, Page 42,
TJII~D.AY;
VoI15;-No. 5567
'. Tuesday, July 20,. 2010
A~lr
Ie thlsillPSS
--
-
~
----~
How Innovation -Can Boost Food Production,-By Exp.erts
A
griCUltural innovation has
~
been identified as relevant in transforming . livelihoods in Africa, experts have said. At a stakeholder lecture on "Food and Culture", researchers using a case study of the cassava revolution in Africa , estimate that resource· poor fanners in Nigeria , alone, traded improved cassava
stems-a part that is often neglected for having commer-
cial value-worth more than US$ I million (about N 150m)
Stories by Crusoe Osagie in five years. Professor Lateef Sanni , International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (!ITA) Scientist, said that this. increase in incomes of farmers came between 2003 and 2008. Organised by the Public Affairs Section of the United States Consulate General, Lagos and UTA in !badan, the
"Food and Culture" lecture brought together experts in the food and agricultural sector, including a guest lecturer from Tufts University. . Stakeholders reviewed the US agricultural experience and
brainstonned on areas that Africa could tap into. In his presentation titled: "Roots and lUbers: Food Security Crops in Nigeria ," Sanni said cassava was a (<XXI security crop in Nigeria and a major provider of employment and income.
He said the crop appeals to farmers because of its affordability, ease of cultivation, and
high return on investment. Apart from the stems, cassava roots and leaves are now
offering · additional income streams to farmers . Despite cassava's role in the food web, Sanni said more attention by way of support to research was needed. More importafltly, cutting down post . harvest .losses tIuough investment in processing technologies and the creation of an
appropriate policy framework were necessary to sustain cassava's role in ensuring food security in the future. Prof. William Masters of Tufts University said that the US government was reviewing its commitment to African agriculture with plans to increase funding for the sector and to achieve productivity ' growth which UTA has stood for in the last more than four decades. Masters. an agricu ltu.ral . economist, shared his thoughts on "How Americans are rethinking what they eat and what is in their food , how they grow, market and distribute them." i,xplained that consu.mers in wealthy socielies no longer need higher farm productivity for their own prosperity, but instead are seeking foods that embody their cultural values . Giving a scenario of killing the 'golden gooSe that laid the golden eggs.' Masters expressed fears that consumer preferences for organic, local and traditional foods in the US might limit their support for the kind of agricultural innovations that are needed in Africa . According to him , the agricu ltural revolution in America
.... He
and Europe., .which sustained industrialization was a product of technologic~l improvement in agriculture ·.and that campaigning againsL';~~ advances that hold tlie key. to cutting down hunger a~!l "poverty in Africa 'was syHOtiymous to killing llie ' golden ' that laid the goloen eggs of new crop genetics : ana ~gronomic methods.' .. ... : African 'ex'Ports ' ~t the session agreed that taking Africa 's agrieultural .sector out of the woods would i'eqiJlre the adoption of new technOlogical tools . For Paul 'Dona"JITA Senior Cassava Trials Manager, farmers needed improved seeds, fertilizer and other fann inputs such as pesticides to boost productivity_ He said anything to the contrary was a disservice to farmers in Africa . Earlier, UTA's., DirectorGeneral, Dr. .F!e(er Hartmann . who was repres.;nted by Dr Mbaye Yade, 'said (he institute was delightecl 'i p' share its .,experience in knowledge the area ' of agriculture with partners. . He said the ''fight against poverty and hunger in Africa required collaborative efforts among the many stakeholders working for Africa 's development.
goose
and
Haiti: Six Months on/.Agriculture Needs More Support "FG to Tackle Unemployment Via Agriculture culture". he stressed . he Mini ster of He explained that the minCommerce and Industry, istry intends to make agriculSenator Jubril Martinsture attractive to university Kuye has said that the and polytechnic graduates fedetal government will give through value addition and priority to value addition and processing of agric ultural processing of agricultura l commodity and produce as commodity and produce in many of the graduates were order to tackle the challenges finding it difficult to get white of unemployment in the councollar jobs. try. He noted that there were The Minister stated tilis quite a number of initiatives when he received in audience that have been carried out by Director General of Food and the ministry' in collaboration Agriculture Organization with FAO in the area of cassa(FAO) Dr. Jacques Diouf. va and palm oi l processing The Minister said governwhich according to him were ment believes that it cannot on course and yielding result. adeq uately tackle the chalHe pledged that the minlenges of unemployment in istry will continue to play its Nigeria unless it focuses on part to the success of the proagricultuml commodity and ject in the country. produce which has conAccording to him, Nigeria tributed between 40 to 42 percent in the fU'St quarter of this year. He said that 50 percent' of the population are involved in agriculture. . Kuye explained that the major interest of his ministry he '.;. Minister ·;';:bf in agriculture was in the area Commerce and of value addition to agricu!,:,· Industry, Senator Jubril tural commodity and produce, Martins Kuye has adding that the ministry is . approved ' the request of wi lling to collaborate with Kaduna Chambers. _ . of FAO to fast track the competCommerce, Industry, Mines itiveness of our commodity and Agriculture (KADCCI and produce in the internaMA) to manage the Kaduna ' tional market. Internation.a l Trade Faic 'We need to identify value Complex." . . . _ addition to agricultural comThe Minister made the modity and prod uce in order disclosure during a courtesy to ach ieve food security and vi s it by members of the be able to take a lot of employ"",nt mileage in agri-
T
has benefited immensely from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations particularly in the areas of agric commodities development and the provision of supportive mechanism on agric programme and project development. He added that FAO is supervising some Common Fund for Commod ities' (CFC) projects in Nigeria with o ne of which is the Cassava Value Chain Development Project approved for Nigeria , Benin republic and Sierra Leon by theCFC. . He said the project in Nigeria has three sites, nam~ Iy: Kuje in tile FCT and Wa and Masaka in Nasarawa State. He explained that these
three sites have been commiss ioned by the current administration and production of high quality products. The Director General FAO, Dr. Jacques Diouf pointed out that agriculture was very important to N igeria economy than o il and gas based on the fact that it contributes 60 percent of employment in Nigeria. He said that Africa and Nigeria in particular mu st revert to net exporter of agricultural produce than be net importer. He urged government to invest in agriculture particularly in water, stating that four percent of available land are irrigated in sub-Sahara Africa while Asia has 38 percent of its land irrigated.
...Approves Request on Maintenance of Trade Fair Compl~x
,
I
T
Chambe~ '"'
led b.y. " its'- org,i'nised private sector President , Hajia Saratu Aliu. wou ld continue to support The Minister pointed out federal government and its that private and public sector agencies in th'eir effort to shou ld be ·partne rs in develop Nigeria . . progress lQ move th~ econo- _ She added that the economy of the.country forward , '.- my can not improve unless He addea that goverm'nent there was' synergy between has confidence in the private llie fedeTal govem"rTlent and ' sector c(:mtri putioh' : to the ' . the private sector. . ,.:., ... development of the nation's . She expressed (he desiie' ecoiiomy. of the C hamber to ' partner . Also speaking at the with go-;e mment to lll'lJ)age event, the leader of the dele- the K urluna International .ga~ion , Ali." assured .that th" _ Tra~c:.F';r Co~pIe:i. .. _
~ile timely food assistance and agricu ltural · inputs helped avert a post-earthquake food crisis in Haiti. insufficient funding for agriculture continues to hamstring efforts to improve food security, local food production and provide income opportunities in rural areas six months after the devastating quake. "Most of the responso has been focussing on the urban aspect of the crisis, but the international community must not neglect rural areas if they want to overcome the massive effects of Ole earthquake in the oountry,' said FAO Senior Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordinator for Haiti Etienne Peterschrnin. "Greater investment in agriculture and the creation ofjobs in rural areas are needed urgently to ' stem the flow of displaced people back into Port-au-Prince and to support food security tIuoughout the oountry.' FAO and th~ Ministry of Agriculture distributed agricultural inputs to 72 (XX) farming families in earthquake-hit and rural areas in time for the critical spring planting season. which accounts for 60 percent of Haiti's
W
In addition 10 (XX) households will receive assistance in vegetable gardening as part of FAO's urban agriculture intervention in areas around Port-au-Prince, Ganthier and Cabaret. "Immediately after the disaster hit in January we focussed on areas directly alfected by the earthquake," said Cristina Amaral , Chief of FAO Emergency Operations Service. "Now we are focussing on assisting host families whose coping mechanisms were severely strained by the influx of displaced persons into their communities and to prepare for the hurricane season." The overall scope of the agriculture cluster reconstruction wod<: in Haiti is to support local food production and marketing in rural areas, urban agriculture, reforestation and disaster risk !eduction activities to create jobs in turaI areas. With experts anticipating a busier-than-usual hunicane season this year, FAO and the agriculture cluster are also working with the Ministry of Agriculture of Haiti and the civil protection agency to ensure that farmers are
::~~ra~a/=~~o;~e;1j'~
They will set up seed and tool stocks in strategic locations in hw:ricane·prone areas that can be quickly moved if needed. With the assistance of Japan and Spain, 250 tonnes of beans and maize seeds, over 50 (XX) tools as weU as 5 400 kgs of vegetable seeds and 650 tonnes of fertilizer will be stored in these stocks . In addition, FAO is actively supporting the "Coordination nationale pour la securire alimentaire" , the Government of Haiti's food sectlrity observatory, to strengthen the national agriculture and food security information network, and share relevant infonnation with dle main partners involved in rebuilding agriculture in the country.
(XX)
people to produce and con-
~=.~tn~,:I=~~~~ ~~~,::u~°';ltn~::~s~f
Agriculture are leading Ole agriculture cluster, a UN coordination mechanism which spearheads the reconstruction efforts .in agriculture in Haiti. The agriculture cluster, which comprises over 170 non-govemmental and · intematiOi1alOlganiza~Ons,plans
to reach :iJ\ ' additioilai SO· (XX) fainilies in the ' summer plaHting with tools, fertilizers, water pumps and high quality seeds, which will increase local food production.
rural
season
prepared.