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Our soil is under threat. It’s estimated that we’ve got just 60 years of topsoil left, with 24 billion tons of fertile soil lost every year. With most of the food on our plate dependant on soil, its declining health is a major issue. “The word humans comes from the word humic, which means soil,” […]
Experts in the agriculture sector have warned that Nigeria may be hit by food crisis, except proactive measures were taken to change the tide of low agriculture inputs productivity in the country. The experts, both from Nigeria and other West African countries, said this in Abuja, during the national workshop for analysing agricinput supply chains […]
Agriculture which was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of crude oil, from 1960 to 1969, accounted for an average of 57.0 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generated 64.5 percent of export earnings. JULIANA AGBO writes on the feasibility of the sector taking its pride of place as the mainstay of […]
When rice is smuggled into Nigeria, it is not all brought in bits that are hidden in weird vehicle compartments or as single bags. Many of these would have to be loaded into big trucks or barges. These large consignments of rice require proper roads and hence can be intercepted easily, if some Customs officers […]
If you aim to make a living off the land, consider one of these projects in profitable farming that will provide a good start and support longer-term ventures. Farming can be slow to grow as a business, so when you start a farm, you should include at least one high-profit venture. Such a venture in […]
The Green Alternative, a policy and strategy document of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture says, “The new policy regime, tagged the Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP), is founded on the following guiding principles, a number of which are carryovers from the ATA, reflecting the strong desire for policy stability. New elements added reflect the lessons from […]
The Centre for Genomics Research and Innovation (CGRI) has said that the use of genomics methods would make the country self-sufficient in meat and dairy production. Prof Nash Oyekanmi, the director, CGRI, made this known in Ibadan during the second edition of the strategic research interest group meeting on livestock genetic improvement. Oyekanmi said that […]
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari was by profession a soldier. Like many retired military men, he is a farmer by vocation. Given his electoral promises, the situation of the country since he became president and his inclination to be seen as doing something rather than merely marking time by holding a ministerial portfolio, one would have expected […]
Africa is not winning the war to end hunger, says African Development Bank (AfDB) group president Dr Akinwumi Adesina. And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced that Japan, through the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), will help double Africa’s rice production by 2030. Meanwhile, Japan and the AfDB […]
Mechanization powers the way to Africa’s sustainable development TICAD7 hears renewed calls for sustainable agricultural mechanization in Africa 30 August 2019, Yokohama – Agriculture is crucial to Africa’s development but needs increased mechanization to boost economic productivity, reduce harvest and post-harvest losses and meet growing demand for food. This is one of the messages that […]
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to block food importers’ requests for foreign currency in a bid to boost local agriculture in Africa’s most populous country. It is a continuation of a policy that the president began after coming to office in 2015, when he banned the use of foreign exchange […]
A car park opposite the infamous New York City housing estate where rapper Jay-Z grew up seems an unlikely place for an agricultural revolution. Ten shipping containers dominate a corner of the Brooklyn parking area, each full of climate control tech, growing herbs that are distributed to local stores on bicycles. This is urban farming […]
In September 2018, the Dutch minister for agriculture Carola Schouten announced that circular agriculture will become her main policy goal. Circular agriculture, also known as low external input farming, is the model of the future. The minister intends to remove obstacles to it, and to stimulate this model all across the country. An old principle […]
There is a practise where ‘grains’ are sold to farmers instead of ‘seeds’, and when this is done, the eventual yield would not meet the expected outcomes. To be clear, what is called a seed, can qualify as ordinary grains when it has been merely saved from harvests by either a farmer or trader. Such […]
Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods according to a school of thought can cause cancers and other diseases in humans, but to others, it is simply a way of solving specific agricultural problems. What then is the true position and risks involved in its consumption? The genetic attribute that makes sugarcane sweet, if a person can […]