Togolese Minister of Agriculture, Noel Bataka announced the launching of an online training platform for agricultural entrepreneurs by October 1, 2020, in a bid to develop agri-business in the country.

The e-learning programme is specifically meant for students, farmers and any person willing to acquire skills on issues related to agriculture, livestock and fishing with the main objective to developing the managerial capacities of entrepreneurs, enable them create or develop their own businesses. 

 For all the registered participants, the training will begin on October 1 and will be ending on December 20, 2020. For those candidates willing to partake to this training, they need to create an account on the platform and fill a registration form.

 Going by the Ministry of Agriculture, the training will be followed online as from 4pm to 6pm on two to three days per week. Besides, the bases of this online training is to impart candidates on information on how to begin a business with strategies on how to obtain funding in order to start a business and develop business plans.

In addition, the programme will be accessible on the ‘Togo e-learning’ platform and most digital platforms. The courses to be offered will vary from theory to practice including lessons on plants, animals, fisheries, forestry, agricultural and arboricultural services.

However, this training will go a long way to developing the managerial capacities of entrepreneurs, enable them to create or expand their own agribusiness and create jobs in the agricultural sector.

By

Fabiola Kemegni Agriculture 2020-09-30

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, the launching of three processing units notably in Djemba, Penja and Mbanga in the Littoral region of Cameroon aimed boosting its local palm production.

The setting up of these factories will help in the reduction of imported palm oil from Malaysia and Gabon into Cameroon. In this light, the Minister launched an international invitation to tender for the design, supply and assembly of three palm oil extractions plants, with nominal capacity of producing six tons per hour with mini power station.

“The international call for tenders will be carried out in accordance with the rules and procedures for the procurement of goods and works of the Bank, May 2008 edition, as revised in July 2012 and especially by one-step call for tenders,” MINADER boss detailed.

The project that falls within framework of the Agricultural Value Chains Development Project, PD-CVA, is however funded by the African Development Bank, BAD. Thus, bidders have until November 26, 2020 to present themselves for the said project.

The institution of these extraction factories is expected to boost on the local production of the oilseed that is still battling to meet the expectations of the national territory. Going by the Minister’s words, the supply of palm oil at the level of Cameroon considerably rose from 343,000 tons in 2014 to 413,000 tons in 2018.

With respect to the current year, the forecast is set for a production rate of 450,000 tons while the rate of demand stand at about 1,179 million tons. To him, there is need for Cameroon to import 70,000 tons of the oilseed in 2020 to close the gap between demand and supply.

These imports should therefore benefit from the usual facilities of Value Added Tax, VAT exemption and customs duty that stands at about 5%. Therefore, importing 70,000 tons of oil will help make up for the annual deficit of local production estimated at 36,000 tons.

These importations will equally help Cameroon meet up with demands from secondary processing industries, which regressed in external supplies of 20,000 tons compared to 100,000 tons imported in 2017 and 90, 000 tons imported in 2018.

Following the adoption of a law that aims to promote private investments, has gone a long way to improve investments from the oilseed industries. This has exceeded the capacities of the national supply still inflicted by poor management of private plantations, that is, 100,000 ha of land allotted for 120,000 plus tons of oilseed, poor quality of plant material, inadequate fertilization and artisanal processing of some products.

By

Annie Odounlami Agriculture 2020-09-15

United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said four crisis-affected countries have been ranked among the largest food crisis in the world following the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises and recent food security analyses.

That is, food crisis and insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Northeast Nigeria and South Sudan will likely jeopardise the lives of millions of people inhabiting these countries, given that, financial aid is quite truncated.

Considering the years long armed conflict in these countries, the UN boss said, there is need for actions to be taken now than ever before. “Action is needed now. Having endured years of armed conflict and related violence, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Northeast Nigeria and South Sudan are again facing the spectre of heightened food insecurity and potentially famine.”

Thus, he went further to caution Somalia, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan as main gages portray similar deteriorating conditions given that they are equally affected with conflict. He maintained that, the phenomenon is distinctive from one country to another. To him, the killing and wounding of civilians, the forceful migration of people go a long way to destroying livelihoods, hinders access to food.

Antonio Guterres deprecated the fact that most humanitarian operators are being attacked, delayed and even obstructed to carry out their life-saving assistance. Also, food insecurity and probably starvation in crisis-hit nations is currently worsened by natural disasters, economic tremors and public health crises, which according to him has been caused by the pandemic.

Going by a note from UN’s Antonio Guterres, the outburst of violence in unstable Eastern Congo is heading to devastating levels of food insecurity and hunger. Simultaneously, the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises and recent food security analyses shows that, “over 21 million people are in crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity.”

Contrary to Yemen wherein the international community battle-ready in a bid to void the country of famine some two years back, UN boss holds that, the risk is slowly returning. Thus, the swelling skirmishes and economic regression brought Yemen to the edge of famine two years back.

Currently, fading vital pointers are growing to the detriment of the country. Thus, Antonio Guterres pointed that, another survey highlighted that 3.2 million people in government-controlled areas are now highly food insecure and food prices are 140% higher than averages before the conflict began in 2015.

He however called for the complete annulment or reduction of principal programmes of the structure as merely 22% of the UN humanitarian appeals and requirement are currently funded.

“Alarming levels of food insecurity and hunger have arisen largely as a result of the actions,” he stated with regard to the situation in Northeast Nigeria’s Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. Estimating the number of people to be affected, UN Chief enumerated about 10 million people (80% of the population) in the three states.

To him, these vulnerable people need urgent humanitarian assistance and protection, estimated with a rise of 50% since last year. It is the highest ever recorded since the instigation of humanitarian maneuvers. Hitherto, at its lowest level, the UN Secretary General said UN appeal stands at 33 percent funded.

Talking on the situation in South Sudan, he mentioned that, in Jonglei and Greater Pibor administrative area, the condition swiftly degraded in the first half of 2020 given that it was powered by the ever-increasing violence and diffidence.

The boundless violence is led by bouts on agricultural and pastoral lands as well as the looting of livestock and food. This comes in to leave more than 1.4 million people to witness worsening levels of acute food insecurity as Antonio Guterres highlighted.

In supplementary, some 350,000 children suffer from severe or moderate acute malnutrition. On this note, he averred that the newest viewpoint from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network “is flagging worsening catastrophe conditions in areas affected by the violence.”

By

Annie Odounlami Agriculture 2020-09-07

The International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, intends to give out FCFA 33.3 billion for the Agricultural Sector Development Programme Phase 2, ASDP II, in a bid to stimulate rice and onion production in Cameroon.

The announcement was made by the representative of IFAD in Cameroon, Caroline Onanina, after a full visit carried out on September 17 and 18, to inspect the first phase of the Agricultural Sector Development Programme in the locality of Tonga in the West region of Cameroon.

 The ASDP II in Cameroon will be aimed at boosting production of rice and onion in Cameroon by 2020-2026. Besides, with the FCFA 33.3 million to be funded by IFAD will enable the assistance of 64 rice producer cooperatives in four regions of Cameroon.

However, the main objective of this initiative is to reduce the massive rice import into the Cameroon territory. By so doing, the country must export at least FCFA 150 billion per year according to the National Institute of Statistics, NIS.

By

Absan Bibou Agriculture 2020-09-25

Quality seeds are what determine the final products during harvest period. Thus, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, alongside other major stakeholders aim to better seed production and delivery.

Considering the myriad personalities involved in the production, distribution as well as the marketing chain of farm seeds around the world, - farmers, seed gardeners, small, medium and large enterprises, agricultural research institutes and input dealers, civil societies, local and international market inclusive are also members of the chain.

With respect to improving seeds production, the FAO comes in to stimulate the implementation of a unified approach wherein, farmers’ access to good quality seeds is been upgraded. This approach therefore deals with the development of national seed supply chains by both the formal sector, which is comprised of the public and private sectors and the informal sector.

The organisation is burning tasks as far as seed security is concerned regarding the development of farmers’ quick access to good and quality seed of suitable assortments via seed supply, seed coupons and seed fairgrounds.

FAO’s pressing responsibilities go a long way to permit farmers recommence agrarian fabrication following difficulties. This however curtail their reliance on nutriment assistance.

FAO’s Assistance to Member States

Working in accordance with the second global plan of action priority activities, the Food and Agricultural Organisation, supports its members by strengthening the production of seed. Enhance the multiplication of early generation seed, by considering comparative advantages of both the public and private seed sectors.

FAO also reinforces domestic seed associations, backs the advent of local private seed enterprises engaged in the production and spreading of seed through access progress to new varieties. In addition, capacity-building activities and suitable credit schemes form part of FAO’s empowerment.

The organisation braces farmers’ capability concerning the multiplication of seeds in a bid to improve the quality of seed manufactured precisely in the informal sector in transition from crunch time to growth exertion and to arenas where there exist no private sector.

The promotion at the local level of value-added actions will help in diversifying farmers’ incomes and encouraging the high demand of seeds. In the same light, the improvement of community seed systems programmes will rise farmers’ knowledge and provide them with the required skills in correlation to the variety of seeds.

By

Annie Odounlami Agriculture 2020-08-22

Two neighbourhoods in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan will host the two industrial cocoa processing companies following an injection of FCFA 216 billion for the said project.

This was revealed during the launching ceremony of the work last September 22, by President Alassane Ouattara and the cocoa processing complexes will be hoisted in PK 24 and San Pedro with a processing capacity of 50,000 tons each alongside two storage warehouses of 300,000 tons.

The factories whose construction works were entrusted to a Chinese company will possess training centres for cocoa trades is the outcome of the Coffee-Cocoa Council in partnership with the Transcao trading company. Going by their partnership, and according to the Director General of the Coffee-Cocoa Council, Yves Brahima Koné, it was agreed that, 40 percent of total production of the processing units will be ordained for the Chinese Markets.

According to the Ivorian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the local transformation project will help in boosting both production and producers’ income, actually estimated at FCFA 12,905 billion. Thus, the two sites built on a surface area of 21 hectares of land each were all acquired in the aforementioned neighbourhoods of Abidjan.

Talking to entrepreneurs and urging them to invest more in the cocoa processing industry, Alassane Ouattara therefore aspires to bring semi-finished processing of the cocoa bean to 100 percent by 2025, thereby raising the rates between 35 and 40 percent for the semi-finished and below 5 percent for the complete processed cocoa bean.

By

Annie Odounlami Agriculture 2020-09-24

Nigeria’s Kebbi state has recently witness heavy floods cause by drenching rainfall and has destroyed about two million tons of rice slated for 2020-2021 season on approximately 450,000 hectares of land.

The loss recorded represents about 25 percent of the season’s harvest in the country’s leading producing area. Thus, roughly two million tons of cereal, that is, a quarter of the total harvest expected nationwide for the aforementioned years.

Following the sad event, the Regional President of the Nigerian Rice Growers Association, Mohammed Sahabi relayed that, the affected state is expected to deliver nearly 500,000 tons of rice. This implies that, rice growers will have to supply 20 percent of what was initially scheduled, that is, 2.5 million wads.

“Even though we had been told about the flooding this year, we did not expect such high damage,” Mohammed Sahabi said.

It should be recalled that, the floods in Nigeria went a long way to affecting other rice producing states of Kano, Enugu, Jigawa and Nasarawa where numerous crops comprised of sorghum, millet and corn were heavily destroyed.

The West African country is expected to see a drop in its importation of rice from 2.3 million stacks to 1.9 million tonnes in 2020/2021 a year earlier as stated in the recent data from the International Rice Statistics Observatory, Osiriz.

By

Annie Odounlami Agriculture 2020-09-09

The Director General, CEO of National Biotechnology Development Agency NABDA, Prof. Alex Akpa  stated that biotechnology can reverse Nigeria's dependence on imported foods, as well as help curb hunger among Nigerians

He made this declaration during a one-day training organised by Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, OFAB, in Lagos, on August 13, 2020. The forum brought together stakeholders in biotechnology and enabled interactions between scientists, journalists, civil societies, to bring more light on how Nigeria can meet up with demand for food production and achieve “Zero Hunger by 2030,”  as the population of the country continues to increase in a geometric rate despite the COVID-19 Pandemic

Speaking at one-day training, Professor Alex Akpa, specified that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on the use of cutlass and hoe, but embrace science and technology.

“The era of hoe and cutlass farming is over and we must adjust to current realities… the country cannot continue to import food and other staples when it has over 15 agricultural research institutes that have mandates to scientifically improve their crops,” Prof. Akpa stated.

According to him, all the advanced countries of the world today have been eating Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs, for over two decades and there has not been any report of adverse impact on health or environment. Thus if Nigeria want to be food secured she need to embrace biotechnology. Though some people believe GMO food can cause cancer, and can even kill.

“All the advanced countries of the world today have been eating GMOs for over two decades and there has not been any report of adverse impact on health or environment,” he said.

However, while interacting with Journalists, Prof. Alex Akpa equally called on them to support the initiatives geared towards self-sufficiency, as Nigerians were in dear need of information to prevent food crisis.

It is important to note that, Nigeria has been a leading importer of maize, soya beans, rice and other finished food products for the last decades in Africa.                                 

By

Fabiola Kemegni Agriculture 2020-08-17