agency's suppon clfon to the
lIelY nation. FAQ recenuy carried out aJ1 Clltensi\1: smeUiIe land aJI'C't SUrl'C)' that showed just 4,5 pert't'Ilt of the al'ailable land was curn:ntly under culti11\100.
This Ibla was then \mfled on the grow.:! by local C.'I.perts using GPS.lhe sun'C)' Wa5C3rricd out "ith !he su~ or Il.c £20,6 million EU-funded Sudan Instirutiooal CapacilY Progmmme: Food Security Illformation fOf Action. 1bc: obj:ai\'e of the landCOIn survry"'aIl to identify the distri~tion of majoragricultural land, as " "eUas other n.'lIIJr.l1 rc:sources. including f~t, gr.ving pasrute'I and ri\-er5. "1' .c launch of tile landCOIl:!' databmc could not ha\'e moe al a belief time ret the new fI3lion of South Sudan". s:oo 10hn Olllol Ohol . Soulll Sudan·! DiTtttor General for Agriculture f'roduI:t1on_ Nor only IS lhe SUrl1:)' a new ruWst method fOf dc\l:1oping an imrrm'ed aplcultum! dnut collection system, it CUlIld aI!iO lay the foond.1lion fOf a new s)'liteOl of lIalllm! reSQll~ monitoring and ad as ... U5C:ful I0OI for fOllti ~ty mortiforing. A ....'Orkshop to present the orllpul3 and results or Il.c land· CO\'ef database. organised by the Sooth Sudan Qoo,~ and FAO. \v'i1J be held in Juoo, Sooth Sud.1lt. in August 2011 . F.\O "ill be discus.~n!! its SSO million Interim Assistaru: Plall (TAP) for the ...gricultural ~or with donors in AUF in the IICJF or ~g funding for this importanl programme. FAO donoo in Sou~l Sudan include Guuda. the: EU (Echo) CERE Ute COftIOIOI1 Humanitruian Fulld, Frnncc. Spain. Switzerl..md,
·R-L. Pruidll!nt 01 Abujo Chombll!r olCommll!ru lind Indusl7y Minll!s and Alri~ulturfl (A RUCCIMA) nllrriSl1I!r Ddt OJll!. lItQd III DiMon, DlI!utuht GlI!Jdfsellafllur. Inttrnaliona/t ZUSQlllmll!nQrbll!it (Gl l)GmbH German" RlI!imut Durin" II"d COMO-Conflllt, official, Nikolaus Roloff at II busin ll!N in/trodi," nn;on ' Itld in Abuj'" PIl Oro: J~~ ... AIO
'Forest Ownership Can Improve Livelihood'
R
eforming forest tenun: systems and 5CCUring r~t ownershil;l righL~ can sigtuflCrulUY Impru\l: people·s li...elihood and I:fI3bIc them to gain incon.c from forest PfU(Iucts. the Food ruxf Agriculture Org311isntWn (FAO) said in 3 newly published guide titled RefOlll1ing Forest Tenure. ""Ie continuing demand for land, ..'rnk; g()\'C'mnnce in many C(lUllIries. and emergin,:, gJolxtl challenges such iI5 cbm~te change increase the urgcncy of OOtlre:ssing forest [enure n'form." said E\'a Muller. FAO's Qief r-on:at PolicyOffK.1:r. TIle guide was lauoched ... t the r-on:at Tenure.G,l'I'em:mce and En!erprise Conference whICh look place in Lombok, Indonesia, weekend, AlleoIJed by around 200 ~tafil'eS from imemationallUld tqlOll:tl organil..1tiorlS. pri\':lIe sectOf. rlOn -go\l:mmental ollanisa[ions. cil'il society and resc:ut:hers. the conference was Cu-oT"ganiscd by the of Indonesia n tl.linistf)' FOf'CSIf)' (MOF). the tmema[ion...1 Tropical Timber Organi7.alion (rTfO) and the Rights 3nd Resourecs
Initiatr.'e (RRI). In recen[ }1:af5. FAD has c:urird out
e.'l.ten ~i \l: IIS$C$-
menl3 of forest tenure systems in Africa, Soothenst Asia.Larin America and Central Asia Md ilS intp:JCt on sustainable fore:sr management and poveny reduction, Rased Oft thl! analysis, lI.c guidre offers proctical guidance fOf policy mnkers in\'olvw in foro;t ten ure reforms. Accooiing to FA(), around 80 percent of !he wor1d·~ fore:sts :uc publicly owned. but forest O\\~hip and m:ITUlgement by communities. iooMd-uals and pril'llte rorrrp:m~ are incre:tSing - tt1()I1: in some countries than ill ochers. In Vcnezuel3 and Freoch GU1an3. fOfc.\atnplc ....lmost a.ll forests are under public ownership. wl.creas in P:tr1lguay. Hondum, Guatemala, Costa Rica IItld Qilc IT"rI:R IlUln 30 petttr1t orforesl5 Rr'C under pn...:tIe owr.::rship. In Peru. Guyana mtd Costa Rica, Il'I()R' than ten perttnl of forests are owned by indigenous pteple. "A more di'l:I"liif1ed tt'Tlure ~ystcm enlltl result in intpIUI'mg rorest management 3nd 10C:l1 lil'l::lihood.~ . paniculnrty
... ~ lUte capacities to man-
age: foresl3 af'C ....-eak:- yid Muller, Forest tcnure reforms should gh'e allrntiOft to the empowmnent of marginalized groups. particularly womel1 nod the poor, Researt:h suggesu: that trees and fon:sts are mOl"C important to rural ..'Omen's Ih'elihoOOs than nlell·s. Poor women in one MOOaga.sau eommunit) earned 37 percent of thdr
income from
f~
produc!s.
compared wil h Tm:ll'S 22 per-
cent. In some areas of Andhr;t
Pra~h . n percent of women·s income \\'as deri\'W from fore;ts. r-0rt:St5 can be crucinJ to the: survi......1 str.Itegies of filmling women. In sub-S:than\n Africa, responsibility for carinI!: for !lOll$Chold rncmbers amicled by HlVJAtDS falls m... inh· on WOITICTI.lc:t ... ing them witli less lime fOf ... gricultuml produclion , As a result. they become more: reli:mt on forest food~ and income from fuclwQOd, Wi thout an enabling policy en\'ironment . f~~ t tenun: refOlll1 i5 unlikely 10 tlclil'er the benefICial 5OCio-economic outCOUleS. Muller st.rew:d. Key stakeholder.; should be cnabled
10 manage forests in a way th.'ll iTTlpfOl'l$ both their Ihl:lihood!i and the condilion of f~I3 , Faresl tenure should be M seatn: as pos'Iibie. and o\nregulation should be a\'Oided by keepin, oomplltlnl:'e procetlures simple. Legislation should be coupled with ~pon sible gD\'eTI13I1I% at all ie\'els. meludmg government agencies. the pri\':Ite sector Ilnd rommullllies. Many forests worldwide ha\l: becll used , managed and e\'en ownr::don the b:tsisortm diliona! or customary lenure. Such infannal lenure svsterm often oreralc in p:\r.lIICI with l~allenure"ln such ca.<es klcnl people regard foresu aOO forest products as belonging to specifIC r«'I'le or groups. reg.1rd less of whether the ri!!hts ha\l: been m::ognil.cd by the gOl'ernnlitQ or not . infOfTllal tenure can be eR'ecth~ . unless other interests, such lIS pn\.uization or ron\'ening to otner land-uses CTIC'TOO(.-h. "-hich often results in ronflicc and frequenlly iea<b 10 forest dcgr.ldalion. Tenure reforms should we into consideration customaty tenure sy!.tem., thai are nor legally proIected. r.luller $:tid