An All-Volunteer Squad Of Farmers Is Turning Florida Lawns Into Food

Rows of greens grow on the front yard of Gary Henderson's house. He's one of a handful of homeowners in Orlando, Fla., who've given up their lawn to Fleet Farming. Once "you realize that you can eat your lawn, I think it makes a whole lot of sense," Henderson says.

Catherine Welch/WMFE

In Florida, homeowners have a propensity for landscaping. They take great pride in the green carpet of grass in front of their homes. But one Florida man is working on a project that's turning his neighbors' lawns into working farms.

Chris Castro has an obsession — turning the perfectly manicured lawns in his Orlando neighborhood into mini-farms.

"The amount of interest in Orlando is incredibly surprising," Castro says.

Surprising because he's asking Floridians to hand over a good chunk of their precious yards to volunteers who plant gardens full of produce. His program is called Fleet Farming, and it's starting off small, with 10 of these yard farms. Most of them sit smack in the middle of the front yard.

Lawns are a thing here. Urban farms? Not so much. But so far, no neighbors have complained.

Fleet Farming volunteers Michele Bimbier, A.J. Azqeta and Blake Addington prepare freshly picked vegetables.

Catherine Welch/WMFE

"We've been lucky," Castro says.

Castro squeezes this project around his day job: He works on sustainability in the mayor's office. Castro's parents are palm tree farmers in south Florida, and he has a degree in environmental science — a background that's a perfect combination of his day job and side project. Thanks to his work in City Hall, he knows Orlando allows residents to farm on up to 60 percent of their yard.

Castro makes sure every garden is meticulously maintained — including homeowner Gary Henderson's.

"I just think that the whole idea of lawns, especially in a place like Florida, is absurd," says Henderson, standing amid rows of tomatoes, sweet lettuce, carrots and arugula growing smack in the middle of his front yard. Henderson donated the use of his yard about a year ago, after noticing other Fleet Farming gardens on his block.

"If you look across the street there, there's a garden," Henderson says as we stand outside in his yard. "That's my partner's daughter's house. I looked the other way, and there's one at the church, and [I] said, this might be something good to get involved with."

All of Fleet Farming's volunteers only ride bikes, going from garden to garden to harvest the produce. They were just at Henderson's garden.

"The Fleet people came in a swarm of bicycles," Castro says. "There were probably 15 people here, and they harvested lettuce and kale and arugula and, gosh, not even sure what else they had, Swiss chard."

Because the program is bike-powered, Castro keeps the yard gardens within a mile of the local farmers market, where Fleet Farming sells most of the produce.

Fleet Farming produce for sale at a farmers market in Orlando, Fla.

Catherine Welch/WMFE

When I visit the farmers market, Michele Bimbier is working the booth at the market, selling produce she and a few volunteers picked and washed just that morning. Lisa Delmonte saw Bimbier riding her bike to the market, and stopped by for some veggies. She's a fan for two reasons — the produce is local, and she says it tastes better than produce that's bumped around in the back of a delivery truck.

"I think the things that I buy at the grocery store — even the organic things at the grocery store — just don't have flavor," Delmonte says.

Along with sales at the farmers market, Castro sells kits to start Fleet Farming in other communities. There's a Fleet Farming program in Oakland, Calif., selling produce to local restaurants.

Among Fleet Farming's fans is Curtis Stone, a Canadian author and farmer who tours the U.S. spreading the gospel of urban farming. (He's got a farm in his yard.) He says Fleet Farming's patchwork of donated yards delivers more than local access to fresh produce.

"Land is often out of reach for many young people who want to get into agriculture," Stone says. "But if you eliminate that idea altogether, there really isn't a barrier to entry."

As he looks out over the rows of veggies growing in his front yard, homeowner Gary Henderson offers this advice to anyone thinking about replacing their lawn with a garden.

"You know, I would say give it a try," Henderson says. "And once you get to the point where you realize that you can eat your lawn, I think it makes a whole lot of sense."

And so do 300 other residents of central Florida. That's how many people are on Fleet Farming's waiting list, ready to eat their lawns instead of having to mow them.

Source: NPR

10 Leading Farms In Nigeria, Their Owners

Before the advent of crude oil, agriculture was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. Then, the country’s economy thrived; food was available and affordable. People, therefore, did not go hungry, except in extreme cases occasioned by a serious factor.

With the oil boom era, the country and its people shifted attention from agriculture to oil and gas. Subsequently, graduates of Agricultural Science, Soil Science, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics etc., looked for white-collar jobs in banks and other seemingly lucrative areas, including oil and gas. Little did people know that those who remained in agriculture would today be raking in millions and billions of naira, as their products now grace both local and international markets.

This gives an impeccable signal that agriculture is, perhaps, more viable than other sectors. Also, it is an indication that well planned investment in agriculture is not a futile effort. It suffices that some Nigerian farmers have successfully built some shining legacies that need to be emulated and replicated. Most of them, as observed, are politicians. In this edition, LEADERSHIP Friday brings to the fore Nigeria’s top ten biggest farmers.

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO (OBASANJO FARM)

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is not only a retired army officer, former head of state and politician, he is also a successful farmer. He owns Ota Farm, which is also called Obasanjo Farms. The large farm was formally opened on October 8, 1979, a week after Obasanjo handed over power to a civilian administration on October 1, 1979. At inception, the farm took off as Temperance Enterprises Limited (Farming Venture). It later became Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Obasanjo Farms indeed took off in grand style, indication that Nigeria’s former president meant serious business. This probably accounts for the growth, expansion, sustainability and consolidation witnessed in the evolution of the farm, considering how it started and where it is now.

The farm took off with two layer houses containing 100, 000 birds each and five broiler houses of  12,000 each, in addition to two feed mills of three tons per hour each. The large farm, which has up to 7,000 workers started with four bulldozer operators. Today, Obasanjo makes up to N34million daily from Ota Farm, which has branches in Ibadan and Igbo-Ora, Oyo State. This is no small earning for the former president whose farm has played a significant role in the development of agriculture and food production.

Obasanjo also uses the farm complex at the Agbe L’ Oba House, Ota, the Ogun State headquarters of the farm, to hold political and diplomatic meetings.

ABDULSALAMI ABUBABAKAR (MAIZUBE FARMS)

What makes General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) significant today in Nigeria and beyond is not just his successful military career or the fact that he willingly handed over power to a democratically elected government in 1999 to usher in the Fourth Republic. He has a stake in the Nigerian agricultural sector, being the owner of Maizube Farms Limited, which is helping to cater for the food needs of many Nigerians today.

Maizube Farms Limited is located at Km 26, Minna-Bida Road, Minna, Niger State, where General Abubakar is from. The 500-hectare multi-product farm has both livestock and crop sections and today, it is proudly one of the stable sources of crop and animal products upon which Nigerians depend for food and other uses.

Just as General Abubakar gives appreciable time to his peacekeeping mission across the African continent, so also does he give a great deal of time and attention to his Maizube Farms.

MURTALA NYAKO (SEBORE FARMS)

Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), the executive governor of Adamawa State may be more popular from the political perspective to many, but he is one of the most successful Nigerian farmers today.  Few know that he is the owner of Sebore Farms in Mayo-Belwa, Adamawa State.

Murtala Nyako was born at Mayo-Belwa, to Alhaji Hamman-Yero, a notable merchant and Hajiya Maryam Daso who was keen on Islamic studies and herbal medicine, on August 27, 1943.

Nyako was born a cattle owner, as his mother had been allocated some cows for her offspring before his birth. So he started what has snowballed into an integrated commercial farm today as a cattle farm. Even throughout his career, in the Navy and in politics, Nyako was never distracted from developing and expanding his coast in the agricultural sector, the result of which is his success story today.

He commenced a sustainable crossbreeding programme of his local cattle with exotic superior sires in 1990 with very satisfactory results. He also got involved in the production of horticultural crops and his first commercial export of muskmelons to Europe, using a chartered aircraft, took place in January 1990. Nyako owns the largest mango farm in Nigeria, leading to his being popularly known as Baba Mai Mangoro (BMM). Exotic mangoes from his mango orchard of 50, 000 trees were first exported to Europe in 1993. He is also presently involved in the modern production of dates, passion fruit and bananas, pasture development breeding of Boer goats and farming.

Nyako is the president of the Horticultural Crops Growers Association of Nigeria, the Practicing Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Apex Farmers Association of Nigeria. He is the patron of numerous farmers’ commodity associations in the country.

USMAN DANTATA Jr. (ANADARIYA FARMS)

The young and enterprising Usman Dantata Jr., who is married to Rukaiya Indimi, daughter of multi-billionaire Borno businessman Mohammed Indimi, is the president/CEO of Anadariya Farms. The large poultry farm, which is located in Tiga, Bebeji local government area of Kano State, was started by the late business sage of Kano, Alhaji Usman Sanusi Dantata of the Dantata dynasty, in the 1960s. Anadariya Farms thrived well in poultry produce. For instance, it was noted for exporting poultry birds and eggs to Saudi Arabia twice a week using a Boeing 747 plane.

However, after decades of activity, the farm experienced some challenges and stopped operations until recently, when Dantata Jr. came on board and injected viability into the large farm. The CEO came with refined vigour, to ensure the farm maintains a successful track record. He has a background in investment and banking and was a trader of various commodities in Europe before coming back to Nigeria. He also has a certificate in feed production and broiler management obtained in North Carolina. Suffice it to say that he had equipped himself with the necessary training before stepping into the business.

This wealth of experience and pool of relevant knowledge may have been the reason for his decision to expand the services and operations of the farm to include a hatchery, production of broilers and layers, the production of feeds and the processing and sale of poultry products. Anadariya Farms produces above 3, 000 broilers weekly. This is one of Nigeria’s most viable farms, with its growing, diverse agricultural activities.

SIR JOSEPH I.A ARUMEMI-IKHIDE (OJEMAI FARMS)

Another modern farm with high level of activity and making great impact within the nation’s agricultural space is Ojemai Farms Limited owned by Ojemai Holdings. The farm, which is located in Edo State and owned by Sir J.I.A.  Arumemi-Ikhide, the chairman of Arik Air, was established in 1984 with interest tilting towards livestock production. It took off as a local producer of pork and turkey meat. However, as years past by and business expanded in the farm, there was the need for expansion of scope of operations.

This led to new interest in production of broiler, catfish, fish fingerling and other forms of animal produce. The farm has grown to become one of the biggest farms in Nigeria and one of the nation’s prides in the agricultural sector.

ARINZE ONEBUNNE (JOVANA FARMS)

Prince Arinze Onebunne is the successful managing consultant and CEO of Jovana Farms, located in Mushin, Lagos. Onebunne specialises in the farming of animals such as grasscutters (greater cane rats), rabbits, quail, antelope, guinea pigs and fish, and so on. His high profile level of animal farming has taken him to over 30 states in Nigeria and to other countries as a seminar facilitator, advocate, training personnel and empowerment speaker.

The founder of Jovana Farms is also at the vanguard of modern fish and livestock farming in Nigeria, which is considered a fast growing and lucrative subsector of the nation’s economy today. With his vast experience and engagement in training and mentoring prospective animal farmers, he earns millions of naira not only from sales of animal products, but also from consultancy charges. Onebunne also carries out feasibility research, site survey and farm construction projects, as part of his professional services.

DR OLATUNDE AGBATO (ANIMAL CARE SERVICES KONSULT)

Dr Olatunde Agbato, a veterinary doctor, is the founder and president/CEO of Animal Care Services Konsult. Agbato, a graduate of the University of Ibadan (UI), became a viable player in the agricultural sector with the establishment of the company known commonly by its shortened name, Animal Care. The company has interests in commercial poultry production, commercial livestock feed milling, aquaculture, manufacturing, and procurement and distribution of animal health products. The company also undertakes provision of expert services for people with interest in animal farming, but who lack the know-how.

Animal Care was founded in 1979 and is located in Ogere Remo, Ogun State. The company concentrates majorly on poultry and veterinary services. It has continued to grow and has a subsidiary called Funtuna Farms, which is a poultry farming operation unit. Furthermore, it has a fish farm operation unit.

Agbato has over the years distinguished himself as a veterinary doctor cum farmer. He is a fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria; fellow, Farm Management Association of Nigeria; member, International Egg Commission, and has received many awards of recognition. Agbato is, indeed, one of the farmers who have sown under the sun and can now reap their harvests.

ABDULLAHI ADAMU (NAGARI INTEGRATED DAIRY FARM)

Nagari Integrated Dairy is one of the farms currently being operated in the country on a commercial level. It is reputed to be one of the largest single integrated dairy farms in Africa. It covers 1,200 hectares of land and has 7,000 Holstein cattle. In view of the quality of the products it churns out, the claim that it is among the top suppliers of high quality farm and dairy products in Africa is justified.

Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State and now a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is the man behind Nagari Integrated Dairy Farm. Although his fame on the political scene has overshadowed his agricultural exploits, Abdullahi can be described as an accomplished farmer. The success story of Nagari Integrated Farm is the result of the enterprising nature of this farmer, lawyer, engineer, technocrat and consummate politician.

Over the years, Nagari Integrated Dairy has invested in research and development, and in state-of-the-art dairy farming technology. The company has developed its own proprietary dairy farming expertise and methodologies. This has made it a benchmark for the efficient production of high quality dairy products.

ALHAJI WAHAB IYANDA FOLAWIYO (FOLAWIYO FARMS LIMITED)

Folawiyo Farms Limited, located on Yinka Folawiyo Avenue, Apapa, Lagos, was incorporated on October 4, 1985. It carries out integrated agricultural production, with branches in several states in Nigeria. It is owned by renowned business tycoon, philanthropist and the Baba Adinni of Nigeria, the late Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo.

In matters concerning agriculture, Folawiyo Farms stands tall in all aspects. They are into livestock farming, fish farming, flour milling, agro-chemical production and distribution, agricultural consultancy, development and engineering, production and supply of agro-pesticides, farm tools, fertiliser services, horticulture, and so on.

Folawiyo’s journey to greatness began back in 1957 when he founded Yinka Folawiyo and Sons Limited, an import and export business empire that includes holdings in shipping, banking, construction, agriculture and energy. It is therefore not out of proportion to say Folawiyo’s business concerns traverse the entire length and breadth of the Nigerian economic terrain.

PETER ADENIYI (ANU-OLUWA FARMS)

Mr Peter Adeniyi, perhaps, did not understand fully the fortunes he was sowing to harvest when he founded Anu-Oluwa Farms in Ibadan, the ancient capital city of Oyo State. The farm, which has special interest in poultry and egg production for the Nigerian market, has become one of the largest farms in Nigeria.

The farm also sells livestock feeds and materials, table eggs, day-old chicks, point of lays, fish and fish fingerlings and livestock vaccines. Adeniyi is one of the most successful farmers in Nigeria.

Source: LeadershipNGA

Making African agriculture achieve its potential

Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Nigerian President.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo argues that African agriculture needs innovation and the youth. 
Every year, thousands of young Africans migrate from their families’ small, often struggling farms in the countryside. Their dream — sometimes fulfilled, often not — is to find a more rewarding and stimulating life in the continent’s rapidly growing cities. Few return but even fewer ever completely sever their ties.
 
It’s a complicated connection and one I deeply understand. My own exodus to the city as a young man opened up lifetime opportunities that culminated in serving as president of Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy.  But not only did I retain my ties to agriculture, I have now returned to my roots.  I’m a farmer again — at Obasanjo Farms Limited — and I’ve never been happier. 
 
Working as a farmer once more has given me a better perspective on two of the biggest challenges facing Africa today: how do we provide employment opportunities to the millions of young Africans under 25 years of age so they can stay in the village and farm? And how do we put an end to the seemingly endless cycles of food crises that are, as I write, playing out again with dismaying familiarity in parts of eastern and southern Africa?
 

US$1 trillion food market

 
Fortunately, more and more Africans such as myself are seeing these issues as intertwined. We see agribusiness as Africa’s biggest opportunity to not only end hunger and malnutrition, but also as Africa’s best hope for generating income and employment, particularly in rural regions. The World Bank estimates that by 2030, demand for food in our rapidly growing urban areas will create a market for food products worth US$1 trillion. [1]This market needs to be owned and operated by African farmers, African agriculture businesses and African food companies.
 
But one thing is clear to me as I return to farming: to achieve its potential, African agriculture needs a fresh infusion of innovation and talent.
 
I have many fond memories of my childhood in a small farming settlement near Abeokuta, the capital of Nigeria´s Ogun State. By the age of five, I was accompanying my father to the fields where we grew cassava, maize, plantain, oil palm and other crops. My father, a proud Yoruba man, was considered the most successful farmer in our village. While living with few modern amenities, we grew plenty of food, and we enjoyed the cultural wealth of our Yoruba traditions and history.
 
Ultimately, this way of life was unable to withstand pressures that would soon intensify —population growth, political turmoil, land scarcity and soil degradation.
 

Agriculture: a calling and career

 
Today, African farmers need several resources that my father lacked but which farmers elsewhere in the world take for granted. We need improved crop varieties developed to resist diseases and tolerate drought. We need access to modern inputs, such as fertilisers. We need markets where farmers can profit from their labour and thus justify investments in improved production. We need affordable credits that all small businessesrequire, and extension services that help us keep abreast of sustainablefarming practices. 

The hope is that the prize and its cadre of winners will signal to the world that agriculture is a priority for Africa that all should embrace. It can call attention to the institutions and individuals who are inspiring and driving innovations that can be replicated across the continent. 
But ultimately we need people. Specifically, we need Africa’s best and brightest to embrace agriculture as a calling and a career.
 
Recently, I agreed to chair the selection committee for the new Africa Food Prize, an award that aims to recognise outstanding individuals or institutions taking control of Africa’s agriculture agenda. It started in 2005 in Oslo, Norway, as the Yara Prize in response to a call by Kofi Annan, then UN secretary-general, for a green revolution in agriculture. It was named after its sponsor, Yara International ASA Norway, an organisation that promotes sustainable agriculture and the environment.
 
By renaming it as Africa Food Prize and moving it to Africa, it has given the award a distinctive Africa flavour and ownership. This year, the award is also a substantial award: US$100,000 for the winner, higher than the previous US$60,000
 
I sometimes portray my return to farming as coming full circle. But in reality, while I cherish my childhood memories, I don’t want to return to the past. I want to be part of the future, where farming in Africa is a lucrative, exciting entrepreneurial pursuit and young people aspire to be farmers because they see talented men and women building a rewarding career in farming and farm-related work.
 
I hope that the Africa Food Prize quickly becomes a symbol of all that agriculture in Africa can offer and that one day soon, we will see a shift, when young people in urban areas will look longingly to the countryside and think: there lies the land of opportunity.
  
Olusegun Obasanjo is a former president of Nigeria
 
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.

Credit: www.scidev.net

How to produce fertilizer in your farm - Indian farmer By Ahmed Dio Agbo

The cost of fertilizer, among other farm inputs, is one of the major factors that lead to high cost of production incurred by crop farmers in Nigeria and some parts of the world.
This cost, which farmers across the country say is very high, invariably reduces their earnings as the prices at which farm produce are sold are not good enough to enable them break even.

How then can the farmers cut this cost even as the federal government has said that fertilizer subsidy will be removed?

Mr. Ashok Bharwani, an Indian fruits and vegetable farmer based in Kuje, Abuja, says farmers can reduce expenditure on fertilizer by about 50% or more by using biodigester to produce their own organic fertilizer on their farms.
“The biodigester converts cow dung and food wastes to liquid fertilizer which you apply to your crops and methane gas used in cooking,” Mr. Ashok told this reporter.
He said the fertilizer produced from the biodigester is enhanced by potassium and phosphorus to ensure high yield at low cost.
“All the farmer needs to do is to buy a biodigester which is in form of a bag and get it installed in the farm. Get your cow dung and food wastes which are neither scarce nor expensive, grind the wastes and feed into the biodigester and it will be converted to organic fertilizer and methane gas,” the farmer said.
He said a few farmers can come together and buy a biodigester at affordable price to produce fertilizer and share.
Mr. Bharwani, who grows musk melon, pawpaw, tomato and pepper in green house, said his crops have been flourishing with the application of organic fertilizer produced from a biodigester.
He said each stand of his Taiwan pawpaw variety produced between 80 and 100 fruits, adding that the pawpaw started fruiting at two months and could be harvested in seven months.
He said he supplies his musk melon and other produce to customers in Abuja at reasonable prices.
“We get good yield and make good sales as well. Farmers should try to produce their own fertilizers so as to make gain,” he advised.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/agriculture/how-to-produce-fertilizer-in-your-farm-indian-farmer/148380.html?platform=hootsuite#Y5iVTE7I1wr5BEPJ.99

Making Kebbi A Hub Of Rice Farming by Sarki

When Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu came to power in May  last year under the platform of APC, he acknowledged in his swearing in and budget speeches that agriculture will be a major priority of his new administration—that he will create wealth, provide employment and fight poverty through genuine agricultural policies and programmes.

Bagudu allocated the sum of 12.5 billion naira to the agric sector, thus becoming the third sector with highest allocation after education and works sectors.   Although he came at a time when the economy of the state was in a shambles and famers of the state experienced serious devastating floods which washed away most of their farm produce and communities , the governor started by releasing billions of naira to rehabilitate the farmers and cushioned the effects of the flood as well as providing improved seeds and fertilizer to the farmers.

Having done that ,  Governor Bagudu identified the need for his government to collaborate with farmers’ associations and groups like the All Famers Association of Nigeria ( AFAAN), Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAAN), Wheat Farmers’ Association of Nigeria and a host of others. He has also been engaging with farmers one on one through personal visits to their farms in order to find out for himself the reality on the ground. Apart from that farmers associations like AFAAN , RIFAAN were mobilised by the governor to hold town hall meetings with farmers in order to brainstorm on the way forward towards achieving agricultural development .

Sensing that Kebbi State has great  opportunity and potential in rice production because over 60% of farmers in the state are rice farmers, Governor Bagudu set the ball rolling in agricultural production, particularly rice farming in the state.

Perhaps this may be the reason why President Muhammadu Buhari was in Kebbi last year to flag off the 2015/2016 Dry Season Rice and Wheat Farming as well as to declare the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ programme which is a financing model for small holder farmers in the state. The president has no doubt in wanting to diversify the economy through agriculture using Kebbi as a model. The Anchor Borrower programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria was initiated to develop rice production in the country with Kebbi State as starting point and model. It provided a platform for a tripartite collaboration between rice farmers, millers as up -takers and commercial banks .Under the programme, CBN provide loans to the farmers which will be accessed through commercial banks and rice processors such as LABANA, UMZA and POPOLA foods which will mop up the entire farmer production. Kebbi’s promising potential in agriculture, especially rice farming, attracted President Buhari’s attention to use Kebbi as a model of his administration agricultural policy and economic diversification agenda largely because the international or global oil market is no linger dependable.

The President did not waste time in highlighting the importance of agriculture to the economy of Nigeria and the urgent need to diversify the economy through agricultural production.

“ The importance of agriculture to the economy cannot be over emphasised, economic diversification is the only way to prosperity, so go back to the land and develop agriculture because the era of depending on oil is over “, he said.

Buhari commended Kebbi for taking the lead in the project and its effort in revival of rice and wheat production .

In his remarks, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele  said the programme was designed to create economic linkages between farmers and processors, not only to ensure agricultural output of rice and wheat but also close the gap between production and consumption. According to him,  the CBN has set aside 40 billion naira under the programme, out of the 220 billion naira micro, small and medium enterprise fund for farmers at single digit interest rate of maximum 9%.

The CBN boss further explained that over 200,000  rice and wheat farmers will benefit from the scheme ranging from 150, 000 naira to 250,000 naira and to assist in procuring necessary agricultural input. The CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme, according to Mr Emefiele, which kicked started in Kebbi was also targeting to change Nigeria from a major importing country to a major exporting country as well as provide food security for the nation.

Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu earlier in his speech at the occasion, commended CBN for the programme and assured that the state has the capacity and potential to produce rice and wheat  for both domestic and external consumption. He announced that Kebbi farmers can produce one million tones of rice annually to help the county in its march towards self sufficiency in food production.

Kebbi State has demonstrated full commitment in helping farmers to achieve maximum production of food especially rice. During the current production season (2015/2016), Kebbi State Government has committed 3.5 billion naira to support rice production targeting 100,000 farmers.

Each participating farmer is supported with a loan facility to the tune of 210,000 naira to cultivate rice in one hectare, the loan proceeds will be used by farmers to procure recommended inputs and manual labour. Governor Abubakar Bagudu has  indeed demonstrated both the political and financial will in supporting farmers through the programme.

~Leadership Newspaper

Enugu govt apportions land for commercial farming

Mr Michael Eneh, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, said on Monday that the Enugu State Government has allocated 750 hectares of arable land for commercial agriculture programme for youths and women in the state.
The commissioner made the disclosure in an interview with NAN on Monday in Enugu.
According to him, “contracts have been awarded by the state government for the clearing of a total of 750 hectares of land for commercial agriculture in the state.
“On completion, the land will be segmented into three-hectare plots for allocation to youths and women to undertake commercial food cultivation.”
He listed the communities to include Ogbeke – 50 hectares; Oduma – 50 hectares; Ogulogu – 100 hectares; Akpugo-Eze – 50; Owo – 50 hectares and Nnewe – 100 hectares.
Others are Ikem – 50 hectares; Agkuibeje – 50 hectares; Oghu – 50 hectares; Eha Amufu – 100 hectares; Obimo – 50 hectares and Amangunze – 50 hectares.
Eneh also disclosed that the state government had purchased 20 tractors with complete sets of implements for each of the tractors at the total cost of N175.3 million.
“The tractors are to be given to young agricultural/engineering graduates to render tractor hiring services to farmers, especially those farmers at the green cities (arable planting areas), where commercial agriculture is being practiced, on a cost recovery basis for sustainability.
“The beneficiaries will be required to pay back the subsidised cost of the tractors and its implements over a period of six years,” he added.


~ PM News

FG Plans New N750bn Agric Funds

The minister of State, Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, has said the federal government is planning to create N750 billion agricultural funds in the enhancement of agriculture development in the country.

He stated this at the annual poultry summit held yesterday in Lagos.

Lokpobiri said, the government will be coming out with the fund in order to finance different sector, saying this will go a long way in the progress of agriculture in the country.

“In addition to that, federal government is also talking with Islamic bank and they have approach us to  provide about N494 billion ($2.5 million), which to be rooted through Bank of Agriculture and Commerce Banks and to be access in a single digit rate  to finance different agriculture programme.  We are also talking with Africa Development Bank for funding for agriculture sector,” he said.

He added that the government is very interested in boosting the agricultural sector, saying “the Ministry of Agric is trying to make credit not only accessible but available and affordable at a single digit.”

The Minister said, the present Commerce Bank’s interest rate is on a high side and businesses cannot survive with such interest rate, saying that already there exist some funding from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that even the poultry farmers can access at an affordable interest rate of nine per cent but the contention is that at nine per cent is still high for agric businesses.

Also, the president of Poultry Association of Nigeria Dr Ayoola Oduntan said that the contribution of Poultry to the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) and the Nigeria economy is great. This is a sub-sector that contributes over 25 per cent of the AGDP of the economy with an annual turnover of over N800 billion.

He lamented that the last 16 months have been the most challenging period for the Nigerian poultry industry with the outbreak of Avian Influenza which occurred in January 2015 and have been ravaging the industry since then.

Credit: Leadership Newspaper

This is the reason why Nigerians are paying more for tomatoes

The Dangote Farms Tomato Processing Factory announced that it has halted operations in its $20 million tomato paste facility due to a scarcity of tomatoes, barely two months after beginning operations. This announcement comes as a surprise to many that believed Dangote was the reason for the tomatoes shortage plaguing Nigeria. The tomato plant was anticipated to help reduce wastage of the fruit in the country and to also minimise the amount of imported tomato pastes in the Nigerian market. According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria produces about 1.5 million tons of tomatoes a year, but over 900,000 tons is lost to rot.

Nigerians have been severely affected by the scarcity of tomatoes, which is a key ingredient in most of the delicacies prepared in this part of the continent. The price of the fruit has increased by 400 percent; Nigerians now pay around 200 Naira for the same quantity of tomatoes which was sold at 50 Naira few months ago. But while there have been different rumours concerning the tomato scarcity, the real reason for the scarcity is a devastating pest attack which has affected this year’s harvest. A pest known as Tuta absoluta has reportedly affected tomato farms in Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Plateau states.

Tuta absoluta attack
Tuta absoluta is also known by the common name tomato leafminer or the South American tomato moth
and has been spreading rapidly across the world from South America, where it was first discovered. It has the ability to destroy a whole tomato farm within 48 hours and is also very difficult to control as it has a high mutation capacity with the ability to develop a resistance to insecticides. Around this time last year, farmers in some parts of Nigeria recorded losses as a result of this same pest attack but the consequences of this attack weren’t reflected in the price of the commodity because the demand for the crop wasn’t as high as it is now.
If the Nigerian government does not treat this as a matter of urgency it can take years to recover from the attack. It took Sudan about three years to recover from a similar attack in 2010. This plague could also dampen the export of fruits and vegetables.

Quick facts about the tomatoes industry in Nigeria

Nigeria is the 14th largest producer of tomatoes in the world.
It is the largest producer of tomatoes in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is the eighth largest importer of tomato paste in the world after Iraq and Japan.
The country has a significant demand for processed tomatoes but almost half of the tomato pastes found in its markets have been imported from China and Italy.
Last year, the Director General and CEO of the Raw Material and Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim, revealed that Nigeria spends about $1.5 billion annually on tomato product-importation from China and other parts of the world.
Erisco tomato paste known as Nagiko is the first tomato paste to be made in Nigeria.

Credit:Ventures

Overlook the proposed subsidy strike action by NLC and TUC

1. For the records, I do NOT support any strike action, mobilized by NLC and its allies.

Why?

i. In this hard time, some people CANNOT survive without daily income. Why should I deprive them, of their right to DAILY survival?

ii. Personally, I feel the NLC and TUC, not forgetting ASUU have been too docile and tractable. Whatever, they want to do now, is medicine after death!

2. No doubt, deregulation of the downstream sector is the way to go. My pain however, is that this ought to have been done since 2012, but for politics... Since it is removed, the rest is history!

The argument of the government and its foot soldiers however, that the minimum wage will be jacked up, is NOT tenable. It is mischievous and misleading.

Why?

I. Majority of Nigerians are not salary earners. With a paltry 89,000 civil servants population already consuming over 600 billion naira salaries annually with little or no productivity to show for it, what will be the fate of over 170 million other Nigerians, who are with private firms, self-employed or unemployed? Will the private firms, also increase salaries to reflect the reality on ground?

ii. Will transport operators understand that it is ONLY the government staff whose salaries have been increased? Don't forget that it is only in Nigeria that things go up, but never come down.

iii. What about the farmers, the market women and students, whose mum is a fish seller? Who will defend their rights to higher income? Oh! They could as well, increase the cost of their services. Okay!

iv. What is the impact of the social inclusiveness, proposed by the government prior to the elections? The government should be reminded that those that voted them into power, were the unemployed, underemployed, farmers, artisans, etc who wanted change at all cost; and not the civil servants and or public servants.

It is therefore deceitful, for a democratically elected government, to bamboos us with salary increments. This will only make less than 3% of the entire population, smile to bank; leaving the rest of us deprived from the benefits, CAPITAL PROJECTS could provide.

But what can we do, in my FANTASTIC country, where the more you look, is the less you see.

Whatever the government would propose at this time, should trickle down to the bottom of the pyramid, because that's where the pains are felt most.

Twitter: @ayo116
Ayoola116@gmail.com
www.adeniyiayoola.blogspot.com

Why many CEOs are tall people? The height of the matter, By Bisi Daniels

It sounds absurd, but studies continue to tell us that people have a more positive reaction to people who are tall. There are many empty tall people around town but that does not change the penchant of associating height with the quality of mind and strength.

Could this have a Biblical origin? Indeed the Bible describes King Saul as “taller than any of the people.” As a result, he just looked like a leader to Samuel and others.

Tall King Saul

Even though God later rejected Saul as king, Prophet Samuel repeated the wrong perception. When God led Samuel to select a new king, the prophet continued to focus on appearances. But God told him, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”

Centuries later, this association has not changed. A survey of Fortune 500 CEO height revealed that they were on average 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall, which is approximately 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) taller than the average American man.

About 30 per cent were 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall or more; in comparison only 3.9 per cent of the overall United States population is of this height. Similar surveys have uncovered that less than 3 per cent of CEOs were below 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) in height. Ninety percent of CEOs are of above average height.

Strange! The insinuation of this study and others to be cited later is strange, and ordinarily sounds stupid. Many criminals are tall and huge people, cashing in on their physical advantage.

Shorter men

Besides, shorter men have been found to have the following advantages: Shorter people of the same proportion as taller people have many advantages based on the laws of physics, and these advantages are supported by many researchers.

World footballer of the year, Lionel Messi, is short, faster on the ball, more stable and hardly falls from clumsy tackles.

Studies have observed that shorter people have faster reaction times, greater ability to accelerate body movements, stronger muscles in proportion to body weight, greater endurance, and the ability to rotate the body faster. They are also less likely to break bones in falling.

As a consequence of these physical attributes, shorter people can excel as gymnasts, divers, skiers, martial artists, rock climbers, figure skaters, rodeo riders, soccer players and long distance runners. Within their weight classes they are excellent wrestlers, boxers, and weight lifters.

Unconscious prejudice

Despite all that, study upon study, observe the height advantage in the choice of candidates for top positions. Malcolm Gladwell, calls it some kind of “unconscious prejudice.” That is prejudice that we have that we aren’t aware of, that affects the kinds of impressions and conclusions that we reach automatically, without thinking.

May be! We tend to rate taller things better. Taller people on the whole are seen as more attractive and more persuasive; tall buildings and high mountains are somehow better than the lower ones nearby. Even language reinforces this prejudice. We talk about the upper class, people in high office, moving up the career ladder, and so on.

An inch of height is worth $789

Gladwell, bestselling author and speaker, says “most of us, in ways that we are not entirely aware of, automatically associate leadership ability with imposing physical stature.

We have a sense, in our minds, of what a leader is supposed to look like, and that stereotype is so powerful that when someone fits it, we simply become blind to other considerations.

And this isn’t confined to the corporate suite. Not long ago, researchers went back and analyzed the data from four large research studies that had followed thousands of people from birth to adulthood, and calculated that when corrected for variables like age and gender and weight, an inch of height is worth $789 a year in salary.

That means that a person who is six feet tall, but who is otherwise identical to someone who is five foot five, will make on average $5,525 more per year.

As Timothy Judge, one of the authors of the study, points out: “If you take this over the course of a 30-year career and compound it, we’re talking about a tall person enjoying literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of earnings advantage.”

Correlation between height and IQ

The issue is however taking a more serious dimension with recent studies showing some association between tall people and smart people. A new study from the University of Edinburgh finds the short people may not measure up to their taller peers intellectually.

Previous studies had identified a genetic correlation between height and IQ using twins and family members, but this study was the first to test the connection using DNA markers in unrelated people, study author Riccardo Marioni said.

Researchers analyzed genetic data on 6,815 men and women collected by the Scottish Family Health Study between 2006 and 2011.

“We tested whether DNA-based genetic similarities among people related to their similarities in height and intelligence,” Marioni said.

“What we found was a small association between height and intelligence such that people who are taller tend to be smarter.”

While the genetic correlation between being tall and being smart was “moderate,” study authors wrote, people who have both traits share common genetic variants.

Appearances are often deceptive

In conclusion, despite the flurry of suggestions linking height with superiority, I am yet to see a compelling evidence to shred the suggestion that the taller the better he is. The saying that appearances could be deceptive is a timeless caution that is yet to be trashed by new studies.

The brain of physicist Albert Einstein was removed within seven and a half hours of his death. It attracted attention because of Einstein’s reputation as one of the foremost geniuses of the 20th century. But at 5 feet, 7 inches, he was not strikingly tall. Einstein, a German-born theoretical physicist, developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. Einstein’s work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science.

We all seem to get fooled to focus on appearances, on how things look on the surface, and influenced by what seems to be true. How wrong we often get.


Source: Premium Times