Tuesday, April 26, 2011
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THISDAY, Vol. 16, No, 5846, Page 43
BusinessWORLD
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FG Promotes Potato Development with Stakeholders' Conference
T
he Federal Minislly of Cornmerce and Induslly, in conjunction with the Export Cornmodities Co-ordin ating Committee (ECCC) and the Potato Growers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (POGMAN), recently organised a one-<lay sensitisation workshop. The workshop, which held at Kaduna, was in continuation of Federal Government sensitisation programme on 'Promoting the value chain of potatoes for wealth creation in Nigeria' . In hi s keynote address while declaring open the workshop, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator JubriJ Martins Kuye, who was repr!'sented by D irector Commodity and Products Inspectorate in the Minislly, Alhaji Usman MD Gwandu, told the participants that the aim of the workshop was to reach out to farmers, especially potato growers and
Stories by Crusoe Osagie other major stakeholders. This is on the commercial val ue and high medicinal benefits of potatoes (Ipomoea batata) in the economic development of Nigeria in line with the vision of the present administration in promating non ojl export. He therefore c ha llenged workshop participants to consider how this wonder crop (potato) can be used to e nhance economic diversification, wealth creation and employment generatio n in N igeria. The Minister commended the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, for his agrarian revolution policy in the state by increasing the procurement and distribution of fertiliser from 48,0000 metric tonnes in 2010 to over 65,000 metric IOnnes in 201 1 with farmers
enjoying 50 per cent subsidy in order to boost agricultural output in the state. He also noted that the state has embarked on market development in Zaria for agricultural produce, which is to assist farmers and marketers to have a befitting market structure in the state. In his address read by Mallam Muazu Ahmad EI Rufai, the Executi ve Governor of Kaduna state, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, pointed out that the theme of the workshop 'Promoting the value chain of Potato for wealth creation in Nigeria' underscored the urgent need for an integrated approach in taCkling matters related to potatoes production and marketing for weitlth creation among the peeple. He challenged the workshop to provide remedies to the absence of effective post harvest stl)rage, management, ,which haS ru;counted for a high loss \l[;annuaJ agriculiiir-
al output in the counlly, add ing that there was need for urgent and concened efforts to reverse the trend. The Governor said he personally believed that Nigeria stands to benefit tremendously from its agricultural resources which, in contrast to petroleum, have ,the advantage of being renewable or inexhaustible . To this end, he said his administration was supporting genuine and organised
private sector initiatives in agricultural production, and providi~g necessary infrastructure to boost agricu ltu re in the state. In his address, the National PresideDtofPOGMAN, Han. Bayo Ajibade, pointed out .that food security was on the 7-point Agenda of Federal Government and ,the same was a caroinal programme of Kaduna State government. He said, to fully achieve this objective, it was peninent to take advantage of the various
BOr Hails Notore's Fertiliser Production, Distnbution Scheme has been successful. anagi ng Director of "These farmers , who eam Bank of Induslly less than $ 1 a day, live far (BoI) Ms Evelyn away from market centres Oputu, has . hailed and cannot access the markets fertiliser producers, easily. Not only do the farmlocal Notore Chemical Company, ers find it difficult to come up for their ingenious move into with the cash needed to buy the 50kg bag fertiliser but carsuccessful fen iliser manufacturing and distribution to rying it home from the marketplace also poses a chalresource poor local farmers lenge for them:' in the rural parts of Nigeri a, Oputu, who joined other He added that while intraducing the I kg bag that they stakeholders on tour of the Notore facility at Onne, River selected salesmen also known State last week, said she is as ' Village Promoters' glad every time she comes Notore, he said, conducted a rigorous and transparent across a Nigerian outfit making laudable effort, not just nationwide recruitment exerfor the purpose of profit but cise for Distribution Partners, also for the improvement of in which one out of every five the lives and well-being of applicants emerged as a other Nigerians, especially D istribution Partner. those living under the poverThe lucky applicants were ty line. selected based on their expeThe BOI's boss was rience, capabilities and alignment to Notore's vision of thrilled by the success stories ofYiliage Promoters, a group c hamp ioning the African of local extension agents Green Revolution. trained and deployed by Okoloko disclosed that the Notore. She said "as a 'Village promoters' underwent training conducted by Nigerian it makes me very happy when I see another Agricultural services department of the company with a Nigerian outfits growing, it means it is going to create curriculum that was developed by both Notore and wealth for another Nigerians, it is means poverty is going to PropCom. "The curricula be cut , it means a lot of things incl uded best practices on and impact on the GOP:' correct fertilizer usage and Speaking during the visit, farming techniques . These Group CEO , Notore , Mr. village promoters are in tum Onajite Okoloko, said they sharing the ir knowledge are creating a green revoluamongst the farming communities in which they sell the tion in Nigeria by making lkg;' he added. inputs available to farmers and producing it locally at the Recalling the success stories of some of the Village same time at the volume and quality the farmers will Promoters, the visiting team was told of Auwa\u Sarti, an require for easy application. During the tour by visitors Islamic college graduate, who was selected as one of the vilthat included the Bank of Industry (BO!)'s boss, Ms lage promoters on the Oputu; John Aboh of Notore's lkg pilot project Oceanic Bank and -"7, called-Fast Track, was able to Emmanuel Ijewere of the make 'profit margins of over Nigeria Economic Summit N75,000 on it and N224,760 Group among others, they w ith On Track. Awalu said , ''Notore taught went round the company 's facil ities , and were briefed on me the fertiliser business in which I sold about half a the success recorded so far by the company. truck of 50kg.I have expand- . Okoloko said the introduced my business to selling tion of the lkg fertiliser bag other farm inputs . They also taught me the best practices, option, in response to the infrastructural and financial and I in tum , through demonchallenges currently faced by stration plots, teach farmers Nigeria's subsistent farmers. how to improve their yields."
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He added that be has .been able to build a ho use and' got manied as , well as own a motorbike. Nigerian farmers utilise about 8-lOkg of fertiliser per hectare, a far cry from the 200 kg per hectare that 'i s approved by Food and Agricultural; Organisation (FAO). The question has always been, how do Nigerian farmers access fertiliser among other agricultural inputs to increase crop yields and quality as well as farmers income?' Stakeholders believe gov-
ernment's involvement in fer-
tiliser purcbase and distribu~ lion is one of the many reasons for low consumption of fertilisers as the system is heavily politicised, with many pol iticians using fertiliser supply and subsidies to gamer votes and reward patronage. This has implication s beyond low fertiliser con-
sumption. Firstly, the subsidies, which cost the government dearly, very often benefit the wrong people . Many poor farmers find it difficult to pay for the 50kg bags of fertiliser .and . either opt to buy 'it in small units from open' bags, which often contain degraded or adulterated products, or wait ' in the vain hope of receiv ing subsidi sed fertiliser, thus missing out on applying it at, the optimum time, if at alL Recently, the Federal Government has grant~ some companies that were given contacts to supply ,fertiliser for 2010 faming season an extension date because of failure to meet the contract term. Notore says the precarious si tuation bas propelled it to . taKe ,the_,bull by the hom ' to start production to meet local needs and also to penetrate the ,export market.
opportunities and potentials in sweet potato production . '. He said that the mass production of this vital blood purifying food crop will generate employments for our youths, check unrest, reduce poverty and create wealth and vitali ty for Nigerians. According to him, thi s will also help to achieve the United Nations Mi llennium Development Goals (MOGs) of food for all and poverty eradication by the year 2020. During the workshop, a total of three papers were presented and exhaustive discussions made at the syndicate level leading to the adoption of a fifteen-point comm unique as fo llows: Participants noted the need for coll aborative efforts by Government and the relevant stakeholders towards educ~ ing the populace on U,e com<' mercial and high medicinal value of sweet potatoes for the trea tment of diabete s , anhritis. hean di seases etc; The panicipants , w hile call ing on governm ent to show commitment and political will towards supporting U,e production and processing of potato as a source of
wealth creation , urged potato growers to take advantage of the workshop by ensuring tltat the knowledge gained is put into good use; Participants al50 noted that, as a way of e nlightening the public on the prod uction of sweet potatoes, Government should assist in providing a comprehensive Master Plan on the mobilisation drive; The workshop affirmed the need for government to refocus the country's Agricultural Policy along the value chain to meet the market-product-<lemand through adequate capital infusion across the entire agricultural chain' Pa;tidpants noted the need for the provision of farmi ng . implements and adeq uate fertilisers to farmers at the right time and at subsidized rate as
a way of moving forward the Potato sub sector; Participants agreed on the need for regular meetings between communities, farmers and cattle-rearers to prevent the cattle from e ntering the farm lands; The workshop noted the need for low interest credit facilities to be made avai lable to farmers as this will go a
long way in moving the potato sector forward; participants called upon the Federal Government to encourage the establishment of Potato Processing Centres, especially in producing states; The forum, while recognising the high medicina l value of sweet potatoes , urged government at all levels to organise awareness progranmles on its heal th benefits. Participants, while noting the need for production to be tailored towards spec ific mar-
kets. sought for government's intervention in the provision of storage facilities for pO[a-
toes: Pruticipants agreed , as one of the ways of addressing the marketing aspe-cts of . .potatoes. on the need for an awareness campaign for the School Feeding Programme , whereby reniary institutions should be encouraged to have potato stands in their institutions. They agreed on the need for the inclusion of 10 per cent of sweet potatO flour in the production of bread. The workshop called on government to direct the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) , Standards Organisation of Nigeri a (SON) and the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) to come up with a blueprint on the exportation of sweet potatoes. The forum also called on government at all levels to buy the excess of potatoes being produced as way of encouraging the farmers; whi le participants agreed on the need for the sustenance of the sensitisation workshop.
• L-R: President, Nigerio.n AssocioJWiI oj Petrolellm ExploraJionislS (NAPEj)J7·. JilIe Ojo, Presidelll,Ajriealllllslilllle oj PetruleulII, Dr. D,meall Clark£ and CluUnlJani Manag;ngDirectorJChevron NigeriaJMr.A "dr~w Faw.lhrop, aJ the 5th Nigen'all Indepe"dents Fonml JFeatlirillg'Uat!illg Nigeripn Oil & Gas ;lIdepelldelll pltJyen, orgallised by Global Pacific '& Parill.n, held at Ihe Federal Paillce Hotel Lagos.:reeellily ,
PHOTO: Etop Uklllt