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Agricultural research can eiiminate poverty - Nwanze
Nigel' consolidates on ' I rrigatj,on for Ute' project lJ JI
A Rerthe landmark. nag off ..t-\or the Nigeria-Israeli Joint Ag:ric'IHural Projec t, tagged wlIrigalioD is life" in Lapai Gwari village, near Minna in Niger state recently, the Niger sla:e GoVerDo!;. Dr. Mu'azu BabiLD gidaAliyu has broug ht in over 100 tractors to boost food prod uction nol only in the state mechanized
fanning . The " l rrirrBtio n is Lire " project WilS Dll'.ted in July last year under the auspices of the Israeli ' Agricultu ral HUmanituriul project which is aimed at p romoting dry season fa..'t'ffii fit}' in lhe stale. Speaking at the flag off ceremony in Lapai Gwari Village few Irilomelers from Minna tbe ~tate capital . Israeli AI:I.h assador 10 Nigeria. Mr. Moshe Ram called m t he Federal government ,m the urgent need to go beet to Agricultu.:e as a way out fur a permiille:lt sus tenan : e ::I I the econoillY nol only :or tile country b·.Jt even for thl! people o f the country ai it:d lviduals.
NAFlilAC partners foodblext on
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Drug Adminis tralicn and Control, NAFDAC hli.S re-confumed its endorsemer:.t '>f the FoodBext West Africa cqlosition. Mrs. Ogochukwu Menaisarll. Director RJR in the agencl' di sclosed this r ecently ,"then she said NAFDAC ~s principal regulator W'.Jl be at the event and is comrn:.tted to creating an appropfla le environment for the vibrant development of F&B busi..l-wsses, especially from a s tand point of food safety an d ;Ploper s tandards of manuladunng practice . While sbe said that the agency 'oV lU ensuring that product!: manufactured and oUered f'lt consumption is in co mp liance with ;:lToper levels of hygiene, p ackaging and product inle1.lrity remains a key point of interest to the organiz.1.tio n. ~ Compames are hence advised to lake advantage of the opportunity of Foodbext to promote their products to the trade ex:pHled to last for three-days :n Lagos.
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'"T""'he International Fund 1. fo r Agricullural Development, (IFAD) President Kanayo F. Nwanze, has disclosed that Agricultural research has tremendous power to eliminate poverty as such s hould fonn the bedrock of Green Revolution in Nigeria. H e added that strong extension system cannot be over~mphasi.zed b ecause it ensures the link between research and fanners. In a lect u re on how to revamp ag ri culture in Nigeria, the boss of one of t hr ee United Nations agencies based in Rome said "Extension lakes the new technology from researchers to fa r mers. Through its interaction with farmers, e x tens ion feeds back information to researchers to adapt research results to the farmers' needs ," Kanayo F. Nwanze noted that agriculture contributes about 45 per cent of Nigeria's GDP and employs around two-thirds of the workforce, including 90 per cent of the rural population. Yet, the nation imports more food than it p r oduces, and most Nigerian farmers are poor. To reverse this situation, he said agricultural research has tremendous power to eliminate poverty as studies have indicated that every US dollar spent on agricultural research produces nine dollars' worth of added food in developing countries . "Agricultural research successfuUy drove the first Green Revolution in Asia . And it is agricultural research that must now d rive a Green Revolution in Africa, as we work to feed a growing population at a time when climate change is starting to affect agricultu ral productivity. "While agricultural research and development can lead to higher crop productivity and belter water and soil usage, research in other areas is equally valuable. Research in medicine and healthcare, for examp le , can improve the health of poor people and in so doing can also implove their productivity and incomes . While calling for more investment in science and technology, he urged
scientists to understand the em'i ronment where thei r discoveries will be used, and the needs of the people who live there, adding "If they don' t , their research never gets beyond the lab. "E q ually im p ortant, we cannot a nd should not rely exclusively on research done in deve loped count ries to add ress t he ' needs of developing countries. No one is beller placed to know the conditions on the ground in Nigeria and to discover the
solution to the challenging conditions in Nigeria than Nigerian scientists themselves." Nwanze explained that for resea rch to move from the lab to the field, it needs to be supported by a s trong extension system and enab ling policies that link resellrch to products and markets so that the applications benefit both the public and private sectors. ~ ln the years ahead, more research in science and
technology will need to be d i rected towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. "Poor rural people are often the most vulnerable to the effects o f climate change. Many live on eco logically fragile land and depend on agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry. Climate change is already having an impact on agriculture in many parts of our continent, leading to crop failures , livestock deaths and higher economic losses."
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Why Mimiko is investing in agriculture' -Akinmade Output from the industry had ndo state government turning around the economy nonetheless been minimal. says its investment in O of the s tate and to create He added that agriculture employment for the youth, the agriculture is based on the ~
b elief that neglect of the sector is a call for Cood and economic insecurity and ultimately poverty. The State Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade, said agriculture is t he first manufac t uring industry in the world as it does not only give riches to a nation but the only she can call her own ," Nothing brings a nation down than dependence on foreign countries for food." He said the Agriculture potential of Ondo sta te bas been under-utilized before the a d v ent of the Mimiko-led govemment, "as an agrarian stete, with a large land mass and an estimate 60% of its population who derive their live1.ihood [rom agriculture,
process had been uncoordinated, farming was basically labour-intensive and farmer were la r gely unmotivated. "So, the ca ring heart governmen t , through the ministry of ag ricult u r e therefore set a policy thrust , to promote accelerated development of agricultural activit ies in the state including food, free crop, livestock. fishery and forestry. "The policy thrust is also to provide raw material for agro based industries in Ondo state, to ensure food security and to efficiently harness the agricult ural resou rces of Ondo state so as to contribute significantly to its GOP." He explained that to actualize the dream of
Government c reated Agriculture Villages at Ore, Owo, and Auga among others. The in formation commissioner said the various ag ric villages are c hanging the perception of farming so that young people stop trying to escape the farm and instead look at fanning as an attractive option, something that is as appealing as a career in hightech, in fashion or industry. "When rural communities oUer young people a range of income - generating opportunities to choose from, more will decide to stay in the villages and resist the call of often dead-end futures in the cities, abroad or in extreme religious or political movements. "