How to make money selling farm produce

In the last few years, particularly between 2015 and now, there have been increasing talks about the need for Nigerians to return to the farm. From government to private individuals, the campaign for the return to land cultivation has been heightened, especially in the face of the rising cost of food prices, with everyone volunteering views on how a return to agriculture remains the most viable way out of the current economic recession.

But as the recession continues to bite harder, affecting the macro-economy of Nigeria, as well as the economy of individuals, it has become quite expedient to consider the call to return to tilling the land and explore other avenues tied to the agriculture business with a view to leveraging on them to survive the harsh economic conditions. One of such avenues is farm produce sales.

The business of selling farm produce is not a capital-intensive one, though it needs a lot of planning and time investment. With N20,000 upwards, one can successfully begin a farm produce business.

So much has been said by experts and wannabes on how agribusiness can be a money-spinner, but one needs not be an expert or consult a thousand literatures to know the veracity of the claims. All you need do is, visit the nearby market and ask how much food products cost now and how much they cost a few months ago. Taking that step, you would have begun a venture that can change your financial status for good, as that initial research is the first critical step in the business of selling farm produce. You have to do a market survey, know the farm produce that is popular and in high demand in your locale; know the demand for the produce in different periods of the year and know where you can easily get it for relatively lower prices. As part of the survey, you must relate with people who are already in the business of selling farm produce, not necessarily showing yourself as their would-be competitor but as someone who is probably interested in buying what they have in stock. That way, you will be able to know how lucrative the business might be if you eventually venture into it.

After the survey or what you may call initial research, there is the need for you to set your priorities right on which farm produce you want to settle for and if it will be more than one, you must be prepared to handle the complexities.

For instance, depending on what crops you want to trade in, you may need to cultivate a relationship with farmers or a farming location where the produce might be surplus. You also need to make arrangements for the transportation of the produce from the farms/location to where you are and or you may store the produce in the same location until it is in higher demand and sells at a higher cost. In any case, you need a mini-warehouse or storage facility to store the farm produce during a time of plenty, which is the best time to stock the farm produce. For example, the popular peak period for the harvesting of maize, yams, millets and some other food crops are always between July and September of every year in certain areas of the South-West, if your desire is to trade in any of these crops, you must be prepared to travel (or delegate the duty to someone who can) to these areas in order to buy the crops and you must have a storage facility handy.

It is also important to factor in the fact that storing farm produce/food crops needs technical know-how, which is why you must be prepared to hire an expert in the storage of crops, who would know which method is best to store the products in other to prevent them from spoilage, which would culminate in the loss of your investment. If you are going to store maize, millet, sorghum, and other grains, you need to get the people with the know-how on preservation methods.

Some of the popular farm produce that are always in high demand at some period of the years are palm oil, maize, wheat, yam/yam flour, soya bean, and others. With these products and some others, depending on how well you handle them, you can feel safe stocking them in high quantity for a few months till they become scarce and in high demand. And whenever the demand for these produce rises, there is a high probability of getting at least a 50 per cent return on investment, depending on how long you can wait before selling out. For instance, a few months ago, a bag of maize cost between N8,000 and N10,000 in some farming areas in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State. Today, the same bag costs nothing less than N15,000. Also, every time new yam comes out, several farming communities in the South-West that grow the crop in high quantity would have a high supply of dried yam for yam flour. Ditto for palm oil. Insightful farm produce sellers often stock the two produces until the first quarter of the New Year and afterwards, when the demand and prices for these products often rise sharply.

Do you have the desire for agribusiness but do not want to be involved in full-scale farming? Why not explore the world of farm produce sales?

Source: Tribune

Mandela Washington Fellowship Interview Tips

By Adeniyi Philip Ayoola

Congratulations to those of you that made it to the interview stage. Below are my tips for you. They are in no particular order.

1. The best way to succeed in your MWF interview is to be yourself. Be honest. I hope you have a copy of your application? If you do, download it and master everything you wrote in it. Most of the questions will be asked from there. You will have to prove you did many,  if not all of the things you wrote in your application.

2.  Dress like a leader.

3. Look into their faces when speaking. Be bold and confident.

4. Ask #relevant questions where necessary, especially, at the end of the interview.

5. If you can recall their names, call them by their names.

6. They want to be sure you did those wonderful things in your application. So, don't be too #humble not to talk about your achievements.

7. They want to be sure you understand the American accent (listening skills). Avoid bad mannerisms like "come again please", " You said"? etc.

8. They want to be sure you're bold and you can speak intelligently.

9. Don't be too conscious of yourself. Just relax, make them feel comfortable. If possible, let it be interactive.

10. If you have #data to back your work up, especially from a trusted authority, tell them. If you don't, its not a must. Avoid unconfirmed reports. Some of them may be an authority in your field.

11. Avoid bad grammar. You're not there to impress them. Speak simple but correct english.

12.  Be ready to inform the interviewers where you see yourself or your organisation in 5/10 years time.

13. Assure them of your commitment to return to Africa.

14. Be real

15. Since you can't go to the interview venue with electronic devices, you may consider pictures and publications where you were duly captured engaging your community and stakeholders. Also consider newspaper or magazine reports where you were mentioned and or captured.

15. I wish you goodluck.

Food security: Bank of Agric woos graduates, othersBy Daramola Adebayo

In its efforts to fast-track food security in Nigeria, the Bank of Agriculture has liberalized its programmes for young graduates and women with a view to wooing them into agricultural production.

To this end, the Bank has fine-tuned its Youth in Agriculture Development in Nigeria (YAN) programme which presently attracts lower interest rates as beneficiaries can now access up to N1million agricultural loan for a start, and also take even more instantly on repayment. The same procedure applies to women in agriculture.

Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital while flagging off the Banking Operations and Customer Care Workshop for the Bank of Agriculture, staff drawn from the three Southern Zones of the country, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu Sambo specifically charged youth in the Niger Delta region to take full advantage of the portfolios opened for them whereby they can access the agric loan of a minimum of N1million to boost their fish farming.

Sambo, who spoke through the South West Zonal Manager, Mrs. Idiat Titlayo Folorunsho announced the Bank of Agriculture’s commitment to positively change the orientation of Nigerians towards agricultural development.

“We want to fine tune our relationship with our farmers. We want to make sure that our farmers are well taken care of so that we can jointly do it better in the overall interest of the nation,”

According to him, the main focus of the Bank of Agriculture is to take care of the customers by following up repayment through adequate monitoring, and ensuring paying back so as to take more loans for expansion.

Sambo noted with concern that even though the rural farmers are already used to the system of the Bank of Agriculture, “many elites take the Bank’s loans, re-locate, change address and we never find them again, thus making recovery difficult.”

“Consequently, we concentrate more on rural development. It is easy for us to monitor as we go through community leaders who guarantee the beneficiaries and make recovery much easier,” she said.

While commenting on the objectives of the workshop, Sambo explained that it was geared towards updating the Bank’s staff on the modern trends in agricultural banking such as acquiring knowledge on the fundamental principles of Banking, identify the Risks and Control Measures, acquire Customer Care Techniques, and the use of ICT for Customer Care.

He remarked that the Bank has been spending much on capacity building for its staff in order to improve on service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Source: Daily Post

How I Came About Dwarf Pawpaw By Isaac Oluyi

Preamble

I am pleased to be sharing with you today. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by the Admin to facilitate this session on 'Cultivating Dwarf Pawpaw for Profit Making '. I do not take this for granted at all.  So,  I say I am grateful. Let me begin by sharing with us how I came about my dwarf pawpaw.

How I Came about Dwarf Pawpaw

In 2015, specifically in June,  I went to Songhai Farms in Port Novo for a training workshop on Fish Farming.  A day to the end of the training,  I engaged one of the workers of the farm in a discussion on the extremely short pawpaw tree I had seen on the farm! He told me so many fascinating things about the pawpaw that sounded too good to be true.  I became enthralled  that I decided to give it a shot by buying some seeds. I showed the seeds to some of my colleagues who tried to talk me out of it that it would not grow. Despite their discouragement,  I was not moved. On return to Nigeria,  I planted the seeds, nurtured them into seedlings and later transplanted them. The rest,  they say, is history. I have since gone ahead to make good money from it. Even my doubting colleagues have all patronized us by buying our seeds, seedlings and fruit salad!

What is the relevance of this story to our discussion?  The relevance is that it is only those who take actions that will see results. Nothing works except we make it work.

General Introduction
Common name: Papaya
Botanical name: Carica papaya
Origin: Originally Tropical America,  but it has spread to Indonesia, Thailand and so many parts of the world
Season: All Year Round

Dwarf pawpaw,  like other types, has an enzyme that soothes the stomach and calms indigestion. Its inner part is oxblood in colour and grows to between 5 to 6 feet.  It is said to last for 5 years (claim not yet substantiated by the facilitator). It is a self-pollinating variety that is also resistant to Papaya ring spot virus. This means that our dwarf pawpaws are hermaphrodites.  They pollinate themselves.  The fruit typically weighs 4 to 6 pounds,  and has excellent flavour,  aroma and texture.

Pollination
If a papaya is adequately pollinated,  it will bear a light crop of fruits lacking uniformity in size and shape. For a bisexual breed like ours,  they all fruit well with no exception from our experience.

Climate
The Papaya is tropical and near tropical specie,  very sensitive to frost. It needs plentiful rainfall or irrigation,  but must have good drainage.  Flooding for 48 hours is fatal.

Soil
While it will do best in light,  porous soils rich in organic matter,  the plant will grow in scarified limestone or various other soils if it is given adequate care. Optimum PH ranges from 5.5 to 6.7. Overly acidic soils are corrected by working in lime at the rate of 1.2 tonnes per acre.

Pawpaw: One of the Most Underrated Crops

There is no doubt that pawpaw is one of the most disparaged and belittled crops. This could have been the reason behind the actions of my colleagues who tried to talk me out of it when I first stumbled on the dwarf pawpaw. Why is pawpaw so underrated?  It is because it is commonplace.  We find it almost everywhere.  In fact,  it grows on its own without being cultivated.  So,  why will any serious-minded farmer cultivate it?

Nutritional Benefits

1. It is a fair source of iron and calcium
2. It is fat/cholesterol free
3. It is rich in antioxidants
4. It is rich in Vitamin C
5. It is rich in Vitamin A, among others.

Economic Benefits
1. Its nutritional benefits make it a commonly consumable fruits
2. There is ready made market for it
3. The seeds can be preserved and sold to farmers
4. The seeds can be grown into seedlings and sold out.
5. It can be processed into fruit juice for commercial purposes.
6. It can form part of fruit salads or assorted fruits,  packaged and sold.
7. The peels can be fed to livestock,  among others.

Other Amazing Benefits
The leaves of papaya are very useful in healing and curing cancer and dengue fever, and for good health. According to researchers the phytonutrients in the leaves are great antioxidants, greatly boosting the blood flow. This is due to the papain, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids in them. The first two catalysts are dynamic segments of papaya and can assist in the assimilation of proteins and are utilized to treat acid reflux, digestive problems, and bloating. Also, the alkaloid mixes named carpaine, pseudocarpaine, and dehydrocarpine provide chemo-preventive impacts.

These are the benefits of papaya leaves:

Blood platelet production – it is highly important to keep the blood platelet when you are seriously ill. Papaya leaves are the best in improving its production in the agreement with Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine.Support the liver – the leaves are used as a base for treating problems with the liver like liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, and jaundice.Prevents diseases – the papaya leaves juice is packed with acetogenin, a compound able to prevent from dengue fever, cancer, and malaria. It is a back-up for the immune system and can fight bacteria and viruses in the body.Boosts energy levels – drinking papaya leaves juice each day can help you boost your energy levels and assist you with chronic fatigue.Supports the digestive system – the leaves are packed with protese, amylase, chymopapain, and papain compounds that separate carbs, protein, and also enhance your processing. Those who have problems with digestion can make a great use of the juice, controlling their digestive framework. It can also help in mending the stomach lining and peptic ulcers through dispensing with microscopic organisms. The procedure can help in diminishing colon irritation which is brought on by IBD.Soothes inflammation – inflammation causes allergies and diseases, and the juice provides anti-inflammation properties that can reduce it without any further problems to be caused.Regulates the period – the juice can help you with PMS symptoms and will balance the cycle.Protects the cardiovascular health – the leaves are rich antioxidants that will boost the immune system, protect the heart health, and dilate the vessels.Lowers blood sugar levels in a natural way – the juice enhances insulin affectability and directs the glucose levels. It also contains cancer-prevention agents which diminish the auxiliary entanglements of diabetes like greasy liver and kidney harm, lessening the oxidative anxiety as well.
Papaya juice – place some clean papaya leaves in a juices and mix it in order to extract the juice from it. Store it in a small bottle in the fridge for 4-5 days. In order to make it more palatable, mix it with another juice if you want to. You can also place 1- papaya leaves in a blender and add a cup of water. String the mixture through a cheesecloth, and the juice is ready.Papaya tea – take 2 liters of water and 10 medium-sized papaya leaves, placing them on fire and boiling them until the water is half left. Let the mixture cool off and take the tea in small doses. Store it in a fridge for 5 days. Drinking it fresh is the best.Leaf extract – you can find it in capsule form, tea leaves, and tincture, but opt for organic. Those in the market are mostly GMO.

Given the benefits above,  it is not out of place to explore its cultivation  for profit making by farmers. So,  let us go a bit technical now.

Propagation
Papayas are generally grown from seeds. Germination may take two to three weeks. It can also be propagated through seedlings and later transplanted.  When seedlings are being transplanted,  they must be carefully handled.  When planting,  either seed or seedling,  dig half a metre hole. Apply compost and plant. I do not advise the use of organic fertilizer, please. Use organic manure as much as possible and the result will be phenomenal.

Season
Planting may be done at any time of the year. Note however that it requires a lot of water.  So,  if it is planted during the dry season,  ensure it is properly irrigated.

Yield
In the usual papaya plantation,  each may ripen 2 to 4 fruits per week over the fruiting season.  Healthy plants, if well cared for,  may average 34kg of fruit per plant per year.

Marketing: Sourcerite Farms Model
1.Once it is harvested,  we add value to it by using it for fruit salads.
2. We also extract the seeds for preservation so as to be sold out to farmers
3. We also nurture the seeds to seedlings for sales.
4. We make fruit juice from it too.

Our model is not rocket science. It can be adopted by anybody. One thing is certain : The model is working.

Conclusion
Fellow nation feeders,  I must stress here that papaya,  especially the dwarf one,  is money - spinning. Yet,  it is not being explored. I want to encourage us that given what we know now,  let us expedite action.  It is not what we know that matters,but what we do with what we know.  Thanks for your attention.


Facilitator : Isaac Oluyi,  CEO,  Sourcerite Farms and Proprietor,  Sourcerite Farmers Academy,  Modakeke -Ile-Ife.

Why Nigeria’s N15bn local spices potential remains untapped

Stories by Steve Agbota 

styvenchy@yahoo.com 08033302331

Exporting Nigeria’s local spices to other countries of the world could build the nation’s economy by generating huge foreign exchange and turn the lives of farmers around within a short period.
Nigeria is blessed with a wide variety of spices used to boost the taste of foods, and to enhance the flavour and aroma of processed foods and beverages.
Apart from acting as seasoning, spices are also known for their medicinal value and are useful in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Nigeria has the potential to generate over N15 billion annually from these local spices if properly harnessed because the country is blessed with a large variety of them with very high grade. He said, “for instance, ginger doubles as a popular herb and spice and is popularly used in its fresh, powdered and dried forms, even as a juice or oil. Potential investors stand to make millions of dollars within few months in spices business if they do it right. Dried ginger is sold in the international market at the rate of $6000 to $7000 per metric tonne while in the local market it is sold for $3,500.”
According to statistics by the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NACCIMA the non-oil product export sector is rapidly on the rise. The demand for local spices like ginger, onions, garlic, chilli pepper and turmeric, among others, is huge both locally and internationally.

Daily Sun learnt that thousands of hotels across the country, coupled with the numerous fast food and restaurants, are in need of these species everyday, which has made local production and marketing of spices a good and successful business in Nigeria. At the international market, locally produced spices are a foreign exchange earner as they are in great demand by Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Germans and Greek, even in United Kingdom and America.
Today, the world’s spices industry is said to be generating hundreds of bil­lions of dollars annually for farmers and investors, but reverse is the case for Nigeria, as the country still spends millions of naira annually to import spices, which can be grown and virtually processed for export and local consumption.

Industry watchers say over the years, some countries have been making huge revenue export­ing their spices but some African countries, including Nigeria, consume most of their spices locally instead of turning them into foreign exchange earners. They argue that the spices industry has been neglected and Nigerians are not exploiting its potential as the call for strong political will to encourage businessmen to turn the potential in local spices into a goldmine.
For years now, Ethiopia has been one of the major active players in export of spices to other countries, raking huge foreign exchange. In 2012 alone, Ethiopia reportedly earned over $700 million from export of spices. Since then, the country has been improving on the business and generating revenue from it.

Speaking with Daily Sun, the Coordinator of Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON), Mr. Sotonye Anga, said that there is huge possibility for local spices to generate foreign exchange because these spices are ingredients for preparing food around the world.
He hinted that if spices are given serious attention, they can generate over N15 billion annually because Nigeria has a whole lot of garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, pepper whose combined capacity is huge when it comes to export markets.
He explained: “When you talk of Nigerian ginger, it is so spicy and pungent. I think Nigeria’s spices defeat the food African pungent spice varieties and that puts it in a class of its own globally. That is also responsible for our outstanding divine pattern. Going forward, we need to exploit this opportunity across the Asian and other countries to earn foreign exchange and getting our farmers to earn more for growing these crops on a very high commercial basis.

“These spices, for instance, stand out because of their hot nature. With the grade of spices from Nigeria, it is outstanding if you compare it to spices from other places. Our grade of spices are pungent, aromatic and they are outstanding, and that would also be a huge basket of wealth waiting to be harnessed. We just need to harness it right now and this the best time to harness this potential.”
Speaking on the processes to get the spices exported to other countries, he said basically, there is need to meet food safety requirement, put all the shipping documentations together to generate order for the different spices that will be sold, generating to close in-bills and ensure that where these spices are going,  food safety standard is maintained in terms of post-harvest practice, packing and handling and all through to the shipment.
An expert, George Enuch, who exports agricultural produce, said that to add value to locally produced spices, processing is very important, which he said can be achieved using locally fabricated equipment for domestic and export markets.
In Nigeria, ginger root is now being processed into oil for export, even as local foods companies produce foods from ginger including ginger drinks, ginger biscuits, ginger sweets, ginger tea and gingerbread.
Another spice similar to ginger is onions, which is used in its raw form as well as in other processed forms such as powder, dried flakes or liquid. It is a spice used to flavour soups, sauc­e and meats.

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FG can generate revenue from plantain farming-Victor

The Managing Director of Eminence PlantainVille, Racham Victor, has said government can  generate more money from registered commercial plantain and banana farms if the potential is properly harnessed.
Victor who spoke to Daily Sun in an exclusive interview, argued that if plantain and banana industry is taken seriously, government could generate revenue through opening of international trade for plantain and banana in the country. Now that people are adding value and making different products from plantain like plaintain bread and plaintain wine, he said plantain processing companies would also pay tax to government’s coffers.
However, he said that despite being one of the highest producers of plantain in the world, Nigeria has never exported plantain to other world. Adding that plantain occupies a strategic position for rapid food production in Nigeria and is ranked third among starchy staples.

According to him, the country’s output doubled in the last 20 years while contributions of plantain to the income of rural households in major producing areas in Nigeria has continued to increase in the last few years.
He added: “Unlike some other starchy staples whose demand tend to fall with rising income, demand for plantain increases with increasing income and the potential for industrial processing of plantain has recently been adopted. Plantain farming should be an avenue for the government to create wealth and employment for Nigerians, especially the youths because it is a staple food that commands high price with high demand and ready market.”

As part of efforts to start exporting plantain, he said there is already a crowd-funding plantain and banana village project in Ekiti State, which will enable farmers who may wish to invest in plantain farming to do so easily and make profits.
Victor hinted that plantain farming is a very lucrative business as a bunch of plantain sells between N500 and N1, 500.
He explained: “Take this calculation for example: if a farmer planted 1000 plantain suckers with an average of 12.5kg per bunch yield, if one kg is sold at N100 then the farmer will have N1, 250 a bunch totaling N1, 250, 000 at the end of a year. After deducting expenses of about N500, 000 (without irrigation), the farmer will have N750, 000 in first year. With proper farm management, the farmer will harvest every nine months and have suckers to sell and expand the farm, which will generate more income.”

While advising intending plantain farmers, he said they should consider irrigation before planting, saying the reason Nigeria usually has temporary plantain glut in the market in on-season and scarcity in off-season because majority of existing and intending plantain farmers are rain dependent.
Said he: “At the onset of rain, they all start planting, which makes the produce to be out at once resulting to glut. If an intending farmer cannot afford to irrigate his/her plantain farm alone,  can do it in partnership or join crowd-funded plantain village project. Intending farmers should also equip themselves with adequate knowledge of plantain cultivation.”

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Budget: N9.2bn agric allocation below Maputo declaration –Stakeholders

Stakeholders has berated the Federal Government over the N92 billion allocated to agric cultural sector in the 2017 proposed budget, which is 15.2 per cent increase from N78 billion in the 2016 budget allocation for the sector.
The implication is that Nigeria is yet to comply with Maputo Declaration of 2003, which indicates that 10 per cent of entire national budget should be allocated to agriculture and Nigeria was part of African country that signed the agreement. Since then, some African countries like Mozambique has surpassed the 10 per cent budget allocation for agriculture.
Though, they, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts to develop the sector but they bemoaned that the N92 billion, which  is 1.5 per cent of the proposed budget, comprises of both recurrent and capital expenditure for the agric sector in 2017 cannot solve the issues of mechanisation, high improved seedlings, insurance, training, rehabilitation of irrigation facilities and dams, extension services, fertiliser subsidy, research and development and other challenges facing the sector.

The stakeholders called on Federal Government to increase the proposed 2017 budgetary allocation for the sector, saying that the 15.2 per cent increase in the allocation was inadequate to address incessant challenges like  poor storage facilities confronting farmers across the sector.
Statistics show that Nigeria is one of the least mechanised farming countries in the world with the country’s tractor density put at 0.27 hp/ hectare which is far below the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommended tractor density of 1.5 hp/ hectare and occupied 132 position out of the 188 countries worldwide measured by FAO / United Nations in terms of the number of tractors in the country.

National president, Tractors Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), Iesa Bitrus Yakubu commended the government 15.2 per cent rise in agric budget, but stated it still needs to adequately provide fertilisers to farmers and trainings for them on the best practices.
He said there is need for improvement on mechanisation, which is very important and government needs to provide infrastructure by rehabilitating the dams and irrigations across the country.
Also speaking, Vice President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Emmanuel Ijewere said: “the proposed budget is just one percent of the entire budget for 2017. This shows that the government has not indicated its commitment by  putting agriculture at the forefront of the economy. Nigeria signed the Maputo agreement to assigned 10 percent to the entire budget to agriculture but this is not so.”

Ijewere recommended the development of linkages between farmers and the market, guaranteed minimum price for agricultural products as well as a robust insurance for farmers.
Analysts said policy makers must particularly pay more attention to export of value- adding agric products to bring more foreign exchange into the economy at a critical period like now.
Stakeholders stress that though Nigeria should support exporters, the Federal Government must focus attention to those who add value to their products before taking them out of the country’s borders.
Chairman of the Export Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Obiorah Madu said: “If you do not add value, you will only get peanuts for your exports.”

Source: Sun News

The Imminent Famine, What Should Be Our Priorities?

Credit: NDTV

Two days ago, our Honorable Minister for Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh met with the 36 states governor at the International Conference Centre, Abuja and without mincing words, the Minister reiterated the opportunities available to farmers, if they could invest in 11 exportable cash crops, since they were in high demand in, Europe and America.

The Minister who announced emphatically during the meeting said "about 11 cash crops that are much sought after globally and which are in abundance in Nigeria could comfortably take this country out of recession. The crops are cocoa, cashew nuts, pulses (Pidgeon pea), palm oil, yam, cassava starch, ginger. Sesame seeds, gum Arabic, rice, grains, goats, cattle.

Although he divulged that he wasn't naming the crops in any particular order, Ogbeh disclosed that yams which now sell for $16 a tuber in the United states is also in high demand in foreign markets. Other much sought after crops according to the minster include cassava starch, maize, millet, palm oil, cashew nuts and Pidgeon tree".

I am a bit baffled at the Minister's comments. This is coming at a time, when the presidency warned that Nigeria, Africa’s largest producer of cereals and grains, risks famine from early next year (January, 2017) following a huge demand in the global market targeting the country’s surplus production.

Giving the grim forecast in a radio interview in Kano on Monday, a spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, told Pyramid radio that the “huge demand for our grains in the global market is creating an excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian food across our borders and unless this is curtailed, Nigerian markets will be bereft of grains by January next year.” Check Premium Times of November 15, 2016 (Presidency warns of impending famine in Nigeria).

There are warnings of impending farming in some Northern Nigeria states, with over 400,000 children at risk of famine. This is not a case for the minister to consider. Unlike what the Spokesman of was critical about, putting an end or reducing the exportation of our grains, the minister is going about advocating for export of our limited agricultural produce.

I naturally would expect that all efforts by the Minister and his technical team would be to stem the tide and address this imminent famine and hunger, which is being stimulated by low production, due to lack of irrigation, storage facilities, improved crop varieties and animal breeds; and aggravated by the influx of foreign agric produce merchants.

Don't get me wrong, food export is fantastic. It is much better, when we have added value to it. But one of the reasons for the depletion of our foreign reserve, is due to the high demand for Naira for agric products/produce being imported, to cushion the effect of the shortfall in our local production. Do we not have the capacity to produce what we import? It is wrong to assume that Nigeria cannot feed itself.

In terms of land, people, water, dams, lakes and beautiful weather to rear all kinds of animals and cultivate all varieties of plants, we are abundantly blessed. Despite this, we continue to live in both physical and mental poverty.

Of all the produce mentioned by the Minister, cocoa, cashew nuts, pulses (Pidgeon pea), palm oil, yam, cassava starch, ginger. Sesame seeds, gum Arabic, rice, grains, goats, cattle; more than half are stable foods of Nigerians and they are currently lacking in Nigeria.

Garri: Formerly a food for the common man, is not very scarce with demand outweighing supply, thereby forcing the price to shot-up. Gone are the days when we hid our garri from people. Today, we "soak" garri with pride.

Palm oil: An alternative to groundnut oil which was considered a premium commodity in the past, is an essential cooking condiment. Palm oil is now unreachable to the ordinary Nigerians. Less than one litre bottle average N800 in the open market today. We now import palm oil from neighboring countries.

Rice: This used to be the most commonly consumed staple food of Nigerians. It was the best food for Nigerians, especially those from humble background. Today, it is exclusively for those who can afford it, as it shots up, to over 120% in 6 months. It is likely to increase as we approach Christmas and the new year. This Christmas, many families may seek for an alternative to rice, a tradition they were used to.

Grains: Maize is an essential ingredient in poultry feeds. Today, the cost has increased astronomically, forcing many poultry farmers out of business. Don't be surprised to hear that we now import eggs, oranges, etc from neighboring Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Goats: Research has shown that goat milk is more nutritious than cow milk. It has also been proven that many Nigerians suffer from inadequate protein in their meals. A recent research by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) says "12 million children under the age of five are stunted due to malnutrition from protein deficiency" check Daily Times of August 12, 2016.

With the above worrisome developments, one would expect that the Minister will "lobby" Mr. President to increase the Ministry's budget in line with the 2003 Maputo declaration of 10% of total national budget to agriculture, and also activate his advocacy skills to promote local production and consumption, rather than continue to promote export, at the expense of the ordinary Nigerians, who are at the risk of survival due to poverty and hunger in the year 2017.

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Agriculture Can Banish Recession From Nigeria If...

The Minister for Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday enumerated eleven cash crops that can drive the current recession out of Nigeria, if they are given serious attention by the agriculture sector personnel as well as farmers and appropriately cultivated in the country.

Ogbeh said many of these cash crops that are in very high demand on the global market can be found in surplus in Nigeria, and wonders why Nigerian farmers are still wallowing in poverty despite the huge potentials on their farmlands.

Ogbeh made this declaration when he addressed the 36 governors yesterday (Wednesday) at their Nigeria Governors' Forum meeting at the International Conference Centre in Garki, Abuja.

Specifically, the Minister announced that about 11 cash crops that are much sought after globally and which are in abundance in Nigeria could comfortably take this country out of recession. The crops are cocoa, cashew nuts, pulses (Pidgeon pea), palm oil, yam, cassava starch, ginger. Sesame seeds, gum Arabic, rice, grains, goats, cattle.

The minister said Cocoa which Nigeria used to be the leading exporter has remained a hot cake in the international market but regretted that Nigeria has since fallen to the seventh position among its exporting countries, exporting only 27.5 million tonnes while Cote de Voire has climbed to first position with an annual volume of 1.75 billion tonnes in cocoa exports annually.

Although he divulged that he wasn't naming the crops in any particular order, Ogbeh disclosed that yams which now sell for $16 a tuber in the United states is also in high demand in foreign markets. Other much sought after crops according to the minster include cassava starch, maize, millet, palm oil, cashew nuts and Pidgeon tree.

On Pidgeon pea in particular, Chief Audu Ogbeh said that the demand for the commodity has reached more than a billion dollars annually, most of which come from Africa, particularly our East African brothers who saturate the Indian market with the commodity. "I do not see any reason why Nigeria would not take 25 per cent of that market," he enthused.

The minister also made a case for value addition and standardisation of the produce that are grown in Nigeria and processed for exports, regretting that most of Nigeria's agricultural produce are being declined on the global market because of their inability to meet global market standards, arguing that hands are on deck to rectify the situation.The minister also identified areas that have been inimical to agricultural growth in the country like the use of unsuitable fertilizer. Do not use 151515 because it is not suitable for the crops and it is not suitable for the soil aa well."

The meeting agreed that almost all the states have fertilizer blending plants which should be deployed to use nationwide so as to have the right blend of fertilizer "for better yield and greater value from crops all over the country."

The minister began by addressing the issue of CAMACO which is lending Nigeria $4.5bn worth of farm implements and machinery with a counterpart funding quota of 15%. The minister however argued that the counterpart fund was "tidy".

This agreement on which an MOU had been signed is expected to supply equipment to all the 36 states and Abuja agricultural equipment according the need of each state for an equal amount of the money.

In response, several state governors suggested ways of meeting the counterpart amount beginning with the chairman of the forum Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State who suggested that the Federal Government should offset the amount as a loan to the states.

The governor of Kebbi state on his part asked that the agreement include a front-runner arrangement as an agric-diplomacy where the beneficiaries of the $4.5bn loan would pay back using produce from their farms. He said Nigeria should barter the machinery with china and export sesame, cassava starch and soya as compensation for the equipment.

While Governor Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State was more concerned about the intrusion of foreign produce traders into our local markets, the Ebonyi state governor talked about raising the standards of our produce to comparative cropping advantage to the agriculture sector.

Source: Thisday