Why we are importing grass

The barrage of comments, criticisms, questions and name-calling on the social media that have trailed the announcement of an intention to import grass to improve the business of production of cattle, sheep and goats in Nigeria is rather incredible. Too many of such comments smacked of hasty, hollow and inappropriate responses that betrayed a lack of understanding of the subject, the enormity of the problem, the benefits embedded in the planned intervention and the urgency of the need to adopt that measure. I want to put some facts in public domain and in the right perspective for the public to know. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has repeatedly announced that he was changing the system of ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) husbandry in Nigeria, replacing the time-worn method of nomadism and roaming of animals with intensive and better organised system of keeping animals in paddocks and feedlot. I am aware it will take some knowledge of what is wrong in the livestock industry to understand and appreciate what the minister is talking about. He has said the constantly moving animals don’t grow as they should. He has spoken of availability of grasses of low nutritive values. It is not enough for the animals to eat grass. They need to eat grasses of high level of nutrients. This is the crux of the matter. Animal rearing in Nigeria is far behind the age we live in, and the system warrants an urgent change. If livestock production is to be truly treated as a business, then sound science must be the bedrock, with improvement of the quality of the existing varieties of grass and of the growing conditions. Those will entail the introduction of better varieties and a deliberate enrichment of the soil so the grasses would meet the nutritional needs of the animals for optimum growth and performance. They make production more profitable, increasing the quantity of meat and milk available to the growing populace. On the social media, everyone appears to be an expert on all subjects. Serious issues are trivialised, and trivial issues inordinately exalted. Even the least informed commentator proffers solutions to problems on the cyberspace having no bearing with reality. Here, however, is one sensible response among a flurry of criticisms and comments from Vanguard newspaper social media site, in response to the write-up that asked that “must we import grass?” The writer noted that: “As an agronomist and soil science expert there is nothing bad in importing grass if they can be cross bred with local breeds to produce better cultivars for local use. What matters is the cost- benefit to the value chain in livestock production.” Nigeria has an estimated 15 million cattle, 34 million goats and 22 million sheep that need to be fed daily. Compare these statistics with Nigeria’s population of about 170 million and think of how many cows, sheep or goat per person. Think of the slow growth and retarded development of the indigenous breeds fed on poor quality grass. Considering the short duration of rainy season in most parts of the savannah regions of middle belt and north of Nigeria where animal rearing is done mostly the traditional way, Nigeria has been glossing over some threats and opportunities. One of the threats to the existing system is that of climate. Uncontrolled grazing by animals is capable of exposing fragile land to erosion and land degradation. This is in addition to the well-known crisis and conflicts that have become associated with incursions of roaming animals into crop farms, leading to human fatalities. If there were enough grasses on the vast landscape these conflicts would have been non-existent. The opportunities being ignored in settled animal husbandry are enormous, assuming the statistics are right. Taking a median price of N40,000 per cow alone, we have an industry of N600 billion that does not show under Nigeria’s economic radar. This estimate ignores goats and sheep. The operators are unknown to government of any state in particular because they are constantly on the move. The government does not earn appreciable revenue from their activities, except those that pass through control posts, en-route to terminal markets. To borrow from Peter Drucker’s dictum, an industry that cannot be measured cannot be controlled. It is time we controlled the cattle, sheep and goat industry, and one way to start is to provide them guaranteed supply of feeds. We need to have a reliable record of how many animals there are, their population growth rate, their productivity, birth rate, death rate (by slaughter, disease, or any other cause) and their economic value. We need to know the quantum of meat and milk they produce, where and when. These animals therefore need to be kept in fixed and definite locations where they will have access to grass, water, veterinary services and ready markets. Part of the problems of unregulated livestock industry is in their markets, animal slaughter and meat sales. Two cross sectional studies illustrate the losses to the industry through the slaughter of pregnant animals. A study conducted in Makurdi Abattoir, Benue State, showed a total of 45, 742 were slaughtered in the abattoir, with a total of 1,508 (3.9 per cent) foetuses recovered from 1997 to 2002. A much more recent study (2015) elsewhere confirms the continued practice of slaughtering pregnant animals, leading to foetal losses. A 2015 international journal publication published a report on foetometrics and economic impact analysis of reproductive wastages in ruminant species slaughtered in Maiduguri, in a study carried out between March and April, 2012 in Maiduguri. The rate of pregnancy wastage was 15 per cent among the cows and 21 per cent among the does (female goats). The economic cost of the total foetal wastages in the (cows and does) in the Maiduguri study was estimated at US$ 559,440 annually. If this figure applies to all other state capitals, including FCT (ignoring all other major towns nationwide), we could imagine an annual loss of $20.7 million annually, translating to N7.25 billion annually at a conservative exchange rate of N350 to the dollar. This indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant livestock has been observed in Nigeria as widely associated with farmers financial needs and/or incompetence in determining pregnant animals or that pregnancy diagnoses are not routinely carried out in the slaughterhouses, particularly since animals are mostly brought or bought for slaughter from roaming herds. Development of modern cattle, sheep and goat value chains is therefore long overdue. To get the downstream aspects of the value chains right, we will have to start with the upstream. We need to stop animals from roaming. We need therefore to produce adequate supply of feeding stuff that will last them through the year, particularly through the period of drought or dry season. We therefore need to create business models around this thinking that will create investment opportunities for all involved. Grass can therefore be grown commercially, but this has to be improved species, varieties and cultivars. Cattle, sheep and goats (generally referred to as ruminants) naturally eat grass. But grasses vary in type, nutrient content, palatability, digestibility and appeal. Grass, by definition, is vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long, narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop. Grasses are commonly planted in pastures and almost always play a fundamental role in the diet of grass-fed cows. However, many non-grass plants are also found in pastures, including legumes. Depending on the season and region of the country, 100 per cent grass-fed cows may have eaten a mixed variety of the plants. For cows, a natural diet consists of plants that can be “grazed” or “browsed.” Grazing generally refers to the eating of grasses, and browsing usually refers to the eating of leaves, twigs, or bark from bushes or trees. Cows both graze and browse, but they are definitely more “grazers” than “browsers” and their complicated four-part stomach helps them to slowly digest relatively large amounts of grasses. To unlock our livestock potential, we must change our thinking and the way things have been traditionally done. We must embrace new ideas. We must be receptive to positive innovations. We must encourage disruptive thinking, particularly in ways that bring improvement. We must tap into the business opportunities in the latent wealth inherent in the livestock value chains, producing grass commercially for herds in paddocks or in feedlot. We must get interested and read more about livestock feeding and take advantage of the opportunities in it. Nigerian cattle produce sub-optimal beef and milk in qualitative and quantitative terms. These, however, are not the peaks attainable, but can be improved upon with better, more organised feeding and general husbandry practices. Research studies show clear nutritional advantages from beef, milk, and milk-derived foods (such as cheese and yogurt) obtained from 100 per cent grass-fed cows. These advantages typically include better fat quality (often involving more omega-3 fats, better ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, increased amounts of conjugated linoleic acid, and higher quality saturated fat); increased amounts of certain vitamins (for example, vitamin E, or vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene); and increased amounts of other nutrients. The economics of nomadic animal production have been poorly documented. These are both causes and consequences of poor organisation of the sub-sector. The current status of dairy production in Nigeria shows that 85 per cent of cattle in Nigeria are managed by 12 million indigenous pastoralists who are essentially constantly on the move. The volume of milk produced by a cow in a single year averages just about 200kg in most areas. Compare this with the European cows producing an average of 6,500 kg per cow. Yet, milk production is not growing fast enough to satisfy Nigeria’s expanding milk appetite. Even the milk yield of traditional breeds of cows in Nigeria can be improved with better feeding. To meet the needs of Nigeria, with a population of over 170 million and an annual milk demand of roughly 1.5 billion litres, but less than five per cent of its milk produced locally, requires a new approach. Nigeria spends more than $200 million on milk imports from abroad every year. This makes no sense. Yet, the social media critics don’t condemn this. Importation may bridge supply gap in the short term, but it is not sustainable in the long run. We need to develop appropriate husbandry and feeding methods that will boost our dairy production and supply chain, create business opportunities and reduce our dependence on importation. It is estimated that annual domestic and imported slaughtering is around 7.5 million cattle. Because the animals are not reared in an organised manner, the downstream sector remains poorly accounted for. But when animals are kept and fed in paddocks, their statistics become easier to monitor and manage and the value chains can be better organised. Improved livestock production is one of the preferred agricultural enterprises into which we could expand, especially as we adopt new ideas and innovative practices. Knowledge of the agronomy of grasses and their feeding value is very important in the new context of animal production as a business. Most, practically all the cultivars in widespread use are old, at least half a century since their introduction and there is a lack of new cultivars. We need new cultivars of other grasses to widen the genetic base of fodders for commercial livestock farm use. Open range livestock feeding systems typically comprise rain-fed annual pastures. The grasses don’t supply adequate nutrients needed for optimum production. The same goes with the impact of consumption of wild, natural grasses, which our nomadic cattle are presently exposed to. There is therefore a need for a paradigm shift towards conscious efforts at cultivating grasses while embarking on measurable performance indices. These affect the animals in a number of ways. The Nigerian soil map will be a good guide for agriculturists in Nigeria henceforth. The minister is emphasising the use of the information contained in the soil map for taking agronomic decisions. The fact that soil properties vary from place to place is a reason to note that grasses that grow on their own might not have much nutrient quantity for animals’ optimum growth and performance. This is one major error in the years of emphasis on grazing routes all across Nigeria. In the past, grasslands used to be enriched with addition of Nitrogen in countries doing commercial cattle business. But it was found out that this could significantly alter the soil pH and other properties. Well-developed pasture can be a major source of feed for goats, sheep and cattle. Energy and protein supplies are the most essential components in animal nutrition and, in many tropical countries, these components are often the critical limiting factors to animal production. Part of the measures to improve the performance of our livestock will require cultivating the species of grass yielding an average of 30 tons of Dry Matter per hectare per year. Such grasses, in addition to providing feeds for animals, can also help in the prevention of soil erosion since they provide rapid ground cover. Most of the tropical pastures have crude protein contents ranging from seven to 12 per cent for grasses and more for legumes like Leucaena, which has 25 per cent protein content. But Leucaena has its own demerits in the anti-nutritional factors of tannin. The discovery of grasses that possess as much as 28 per cent crude protein marks the beginning of a breakthrough for grass utilisation for great performance and productivity. These varieties of grasses can be produced commercially and sold to herdsmen year-in, year-out. They can be made into hays during the rainy season and sold during the dry season to keep feed supply constant all-year-round. The business of grass cultivation requires agronomic practices applicable to cultivation of rice, sorghum, maize and wheat, all of which are classified as grasses by any other name. The nutritive values of the grasses to be cultivated can be improved with fertiliser, the blend and specification of which will vary depending on the attributes of the soil in particular locations. To this end, the new initiative of adapting blends of fertiliser to suit the specific attributes of soil in specific locations will be applicable. The Nigerian soil map will be of tremendous use in this initiative and investors in grass cultivation will find the soil map pretty useful as a guide. Importation of grass for developing Nigeria’s pasture for commercial purpose is not intended to be in perpetuity, or business as usual, but as a short-term intervention. The quantum of grass seeds to be imported to commence the pasture improvement programme and establish Nigeria’s commercial fields is nothing to warrant worries about impacts on foreign exchange. As the seeds germinate and some localised fields are established, multiplication of grass becomes easier locally. Better qualities of grasses will help stop nomadism and the attendant conflicts. Great opportunities exist in this new outlook of agribusiness as roaming becomes outlawed and cattle herdsmen keep their animals in confined environments where they will require supplies of grasses and other forms of animal feeds. Brazil shares common geo-climatic attributes with Nigeria, with the Brazilian cerrados similar to Nigeria’s savannah. Grasses that have done well in Brazil are expected to do equally well in Nigeria. Like Brazil, Nigeria can become a notable exporter of beef and producer of high volume of milk through the adoption of the commercial grass production, using improved varieties. These are grasses that have been subjected to upwards of 18 years of research on nutritional qualities. Rather than trying to re-invent, the wheel or beginning a new set of research on grass nutrition, Nigeria can embark on the short-cut, importing the varieties and cultivars of grasses that have helped Brazil rise to becoming a major beef exporter, multiplying them locally and using them to feed the same breeds of cows found in Nigeria. Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye is a veterinary doctor,, a veteran agricultural journalist and Media Adviser to the Minister of Agricultur
Credit: Vanguard

Kano To Replace Famous Groundnut Pyramids With Rice Pyramids – Ganduje

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State says the government is making concerted efforts to replace the famous groundnut pyramids with rice pyramids.

According to the governor, it is for this reason the state government is providing the environment that will encourage the massive production of rice, wheat, and tomatoes.

Ganduje stated this on Friday while answering State House correspondents’ questions after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the state government would provide rice farmers with the incentives they would need to be able to increase the production of the product.

“Now, we are soon going to talk about rice pyramids not groundnut pyramids because rice is the order of the day now.

“The groundnut you are talking about in those years it was the production of groundnut to be exported to the foreign land and be processed and be brought back to Nigeria.

“But now it is a different issue. We have a lot of oil mills that consume the groundnut. So, you will not expect to see the groundnut pyramids as you used to see because the economic situation has change.

“The industrialisation is much better than those days.

“So, you better stop dreaming of groundnut pyramids now. But when you are talking of rice; that is where we need the pyramids now.

“So, we assure you that in Kano we are providing an enabling environment for the production of rice, wheat, and tomatoes.’’

The governor said that during the meeting, he brought the President up to date with the security situation in the state, particularly the issues relating to cattle rustling and kidnapping.

According to him, cattle rustling and kidnapping have been brought under control.

He also said that he briefed the President on the state’s amnesty and empowerment programmes extended to repentant cattle rustlers and kidnappers in the state.

“I briefed the President about the security situation in Kano, in particular cattle rustling and kidnapping which is under control.

“We talked about the amnesty package extended to those that have decided to be born again and the empowerment programme for them and how we are helping the police in order to arrest the situation.

“We talked about irrigation, especially the production of wheat with dry farming. Now, we are getting ready for the production of rice.

“So, Kano State is providing an enabling environment for farmers, cutting off the middlemen; the farmers are getting the best out of it.’’

The governor revealed that the state security apparatus has so far recovered more than 10,000 stolen cattle and returned them to the rightful owners free of charge.

He said that 39 repentant cattle rustlers were being rehabilitated in the state.

“We granted amnesty to those who decided to quit crime. 39 of them came forward to surrender all their arms ammunition, including AK47, with hard drugs like Indian hemp and so on.

“We are planning an empowerment scheme for them.’’

On the row between him and Kwankwaso, Ganduje stated that the situation is under control, saying that efforts have been intensified to address the problem.

“The situation is under control, it is an in-house problem which is under control. We are talking about it.

“Yes, reconciliation is ongoing and it will work. We have been together for long; we are politically brothers and friends.

“Therefore, we will make sure that we don’t allow things to continue to fall apart.’’ (NAN)

YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT PROGRAMME (YES-PROGRAMME)

The Youth Enterprise Support Programme (YES-Programme) is BOI’s approach at addressing the worrisome phenomenon of youth unemployment in Nigeria by developing the capacity of the youths and funding their business ideas. The YES programme is aimed at equipping young people with the skills and knowledge to be self-employed by starting and managing their own businesses.

Participants will be drawn from young aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 years, with innovative ideas who must have a minimum educational qualification of an Ordinary National Diploma (OND).

COMPONENTS OF THE YES-PROGRAMME

The YES-Programme comprises the following:

• Eight (8) weeks extensive online Entrepreneurship and Business Management training which has the ability to test participants’ understanding and track their progress.

• Five (5) days in-class Entrepreneurship and Business Management training (5 modules).

• Technical skills training in partnership with the various technical training and vocational institutes in the country.

• Financing the businesses by BOI under its SME Cluster initiative in consonance with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Commodity-based Industrialisation Strategy.

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

The YES-Programme has the following broad objectives:

• To create an interactive learning platform to train young aspiring entrepreneurs in Entrepreneurship, Business Management and Technical Skills that will ultimately translate into improved efficiency and productivity.

• To kindle the entrepreneurial spirit of the youths.

• To act as an incubation center where business ideas are nurtured to their full potential as well as entrenching global best practices by inculcating a culture of innovation-driven entrepreneurship and ethics in the programme participants.

• Promotion of self-employment among graduates of institutions of higher learning, thereby changing their job-seeking mindset.

• To deepen financial inclusion by de-risking the young aspiring entrepreneurs and making them eligible for small business loans to be provided by BOI.

Applicants will register online and will be expected to provide accurate answers to questions. Such answers count towards determining the suitability of the applicants for the training programme. Only the top 1,200 online participants will qualify for the in-class training programme annually.

The in-class trainings will be delivered by BOI accredited partner Training Institutes and shall take place on a bi-annual basis at selected centres spread across the six geo-political zones. Hence, 600 participants shall be trained at the designated locations bi-annually.

The final evaluation and selection of the candidates that will qualify for funding under the YES-Programme, will be by a seven-man panel made up of senior management staff of the Bank and other eminent members made up of successful entrepreneurs, professionals, retired bankers, etc.

FEATURES OF THE FUND

PROJECTED IMPACT	The fund shall be deployed to support the establishment and/or expansion of an estimated 1,200 enterprises promoted by Nigerian youths across the country. The scheme is expected to create a minimum of 6,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs annually, totaling 36,000 jobs.
PROGRAM LIMIT	N10.0 billion.
SINGLE OBLIGOR LIMIT	Up to N5 million for loan. Equity investment could also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
APPROVAL LIMIT	In line with the Bank’s approval limit.
PRICING	Interest Rate: 9% per annum. Fees: 1% Processing fee.
TENOR	3 – 5 years.
MORATORIUM	Six (6) months from date of Loan Disbursement.

To apply, click here

What outsiders need to understand about Africa

“It’s a market like any other. If you are looking for opportunities or for conflict, you will find it,” said Donald Kaberuka (right) during an interview with Bloomberg Television’s anchor and editor-at-large, Erik Schatzker (left), in Cape Town this week.

Just a couple of years ago Africa was praised as the last investment frontier by international media and businesses. But this narrative has quickly shifted to one of “doom and gloom”, according to the former president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Donald Kaberuka.

Speaking at the opening dinner of the recent Bloomberg Africa Business and Economic Summit in Cape Town, Kaberuka highlighted a number of points that he believes outsiders need to understand about Africa today.

Africa just like any other region

Much of the challenges that the continent faces today – such as weak local currencies and soaring debt repayments – are a result of global headwinds. These include a strong US dollar and low commodity prices that are placing pressure on current accounts.

However, Kaberuka noted these changes to the global economy are being felt across the world – from Latin America to Asia – with similar challenges seen in Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Russia. He argued Africa shouldn’t be treated as an exception.

“We are no different; Africa is no longer an exotic market. It’s a market like any other. If you are looking for opportunities or for conflict, you will find it.”

Africa’s growth story is not just about commodities

Many oil and mineral-dependent exporting countries, like Angola and Zambia, are experiencing slower growth as a result of low commodity prices and declining demand from China. But there is much more to the African story than commodities, stated Kaberuka.

“The African story for me is different. If you look at the numbers in the last decade and half, the fastest growing economies, in a sustainable way, have been non-oil and non-mineral dependent economies. The mineral/oil-dependent economies have grown strongly, but their growth has been very volatile.”

Africa’s growth story is more around the emerging consumer population and technological developments which present opportunities for foreign investors and companies, he continued. Examples include Rwanda and Kenya, which are not resource-dependent, and can actually benefit from the low oil price as net-importers.

Problems are often temporary

“Watch out for non-Africans – who do not understand this continent very well – that misinterpret temporary tactical problems as long-term strategic issues to deal with,” said Kaberuka.

He highlighted Rwanda as an example of this, where the genocide in 1994 resulted in many writing off the country. However, just 20 years later the economy was presented as a model for development.

“So why can’t Burundi do the same, and Central African Republic and Sierra Leone?”

Africa must find its own way

Kaberuka was also questioned about backslides from democracy, such as arguably seen in Rwanda where changes to the constitution could theoretically allow its current president, Paul Kagame, to serve until 2034.

But Kaberuka said African countries should decide what works best for them. “It is not for me or AfDB or someone from outside to tell people what they should do,” he stated.

“Each country has the right to decide what is good for them – from the US to South Africa.”

Source: HowwemadeitinAfrica

Seven untapped business opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa

Over the past decade or so, sub-Saharan Africa’s robust economic growth has attracted investment from both foreign and local business people. But what opportunities are yet to be exploited? We asked a selection of DHL country managers about the biggest untapped business opportunity in their respective territories. Here’s what they had to say.

Mozambique – retail

A.T. Kearney’s 2015 African Retail Development Index ranked Mozambiqueamong the top 15 most attractive markets in sub-Saharan Africa for retailexpansion. The country is experiencing a growing shopping culture driven by rising incomes and a large number of expats in the capital Maputo. Secondary cities such as Pemba, Nacala, Nampula, Beira and Tete are also attracting interest from retail property developers.

“With an ever-growing middle class, and scarce availability of common products, one of the biggest opportunities is definitely retail – any retail from supermarkets, to fashion, to SME retail,” says Dominique Lalous, country manager of DHL Express Mozambique.

Ethiopia – telecommunications
The telecommunications industry in Ethiopia is controlled by the state-owned Ethio Telecom. In 2015 it was reported that Ethiopia had 40 million mobile subscribers and 10 million internet connections, yet it has a population of over 90 million. Services such as mobile money are also in their infancy.

“The biggest business opportunity in Ethiopia for me would be thetelecommunications sector,” says Morgan Uloko, country manager of DHL Express Ethiopia. “This sector has the capacity to more than double the contribution of services to GDP, in addition to helping to significantly reduce unemployment in the country.”

Madagascar – mining

Madagascar’s resources include coal, nickel and ilmenite. Mamy Rakotondraibe‎, country manager of DHL Madagascar, highlights the sector as potentially lucrative for investors. However, underdeveloped infrastructure and bureaucracy have frustrated the efforts of some mining companies.

“There are several legislative reforms still needed, and the authorities have the opportunity to create a real long-term vision for the sector to enable a genuine dynamism where investors can set long-term, stable forecasts – and where the country can have a significant lever to increase its GDP for decades to come,” says Rakotondraibe‎.

Uganda – agro-processing

Fatma Abubakar, country manager of DHL Express Uganda, says foreign businesses are encouraged to set up value-added manufacturing and agro-processing facilities. Currently, the majority of Uganda’s agricultural products – such as tobacco, fish and coffee – are exported in raw form. Value addition and food preservation could save millions of shillings in losses caused by spoilage and lack of markets, particularly for seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Liberia – hydro-electricity

Nearly 90% of the population in Liberia has no access to reliable electricity. According to Akwasi Aninakwah, DHL Express country manager, there is potential for greater hydro-electricity generation. Liberia has six major rivers – Mano, Saint Paul, Lofa, Saint John, Cestos and Cavalla – that drain over 60% of the country’s water. He cites opportunity to provide power for Liberia as well as other countries in the sub-region.

Gabon – primary agriculture

Cheikh Mbacke Ndoye, managing director of DHL Gabon, says the Central African country has opportunities for the local production of livestock and crops. The majority of the Gabon’s 1.6 million population is involved in agriculture, but output is well below potential. According to the government, agriculture accounts for just 5% of GDP.

“Despite its fertile arable land and tropical climate, 90% of food consumed inGabon is imported,” notes Ndoye.

Gabon spends more than $500m annually on food imports. The government is seeking partnerships with private investors to boost agriculture’s contribution to GDP to 20% by 2025.

Guinea – services for mining companies
“Guinea’s mining sector remains unexploited,” says Amedee Assomo, DHL Express Guinea country manager, pointing to vast resources that include iron ore, bauxite, diamonds and gold. According to Assomo there are opportunities to provide services – such as transportation, communication and banking – to the mining companies.

Guinea’s Simandou mountain range is said to hold the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposits – worth billions of dollars. A proposed $20bn project to mine these mountains also includes the construction of a 650km railway and a deepwater port to be built south of the capital Conakry.

Source: HowwemadeitinAfrica

Meet Nodar, not your ‘Typical’ Farmer

When you think of a farmer, what image comes to your mind? Many would say: a middle aged or even elderly man. His face weathered by the sun, and his hands worn out from heavy labor.

Well, I would have probably fallen into the trap of that classical image, as well… Until I met Nodar Tokhosashvili, a 24 year old farmer from Georgia.

Nodar is young, tall and handsome – like most fellows of his age. And he has a degree in Business Administration from the University in Tblisi.Ukanapshavi, Nodar’s home village, is located in a mountainous area, 1,700 meters above sea level. The closest town and district center, Dusheti, is approximately 80 kilometers away.

The village is a quiet, remote and unique place. There are only seven households living there in the summer time. Like Nodar, they migrate from the valley to the mountains during warmer seasons and return back to town in winter time. There is no electricity and no mobile connection.

This area is difficult to access. Although Nodar says there is normally “a quite good bus connection” between the nearest village and the district center in summer, it is still a 12-kilometer walk from where he lives to the nearest bus stop.

When Nodar heard about his acceptance to the GFAR social media training in Bishkek under the auspices of the “#GCARD3 Regional Consultation for Central Asia and the Caucasus”, he had to get his passport from the village home.  The snow and ice made it impossible to get through the mountain passes by car.  So he walked almost 20 kilometers through 1.5-meter high snow to his home. And back..  To get his passport…

Nodar calls himself an organic farmer. Between May and October he stays and works in his village. Nodar has some bees of his own and produces about 500 kg of honey per season. He also borrows 20 cows from his neighbors and looks after them as a shepherd from spring to autumn. He does not own any cows himself. He re-pays his neighbors by sharing what he makes off the milk produce.

He processes the milk into butter and cottage cheese. However, these two products are perishable, so Nodar processes them into products that can be stored for a longer period of time, as a lot of his produce is sold during winter.The butter is cooked and turned into clarified butter that Georgians call erbo. This butter can easily be kept up to 3-4 months.

The milk is processed into a country-style cheese called gudis qveli or mtis qveli. The cheese is kept fresh in brine, in plastic packages, and can last from six months to a year. Nodar produces about 1,500 kg of cheese per season.

The cottage cheese is also mixed with salt to make dambalkhacho, small balls dried for days over an oven and kept in kvevri, a special clay amphora for 2-3 months. This way, Dambalkhachos can be stored for 4-6 months in wintertime.

Nodar’s mother helps him to make all these products. So, currently it is an ‘enterprise’ of two people.
In October, Nodar and his mother moved back to Dusheti, the closest town. In order to sell his products in the winter season, Nodar opened a page in Facebook and called it “Mountain Produce” where he posts photos and descriptions of his organic produce. He keeps his prices modest and already has between 40 and 70 regular customers as far as Tbilisi. People contact Nodar by phone or via Facebook and tell him how much of each product they would like to purchase. Nodar forms a list and delivers the products the next day.
Nodar also kindly allows for advertisements of his village neighbors’ produce to be posted on his Facebook page. He provides their phone numbers, so potential customers can get in touch with the producers directly.
Growing up in the mountains, Nodar has always been close to farming and has always felt a special connection to animals. But the idea of starting a business actually came up three years ago, when Nodar returned from a 70-day au pair experience in Germany. There, he learned about the concept of organic farming and what possibilities it might bring.

At the present, farming is Nodar’s ‘lifestyle, hobby, and life philosophy’: “It makes me feel good. I love my work. When I bring organic produce to people, it gives me a good feeling”.

Nodar has ambitious plans. He wants to develop a system that will unite all farmers in his area and allow them to sell their produce more easily, possibly under one brand. With the new tools Nodar learned to use in our social media training at the #GCARD3 regional consultation, he has great plans too. His new blog will be launched soon, hopefully attracting more customers for his community’s produce.

According to Nodar, 30-40% of rural produce is wasted because people simply cannot reach the market. So, Nodar is planning to buy a small bus or a minivan that will allow him and other producers to deliver and sell their products in Tbilisi. He is also thinking of setting up some kind of regional hub, where farmers can bring their produce, do the packaging, and, maybe, storing.

Last year Nodar’s work was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgia. The Governor of the Dusheti district informed the Ministry about Nodar’s farming endeavor. As a result, Nodar was given the “Young Farmer of the Year” award. This has become an additional motivatior for Nodar.

One of the statements that was repeated by various delegates at the “#GCARD3 Regional Consultation for Central Asia and the Caucasus” and unanimously agreed on, is that food security efforts should be made more inclusive for women, young farmers, and vulnerable groups. The work Nodar does within his village shows that those groups are not “beneficiaries”, but often vibrant and active communities.
So, the next time you think of a farmer, think of young, motivated, energetic and inspired young people who can and do make a change. People like Nodar.

PS: Nodar Tokhosashvili was one of the YPARD members nominated to attend the GCARD3 Central Asia regional consultations.

Ed: Best of luck, Nodar, we are proud and honored to have you with us, in our #GCARD3 social reporters team in Bishkek!
 

Blogpost by Jarkyn Samanchina

Picture courtesy of Nodar Tokhosashvili

This post originally appeared on the GFAR blog

Apply: Mercy Corp Reports and Editing Internship 2016 in Nigeria ($1,500 stipend/month and fully funded)

The Humanitarian portfolio covers the emergency response to the needs of conflict affected populations in north east Nigeria and we operate across three states with funding sources (including but not limited to O.F.D.A., F.F.P., E.C.H.O. and the E.U.,) with multi-sector interventions in food security, livelihoods, protection, W.A.S.H. among others. You be expected to engage in the development and editing of reports and learning documents.

Our portfolio covers work across the middle belt of Nigeria and is looking to expand into the Northeast. Historically our portfolio has focused on cross-communal conflicts emerging from lack of institutional arraignments to manage the limited resources across the region. Our conflict programs are funded by the British Government, USAID, Department of State and foundations.

Internship Title: Nigeria – Reports and Editing Intern

Intern Worksite Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Dates of Internship:  01 April 2016 to 30 September 2016

Length of Internship:  6 months

Intern Responsibilities

• Intern will remain responsible for all costs associated with:
• Medical Insurance
• Any additional costs associated with internship

Worth

• $1500 stipend/month
• ISOS Coverage
• Visa reimbursement
• Travel
• Accommodations

Deadline: Ongoing

Click here to apply

World Summit Youth Award 2016 for Young Social Entrepreneurs around the World

The world summit youth Award (WSYA) contest is a competition for young (below the age of 30) digital innovators who address with their digital content and applications the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The world summit award looks for digital applications that have a strong impact on society in one of the 8 WSA categories.

Worth

• Involvement in pitching seminars
• The opportunity to attend an award ceremony
• A project exhibition booth that allows for dialogue about your idea Accomodation and meals
• Accommodation and meals
• The possibility of travel grants
• The opportunity to network with international recognized digital content developers
• Access to the WSA community of global experts and industry leaders from over 178 countries

Eligibility

• WSA is open to many company, organisation or individual in the content industry in any UN and UNESCO member state
• WSYA is restricted to digital innovation initiated and executed by young people under the age of 30 (born on or January 1, 1986) from any of the UN and UNESCO member states

Deadline: July 31, 2016

Click here to apply

Position of Programme Assistant in CIA-GED, Akure-Nigeria.

Background:

Centre for Inclusive Agriculture and Gender Development (CIA-GED) focuses on facilitating towards reduction of bottlenecks in agriculture with attention on the health status of farmers in rural areas, CIA-GED educates, engages and empowers value chain actors based in the rural areas in Nigeria. CIA-GED seeks to work towards improvement of the livelihood of  small business owners particularly, businesses related to agriculture and based in rural area with concept of inclusivity. CIA-GED mainstreams gender equity in their activities and collaborate with relevant organizations looking into inclusive business development approaches for smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Therefore CIA-GED, through action-research with farming households, is particularly interested to follow up on how women involved in agriculture are negatively impacted due to reproductive activities and the need to support women with innovative technologies and labour saving tools that will serve as supporting structures for women in agriculture. CIA-GED works with traditional birth attendants and also on harmful traditional practices, especially issues related to female genital mutilation (FGM)

Job Description:

– The Programme Assistant is responsible for assisting the Programme Director in day to day administration of the NGO and setting strategy and intervention model of activities in the field.

– S/he will be involved in inclusive commodity specific value chains driven by smallholder farmers and their respective private off-taker partners and activities around gender mainstreaming, reproductive health and female genital mutilation (FGM) and activities with traditional birth attendants (TBAs)

Position and duty station:

The programme assistant’s position will be based in Akure, Ondo State and the position requires intensive travels (minimum 50-60% of the time) to the field, interacting with value chain actors inclusive of women and youths.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of BSc/HND (agriculture related course or public health preferably)
• Relevant volunteering experience in agribusiness related discipline or experience in health related issues will count. OND/NCE with over 5 years of field experience can also apply.
• Ability to communicate effectively and in a participatory way with stakeholders of diverse interests and at all levels (from farmers to high-level officials)
• Ability to write quality documents in English (international standards)
• Good knowledge of office tools (Microsoft word, excel and PowerPoint is a must)
• Fluent in Yoruba and English (Hausa an added advantage)

Application Guidelines

If you are interested in applying for this position, kindly send your applications in English in the form of an email, indicating clearly the target position in the subject line of the email, and including as separate attachments a cover letter and a CV. The email should be sent toccentre4inclusiveagric_gender@yahoo.com

Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.  Females are strongly encouraged to apply.

Deadline: Ongoing

Credit: YouthhubAfrica

Traders' Association Faults Agric Sector Budget

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has described as ridiculous the N76,753,672,273 proposed budgetary allocation for the agriculture sector. X-raying the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, President of the Association, Ken Ukaoha, said the percentage for agriculture is a meagre 1.26 per cent, a far cry from the 2003 AU-Maputo Declaration, which requires countries to allocate at least 10 per cent of an annual budget to agriculture.

Ukaoha said that over the years, the body language of successive governments have suggested Nigeria signed the agreement alongside other countries as a face saving measure. He said the yearly appropriation to the sector, since 2011 to 2016, indicated 1.8, 1.6, 1.7, 1.4, 0.9 and 1.25 percentages. This, he said, is a far cry from what smaller countries in Africa are budgeting for the sector.

Comparing Nigeria's agriculture budget with that of other developing countries, he said Malawi has overshot the Maputo agreement and has reached close to 27 per cent; Zambia, Burundi and Mali - 10 per cent; Niger - 13 per cent; Sierra Leone - close to 3 per cent; and Nigeria - down the ladder with 1.25 per cent.

Ukaoha disclosed that 36.54 per cent (N28,052,924,405) is planned for personnel costs; 2.21 per cent (N1,699,622,233) proposed for overheads; and 61.23 per cent (N47,001,125,634) for capital expenditure, saying this means: the share for agriculture as a percentage of the total capital budget is just 2.54 per cent, while the bulk of the money would be spent on administration and personnel. According to Ukaoha, this is not likely to ensure food security.

He, however, said the present administration deserves commendation for its determination to reduce overheads, personnel costs and other service wide votes by 7, 8 and 19 per cent, respectively.


Source: The Guardian

Kenyans Reacquire an Old Taste: Eating Healthier

A field of maize in Malawi.Credit Mike Hutchings/Reuters

In the 1950s and ’60s, governments in Africa and Asia started subsidizing the production of staple crops like rice and corn because it was the fastest way to fill bellies and reduce starvation in those regions. Today, needs have changed: The problem is no longer chronic hunger but malnutrition, and the solution is not more calories, but better calories.

It’s a crucial difference. A diet of corn or rice may keep a person alive, but can result in myriad health issues from night-blindness to severe anemia. For decades, however, governments, agriculture companies and development organizations have focused so heavily on staple crop production that Africa and South Asia are now growing too much corn (or maize, as it’s widely known abroad) and rice, says Prabhu Pingali, director of the Tata-Cornell Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative at Cornell University. Most of the surpluses are used for animal feed, in some cases to drive the growth of industrial animal production.

These starchy foods are not only insufficient to combat malnutrition; they have also displaced crops that are more nutrient-rich but harder to produce. And while governments have undertaken significant efforts, particularly since the global food crisis of 2008, to control prices for staple crops, they have made little effort to support the production or affordability of more nutritious foods, says Pingali. (See his critique of food policies as published in a June 2015 report in the journal Food Security. At the site, click on “Look Inside.”)

Consider lentils, or dal, in India, a legume that is rich in protein, fiber and key nutrients. “For decades, dal prices were rising relative to rice prices, but nobody said anything about it,” said Pingali. “It’s only now that people are saying: ‘Wait a minute. We need dal as much as we need rice. Where’s our dal strategy?’”

Governments around the world have long failed to promote the production or availability of a wide range of legumes, vegetables or fruits; in fact, just about every food other than corn, wheat or rice has been neglected. “Like in many other countries, when you talk about food security, Kenyans are talking about how many bags of maize we have,” said Mary Abukutsa-Onyango, a horticultural researcher at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology near Nairobi. She has a story to tell about how to start turning things around.

Ten years ago, vegetables that had been introduced during colonial times, mainly cabbage, collard greens and kale (sukuma wiki in Swahili), were standard fare in many parts of Kenya, particularly urban areas. Indigenous greens like African nightshade, jute mallow and spider plant had become associated with poverty, and many Kenyans chose not to eat them despite their greater nutritional value.

Abukutsa has published more than a dozen studies documenting the robust health benefits of the traditional vegetables, which are high in vitamin A, iron, zinc and other micronutrients often lacking in local diets. Moreover, she began working to encourage restaurants and supermarkets to serve or carry these vegetables; she and her students took field trips to help farmers grow them; and she helped to develop and publish recipes to make them more appealing and approachable, since preparation for some of the greens can be rather involved, and some traditional cooking knowledge had become less widespread as the vegetables’ popularity declined. Then she circulated her findings to other researchers, to get them interested in these nutritional powerhouses.

Today, restaurants throughout Nairobi serve greens like African nightshade to packed lunch crowds and supermarkets sell out of them while kale wilts on the shelf, a sign that the traditional vegetables have been taking over the exotic varieties. More farmers are growing the indigenous greens, and in the most convincing sign of increasing commercial interest, seed companies are breeding them.

Abukutsa has also worked to include the study and breeding of indigenous vegetables in university curriculums, because she knows that horticulture students often go on to become agriculture extension officers, the key source of farming advice for farmers around the country. Five universities now include the cultivation of indigenous fruits and vegetables in their syllabuses, she said. While the obvious goal was to ensure that knowledge about indigenous crops trickled down to farmers, there has also been a potentially more powerful result: The insights that drive these efforts have been trickling up as well, and are making their way into national policy.

Historically, Kenya’s ministries of health and agriculture have operated in isolation from one another, but in 2012, they decided to collaborate on a new agricultural policy that emphasizes more diverse, underutilized and nutrient-dense crops, Abukutsa explained. “The policy we had before had been focusing more on commercial crops for export and staples,” she said. “We needed a policy specifically addressing nutrition — not just talking about production.”

The government’s policy proposal has not been published yet because the draft text is not yet in final shape. But when it is, Abukutsa expects that it, like policy declarations before it, will affect the type of training available to farmers through the government’s extension program and perhaps the types of crops for which research is funded.

“The new policy will ensure that when we talk about food security, we are not just talking about maize — that we are talking about all that is available,” she said. The resurgence in popularity of indigenous vegetables is too recent to show an impact on national health statistics, but Abukutsa is confident it will lead to improvement, especially in relation to malnutrition and degenerative diseases. She’ll be tracking the results.

Elsewhere, the Taiwan-based World Vegetable Center has been breeding varieties of indigenous vegetables around the world, although its communications director, Maureen Mecozzi, said the work remains an uphill battle. “Although many countries now recognize the need to encourage production of a more diverse set of crops, developing the policies, funding the research, and building the infrastructure to support that diversity is a big challenge,” she said.Other groups too are working to breed and improve the quality of indigenous crops in Kenya and around the globe. The Nairobi-based World Agroforestry Center has been leading a campaign to breed and conserve threatened varieties of indigenous fruits such as baobab, bush mango and African plum. It has a team working with small-scale farmers in Cameroon and other parts of Africa to domesticate fruit trees that have always grown in the wild. Largely because of deforestation, the fate of these trees in the wild is uncertain, so domestication may not only preserve them, it may also lead to the development of varieties of trees that will be more nutritious and resilient.

So far, there has been no research from which to quantify the changes in Kenyans’ consumption of indigenous fruits and vegetables, the impact of those crops on the nutritional status and overall health of populations. But researchers who work globally, like Pingali, and locally, like Abukutsa, are confident that the only path that makes sense is focusing more on vegetables and other nonstaple crops, whether they are indigenous or not.

“I’m now of the view that we’ve sort of beat the calorie problem,” said Pingali. “Even if you think towards 2050 horizons, we’ve got the tools and the mechanisms to support the demand for staple grains. Now, a lot of people will argue me on that. But I believe the same people who say we need to double the amount of rice, et cetera, should also be asked: Well, what about tomatoes? What about green beans?”

“As you think to the future and the demands for food in the future,” he said, “only focusing on staples puts us in this really funny situation of creating increased imbalance in our diets.”

Rachel Cernansky is a freelance journalist in Denver. She writes about agriculture, health, and the environment.

Credit: opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com