Page 40, THISDAY, Vol 15, No. 5546
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Ag.'ic Business
Farmers -G-et---Teehnology to-Fight-Food Contamination
TI
e International Institute of ropical Agriculture (!ITA) has stated that biological control of aflatoxins usi ng atlasafe'· has rekindled hopes for a brighter future for African fanners as the continenl battles food contamination. 11,e technology, which uses 'good fungus' to fight the 'bad ones', had provided relief to hundn!ds of maize farmers in northern Nigeria -3 region where more than 70 percent of the population depend on agriculture as a source of livelihood.
Last year alone, participating farmers in field trials using aflasafe™ reduced contamination by about 80 percent,
according to the lntemationaJ of Tropical Institute Agriculture. Consequently, results from efficacy tests of the product
have opened a window of opportunity for the private sector to invest. .. According to IITA Plant Dr. Ranajit Patllologist, Bandyopadhyay; and CGlAR
By Crusoe Osagie SP-[PM) Coordinator. Dr. Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, w ith an initial investment outlay of between $1 and $3 million in an aflasafe™ manufacturing plant, investors are likely to reap about $133.000 (N20 miUion) annually. Bandyopadhyay said 'that an
investment in an aflasafe HI manufacturing plant in Nigeria
wou Id payoff considering the huge demand for quality maize in the country. His estimates showed ti13t over 60 percent of harvested maize in Nigeria currently has high levels of aflatoxins and are prone to being rejected by the feed industry. 'Illis makes investment in this technology a viable option. not only for profit but also to improve the health of the pe0ple," he added. Produced by the fungus AspergiUus Oavus. aflatoxins (X>Se barriers to domestic and internationaJ trade of maize and
peanuts ;j, sub-Saharan Africa because of contaminated grains. Worse still , the contaminated grains have carcinogenic properties that endanger both humans and animals. ..Aflatoxln contamination in grains is a major problem but is unknown to many fanners . When it attackS, some farmers assume it to be a 'spiritual attack'." said Dr. Dotun Oladele, .a Senior Laboratory Technology Manager with Animal Care Consults during a UNlDO-convened meeting with the private sector in Lagos that offered IITA the chance to inlnxluce aflasafe™ . "Once there is aflatoxicosis, egg production drops and mortality of birds follows ," he added. He said the approach by IITA I1)ightlJe the best method of controlling aflatox.ins. Representatives of local investors under the aegis of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group and the New Partnership for Africa's
(NEPAD) Business Group commended the - technology and promised to seU the business model to their members wi th a view to finding an
investor. "We know of a lot of people that wiU be interested in this technology and that has the capability to galvanize this idea
into manufactUring," said Dr. A.A. Roberts . Executive Secretaryl Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD Business Group-Nigeria.
Katsina Spends N8bn on Food Production tsina State Government has spent more than N8.069 bi llio n to nhance food production and ensure food security in the state. Goverru>f' Ibrahim Shema said that in order to have more food in the state, the state government has put more emphasis on fertilizer subsidy for fanners . The Governor in a press statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Press Affairs , Mallam Maharazu Ahmed explained that the gesture was in line with his to administration's pol icy encourage fannern to engage in all year round farining activities. He said a total of 114,6 18
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From Ibrahim Shuaibll in Katsina
metric tones of fertilizer, representing 2,292,360 bags were bought by the state and local governments at the total cost of NIl .698 billion in the last three years. According to the Governor, the government has since 2007 offered to the farmers each bag of fertilizer at the subsidized cost of NI , 500, thus generating only N3.629 bill ion from the sales leaving the balance of N8.069 as subsidy to farmers . A breakdown of the figure shows that a total of 61,418 metric tones were procured in 2007/2008 and 200812009 farming season at the cost of N5. 189 billion and sold at the subs idized cost of N2.024 billion leaving the balance of N3.165 billion going to the farmers as subsidy. In 2010 alone , the 53,200
metric tones currently on sale to farmers were purchased at the cost of N63 billion out of which the government would recoup N 1396 billion whi le the total balance of N4.904 billion was used to subsidize the commodity. It would be recalled that Governor Shema had at the launch of the 2010 sales offertilizer in Bindawa emphasized the focus of the administration in motivating small holder fanners whom he identified as strategic in the overall economic wellbeing of the state. He said the government would continue to commit resources to improve fanners' production capacity. so as to ensure sustained food sufficiency in the state. 1l1e government had si milarly offered wide range of support to irrigation fanners, Livestock production and veterinary services as well as forestry developmenl.
EU, Others Improve Support to Burkina Faso
M
"['R: MalUlging Director TagaJIiJude Nigeria, Mr. FemiAkinware; Managing Director I CEO eMaginaJions, Mr. Sola Fanawopo; and Se"ior Manager, Mobile-Moll.ey MTN, Mr. Biodun Ogunlabi, all Panelists, durillg the Mobile Payment forum sessio", at the Card, ATM & Mobile
Expo Africa organised by 1n1erman: in Lagos ... recenlly
Food Security: Veterinary Surgeons Seek Capacity Building
T
he President. Veterinary Council of Nigeria (yCN), Professor Gabriel Ogundipe has stressed the need for Continuing Education Programme if tile federal government and the various state governments acroc;s the country are to meet up with its food security challenges before year 2020. Ogundipe said there is need for the Council to carry out an impact assessment of . previous Conti nuous Education Programmes in the past to enable it plan beller for the future . If Nigeria must attain focx:l sufficiency in all areas of its agricultural sectors , he said. there is the need for Continuing Education to meet up the chaUenges and practical problems that will always crop in the industry which he said should be a system of learning while working . Ogundipe who made tile declaration in a, keynote address in at the 6th Continuing Education Programme stated that the idea behind this year's seminar i<; to familiarize stu-
From Dele Ogbodoand Sellator Iroegbu In Ahuja dents more extensively with the methodology of their chosen subject and also to allow them interact with examples of the practical problems encountered during research work . He explained that the aim of VeN's Continuing Education is to continuously update the skills and knowledge of practicing veterinarians in tenns of technical , economic and recent advances in Veterinary Medicine thereby improving their professional efficiency. Acknowledging the importance of Veterinary Education, he said "I n 2004 , the Veterinary Council of Nigeria decided to organize its continuing education programme in order to reverse the decline in the standards of professional skills of practicing veterinary surgeons nationwide. He added that with the advancement in infonnation and other aspects of technology, volumes of new dis-
coveries have been made which must be made available to Nigerian veterinarians. In his remark, the Executive of Niger State, D r. Muazu Aliyu , who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Musa lbeto stated that the choice of the state for the seminarwas apt. "We are of the view therefore that the choice of the state for this Continuing Education Seminar is very significant, especially against the background of the fact that trans boundary movement of li vestock across Niger state presents enormous risks and threats =iated with disease outbreaks whkh may have far reaching implications for both local and international livestock trade and health." , he said. Expressing concern on the low level of education of the rural Nigerian fanner, he said, It is pertinen t to note that over 80 percent of the nation's Jivestock are in the hands of the rural dwellers and over 60 per-
cent of the poultry popu lation in the hands of small holders managed by rural farmers whose perception and behaviours especially on disease control and management are primitive," He said that as a result there was the need for a holistic approach to disease surveillance, detection and control become very imperative. Governor Muazu said if Nigeria must fully maximize its full potentials for sustainable economic development as a nation , the seminar being organized by the Veterinary Council was necessary. He said Niger state is repositioning the Jjvestock sector and putting in place pragmatic' poliCies on livestock heaJthcare to e nable the state fully exploit its abundant li vestock potenti als towards realizing its vision-- of becoming one of the top three most developed states in Nigeria in 2020. He said the state is commined to supporting all livestock policy issues both at the state and natiOnal levels.
'd a growing food crisis in the Sahel that is putting millions at risk of hunger, 1\0 has started providing quality seeds to 100 000 vulnerable fanners in Burkina Faso, as part of an € 18 million operation funded by the European Union (EU). According to FAO's G lobal Information and Early Waming System (GIEWS) the food situation is of grave concern in parts of the Sabel, where more than 10 million people are at risk of hunger. In Burkina Faso, poor rains led to an estimated 17 percem decline in cereal production in 2009. "This drought exacerbates an already difficult food security situation caused by persisting high food prices,' said FAO's Emergency Coordinator in Burkina Faso, Jean-Pierre Renson. FAO has started distribution of improved seeds to 100000 farmers for the coming planting season, benefiting about 700 000 people. The EU-funded operation will improve food security of more than 860 000 rural households, over 6 million people. 111e aim is to boost food production by making improved seeds available to needy farmern and to promote sustainable
seed multiplication and certificalion. The effort falls under the auspices of the 'EU Food Facility'. Europe's € I billion response to the global food crisis. spurred on by soaring food prices in 2007 and 2008 . FAO is also supporting some 900 seed producers in irrigated areas in southern Burkina Faso. For them. the current crisis could turn into a win-win s ituation: whi le increasing their revenues. seed producers w ill also contribute to improving the food security in the rest of the country. "Areas with high production levels can compensate for areas which don't produce as much, which lack seeds, and which face food insecurity," says Renson. "So part of the production goes to the high risk areas to fiU the deficit." FAO is worki ng closely with the government and civiJ organizations in pUISuing other priorities. such as the reinforcement of the seed chain by providi ng institutional and technicaJ support to national public services. This includes the Institute of the Environment and Agricultural Research (lNERA) and the national seed service.
Regulate Commodity Futures Market, Says FAO me regu lation of commodities futures markets is esirable. but any intervention should be cautious and stop short of imposing tight limits or an outright ban on such trading the Food and Agricultu re Orgasnisation (FAO) has said. In a policy brief. FAO said the worldwide rise in food prices two years ago "might have been amplified by speculators in organized futures markets. However, limiting or banning speculative trading might do more harm than good.' While futures specu lation
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appeared to have affected prices in the short term only. efforts to reduce such speculation might have unintended , longer-tenn consequences, the paper said. Any limitations could "divert speculators from trnding and thus lower the liquidity in the markets available for hedging purposes" . Futures conttacts involve the formal obligation to sell or buy a given amount of a commodity at a specified time and price. They thus provide farmers and traders with an important defence or "hedge" against price risks.
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