Agriculture
Agriculture Is A Catalyst For Industrial Growth – ITF D-G
The Industrial Training
Fund (ITF) said last Monday that agriculture is a catalyst for industrial growth and that the poultry sub-sector has the greatest potential.
The IFT Director-General, Prof. Longmas Wapmuk, said this at the inauguration of the capacity building programme for clusters of poultry farmers in Plateau.
According to him, the poultry industry alone contributes about 25 per cent of the agricultural GDP with an estimated N512 billion commercial production N320 family rural production as at 2011.
He said:“Perhaps more than any sub-sector, the poultry industry holds the greatest potential.
“With an estimated commercial production at N512 billion and family rural production of N320 billion as at 2011, poultry has become a gold mine.
“The poultry industry alone contributes about 25 per cent of the agricultural GDP.”
Wapmuk said that this include 553,000 tonnes of eggs and 708,000 tonnes of broiler meat as at the same period.
“Nigeria Agribusiness in 2011 predicted that due to rising living standards and population, there will be an increase of about 23 per cent growth in the industry between now and 2015.
“The mandate of the ITF is to encourage acquisition of skills in various sectors of the economy; that is why it is organising training with the Poultry Association of Nigeria.”
Wapmuk said that the ITF mandate was designed to create a pool of trained manpower to meet the needs of the Nigerian economy.
He said that a study conducted in conjunction with the UNIDO in 2013, revealed that there was an acute shortage of skills in the agriculture sector in Nigeria.
This, according to him, has been limiting the agriculture sector from the actualisation of the ample potential for employment generation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation.
Wapmuk said that the capacity building workshop for registered poultry farmers in Plateau was free of charge.
He said that the basic intention was to equip the farmers with technical and management capacity to deliver quality products to all Nigerians at affordable prices.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Plateau Poultry Farmers Association, Mr Julius Gusan, said that members of the association, were grateful to the ITF for the one-week training programme.
He said that members of the association in Plateau had passed through years of anxiety, uncertainty and challenges to their economic survival due to the spate of insecurity.
Gusan noted that Plateau was the home of poultry production in the West Africa sub-region and had the highest number of small and medium scale poultry farms.
Meanwhile, the Plateau Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Nanven Barko, said at the inauguration that the state government has sustained its disease surveillance and control programmes, which, he said had been “ highly beneficial” to farmers.
He said that the government, for the past three years, had funded the control of ‘Newcastle’ disease in rural poultry through a statewide vaccination programme.
Barko said that the government distributed N1.2 million worth of vaccines during its statewide campaign for prevention of the disease.
He said this had greatly reduced the incidence Newcastle disease in rural poultry, thereby breaking the cycle of transmission to commercial stock.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
