The director, system and site integration, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Kwesi Atta-Krah, has urged investors in seed production plants to help meet the demand for improved seeds. He said this will enhance quality seed availability as more stakeholders, will have access to more quality seeds. The director in an interview with journalists […]
The federal government is to compensate Ebonyi State poultry farmers affected by the December 2016 Avian Influenza attack on poultry farms in the state, from July 5. The state’s commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Uchenna Orji, disclosed this yesterday in Abakaliki during a training programme for poultry farmers in the state on ways […]
The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has been named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. Adesina, whose name was selected yesterday at Washington, D.C, becomes the 46th recipient and the sixth African to be so honoured. The award ceremony would take place October 19. Adesina was the Nigeria Minister of Agriculture […]
Being a speech delivered by Dr. Kwesi Atta-Krah, to journalists during IITA Media Day organised as part of activities to celebrate her golden jubilee, last Thursday, at its headquarters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Kwesi is the Chair of IITA@50 Anniversary celebration and the Director for Systems and Site Integration. He came to IITA […]
Developing creative messages/methods that would attract young people to agriculture could help Africa to attract youth to agriculture and end the rising unemployment in the continent, says the Deputy Director General Partnership for Delivery, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Kenton Dashiell. In a message to journalists to mark the 2017 Media Day— part […]
The federal government said on Sunday that adequate provision has been made for farmers across the country to have enough fertiliser to grow food throughout the year. The chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr Uche Orji, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. “Last […]
As part of efforts, led by the Government, to restore livelihoods and combat critical levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in areas affected by Boko Haram violence, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has began the distribution of emergency seeds and fertilisers to over 1million farmers in North-east Nigeria In a statement to […]
The Federal government through the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has again expressed the political will and commitment to creating business employment in agriculture. The Minister restated this commitment when he received a delegation of Nestle Nigeria Plc led by its managing director and chief executive officer, Mauricio Alarcon, […]
The scientific names of most cultivated bananas are Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, others include; scarlet banana (Musa coccinea), pink banana (Musa velutina) and the Fe’i bananas. Bananas have been an important cultural food for many different countries, although the genus of bananas, Musa, is native to South and Southeast Asia. The vast majority of […]
Frequent Consumption of cucumber has long been linked to reduce the danger of many adverse health conditions. As a member of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae, it is made up of 95 percent water. Cucumbers are naturally low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Surveys have indicated that increasing consumption of plant foods like cucumber decreases […]
The Osun State Government on Thursday said it had provided about 15 hectares of land for large scale cultivation to boost food production in the state. Dr Bukola Aluko, the coordinating director, Osun state Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Youths Engagement, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo. According to Aluko, the […]
The present public forest estate which was acquired between 1900 and 1970 embraces 100,000km2 or 11 percent of the total land area of the country. In spite of their importance, the tropical forest resources have diminished very rapidly and most areas have been transformed into unproductive land. The forest resources survey 1996 – 1998 revealed […]
New onions have flooded various markets in Katsina State, forcing its price down by about 50%. Our reporter, who visited markets in some parts of the state, observed that a bag of onions that sold for N6,000 and N8,000 some months ago now goes for between N2,500 and N4,000, depending on the size. Onion farmers […]
Garcinia kola (bitter kola) seeds are used for bronchitis, throat infections, colic, head or chest colds, and cough. It is also used for liver disorders and as a chewing stick. Its purgative, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial properties endear bitter kola to traditional African medicine men. Bitter kola’s anti-malaria properties Traditional healers have over the years prescribed […]
By Adeyemi Bamidele Ezekiel The President of African Development Bank, AFDB, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, on Tuesday, in Ibadan, reiterated the Bank’s pledge to increase agriculture lending by USD2.4billion over the next 10 years in Africa. The President of African Development Bank, AFDB, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, on Tuesday, in Ibadan, reiterated the Bank’s pledge to increase agriculture […]