Senate seeks ban on palm oil, kernel importation

The Senate at the plenary on Tuesday urged the executive arm of government to ban the importation of palm oil, palm kernel and other products of the cash crop.

The request followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senator Francis Alimikhena (Edo-North), titled ‘Urgent Need to Halt the Importation of Palm Oil and Its Allied Products to Protect the Palm Oil/Kernel Industry in Nigeria.’

The upper chamber of the National Assembly particularly urged the Federal Government “to urgently place a ban on the importation of palm oil/kernel and inject needed funds through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to aid the production of this cash crop.”

The lawmakers also resolved to urge the private sector to partner state governments “to embark on revolutionary transformation of palm oil production and creation of allied industries through backward integration.”

They also mandated the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development to invite the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research on why the body had failed to deliver on its mandate.

In the motion, Alimikhena said the Senate noted “with serious concern the unbridled importation of palm kernel and allied palm products into Nigeria,” which he said was threatening Federal Government’s campaign for the diversification of the economy through increased agricultural production and exports.

The senator said Nigeria had imported 450,000 tons of palm oil to the tune of N116.3bn since 2017.Describing the development as a grim reality that was worrisome, he said, “With an ever increasing population, a steady decline in palm oil production and a proliferation of the uses of various products from palm oil, it is an economic fact that there is high demand for palm oil in Nigeria.”

Patronage of local rice increases in Enugu

The Chairman of Amalgamated Enugu State Farmers Association, Romanus Eze, says government policies and investments in local rice production have increased patronage of the staple food.

The chairman said this in Enugu on Tuesday during a solidarity rally organised by the association in honour of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

He said that members of the association had benefitted from the kind gesture of the state government which had direct impact on food production in the state.

The chairman said that there had been a substantial increase in agricultural output as over 65 per cent of rural dwellers in the state were farmers.

He said that the Adani Rice in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area had flooded markets in the state and beyond leading to reduction in prices of the product in the state.

According to him, a bag of 50kg bag of local rice now sells for N14,000 as against N18,000 sold before.

He said that the patronage enjoyed by local rice in the state was massive, adding that it had become the mainstay of staple foods eaten in many homes.

He thanked the governor for his support to farmers including distribution of tractors to all the 17 local government areas of the state which he said aided farmers do their work.

He said that the governor also donated 45,000 bags of lime to improve soil fertility.

Mr. Eze, however, pointed out that much still needed to be done in order to make agriculture attractive to the youths, adding that mechanized farming was the only way to go.

In an address, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Emeka Edeh, said that the rally was to showcase the potentials of farmers in the state as well as thank the governor for his support.

Mr. Edeh described the governor as a `good human resource manager’ who had shown outstanding attention to the sector.

He said that a new vista of development was being injected in the sector owing to the resolve to liberalise agriculture for increased productivity.

In a goodwill message, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Augustine Nnamani, appealed to the farmers to register in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration so as to be eligible to vote during the coming polls.

Responding, Mr. Ugwuanyi said that he was overwhelmed by the massive turnout of farmers who had come to identify with him.

The governor said that the event was the umpteenth time he was seeing such crowd drawn from farmers.

“The massive turnout is a clear testimony that you are happy with our modest efforts in the sector,” he said.

Mr. Ugwuanyi said that his administration was packaging an empowerment progarmme to further encourage farmers across the state.

Katsina govt procure fertilizers for wet farming season

The Katsina state government has procured enough metric tones of fertilizer for the next wet farming season.

Gov Aminu Bello Masari announced this today when he received members of the rice farmers association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in the government house.

He said the government has since procured and distributed the dry season fertilizer to irrigation farmers, stressing the commodity is presently on sale in the designated areas.

He said the sales of the wet season fertilizer would be flagged off in April this year, as thousands of times were being what’s housed across the government-owned stores in the state” adding we would ensure equity and fairness in the transaction.

He assured that the state government would continue to promote agriculture, stressing agriculture would boost our economy and provide job opportunities to our teaming population especially that our communities are agrarian in nature.

asari noted that the state government has since commenced reconstruction and rehabilitation of 34 water Dams across the local government areas of the state.

He said the idea was to promote irrigation farming as well as make the youth more independent, dependable and reliable, stressing and it would reduce the exodus of our youth to urban cities in search of greener posture into southern parts of the country.

Earlier in his remarks, the state chairman of the rice farmers association Alhaji Shuaibu Malami lauded the state government efforts on promotion of agriculture.

He said farmers would continue to support the good policies and programs of the government while commending the federal government for the introduction of the anchor borrower agricultural program.

Newsmen report that the Katsina state government has earmarked N400million for the ongoing dredging and rehabilitation of Dabiram dam in Daura local govt area.

Bauchi secures N8bn central bank loan facility for agriculture

In its determination to boost agriculture and make food available, Bauchi State government has secured a N8billion loan facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to the Commissioner of Agriculture, Yakubu Kirfi, the loan was obtained under the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CAS) of the CBN.

The Commissioner while speaking at a press briefing disclosed that the loan was approved by the state House of

Assembly and was ratified during the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted Executive Council last Wednesday.

He added, “The Bauchi state government applied to enjoy that facility and it is meant for 2016, 2017 and 2018, and it is only this year we got the approval. It was N8 billion but we got the first instalment of N5 billion now.”

At the press briefing which was also attended by Information Commissioner, Umar Ibrahim Sade, and Special Adviser to Governor Abubakar on Media and Strategy, Ali Muhammad Ali, the Commissioner further explained that it is with the ratification of the Executive Council that the government started withdrawing the money through the United Bank for Africa (UBA).

“So when you got that loan, you have to agree with the Commercial bank to remit that money before it gets to the coffers of the state government. That what the Executive Council did Wednesday, and the money is meant for rice farming, fisheries and other agricultural activities,” he explained.

In the same vein, the state government has also through a commercial bank purchased 60 brand new buses at the sum of N1, 380, 000, 600 to boost transportation and generate more revenue through the Yankari Transport Corporation.

The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor, Ali Muhammad Ali, said that 30 of the buses will go to Yankari Transport Corporation, 20 to the 20 local Government Areas while the state government will utilise 10 of the buses for protocol purposes.

He also explained that the 60 buses loan facility has a repayment period of three years and the state government had already given an irrevocable order of over N190 million to be deducted monthly from source.

Ali Ali added that Bauchi state has a comparative advantage in three key areas of agriculture, tourism and solid mineral over other states in the North East sub-region.

Governor Bagudu seeks N200 billion investment in agriculture

Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has sought for over N200 billion in agriculture sector to improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and food production in Nigeria.

Governor Bagudu who stated this, on Monday, during farmers interactive forum and exhibition organized, by Daily Trust newspaper, in collaboration with the Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture, lamented that over N200 billion had been wasted on oil subsidy without good result.

He noted that just about N54 billion invested into the agriculture sector by President Muhammad Buhari transformed the sector within two years in Nigeria, especiallty with the improvement in rice production.

“In the last two years, President Buhari supported Nigeria’s Governor with N1.23 trillion to pay worker’s salaries. He also released N500 billion for social investment making a total of N1.73 trillion. The money that goes to Anchor Borrowers is less than N100 billion. Just about N54 billion invested on agriculture by President Buhari has transformed Nigeria to rice producing nation among the comity of nations .”

Governor Bagudu also noted that if Brazil could invest over $100 billion on Soya beans and sugar cane and got output of over $200 billion, Nigeria, he believed, should be toeing the path to turn around the agriculture sector.

Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru, represented by Abdulganiyu Sanni, described the exhibition as a laudable initiative. He said the NNPC would strengthen its relationship with stakeholders willing to invest in agriculture.

In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, represented by a Director in the Ministry, Engr. Abdullahi Sheu, disclosed that over 100 unemployed youths in Kebbi State have been trained and empowered on farming, stressing that the Federal Government was ready to invest more on agriculture.

Bank of Agriculture disburses N262bn to farmers

Alhaji Kabir Adamu, Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture (BOA), says the bank has disbursed N262 billion to 140,000 farmers through Anchor Borrower Scheme in three years.

Adamu, who disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Sokoto, said the disbursement was to support farmers and boost agriculture in the country.

According to him, the bank used to disburse the loans directly to farmers in the past but due to some hitches had to introduce indirect lending through input suppliers to ensure that genuine farmers access the facilities.

Adamu however said that the bank had to take legal action before it could recover N5 billion from the farmers.

He said loans taken by some farmers that faced natural disaster challenges were restructured from non performing to performing loans, explaining that N9. 3 billion micro credits were disbursed in 2017 alone.

“The focus of the bank remains enhancing social impacts through Federal Government programmes, ensuring commercially viable activities and efficiency.

“Our lending rate is still 9% which makes it different to other purely commercial banks,” the BOA managing director said.

The managing director said the bank has adopted measures to checkmate fraud in its loan schemes through introduction of Information Communication Technology packages to capture details of farms sizes, farmers’ information and quantity of inputs needed.

Adamu said Project Monitoring Teams comprising BOA, CBN, farmers` group, and inputs suppliers were inaugurated to promote distribution of quality inputs while any firm found wanting was sanctioned.

The managing director, therefore, called for more awareness on government agricultural interventions to enable real practicing farmers, especially in rural areas to benefit.

He also solicited increased media partnerships on proper utilisation and recovery of agricultural loans aimed at enhancing the lives of all Nigerians.

Adamu explained that 500, 000 farmers are being targeted in the 2018 dry season, stressing that the bank had earmarked N25 billion for Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria and N10 billion for National Egg Production Scheme.

He said 10, 000 farmers were targeted under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS), to enhance food security, employment generation and promote the wellbeing of Nigerians.