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THE NATION FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012
AGRO-BUSINESS STATE FOCUS
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•Awagu; Managing Director, 151 Products, Ugochukwu Nwabuisi and Economic Counselor, South African High Commission, Nick Coleman, at the briefing.
Expert decries pirates’attacks on shrimps trawlers P RICES of shrimps are likely to go up due to a decrease in supply caused by high fuel prices, and increased pirates attacks on fishing trawlers. The pirates robbed trawlers’ crew, equipment, and catches. Chairman, Atlantic Shrimpers Limited,Manjit Sadarangani, said in Lagos that high fuel prices are not only affecting fishermen’s livelihoods, but also reducing seafood production. Fuel costs, he said, makes up 70 per cent of the expenses of the nation’s offshore fishing fleet. Without government subsidies, he said, falling shrimp output would affect export. He stressed that rising fuel prices are a threat to nation’s
By Daniel Essiet
fishing. According to him, while the fishing companies absorbed the increased costs, it resulted in significant loss of income, reduced job security and problems in recruiting personnel. Without a proactive planning and policy, he said rising fuel prices can cause job losses and economic hardship. He explained that fuel consumption by the fisheries sector is concentrated at the fishing-vessel level and comprises a significant proportion of fishing vessel
costs. He said fishermen are scared to go out to sea as there is no protection for them. Many fishermen have lost millions of dollars and are finding it difficult to return to business. To address the effect of over fishing, he said his company is working on a N2.5billion shrimp farm project to be located in Lagos. The export-oriented project, he said,will earn the nation substantial foreign exchange and provide employment to many Nigerians. With the help of the Federal Government‘s Export Ex-
pansion Grant (EEG), he said the company’s exports grew from $7 million in 2001 to $35 million in 2011. So far, he said the company has invested N5billion in various infrastructural facilities. Nigerian shrimp exports to the United States are low because the American market prefers more labour intensive products including head-off and peeled shrimp. European markets, particularly in Portugal and Spain, do not require this additional processing, he added. He urged the government to work with the sector to build capacity to end pirate attacks. According to experts, the Nigerian Navy Patrol has been unable to police the waters to secure the shrimp fleets’safety.
NAFDAC endorses Lagos agric expo
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HE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has endorsed the Agric, Food and Beverage Expo to be held in Lagos. Jointly organised by 151 Products Limited, the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and the AIQ Capital Management Limited, the event will include presentation of “Agrik Awards” to deserving individuals, state governments, companies and agencies who have worked towards the advancement of agriculture in Nigeria and West Africa. President, NBCC, Thompson Awagu, said at a press
By Joseph Jibueze
conference that the exhibition, tagged Agrikexpo, will hold from August 27 to 29 this year at the Expo Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. On the award, he said: “We believe that at this time, the true national heroes are those who are working tirelessly to ensure food supply to the nation without the huge expenses on imports.” The expo, he said, aims at creating a business networking platform, attracting foreign direct investment, advancing food supply and encouraging intra-regional trade. Intending exporters and in-
vestors will also get acquainted with the regulatory environment at the fair, which the organisers said, is West Africa’s largest international exhibition for agricultural food crops, equipments, services, research and technology. “So far, the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture, under the able leadership of Dr Akinwumi Adesina, show a creative commitment to agricultural development and if the tempo is sustained, our agriculture will witness rejuvenation in the nearest future. “However, the wisdom is that the government cannot do it all alone. An incorpora-
tion of private sector initiatives into the solution strategy mix is a step in the right direction. “Hence, we use the opportunity to seek an active support and participation of government in our project in order to show the right signals to the investing public. “It is time to treat, showcase, and market agriculture as commercially profitable business rather than developmental project. We must come to terms with the reality of attracting foreign investors into the sector, in view of the fact of modern agricultural technology and huge investment requirement,” Awagu said.
Speaker urges farmers to repay agric loans
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HE Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ya’u GwajoGwajo, has advised beneficiaries of the state government’s N250 million interest-free agriculture loan to repay it. Gwajo-Gwajo gave the advice at a meeting of the state chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Katsina. He said the repayment became necessary to allow others to benefit from the gesture
for improved agricultural production. “Specifically, farmers who benefited from the loans should reciprocate the gesture by repaying the loans,” he said. He said the call became imperative in view of the fact that the repayment of the loans was not encouraging in the state, even as the farming season was around the corner. He urged farmers to regis-
ter and fill farmers’data forms now being processed in the state. He said the state government was committed to boosting agriculture, especially in the provision of fertiliser, improved seeds, insecticides, water pumps and payment of all counterpart funds on agriculture. The speaker said: “There is, therefore, need for all farmers to support the state government’s policies on ag-
riculture to boost the sector.” In his remarks, Alhaji Halilu Karofi, the state Chairman of Mechanised Farmers Association, said the body was making effort to ensure repayment of all loans given to its members. The state Secretary of AFAN, Alhaji Sani Danjari, expressed the readiness of the association to participate in the National Agriculture Show scheduled to hold in Kaduna State this year.
Where to invest in Ebonyi
GRICULTURE is a major industry in Ebonyi State. An estimated 85 per cent of the people are farmers. The state’s agricultural productivity is one of the highest in the country. The state is well known for its rice. The popular Abakaliki brand of rice is cultivated in the state. Other food crops grown in large quantities include yam, cassava, maize, cocoyam, cowpea and groundnut. Cash crops, such as oil palm, cashew, cocoa and rubber are cultivated. The presence of large arable land, rivers and streams has made farming very attractive. Fishing is also carried out on commercial scale, particularly along the Aboine River which crosses the northcentral parts of the state and Cross River. Livestock farming is also popular in Ebonyi. This includes the traditional rearing of animals such as goats, pigs, chicken, cows, horses and pets. There are cattle ranches in Onicha, Ohaozara and Ishielu council areas. On the whole, agricultural development in Ebonyi has benefitted from the wealth of successful sector-wide or commodity-based development strategies implemented within and outside the state. The state government has prioritised agriculture as a vehicle for pro-poor economic growth and greater rural food security. It supports the nation ’s efforts by enabling agricultureled development. Objectives include meeting the demand for food, supporting and facilitating access to strong markets, increasing incomes for the poor, and improving nutrition, especially for women and children. The government recognises that agricultural growth is more effective in reducing poverty than in any other sector. The policy goals are to revitalise operations and activities that contribute to sustainableeconomic growth and development; provide food security and nutrition; and increase farmers’ employment and income – all aimed at measurably reducing poverty. So far, the government’s programmes has provided farmers with new farming methods and seed rice. The state’s ministry of agriculture support farmers to cultivate rice to ensure self-sufficiency. At the core of its agenda is the transformation of small farmers agriculture into a sustainable, diversified, income-generating sector that is well integrated into markets – one in which commercial agriculture provides support and incentives to small farmers. To achieve this objective, its agriculture investment priorities include food and nutrition security; competitive value chains and market linkages; institutional development; and land and water development. In a marketdriven economy, a large share of the actual development of agriculture is carried out by the private sector through their involvement in different facets of production, processing, servicing and
trade.The government’s role in this regard is to provide the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive. The government wants private sector investments in palm oil and rice. It wants this facilitated through a broad range of institutional and marketing arrangements, which included a wide use of contract farming, in which companies provide farmers funding to expand their activities, price information and overall marketing services. The government believes rapid productivity gains in agriculture will lift thousands out of poverty.To this end,the government is taking a key role in the development process by providing infrastructure and handling directly selected economic activities and encouraging private investment in others. On the balance, the government is paying attention to the development of agriculture and rural areas, as a foundation for industrialisation and modernisation of the country. The government’s agricultural development programme is three pronged: Direct public participation through the establishment of agro based indus tries, tree crop plantations, irrigation and the provision of fertiliser and seeds; public participation in commercial private agricultural production, operated as joint ventures in large scale crop, livestock and fish farming with farmers and other private entrepreneurs, both local and foreign; and c. Smallholder agricultural production, in which government seeks to emphasise the role of the smallholder. The state has 11 officially gazetted forest reserves and many sacred grooves which pro tect the rich biodiversity in the state. The Akanto game reserve (with an area of about 450 hectares) is a protected area where endemic wildlife species are conserved. The state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has planted over 2,000 seedlings of teak at Effrum and Ovuum Ozizza reserve. It is also participating in the forest reserve study of the Federal Government aimed at developing a forestry management plan. The agricultural lands as well as the mineral resources of the state offer enormous potential for profitable investment by local and foreign interests. The rich agricultural potential provides raw materials base for traditional industries and crafts such as woodwork , food ,plastic, and detergent manufacture.
•Governor Martins Elechi