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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has said the Federal Government will soon begin cattle ranching in the country to stop cattle and herdsmen from roaming.
Ogbeh made the disclosure on Monday during his official visit to a beans market located at Auta Ballefi, Nasarawa State, operated by the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“We are starting the ranches soon. We will see if we can buy large number of shell and keep before we start. We want to stop the cows roaming about causing fights and killings.
“We will buy and give them to feed their cows now until they get use to the ranches. We want to know if you have up to a trailer load. We will see what we can do if we can off-take the shell from you’’ he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beans market was set up three years ago in collaboration with the Catholic Diocese of Abuja to empower the IDPs from the North East.
The minister, however warned farmers against preserving beans with sniper after harvesting.
“We are proud of what we are seeing here today because this is not what we normally see in the IDPs. Most of the IDPs we visited are always waiting for people to bring food to them.
“But here, you are producing food and making money. You have told us what you need and as we go back to the office, we will find ways of helping you.
“I have never seen any beans market as big as this. And because you are farming, we are going to help you improve on what you are doing.
“I assure you that before the next planting season, we will bring three tractors here. You manage the tractors to do your farming.
“The first thing I will say now is nobody should put sniper on the beans again for storage because it is poisonous to human health.
“Instead, use pepper for preservation. That is why when we export beans, they are being rejected in Europe,” he said.
The minister restated government’s commitment to provide big market for farm produce to avoid post-harvest losses.
“We will find bigger markets to buy what you are producing. We are going to be buying from this market for schools’ programmes because is clean and direct from the farms.
“From the report released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) few days ago says the country has saved N51 billion in 34 months from importation. We have cut down food importation which is good.’’
In remarks, John Cardinal Onayikan, the Cardinal of the Abuja Catholic Diocese, expressed delight at the activities by the IDPs, saying they refused to depend on the Federal Government for their sustenance.
He described attitude of the IDPs as“ a good thing” and stated that their market was unique due to the composition of people that were displaced from their respective homes by insurgency.
“You can’t beat what these people are doing here. Their farms are inside, like 15 to 20 kilometres away from here. The beans brought here are just harvest and fresh from their farms.
“ We have been having problems with the IDPs as a result of the insurgency. These people that produce and sell these beans are in the IDPs camps. They are not longer depending on anybody for assistance.
“They are taking care of themselves, building their own houses, sending their children to schools and looking forward to a better future. They are having hoped to return home when that section of Nigeria is liberated thought insurgency.
“We heard about the IDPs and in my church, the social welfare and charity group visited their camps three years ago and encouraged them into farming without waiting for government. And this is the result of their commitment,’’ he said.
Responding, Mr Sunday Wabba, Coordinator, IDPs Beans Market, said the people refused to be aggregated into IDP camps and wait for government.
According to him, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) give them support, but he stressed that they had chosen to remain productive through farming.
He listed the challenges facing them to include: lack of money to afford large farms, farms inputs like fertiliser and agrochemicals, good road network and security among others.
“We are all IDPs displaced from our comfort zones and farming communities from the North-East.
“We refused to be beggars in our country. That is why we engaged in farming to improve our livelihood.
“We would have performed better than what is seen today if we get any support from the government. Support like grants, loans and modern farming equipment to enable us cultivate large hectares of land,’’ he said.

http://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/fg-to-begin-cattle-ranching-soon-says.html?m=0

Bananas are one of nature’s great snack foods, but did you know that they’re also packed with health benefits? Most of us know they’re a great source of potassium but I’m going to share some of the more surprising banana health benefits – my favorite is hangover cure! Read on for 10 banana health benefits that will give you more energy, improved digestion and even improve the way you look and feel.
Top 10 Banana Health Benefits
1. Potassium
Potassium is an essential mineral which maintains proper heart function and regulates your blood pressure. Potassium-rich foods such as bananas actually offset the effect of sodium (salt) in raising your blood pressure. This, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Bananas’ potassium content also benefits your kidneys and bones. Increased potassium intake suppresses calcium excretion in the urine, preventing painful kidney stones.
Decreased calcium excretion means more calcium to preserve your bones. This means a banana or two a day can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and brittle bones.
2. Increased Energy
Sports drinks, energy bars and electrolyte gels are extremely popular nowadays, however you often see professional athletes eating bananas just before and even during their sports.
Watching tennis for instance, it’s not uncommon to see the players snacking on a piece of banana in between games. If a banana can keep a professional tennis player going, it must rank highly as a healthy energy source.
Some people are worried about bananas spiking blood sugar, but tests show they actually have a glycemic index of around 52, with 24 g of available carbs (lower the less ripe they are). That’s a glycemic load in the vicinity of 12 which isn’t considered that high. These figures will obviously vary depending on variety and ripeness.
Bananas make a great work snack to combat that mid-afternoon slump. They’re a good choice for weight loss too – a small banana contains about 100 calories and will satisfy your sweet cravings.
3. Improved Digestion
Most of us don’t get nearly enough fiber in our diets. Fiber is needed to help food travel smoothly through the digestive tract. It also improves your bowel movements. Bananas are a great source of dietary fiber.
A couple of bananas is a better choice than taking a laxative to treat occasional constipation.
4. Cure for Ulcers & Heartburn
Bananas are a known cure for heartburn. They help balance your stomach’s pH and enhance the protective mucus layer, relieving pain. The fiber content also moves food through your digestive tract faster – preventing reflux. (source)
Eating bananas regularly may help protect against stomach ulcers. Over the long term, bananas thicken the protective mucus barrier in the stomach, preventing damage from hydrochloric acid. Bananas also contain protease inhibitors that help eliminate stomach bacteria which can cause stomach ulcers.
5. Vitamin B6
Bananas are particularly high in vitamin B6. This vitamin is important for creating hemoglobin for healthy blood.
B6 is also involved in maintaining proper blood sugar levels, synthesizing and breaking down amino acids and producing antibodies for a stronger immune response in your body.
Just one banana has a full fifth of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B6. And they taste much better than vitamin pills too!
6. Skin Conditions
Even the banana’s skin has its uses. It is great for treating skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
Rub the freshly peeled inside of the banana skin gently over the affected area and leave the residue to be absorbed. The fatty acid content of the banana skin helps relieve a variety of skin conditions, as well as having a strong moisturising effect.
Banana peel treatments are a traditional remedy to heal warts. Rub a small piece of banana peel over the wart and then tightly tape it in place. Leave it overnight and repeat this process for at least a week or until the wart disappears.
7. Other Vitamins & Minerals
In addition to the high levels of potassium and vitamin B6 mentioned above, bananas also have high levels of vitamin C, magnesium and manganese.
They are also a source of most of the other B vitamins and smaller amounts of trace minerals like iodine, iron, selenium and zinc. (source)
8. A Cancer Fighter
Recent Japanese animal research linked bananas that are fully ripe (with dark spots) to production of a compound called TNF–a. This is a cytokine believed to have the potential to increase white blood cell count, thus enhancing your immunity and combating cancerous cell changes. (source)
Personally, I don’t put too much stock in animal studies. Regardless, increasing overall fruit consumption in your diet has been consistently linked to a lower risk of developing various cancers.
9. Improves Mood and Reduces Stress
Bananas are a good source of the amino acid tryptophan which your body converts to serotonin.
Amongst many other things, proper serotonin levels help improve your mood, reduce stress and enhance your general outlook and happiness levels. It also helps regulate your sleep patterns.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid because the only way your body gets it is through your diet. Bananas, while certainly not the highest source out there, are one of the easiest ways to get a little more tryptophan. Another reason why bananas make such a great snack for when you’re feeling stressed out at work.
10. Hangover Cure
Bananas are a great choice for mornings when you’ve overdone it a bit the night before. A couple of bananas blended with ice, berries and coconut milk or cow’s milk makes a really good hangover recovery drink.
Conclusion
So there you have it – 10 great reasons to pick up a bunch of bananas the next time you’re out getting groceries. I’m very interested to hear any ideas or suggestions you might have for more beneficial ways to enjoy bananas.

http://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/10-surprising-banana-health-benefits.html?m=0

APC have lost Ogun and zamfara already. 2 0

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Abfinest007:
apc will not agree to this they will tell d source of news is biase.they chose d news that favour them Thats why they have refuse to grow bcus they can*t accept criticizing

lol

great.

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• Fayemi, Alade speak on solutions at AgraInnovate’s exhibition
The Deputy Ambassador, Netherlands Embassy, Lagos, Mr Michel Deelen, has said exportation of agricultural raw materials from Nigeria to European Union countries, the United States of America and other developed economies is economically senseless when the country struggles with job creation, industrialisation and economic cycles of booms and recessions.
The diplomat, while speaking at the AgraInnovate West Africa’s exhibition lecture at Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, in Lagos yesterday, said Nigeria could easily become the largest producer of tomato in the world considering that it has one of the most favourable conditions for growing it.
This, he added, could be done if the country would work on closing the productivity gaps, improve on post-harvest management, embrace modern production technologies, use improved varieties as planting materials and ultimately process the products rather than export or allow them to waste.
Deelen emphasised that Nigerian youths could play critical and gap-closing roles in agricultural processing, packaging and marketing. He added that price stability is required as an incentive to motivate farmers to intensify production, invest more in their farming activities as businesses and forecast their profitability.
The deputy ambassador also revealed the agro-economic activities of Netherlands in Nigeria, including setting up potato production and value chain development platforms in Jos, Plateau State; cassava and soy bean value addition; poultry and dairy production and processing and horticultural value chain development.
Small scale farmers, he insisted, are the base in the chain development, and they should be motivated and equipped to practise agriculture as a business rather than a means of survival.
He said Netherlands aims to be the Nigeria’s first in terms of agricultural partnership, bilateral agro-economic relationship and technology transfer.
Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayoede Fayemi, speaking on agricultural financing options at the exhibition, said based on the fact that Nigeria’s population growth rate is at 2.6 per cent yearly, the country would be populated by over 400 million people by 2050.
This, he admitted, requires that adequate investments be made in the sector to match food production with the population growth rate.
Without adequate investments in the sector, Fayemi said, the objectives of food sufficiency or security, employment generation, agricultural industrialisation and economic diversification would become a mirage.
He called for an eclectic approach to agricultural financing, championed by the private sector operators and financial institutions, with mind-blowing innovations.
He said his government has decided to use Ekiti state not only as a model in the education sector, but also in the all-important food production sector, urging agro-allied investors to make the state their investment destination.
Similarly, a former acting Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs Sarah Alade, who disclosed that in 2016 alone, Nigeria spent $22 billion on food importation, said reliance on food and raw material importation in a country blessed with huge agricultural resources is not only absurd but also counter-productive.
“Production is just one aspect in the agricultural value chains. Others are processing, packaging, branding and marketing.
“Financial assistance to a few actors in the value chains is counter-productive,” Alade added, calling for massive investments in the sector.
The Programme Director of AgraInnovate, organiser of the exhibition, Mrs Folusho Olaniyan, said the objectives of the show is to bring solution providers, technology developers, financial institutions, government and private sector operators and farmers together synchronically to boost agricultural productivity, networking and effective food chain development in Nigeria and West Africa.
Similarly, the Regional Coordinator of the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA), Professor Kolawole Adebayo, while shedding light on the activities of the C:AVA project, said it had contributed significantly to the industrialisation of the root crop and the roles it plays in the economic diversification of the country.
He said Nigeria has been able to fine-tune processing equipment and technologies, and export the same to other African countries.
Stakeholders said though technologies have been developed in the cassava value chains, the economics of the chains remain retarded due to negative attitude towards cassava flour, poor power supply, slow mechanisation of farm operations and the subsequent results of low productivity of farmer and high average cost of production.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/dutch-envoy-says-exporting-raw.html

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As the year gradually comes to an end and the Muhammadu Buhari-led government winds down, Head, Agro-Economy Desk, FEMI IBIROGBA writes on how the country has fared in food security, import substitution, job creation and economic diversification.
• Economy mainly oil-based as 2017 agric GDP was 24.44%
The Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) of the federal government, with the objectives of attaining food security, import substitution, job creation and economic diversification, has been described as a policy without the political will to execute, and hence, a failure.
The policy, spelt out in The Green Alternative, states, in part, that, “In 2016 to 2020, Nigeria’s policy now needs to be readjusted to solve the aforementioned challenges. The go forward federal priorities (in partnership with the state governments) will be the following four: food security; import substitution; job creation; and economic diversification.”
Food security
Production figure of the most consumed food item in the country, rice, has been a subject of controversy in recent time. The United States’ Department of Agriculture’s World Markets and Trade recently dropped a bombshell, saying that more than three million metric tonnes of rice had been imported into Nigeria this year. Its report also stated that Nigeria’s local rice production dropped from 2016 to 2018 compared to the situation in 2015.
In view of this, the Country Representative and Regional Coordinator of Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice), Ibadan, Dr Francis Nwilene, cleared the air by revealing to The Guardian that Nigeria’s demand for rice per annum hovers around 7.8 million metric tonnes, while production still hovers around 5.8 million metric tonnes.
Though this has generated hot arguments, it points to one fact, that Nigeria is far from being food self-sufficient, let alone being food-secure.
The Regional Coordinator of the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA), Professor Kolawole Adebayo, while explaining how the government policy has
failed, said he would not rate the government high either in diversification of the economy, in creation of opportunities in agriculture or in food security.
He admitted that the government has done some things, but has not done as much as one would have anticipated from a government that has, as one of the cardinal objectives, the aim of diversifying the economy through the sector.
“I think, as soon as the government saw that the oil price was getting better, it turns its face to the oil again rather than invest in the agricultural sector. Have they done any major investment in agriculture? No. All that this government has done is tapping from the existing projects or ideas rather than creating a conscious set of investment ideas to drive agriculture as an alternative economic opportunity. I would not rate them high,” said Professor Adebayo.
“If you want more money, then you have to invest,” says an adage. That is an area that we have not got it right as a nation. The agricultural sector has been in a shambles for too long. And we have not made deliberate investments in extension services and rural infrastructure that would make the areas more attractive to young people. We have not put in place a marketing system that would encourage those who dare to go into agriculture to have certain markets for their produce,” he added.
Without those investments, Adabayo insisted, there is no way any serious-minded government would say it has achieved diversification of economy from oil to agriculture.
Also explaining the inability of the government to make progress in the agro-economic sector, Professor Femi Mimiko, a former vice chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, said: “There is no question about the fact that attaining food security is desirable. That the incumbent federal government has that aspiration is noteworthy. It is an indication that the government itself knows that the country is indeed in the throes of a food security crisis…”
Food security, Mimiko said, is part of the contradictions of the system that makes the federal government that has no farm anywhere to be superintending food production.
“That is the nature of the crisis of the unitary system we run, which will never be productive, because it runs against the grain of logic. I am a Comparative Political Economist, and I can tell you that the trend across the world is for countries to move more in the direction of sub-national autonomy, without which, it has become obvious, you cannot get the best from the people,” Mimiko added.
Post-harvest losses in the country are traceable to non-induatrilisation of most of the crops. These losses are estimated to be nearly 40% per cent of the agricultural products, especially in vegetables and fruits.
Poor financing and too complex funding schemes have also been identified as a barrier to food security, for almost all small-scale farmers are excluded, on the ground of process complexity of the facilities.
The Managing Director of Dizengoff West Africa, Mr Antti Ritvonen, had made this known on several occasions that without the services of financial lawyers and accountants on the side of the farmers, the requirements and processes are too complex.
Import substitution
Tomato paste, egg powder, exotic fruits and vegetables (from South Africa to Shoprite), vegetable oil, maize for industrial and animal feeds production are still being imported. Industrial tools and machinery that local fabricators in the country are capable of producing are still imported in large quantity, because the government has failed to organise and empower the local fabricators to deliver local contents despite the Executive Order Five on local sourcing.
Prof. Mimiko said import substitution must be clearly articulated, adding, “this is not a new model of economic development. Indeed, it was in place in much of the 1970s. The hope then was that Nigeria was becoming what development practitioners were quick to dub as Newly Industrialising States (NISs).
“But it soon became clear, by the time we had a burst in the crude oil economy, that import substitution industrialisation (ISI) was only possible on the basis of high, stable, and sustained earnings from crude oil. You’ll agree with me that we are hardly in any position to guarantee all of that now.”
Professor Samuel Olakojo, a maize breeder at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, said importation of rice has reduced because of the presence of some large-scale rice farmers.
However, he said importation of maize and wheat would continue to augment the local production because the majority of the maize farmers are small-scale farmers, and they are restricted by some factors.
The factors, he said, include stoppage of 50 per cent fertilizer subsidy emplaced by the last administration and planting of maize grains as seeds resulting in low yields.
Job creation
Pastor Reno Omokri had claimed that based on the last report on the unemployment figure by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 7.9 million Nigerians were unemployed in 21 months of this government, and therefore, has failed.
NBS’s failure to release data on the current unemployment figure has also been interpreted as hoarding of the information to avoid revealing the alarming figure and the failure of the government.
More firms are closing operations in Nigeria and banks sack workers every quarter in the last three years, an Ibadan-based regional agric credit manager in one of the oldest banks in the country, who preferred anonymity, told The Guardian.
Olakojo said in term of job creation, the government has not done much. “The little I can credit to the account of this government is that some multinational companies have come into the country and they are taking agriculture to a higher level, and they are able to employ some experts working with them. But a lot of their work is highly mechanised. That suggests they would not need many workers,” he said.
Mimiko added that job creation, too, is so much of a challenge now, saying, “But sincerely, why it is so is quite some surprise to me. I mean, in a country where you have so much needs – deficit in housing, a horde of uneducated youths, gaps in maintenance of public infrastructures, extensive arable land, and one huge population of about 200 million! Why on earth should there be unemployment in the midst of these realities. I think what is required here is ability to think outside of the box.”
The government, he suggested, has to be creative in finding the requisite harmony among all of the listed variables to create the environment conducive to job creation. The interest rate, at double digits, can also not propel economic growth and job creation.
“These, I think are structural issues to address, rather than the spectacle of a whole Vice President gallivanting all over the place distributing five thousand naira to Nigerians,” he said.
Economic diversification
Crude oil still remains the mainstay of the economy. The 2017 GDP of the sector was 24.44 per cent. Agro-industrialisation has been crippled by deteriorating power supply, with agro-allied firms folding up, relocating or producing below capacity.
On this Professor Mimiko said that while the goal of economic diversification is laudable, “let me venture an opinion here. It is that shifting focus from hydrocarbon (i.e. crude oil and gas) extraction and export, to mining of solid minerals, does not amount to much of economic diversification. This is because ultimately here, you are still talking of expanding the parametres of an extractive, largely enclave sector.”
He suggested that what should be done is a complete broadening of the scope and base of the economy, saying much of these things are not achievable in the context of the over-centralised governance system being operated.
“That is why the economy is not performing. It is why there is so much insecurity, and general disillusionment,” he explained.
Olakojo said though the government appears to be making efforts to diversify the economy, the efforts have not yielded positive results to the gross domestic products.
The herder-farmer crisis is a major issue preventing significant contribution of the sector to the economy. Some farmers have shifted to planting of cashew that could not be destroyed by cattle. A good number of youths needed on the farm are motorcycle riders and politicians are not helping matters by empowering them with motorcycles and pepper grinding machines instead of helping them to farm and contribute to food production.
The fall army worm infestation since 2016, Olakojo said, has added to the failure of agriculture to shoot up contribution to the economy. This is further aggravated by the climate change.
The way forward
Professor Mimiko said except and until the country de-centralises or restructures, the type of spurt of creativity – individually and corporately – that is requisite to massive expansion of the economy, is not going to happen.
“You are also not going to be able to have in place the structures of a strong, developmental state. What at best you’ll continue to deal with would be this rickety state system that is weak, lacks capacity and hegemony, and with little or no chance of getting anything accomplished,” he added.
If the country must successfully create jobs, expand the productive capacity of the economy, diversify from the restrictive extractive industry, and bring about general state of well being for the people, the government must start by addressing the structure of governance.
“If we do not, I assure you that Nigeria will only continue to do what Fela [Anikulapo] called perambulation – motion without movement forward. Unfortunately, time is not on our side to continue on this journey to nowhere. The country is hurting, and our frustrated youths are becoming implacable,” Mimiko advocated.
Whereas, Olakojo advocated investments in agricultural infrastructure, research and extension services, describing them as game changers in the sector.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/buharis-agric-policy-fails-as.html

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that a compensation package has been approved for all flood impacted farmers and fishermen in the country.
He further said that modalities for the compensation were being worked out before the implementation to commence as soon as possible.
In a message to the Farmers’ Day 2018 held, on Saturday, at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital and organised by Nigeria AGIP Oil Company for farmers in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Imo states, the President stated that, “Two weeks ago, the National Food Security Council met and we approved a compensation package for all flood impacted farmers and fishermen.
“I want to assure all flood affected farmers and fishermen that you will be helped. This government is with you in your time of need.
“As I speak to you now, the modalities for this compensation programme are being finalised and very soon, we shall start implementation.”
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement, said President Buhari commended the theme for the Farmers’ Day, which is, Youths, Agents of Agricultural Development in the Niger Delta, noting that farming is the bedrock of the Nigerian economy.
“Our future economic prosperity hinges to a large extent on how we modernise and expand our agriculture,” he added.

Underscoring the place of youths in developing agriculture, President Buhari said, “Youths account for some 62 percent of our population. This group, full of energy and drive, are the catalyst that will steer Nigeria in the direction that will make us realize our full potential.

“For many years, our God-given resources have been abandoned, under-utilized or mismanaged.
“This is very apparent in the field of agriculture. In the past three years, we aggressively pushed the agricultural agenda with special emphasis on youths empowerment.
“Across many value chains, we are supporting meaningful projects in partnership with private sector players.
“This is the only way Nigeria can feed itself in a sustainable manner. We are working very hard to enable the youths actively participate in this agricultural revolution, and I take this opportunity to congratulate you all on responding positively to this call.”
The President urged youths to stay focused, stressing that active participation is a patriotic duty, whose success will create millions of jobs for many generations to come.
“We cannot afford to remain a mono-product economy, relying only on oil as our mainstay.
“We cannot continue feeding ourselves with imported food when God has blessed us with all the bountiful resources we need to feed ourselves,” he said.
Thanking farmers across the country for their resourcefulness, President Buhari also said that the country was on course towards food self-sufficiency, adding that the importation of rice, maize, and other grains had significantly reduced.
He also informed that the Federal Government was working to revive the River Basin Authorities, in order to plan for lean times.
On the excessive flooding, President Buhari waxed philosophical, “Floods are a natural phenomenon that man cannot control. I want to appeal to you all not to be dispirited, but to rise to the challenges.”
He then reiterated the pledge that compensation would be paid soon to farmers that suffered reverses.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/flooding-buhari-approves-compensation.html

Nbote:
Scammers

It was a terrible experience

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Ten years after Lagos State Agriculture Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES) kicked off, the project has suffered serious hiccups, which have led to the two centres at Epe and Badagry being rendered inactive.
While the Epe centre has been partially taken over by weed, especially the administrative building and green houses, the Badagry centre is still kept neat, despite the fact that activities have been grounded.
The Guardian investigation revealed that the lull experienced at the facilities was occasioned by the alleged mismanagement and embezzlement of funds by representatives of government as well as beneficiaries.
On a visit to both centres, no beneficiaries were on ground, neither were the centres admitting new trainees. In fact, the few workers who were on hand said they had no idea when new beneficiaries would be admitted.
The Agric YES programme, which started in 2009, ran successfully until 2015 when things took a different turn owing to the stoppage of allocations to the centres by the state government as alleged by some stakeholders.
According to them (some stakeholders), this resulted in the centres’ inability to admit new set of trainees after the last batch passed out.
The programme, a three-phase initiative, includes a six-month intensive hands-on practical based training in aquaculture, poultry, vegetable farming and bee keeping.
Thereafter, the trainees are exposed to another six-month practical experience in aquaculture, poultry, vegetable farming and bee keeping in a commercial farm, before they are permanently settled in farm estates in various locations across the state.
Even though there were allegations that the Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration technically stopped the programme, investigation revealed it did not, but only changed its focus and philosophy for the provision of takeoff grant for participants that have completed their training.
Before the present administration came on board, the state government provided direct loans to the enrollees, but Ambode asked the only set of participants trained in the first year of his administration to apply to the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund for their takeoff grants to enable them set up their farms and poultries.
This, it was gathered, did not go down well with the managers of the scheme, as the step effectively cut them off the highly lucrative fund disbursement style of the previous administration.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/mismanagement-embezzlement-cripple_2.html

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More than one year after beneficiaries of the Fadama programme, an initiative of the Federal Government and the World Bank were validated and promised disbursement of fund for agricultural purposes, the FADAMA III AF authorities have again asked beneficiaries of the Graduate Unemployed Youths and Women Supports (GUYS) for another revalidation exercise across the participating states, through messages, without payment of the promised fund.
The beneficiaries have decried non-payment and the request for a revalidation process. They said they were directed to re-upload their sworn affidavits on FADAMA portals and report to their respective state FADAMA secretariats.
Mr. Kwaji Daguru, the Chairman of the FADAMA GUYS Implementation Committee, disclosed in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, last April that the fund would be disbursed, however, it was learnt that the fund was yet to be disbursed as at the time of filing this report.
According to one of the beneficiaries, Mr. Olawuni Mustapha, successful applicants attended a two-week training across the 23 participating states in 2017.
In Osun State, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife was the partner institution that conducted the training for the beneficiaries using the institutions teaching and research farm for field experiment, he revealed.
The programme, which targeted 5,916 youths in 23 states has the mandate to improve the country’s agricultural capacity, but is yet to meet up that task because the proposed disbursement periods in 2017 and 2018 for its take-off has not been met.
The beneficiaries were asked to open accounts with two designated banks for accessibility and monitoring, which has been done, but beneficiaries have not been paid according to investigations.
“The dry season is approaching and this ought to be time to release the funds. But feelers are that funding may be delayed till 2019. It is my expectation that the Federal Government does not play politics with the fund until election eve, of election.” Mustapha lamented.
He said documents required for the revalidation – data application page, employment validation status, screening result, land agreement with coordinates and sworn affidavit had been submitted.
The World Bank, through the FADAMA III Additional Financing (AFII) Programme, was to disburse N8.6b to youths across the country in the Graduate Unemployment Youths Support Scheme (FADAMA GUYS).
According to reports, the enrolment for the programme ended on May 15, 2017, with the aim that selected beneficiaries would boost job creation in the 23 states.
The 23 participating states are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Ogun and Ondo States.
Others include Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
When asked why the beneficiaries have not been paid and when they would be paid, Mr. Daguru replied that the Fadama III project has just completed the process of re-allocation of funds for the Programme and was currently re-validating the candidates with a view to commencing disbursement.
He did not explain reasons for the delay and did not announce a specific time frame for payment.
Mrs. Olufunke Olufon, the World Bank’s Representative in the country said the objective of the FADAMA III remained the same, and that detailed information on the project and its objectives were on the World Bank’s website.
However, the website did not contain why the FADAMA beneficiaries have not been paid and when they would be paid.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/how-fg-world-bank-disappoint-fadamaguys.html

They look like fulanis.
Good job

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Cassava is one of Africa’s most widely cultivated staple crop grown on an estimated 80 million hectares in over 34 African countries. In this post, we will highlight the different types of pests and diseases of cassava In Nigeria and how to control them.
High infestation of pest and diseases on the cassava plant can be very drastic resulting in a reduction of the quality and nutritional value as well as a loss of crop yields at harvest.
A loss in crop yield at harvest due to the attack of pests and diseases will be a painful loss both financially and physically to the farmer, hence the purpose of this post.
To control the attack of pest and diseases, an understanding of what they are is paramount for a successful crop production.
List Of Pests and Diseases Of Cassava and Their Control
These are the insects most likely to affect cassava as well as their control technique:
1. Mealybugs
There are two types of mealybugs;
Cassava Mealybugs
Feeds on cassava plants (stems, petioles and leaves) and injects a toxin resulting in leaf withering, stunted growth and a loss in crop yields of over 60%.
According to the FAO , a serious outbreak of mealybug in Thailand in 2009 was overcome rapidly by the release of 3 million pairs of Anagyrus. lopezi across the infested area. This is a species of parasitic wasp used as the biological control agent against the cassava mealybug.
Stripped Mealybugs
Sucks sap of cassava plant but does not inject any toxins into the plants, unlike the cassava mealybugs. The effect of this pest is not as much as the cassava mealybug. It is mostly found on the stem, underneath the leaves or near the petioles.
2. Thrips
Some species of these pests attack the cassava plant by sucking the sap of the plant. This leads to a reduction in the crop yields as well as loss of vigour.
Thrips can be controlled using insect growth controllers and chemicals.
3. Cassava shoot fly
They damage the tip of young cassava plants majorly at the beginning of the rainy season. This results in stunted growth of young plants.
4. Larger Grain Borer
The larger grain borer attack mostly during the rainy season by infesting cassava chips in storage, thereby resulting in weight losses as high as 70%.
To control, store cassava with botanicals or plant parts.
5. Cassava Scales Insects
The scale insect covers the stem with conspicuous white secretions, sucks from the stem and dehydrates it. This attack on the cassava plant results in pale and wilt leaves which eventually falls off. This also leads to a drastic loss in crop yields and stunted growth as well as the death of cassava stems in most cases.
To control, destroy infested stems when found, apply organic matter to improve on soil fertility and endeavour to select stem cuttings free from scale infestation.
6. Lace bugs
They attack during the dry season especially in the era of drought. They feed on leaves causing it to fall off. The rate of photosynthesis decreases too. The adults and nymphs are mostly found underneath the leaves.
7. Leaf-Cutting Ants
These ants attack the cassava plants by cutting out pieces of the leaves and buds which they sometimes carry back to their nests. Pest infestation usually occurs at the first month of growth. To control, apply insecticides.
8. Grasshoppers
Female grasshoppers lay their eggs just beneath the surface of the soil and when they hatch they begin to feed on the cassava plants, chew the leaves and stems. Pest infestation may also destroy or cause widespread loss of leaves.
9. Termites
Pest infestation usually occurs during the dry season. While they chew and eat up stem cuttings of younger plants leading to stunted growth, rot or death, they chew and enter into the stems of matured plants resulting to weak stems which will eventually break off.
To avoid attack, plant early with the rains rather than dry lands.
10. Chinch Bug
The chinch bug is a common pest that attacks crops. They live in the soil and attacks plant by making a hole in the tubers, thus reducing the nutritional value and quality of the cassava plant.
This bug can be controlled using fertilizers as well as cultivating the crotalaria plant alongside cassava plant.
11. Whiteflies
They attack cassava plant by sucking the sap from the cassava leaves. They excrete large amounts of honeydew which supports the growth of black sooty mould on the plant, resulting in premature fall of leaves and loss of crop yields of over 70%. The adult and nymphs of this pest occur in large numbers on the surfaces of older leaves covered with white waxy material.
Several species of these whiteflies are found in Africa.
To control, use natural enemies of this pest such as the parasitic wasp.
Other pests of cassava include white-grubs, gall midges, domestic animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, rodents, monkeys and birds.
They can be controlled by weeding your farmland regularly, making use of farm fence, traps etc. Endeavour to harvest crops as soon as they are matured enough.
Some of the diseases of cassava plants include;
1. Brown and white leaf spot diseases
2. African Cassava Mosaic Disease
3. Cassava bacterial blight disease
4. Root rot diseases
5. Cassava anthracnose disease
6. Cassava bud necrosis
High infestation and upsurges of these pests and diseases of cassava, can result in huge losses in crop yields, thus posing a threat to the economic value of the cassava plant and nutritional security.

https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/12/how-to-control-pests-and-diseases-of.html

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Chicken production is a serious business in Nigeria and all over the world.
More people are becoming conscious of the need to consume lean rather than meat for health reasons, and it is projected that the consumption will increase as the world population moves upward.
The annual consumption of chickens in Nigeria is conservatively estimated by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) to be 1.5 million tons.
In fact, the coordinator of natnuPreneur Broiler Out grower Scheme by natnudO Foods, Mr Gbolade Adewole, once disclosed that only 30 per cent of this annual demand is produced locally.
About 70 per cent are imported illegally into the country, for importation of consumable poultry products has been officially banned.
With some training, research and resources, women, youths, graduates and retirees have opportunities in broiler rearing for chicken production, processing and sales.
This value chain approach to the business is believed to be more sustainable than rearing for live sale, or processing for chickens alone.
From day-old-chicks, broilers take a maximum of eight weeks if fed with balanced feed rations intensively. Intensive feeding requires lighting of the pen so the chicks could have access to feeds and water 24 hours.
The requirements for starting this business includes, but not limited to, the following.
Training
One of the most important but often overlooked aspects of poultry production either in broiler or egg production is training.
A course of training in poultry production is a wise investment that would prevent against losses and equip the farmer with basic knowledge that would help the business.
Poultry production is a knowledge-driven sector, and this underscores the importance of training, self-development and consultations on management of chicks from hatchlings to the table sizes; vaccination and medication; disease prevention, identification, and treatment. Entrepreneurial and marketing aspects also require training.
There are many government-facilitated and subsidized one or two-week courses of training in some federal colleges of agriculture, institutes and colleges of animal production.
Training can also be done at most of the reputable poultry companies in the country.

Space, construction of pen/cages and brooding
Raising broilers can be done commercially in a backyard space of about half a plot of land. Broilers are raised in an enclosed place called brooding house from day-old to about two weeks, and the temperature is made warm by using electric bulbs, gas or charcoal burners.
Heaters can also be installed to keep the temperature warm.
After 10-15 days, the birds are placed in the growing pen with normal temperature. So the pen should be divided into brooding and growing sections.
After three weeks, some farmers prefer putting the birds into cages until they reach table sizes. The cage system helps broiler to grow faster and avoid contamination or infections associated with deep litter system.
In a deep litter system, which most broiler farmers use at the growing stage, the birds are raised on a concrete floor laid with wood savings and saw dust.
The deep litter system can be done at the backyard, for this system reduces the offensive odour associated with the cage system.
Andrew Bourne, a broiler specialist at World Technical Support section of Cobb-Vantress, said correct litter and ambient temperatures are vital to ensure chick activity.
The specialist added that pre-heating is important and begins at least 24 to 48 hours prior to placement of the chicks, even in tropical countries.

“This will ensure the litter temperature is at least 32°C (90°F), with the air and internal structures adequately heated at placement,” said Bourne.
Failure to achieve this target, Bourne said, would reduce activities and lower feed consumption, and the bird would lose the opportunity to quadruple day-old chick weight in the first week.
“A newly hatched chick cannot control its own body temperature until fully thermo-competent at 14 days old,” Bourne added.
Management: Sources, breeds of broilers
Management is a crucial part of broiler production to achieve the desired results. It includes breed selection, preparation before the arrival of chicks, brooding, ventilation, adequate lighting, floor space requirement deep litter or cage management.
In Nigeria there are exotic and local breeds of chickens. Exotic breeds are foreign strains that have been adapted and tropicalised, with origins from India and other places. They include Abor Acres and Marshall.
Noiler and FUNAAB Alpha are locally developed varieties. Noiler is an admixture of foreign and local genetic resources, while the FUNAAB Alpha is completely indigenous.
One of the advantages of the local breeds is their resistance to common poultry diseases, and reduced use of antibiotics. This, in turn, reduces the cost of production and mortality rate.

On preparation before the arrival of the chicks to the brooder, Taofeek Olayiwola, a medium scale poultry producer in Osogbo, Osun State, said the first step is about bio-security.
He advises farmers should spray the litter and the entire poultry house with sanitisers, remove dirt and wash the equipment, clean water pipelines and fumigate the poultry house with suitable agents if the pen had been used earlier. These steps would, Olayiwola insisted, keep diseases to a minimum.
He also affirmed that brooding (heating up the room temperature) should start 24 hours before the arrival of the chicks.
The pen should also be designed for good cross ventilation, as excessive thermal heat after the age of two weeks would have negative effects on the growth rate of the birds.
Similarly, there must be continuous lighting from day old till marketing. This would give the chicks the access to feeds and water incessantly.
Space requirement per broiler bird is one square foot per bird. For example, a floor measuring 50 feet x 50 feet would accommodate 2,500 birds at maturity (six to eight weeks old).
Calculating and making adequate space provision for grown up birds are good management practices.

Feeds, feeding and water
Feeds, which take the highest percentage of the cost of production, should be sourced from reliable sources where bio-security are emphasized. The feeds should contain carbohydrates, protein, fats, minerals and vitamins in right proportions.
Broilers’ feeds are categorized into three stages. They are pre-starter, starter and finisher feeds, with different nutritional formulations.
Day-old chicks to age 10 days are given pre-starter feeds; chicks are given starter feeds from day 11 to 21 and from 21 days old to table size, chicks are fed with finisher feeds.
At the day-old, each bird consumes 20 grammes of feeds, and the feed consumption of each bird increases daily by two grammes. At six weeks old, each bird would have consumed four kilogrammes of feeds from a day old.
A kilogramme of feed is about N140. Depending on the cost of the bird, the total average cost hovers around N900. Each bird could produce a minimum of two kilogrammes.
Processing equipment
As the penultimate step chicken production value chain, processing requires some basic equipment. They include slaughter machine, steaming machine and cutting table/tools.
There are complete automated chicken processing machines, but these might not be necessary for a beginner.
In fact, the small-scale processing could be done manually at the start of the business and the basic semi-automated machines, such as de-feathering, slaughtering and boiling/steaming machines could later be added for production efficiency.

Marketing and sales
The last step in the broiler value chain to reach the end users is getting an outlet, which could be a branded shop, kiosk or store in a strategic location.
Paraphernalia needed in the outlet include freezers, scales, packaging materials and stable sources of power for the freezers.
Also, reliable power supply is cardinal to this business. Alternative power sources, such as solar power gadgets, are now affordably available, more reliable and more cost-effective than using power generating sets in the long run.
Farmers could also supply chickens to eateries, hotels, school hostels, and offices.
Broiler vaccination programmes
Vaccine Age Route
Marek’s disease 1 day Spray
Newcastle disease 1 day or Water
14–21 days Water or spray
Infectious bronchitis 1 day or Spray
14–21 days Water or spray
Infectious bursal disease 14–21 days Water
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/11/how-to-start-sustainable-broiler.html

lordm:
Bread and akara, abi just bread?

Bread only

Bitter leaf has numerous medicinal values and benefits to human health. Apart from using it for cooking, bitter leaf is rarely used for any other thing, because people seem ignorant of its numerous health benefits.
Sadly, whenever it is used for cooking, almost all the nutrients are washed off the leaves. Even the leftovers are further lost to the cooking process: Thus leaving just a minute portion of its richness for our consumption.
The leaf contains some antibacterial and antifungal properties that make it a good home remedy to several health issues such as dysentery, diarrhea, high blood pressure, and many others.
Health Benefits of this miraculous plant known as bitter leaf;
1. Good for the Bones & Teeth;
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant mineral found in bitter leaves that has a special role in the body which is the maintenance of bones and teeth as well as prevention of deficiencies associated with this essential vitamin.
It also contains a trace of vitamin K. The functions of this vitamin extend outside blood clotting as it includes maintaining healthy bones and prevention of bone tissues weakness called osteoporosis.
2. Helps To Clear Fever;
Bitter leaves contain flavonoids which have powerful antioxidant effects in treating several health issues such as feverish conditions.
Other elements like andrographolide lactones, glucosides, diterpene are also present in the leaves and work together to treat and trim down fever and its symptoms.
3. It relieves stomach ache;
Majority of people are aware of this because it is a well-known remedy for stomachaches. All you need do is to chew the tender stem of the plant like a chewing stick and swallow the bitterness and the ache will stop within few minutes.
An alternative is to pound the fresh leaves in a mortar and press out the juice. Add a pinch of salt to three tablespoons of the undiluted juice and drink. In no time one would experience relief.
4. Insomnia;
Insomnia is a condition that promotes habitual sleeplessness. And as funny as it may sound, there are a lot of people experiencing this condition.
This group of people finds it impossible to sleep at night and no matter how hard they try, their effort is always met with alertness.
However, studies have shown that Bitter leaf extract has done wonders for those suffering from sleeplessness. Simply take two glasses of bitter leaf solution every night and you will experience a calmness that comes with relaxation and sleep.
5. Improve Fertility in Women;
Bitter leaf has the ability to improve a very important female sex hormone that contributes to reproductive development and regulation.
It helps to improve quality hormone profile and as well prevents the toxification of immunoglobulin that fights an important female sex hormone, estrogen, and reproduction.
Bitter leaf is very effective in women reproductive life for its capability of providing balance in the genital hormone.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/11/5-reason-why-bitter-leaf-is-good-for-you.html

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You may have heard potential benefits of low-carbohydrate diets and some reasons to avoid bread, but bread products can be the foundation of a healthy, low-fat diet. They provide essential nutrients, and can be a satisfying component of any meal. Choose whole-grain or enriched bread products, and avoid those with added sugars or saturated fats.
So we will be looking at 10 health benefits of bread below today.
1. Source Of Energy
The number one benefit of consume the bread is to add more power and energy into the body. This is because the calories and the carbohydrates of the bread is quite high. Therefore, it bring a sufficient energy to perform daily activities.
2. Increase Body Metabolism
The next benefit of consuming bread including to improve the body metabolism system. It will help to improve the body in converting food into oxygen. Therefore, it is the best way to produce fasten metabolic rate. In which this can also good to manage a better weight. However, the energy converting only happen if the body doing some activities.
3. Source Of Carbohydrate
Bread is another source of high carbohydrate. Therefore, it will help the supply of the sugar inside the body that can keep the body system running well. Furthermore, the carbs can be the main important source for performing any activities since it is the source of any needed energy.
4. Healthy Fiber
Bread normally will contain enormous number of fiber that comes from the flour. Therefore, it is a good way to manage healthy intestine bowel movement in perform better digestive system every day.
5. Improve Digestive System
As mention above that the bread contain fibers, it is a good choice to help with a fasten digest. Therefore, it can help to improve the intestine bowel movement that lead into better digestive hormones.
6. Bring Fullness
Bread also a good way to bring fullness sensation during the day. Therefore, it is one of the good choice for breakfast during fasting. Furthermore, it will help to fight hunger and avoid a fasten empty stomach.
7. Improve Strength
Consume the bread also good to improve the body strength. As the Danish bread not only contain enough carbs, but also contain several minerals that good for the strength body, bones and teeth. Hence, it will manage to keep a body strength along the day.
8. Avoid Hunger
Consume Bread in proper portions also a good way to manage avoid hunger. As the bread contain enough calories and carbohydrate to support the body activities, it will support with enough energy that wouldn’t bring effect of experience hunger. Furthermore, it will help to energize specially for pregnant woman who needs more calories to supply the fetus during pregnancy. Bread can be a good and suitable snacks to avoid blacked out due to loss of high energy.
9. Children Development
Eating bread in the morning is one of the healthy breakfast for children. This is due to the content inside the bread is complete enough to support the children development. Whether to provide energy or to help improving the brain capacity. Therefore, breakfast using bread is one of the important things which shall not be skip.
10. Avoid Anemia
Consume the bread can help to avoid the possibility of experience anemia. This is because the Danish bread contain enough number of iron which can stimulate the growth of red blood cell. Therefore, it will bring enough oxygen level into the whole body to keep perform various tasks including to improve metabolism in converting the energy.
Cautions
The benefits of the bread is quite many, however, there are several side effects too. Therefore, when consuming bread, it is better to consider below recommendation.
Avoid consume this pastry for those who get intolerant with lactose or dairy products. As the main ingredients of this bread is come from flour, egg and milk. Therefore, people allergic to the ingredients can experience itchiness, redness skin, swollen face, nausea and even sickness.
Too many consumption of the bread will lead to high glucose content. As the flour and sugar will bring a higher blood sugar level and may lead into diabetic symptoms. Therefore, people with this sickness shall avoid consume the bread.
Too many consumption of the bread also can lead into obesity. As the flour contain high number of glucose which will become fat if not properly convert into needed energy. Therefore, consume as necessary in proper portions to avoid the possibility of experience obesity due to gaining weight and fat.
https://www.agricinfo.com/2018/11/10-health-benefits-of-bread-for-body.html