Tag Archives: agric

Saudi investment company proposes Agric City in Kwara state

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A Saudi Investment Company, Zain Al-abdin group, is to set up an Agric City in Kwara State.

The proposed Agric City, which is to be located along the River Niger in Kwara North, will comprise a cluster of farms.

A statement released Tuesday by Muideen Akorede, Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Media and Communications, said the farms would specialise in cultivation, processing and export of rice, maize and vegetables.

The statement noted that the Chairman of the investment group, Zain Nafawi, disclosed this when he and other members of the group visited the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, last Friday at the Government House, Ilorin.

According to Mr. Nafawi, the Agric city will also contain facilities such as schools, hospitals, shops and other associated services.

The statement said that Mr. Nafawi noted that the project is a multimillion dollar investment, which will commence as soon as all paper work is completed.

“(Mr.) Nafawi said that the project has the backing of the Saudi Arabian government which is currently supporting Saudi investors to invest in agriculture across the world, especially Africa,” the
statement said.

“He explained that the choice of Kwara for the project was because of its advances in large scale agricultural investment as demonstrated by Shonga farm initiative and its beneficial weather and arable land particularly along the belt of the River Niger.”

Responding, Governor Ahmed directed the officials of the state’s Ministry of Agriculture to meet with the investors to iron out modalities for the commencement of the project.

The governor welcomed the project and expressed delight at the intention of the Saudi businessmen to invest in Kwara State, which he said has a large population of young people who are hardworking and are available to work on the farms and to market the farm produce.

He further noted that the proposed investment is in line with the government’s plan to broaden the state’s economy, feed the people and provide feed stock for industries, the statement added.

Mr. Ahmed emphasized that the fact that oil-rich Saudi Arabia is encouraging its citizens to invest in agribusiness abroad demonstrates the timeliness of ongoing efforts to diversify the national economy through agriculture.

The governor, also, said the state has all the appropriate facilities including an airport as well as an incoming cargo terminal that has wet storage facilities.

“He assured that the government will continue to initiate policies and create enabling environment to attract investors and support businesses in the state,” the statement said.

 

Source: Premium Times

Developing agric sector vital — Osinbajo

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Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has insisted that developing the agricultural sector of the country is a good starting point in the quest for not only diversification of the hitherto mono-cultural economy of the country, but also guaranteeing rapid industrialisation.

Professor Osinbajo, who spoke yesterday at Kuru, Jos, during the inauguration of the Senior Executive Course, SEC, 39 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, noted that this year theme, Science, Technology and Innovation for the Development of Agriculture and Agro-Allied industries in Nigeria, had been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari because of his belief that the agriculture sector provides enormous potentials for quick industrialisation.

Represented by Plateau State Deputy Governor, Professor Sonni Tyoden, he stated that the theme could not have come at a better time, as the present administration was committed to revamping the agricultural sector through the application of science, technology and innovation to the development of agriculture and agro allied industries.

According him, “Nigeria remains an agrarian economy, with over 70 percent of the informal sector jobs created from this sector. It also has other multiplier effects.”

That could drive rapid economic recovery and growth in Nigeria in the shortest possible time. “We must radically transform agriculture to improve its contribution to GDP as well as promote sustainable food production in the country. When science, technology and innovation become the key drivers of agricultural sector, food security will not only guarantee sufficiency for our teeming population, but also industrial development, which would enhance employment opportunities for youths as well as take a substantial number out of poverty.”

?AfDB $800 Million Support For Agric Underway– Adesina

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The President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has disclosed plans to launch $800 million scheme to support the agriculture sector.

Adesina said the initiative called the Technology for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) was part of efforts designed to encourage technological innovation in the sector.

The AfDB president made this known at the opening of the African Economic Conference (ACE) organised by the bank in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Monday in Abuja.

He said the scheme when implemented would reach 40 million farmers in one year.

He added that another $24 billion would be used to support Nigeria’s agric sector to fight hunger and post-harvest loses.

His words: “To take new agricultural technologies to scale, we are launching $800m initiative known as TAAT. It has a goal of reaching over 40 million farmers in 10 years. We must equally reduce the food system losses along the value-chain from the farm, transport, storage, processing and marketing.”

The AfDB president called for a rapid and inclusive bottom up approach to addressing challenges facing the agriculture sector.

He identified poor infrastructure and access to finance as major challenges, stressing that it became imperative to develop the Staple Crops Processing Zones (SCPZ).

Adesina added that the initiative would also reduce post-harvest losses.

The AfDB president urged African nations to invest in the SCPZ in order to create jobs, stressing needs to support private agro-allied firms through incentives and infrastructure.

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?AfDB $800 million support for Agric underway – Adesina

Atiku Chairs African Agric Experts’ Meeting

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will chair the first ever African Veterinary Association (AVA) congress to be hosted by Nigeria in November this year.

The Guardian gathered that the congress, which the association is co-hosting with the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) was part of efforts to proffer solutions to the country’s economic situation as well as suggestions for sustainable growth.

Dr Kelvin Ugwuomarima, who is the Enugu State chairman of the NVMA, who dropped the hint at the weekend, stated that the five day event which would hold in Enugu, would also deliberate on the need to diversify the economy against the frequent collapse in oil prices.

He stated that the country’s situation was a wakeup call on other sectors of her national life.According to him, other areas the congress would look into include agro-business operators such as poultry, pig, fish, cattle, pharmaceutical industries, hospitality industries as well as public health practitioners.

He stated that the Small Medium Entreprenurs would use the opportunity of the congress to meet with the major players in the live stock sub sector in Africa and showcase their businesses and services during the period.

“The AVA/NVMA congress is programmed to be a tourism harvest for the state and an opportunity to meet with and attract investors to the state and Nigeria in general”, he stated.

He stated that Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Animal Resources, Sudan, Prof Musa Tibin Musa, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Ghana, Dr Hanna Louisa Bisiw and ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tchambakau Ayassor, would grace the occasion among others.

FG Moves To Prevent Entry Of Locusts, Quelea From Niger Republic

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The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja warned farmers against locusts and quelea birds coming into the country from Niger Republic, calling for vigilance and urgent action.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh gave the warning during an emergency meeting with Commissioners for Agriculture from 24 states.

Ogbeh expressed fear that the current hunger in the country would further be exacerbated if the alert from Niger was not taken seriously and measure put in place their entry.

He also warned that if the quelea birds and locusts as well as grasshoppers are allowed into Nigeria, they would do terrible damage to farmer’s crops.

According to him, Nigeria is already facing food crisis and if the pests should gain entry to the country, it will cause a serious problem.

“We have called you here for two major reasons. There is a warning we received that locusts and quelea birds are messing up in Niger Republic from where they normally attack us in Nigeria.?

“We know how dangerous quelea birds can be and locusts. If they arrive within hours or days, they will ?have wiped out everything the farmers would have put in the field.

“We already have maize crisis. We may have food problems if we are attacked. This country would be in turmoil. We can’t allow that.

“Prices of food today is very high and Nigerians are troubled. People are angry and they want this high cost of food items to be resolved in no time.

“I believed with the effort you are making in the states we are approaching promised land. With the high yield we are recording in some states now, ” he said.

The Minister added that there was a disease attacking maize in the country known as army worm, calling for an emergency team to address the problem

He said that the country was experiencing a severe shortages of maize, adding that the price has risen to N15,000 per bag as a result of the army worm.
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“We must have an emergency team put in place between you and we at the Federal Ministry to tackle these issues very swiftly.

“Now we know they will come. We have to design a strategy where chemicals are available in all the states and contingency steps can be taken quickly,” Ogbeh said.

The Minister, however, ordered the commissioners to watch out and ensure that any outbreak of the pesticide be reported for urgent action.

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari has written that the ministry should move quickly to check the menace and liason with state governors.

Governor Amosun Set To Develop Agriculture In Ogun State

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Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has reiterated his administration’s determination to continue to develop the agriculture sector. This is in a bid to improve the socio-economic life of the people in the state.

 

The Governor made the pledge during his first media chat for the year 2016, which held at the state-owned television, OGTV, where he explained some of the polices of his administration.

Agricultural development took centre stage, especially at a time when state governments are looking for alternatives to dwindling federal allocation.

“Whatever we grow, we must process; whatever we process we must market, once it is ready. There will be a lot of added value from the packaging, presentation and selling of the product, everybody will be involved.

“Once that is done, we will attract all these investors, industrialists and entrepreneurs to come and assist us in developing Ogun State,” he said.

He also highlighted some of the projects penciled down for commissioning to mark the 40th anniversary of the creation of the state and debunked the rumour making the rounds that the government might have concessioned some of the newly built model schools to private operators.

On some of the challenges facing the state in the area of security, the Governor appealed to stakeholder to continue to support the government in flushing out crime.

Amosun also pledged his commitment to the development of more infrastructure in the state.

Most recently, the Ogun State House of Assembly passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill of 200.2 billion Naira.