26-"ang u ard. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 5. ZOIZ
BUSINESS/ AGRICULTURE
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ONCREll! actions to trando r·11L Africa's agricultu:al ll.!ctor 10 Africa was prbdu~·el:i as African head ... ~r s~a le , ministers, prival@ lector r~presentatives, the inlemati 01 a1 community and farmed: ruted on the roadmuJI lot increasing agriC'.lI~uraJ J ~OdUctivity in the CC'o!iJ lent. The 1"cti~n plan agreed upon b1 thl:! I den formed part th!! (ar reaching decisoll t:al\e~ allbe African Green Re~olution Forum (AGRF] i!) A.ft ~ha. Tanzania whic" t:rde/t Friday. The [\fUm noted that suppo 1 fp~ Africa's smallh Ider Hrmers remains at th"'~:allJ'e aU solutions on he \I) gro' income (or the Africa e gric1l1tural sector. COJnw'!IlUnil on thesucr:eu: of the [arum IUId the critical next ~Icps. i\Jliance for a Green Ilevo lution (AGRA) '"",__ ,mt a (lC co-chair of the fOrulD, J an e Karuku slaled. "'The iqtcmatil)nal community is begtnnu-g to realize that the unalll !older is an entre.,n:n e ~~ and that
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iOlp i,ed jltemen40ul discus.on. 4M dereleped «.tin&ahle pluu to bring us dosertn 4d!iering food and nutritilu lec Jrity. It is aitical that 'toe QlIJ"'e forward with theRe real, practical a nd
pr-aglutic dctions a t the lamter-!f!WT.!i. not at the office-. ~.
"Thl~ fO Jumserve5 as an impo":'tao ' incubator forinno'1a ti'Ye solutions to
TiUJUDl/l Prerident. JakJlya Mrlsho Klkwele with Melinda GIlles, co--cbalr oIlhe 8111 & Melinda Gales Foundation IlsnJred by Koll Annan, chairman 01 the Alllanc:e IIY 11 Green Reyolution in AfriCil (AGRAj ; Nigerian Alinlsler 01 Agricu/luFf!. Or. Aklmnuni AdesJniJ ~d othea .t the AGRA forum in ~ TilD~"
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African leaders agree on concrete plans to drive agriculture growing the Afric.a. agricultural sectot" said Yara President and 0Uef ED'lcutive Omcer, and co-chair of the forum, Mr. Jargen Ole Haslellad. "By gathering public. and private.sector leaden to coUaborate across borders and industries. weare
optimistic that tbe ultimate result will be a more (ood secure future." '"l""'be AGRF action areas 1. focused on four major Ulemes: rethinking publicprivate partnerships, revolutionizing agricultural
New Nigerian cassava tested to resi!S,t devastating viruses n v AADA.J AHEL-KUR.EBE lh ~ "renCYll!p0rU
b\ Yf scientists at ETH ZlIrlch have developed a ne·... N'gerian cassava prdeued b ( consumers and (arIU!n thal is resistant to the two Inajor virus diserule5 in AfIiat and 117W billed. to test the Cft:iS<lVa.J!l 'es istant on the Africu\So Ll ACI·ord rg to a release, re-~ dlces at ETH Zunch led by ,n Ptqlessor of Plant 813 !'<:ht.qlogy, Wilhelm ~sell. and his seniol
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leo-' -.oIOf) has been wed tl df 'p"r~WCilS5aVa\·B.netr til 1t "' ~I ,tent to the learer Cfn.';a J' Jwn streak vuus
ltte \iru; nIects the ~ibl" sl ud y r,)l 'ts and lUttl!. them b-ovlr~ \\h.:h make!ll tho!" rootl unp,,·atcb ~ for consl'rners.
trey 1141''( rt- rei' alchers u5~d 'h:! r--:tg rla:1 TME 7 (aUa""l "tin-IV, rl :) kno ....Ti as- "Oke 1\
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resIStant to cassava mosaic disease, which is caused by another virus that is severely impa.cting cassava production alI of Africa. The virus said to have onginated [rom East Afnca. is threatening to spread to Central and West Africa thereby becommg threat to cassava, which is one of the most impot1an1 crops in tropical countries of Sub -Saharan Nne.. Explaining that it is difficult to control the wlutefiy. even if AbiCd!l farmers could afford 10
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insecticides, Pro(. GrlusEem saJd: "This resislan'_'e 15 not changed by the< ne>\' re5'".stance to the brown streak vutIS_ The brown streak vims 15 most likely transmitted by tltl" same sUverleaf whItefly (Bemisia tabaci) that also spreads cassava mosaic disease. llus 1m)" msect suc <s on plant jwces. and in domg so trarumits thevuuses Into L1e cassava plant The silverl~ w~·.l''!'n\' populcDon hR."; hL'Q"ly ipcr~~1:'d in 1et'!'nt dt!'e4de " T
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threat thAn ever to the growth of cassava. This is why it is much more efficient and more: environmentally friendly to protect cassava against viruses using genetic modification," he emphasl7A!d.
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-......" and building the foundations
ror rapid growth in agricuJ.tw-al producti1'ity. Examp les of the specific actions that wm:ecoUecti.-ely decided. include; l.e"f'eRge catalytic finaD<:e:
Develop structures that incenti.,-ize linancial institutions to lend(lDftSt in agriculture, especially in poor, socially-e:xcluded smallholder farmers; and develop effective models for interaction and coordination between the various players in the finandal system. Reinforce capacity lor regional trade: Regionalize commodity trade and harmonize trade regimes . Remove trade barrien across countries and share knowledge and mark.et
information.acrossborden. lanovate ID st.ple 100<1
Encourage regional «anomie communities to de.-elop plans that address the botUenecks that inhibit regional mark.ets from worlring eHectively, such as infrastructure., transport and
corruption. Active engagement by the private sector with pilrliamentary select commlUees: The private sector and members of parliament from Ahican country governments must work together In anonparman way to accelerate government investment In agriculture and introduce policy and regulattons thal motivate the private sector to invest in agriculture.
Senators laud IITA's efforts at improving crop productivity 1\.. nGERlA'Ssenators have commended. the
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Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITAj for excellent scientific research. which has resulted in increase in agricultural productivity and improved liveUboods for farmers Also the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike wants stronger- tie; with lITA to help serve Nigeria. in particular. and Afncam general. Members of tbe Senate Committee on Agriculture who paid a courtesy \-wt to UTA were unenimous that resea.rch and development efforts by IITA "''ere Ol8jorlactors that have made Nigeria a glohal leader m cassava. cov.--pea and yam production, '" must commend the work Utat you Ere dOUl9 t!) impTfYe agriculture -'Ie ere irnpressl?d "nd
glad with the role you are playing---notjust in Nigena but also inAfrice," theChainnan of the Committee on Agriculture. Senator EmmanUel Bwacba said. Senator 8wache, who \\-"as received by the Deputy Director General (Partnerships and Capacity De\.'l!lopment). Dr Kenton DashleU on 1Uesday. called for more support and attention to international agricultural telearch. adding thai. such efforts v.-ere tH!eded to turtlIer advance the dissemination of U!chnologkal umovations at the research centre to [armers Dr Dashiell thanked the senaledelegation for the visit to lITA. He pledged Utat (ITA would continue to play the role of unpro\-ing food !.'E'Curity in tropical nations wItb the aun of increa.s:ing agricuJ!ural productmty. cret'ting wealth and, more importantly. reduang poverty,