Agriculture
ECOWAS Plans 60,000MT Of Rice For Nigeria
The Coordinator of
ECOWAS-initiated Rice Seed Up Scaling Programme, Mr Sunday Okelola, says farmers in seven Nigerian states will be assisted to produce 60,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice between 2016 and 2017.
Okelola stated this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja recently.
“The project is in support of the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Rice Offensive Initiative that was inaugurated in
2014.
“The main objective is to scale up the use of improved rice seeds. “Rice has been observed to be very important for food security sustainability in the sub-region vis-a-vis increasing the farmers’ income, creating wealth and making life better for the farming populace.
“So, we want to see how to improve on the livelihood of people. One way to do it is by promoting rice production, and you cannot promote production without quality seeds.
“So, this project is looking at utilising 1,200 metric tonnes of seeds to produce about 60,000 metric tonnes of paddy within the two years.
“We have split this into what we can do in 2016 and what we will do in 2017.’’ Okelola said that the two-year programme would be implemented in Kano, Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Ekiti and Ebonyi states between March 2016 and December 2017.
He said the programme was being spearheaded by the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) in collaboration with the West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD).
“For 2016, we are looking at producing about 48,000 tonnes of paddy and the balance of 12,000 will be produced in 2017.
“We have also looked at where we can produce these seeds? So, we have selected some states like Kano, Niger, Benue, Ekiti and Ebonyi where rice is being grown.
“We are putting into mind the geopolitical differentiation in Nigeria, and of course trying to capture the whole country.’’
Okelola identified other participants in the programme as the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), seed companies, rice millers and financial institutions like the Bank of Agriculture.
According to him, the project also covers seed planning, connecting and building the capacity of actors as well as facilitating access to equipment and proper storage.
“We have brought in millers including Labana, Miva, Lagos Rice, and Onyx. We have gotten their assurance that if this is produced they will be willing to buy.
“It goes beyond that because you cannot produce when the capacity is not there. We are also building the capacity of about 120 persons cutting across the various sectors of the rice value chain.
“We are equally going to promote demonstration because we know that some varieties have been developed over time that is not in the hands of the farmers.
“Another thing is that we noticed our seed companies don’t have outlets. So, this project will support the establishment of 10 sales outlets cutting across our production hub.’’
According to him, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide 800,000 dollars in funding through the West
African Seed Programme of WECARD.
Also speaking in a separate interview with The Tide Mr Olusegun Ojo, the Director General of NASC, said that the role of the council in the project was to ensure that the participating seed companies played by the rules.
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”.
