How To Start Rearing Goats In Nigeria.

 

Goats can be reared in the pasteurland, but rearing them in cages has more advantages such as:
1. Cage-reared goats are less exposed to parasites.
2. They are better fed, and so the mother goat gives more milk.
3. Less field space is necessary for growing fodder and grass. For every six (6) females and one male goat, one-fourth (1/4) hectare of land would be enough.
4. The caged goats are easier tended and controlled.
However, more capital is necessary, and needs a worker to gather fodder to feed the goats and clean the cages. As preparation for the pasteur, plant such grasses and plants that the goats will need, like paragrass, napier, madre de cacao (kakawate), alibangbang and ipil-ipil. Apply as fertilizer for these plants the dried goat manure so as to make them flourish.

Cage

1. Wooden house, bamboo floor, with roof and open sides.
2. The floor is about 1.5 meters high from the ground so as to facilitate cleaning the manure.
3. At the sides of the house, provide food and drinking water.
4. Provide space outside to allow roaming around.
5. The nursing mothers and the weaning kids should have a separate house. One side must have a divider to separate the small ones from the mother at night.
6. Six (6) male goats are housed together.

Food

1. The aforementioned plants are feed for goats.
2. Don’t give too much for each meal, of fresh forage.
3. Goats don’t like dirty grass or acidic (spoiled) food.
4. They like variety of grasses for each meal.

Breeding

1. When the goats are about 6-8 months old, select good breeder and milker females and aggressive males.
2. A female goat may be mated at age 10-12 months. A male goat is ready to mate at age12 months. At the start, let him mate only a few, but as it grows older, the male goat can mate as many as 25 at age one and a half years.
3. A female goat’s fertile period lasts 2-3 days. The signs are:
– it begins to bleat (me-e-eh) and wags its tail.
– it urinates often.
– the genital is inflamed and secretes mucous
– the goat rides on other goats.
4. Mating should be once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and repeat next morning to be sure that there was fertilization.
5. Then separate the mated females. These will be pregnant in three (3) weeks if they won’t manifest flirting.

Parturition (Delivery)

1. The goat’s gestation period is 145-155 days. Thus, the day of mating should be recorded.
2. When the time of delivery is near, the mother goat bleats (cries me-e-eh), discharges mucous from the genital, is cranky and scratches her bed.
3. At delivery, her mucous discharge is yellowish.
4. When the kid is coming out of its mother, help the delivery by pulling out the kid, but make sure that the hands of the helper are clean. Apply alcohol on the hands to avoid infection. Normally, the head comes out first. The kids are often two, rarely three.
5. Wipe the nose of the newly born kid to enable it to breathe freely.
6. Apply iodine at the end of the umbilical cord, and put a knot or tie it.
7. When the kids are four (4) days old, remove the newly growing horns to keep them from hurting one another. Only a veterinarian or one with experience should undertake this.
8. Others are: putting of mark on the ear one week after birth; cut off the nails once a month, and castration from one to four months old.

Milking

1. Milk the mother goat five (5) days after delivery. Continue milking up to 3-5 months until the kids are weaned, or 60 days before another delivery.
2. Milk the goat in the early morning before the kids suck.
3. If the mother goat has abundant milk, she can be milked again toward afternoon.
4. Give the mother goat 200 to 300 gm concentrate daily to increase her milk.

Weaning

If the goat is raised to milk, do not totally wean the kid from the mother when this is 3-5 days old. Separate the kid from the mother at night.
If milk production is only secondary, separate the kid totally when this is 3 months old. Make sure the kids are fed and given water while they are separated from the mother. In this way, the kids will quickly learn to eat and drink even while still young.
Care
1. Allow the goats to exercise themselves 3-4 hours outside their cage.
2. Give them regular vaccination against disease.
3. Separate the sick and call for a veterinarian.
The common sicknesses of the goat are pneumonia and parasites.

Pneumonia:

Usually affects the goat with the onset and toward the end of the rainy season. Don’t allow them to be exposed to rain or draft. Signs of pneumonia are difficult and fast breathing.
Give the goat liquamycin, Tylan 200 or Combiotic injection.
Parasites:
Give the goat tetrazole or thixbenzole every six months.

Photo: Google.com

Conclusion

For you to be very successful in this business, You must know where to get best breeding stock and how best to market your business. It is very important because it will enable you to sell-off quickly and turn over.
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SEVEN REASON TO START GRASSCUTTER FARMING IN NIGERIA

(1) NOT TOO EXPENSIVE TO START…

Just need iron cage of N30,000 to 70,000 and one family of breeding grasscutters normally called a colony, which goes for N55,000 to N75,000 depending on the age and distance from the place of purchase to your farm. A colony comprises of one male and four females. The cage can be placed anywhere in the compound, u can start where you are with what you have, like I do say Nigeria economy doesn’t determine what u earn in Grasscutter farming you decide what comes to your pocket.

(2) THE BEST MEAT COMES FROM IT.

Grasscutters are the most preferred bush meat. Very expensive and good source of protein and other nutrients pure white meat

(3) YOU CAN FARM FOR THE PURPOSE OF BREEDING STOCK..

The breeding stock is one of the most lucrative aspects of grasscutter farming. The turnover period could be very short, maximum of 3-6  months after birth it depends on how old you want them to grow before you start selling   breeding family comprising one male and four females referred to as a colony.

(4) REGULAR INCOME…

Raising Grasscutters can make you keep smiling to the bank. The profits can come in many ways. Selling your knowledge through training intending farmers can fetch you money also it depends on how u were trained, You can sell your grasscutters live or smoked to Joints, individuals, Restaurants and Hotels. The waste as manure for fertilizer to crop farmers even the breeding family of one-male and four-females can bring huge money.

(5) MEAT FOR ALL AND CAN BE SOLD EVERYWHERE…

Grasscutter meat is a delicacy. It is like hot cake in most restaurants. So, the easiest meat to market is grasscutter. Even if you produce large quantity of grasscutter meat in Nigeria alone, you will find buyers for them easily. The meat has low cholesterol and is filled with health benefits. Nutritionists advise people to eat the tasty bush meat because it is white meat. In addition to these facts, grasscutter is free from cultural and religious taboos. This makes it to be a universal favourite, breaking all barriers, religion, creed, culture, ethnicity, etc Iike I do say how to sell gc is not my problem d challenge I always face is, I have never had enough to sell gc, be it table size or breeding stock so if u have gc and u don’t know how to sell contact me I will teach you my selling strategies, like how I bought kings and queens together here

(6) JOB CREATION….

Rearing of grasscutter for local consumption will decrease unemployment. You can even be an employer of labour. Grasscutter farming can make you avoid writing hundreds of job application where you “beg to apply” instead of settling down with this easy-to-start, profitable agribusiness that will help you build up your business capital, feed yourself and your family, get others employed and launch you en-route your financial freedom. Bricklayers welders iron fabricators or whatever you call dem all do make money from gc farming by so doing u are already creating jobs for others.

(7) IT REPRODUCES FAST AND MORE…

They can produce many litters. In this category, they are next to pigs and rabbits. A female grasscutter of good species can deliver up to 12 babies in a year or more . They have low mortality rate which is 10% if properly handled, they consume grasses mostly 80% and 20% supplementary feeds it depends on d one u choose, above all its very cheap to treat sick Grasscutter.

That is the end of the class....

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FG Advocates Policies To Attract Youths To Agriculture

The federal government through the minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said that there is need to make huge investment in agriculture which will in turn attract youths into the sector.

The minister who stated this at a National Workshop on a New Agricultural Policy for Nigeria, organised by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), also lamented the low participation of rural dwellers who are supposed to embark on agriculture to feed the nation and increase the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).

In his words, "There are those who estimate that by 2025 our population will stand at 450 million, making Nigeria the third most populated country on the planet earth, but what is more worrisome is that 75 per cent of this huge population will be living in cities while 25 per cent only will be in the rural areas. Can the 25 per cent feed themselves and the city dwellers? Yes, we if can hasten to lift agriculture to the level of India, China, and Thailand, not to mention the nations of Western Europe.

"To get to that level, we need to make huge investments in land preparation, machinery, seed improvement, farmer education, and encouragement or enticement of younger people into the agricultural terrain".

In his welcome address, the chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said that agriculture must be born again in order to end our national shame.

"A nation that depends on other nations for its feeding has no right call itself independent. Agriculture must be born again in our country in order to end our national shame. Nigeria has close to 80 per cent of arable land, yet it is a massive net importer of food and other agricultural produce because our peasant farmers are still tilling the earth they inherited from their forefathers with obsolete farming implements," he said.

Adamu, however, said that there was the need to create a forum to encourage a constant dialogue between farmers and the ministry in formulating agricultural rebirth policies. He also suggested a clear policy on procurement and sale of fertiliser at the right time during the farming season.

 Source Leadership.ng

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150,000 Rice Farmers To Be Engaged In Dry Season Farming – RIFAN

Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) on Sunday said 150,000 rice farmers would be engaged in dry season farming in Zamfara as part of effort to ensure food security in the country.

The Secretary of the association in the state, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau.

Muhammad said the association had begun educating people on the need to participate in local rice production to boost their economy and ensure food security.

He said the special intervention programme recently launched by the Federal Government on rice farming had boosted the moral of the farmers.

He said more than 20,000 hectares in Bakalori dam irrigation scheme and Fadama schemes in Maradun, Bakura and Talata-Mafara Local Government areas would be cultivated.

"The association is working with government agents to register active rice farmers to facilitate easy reach whenever the need arises.''

The secretary urged the state and federal government to meet necessary standard in local rice production.

Meanwhile, a farmer in Talata-Mafara, Jamilu Abubakar, had expressed concern over poor market for locally produced rice.

Abubakar, who appealed to the government to provide modern processing machines in the area, also urged the government to expand Bakalori irrigation scheme to accommodate more farmers wishing to invest in rice production.

When contacted, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the state, Alhaji Musa Raji, said arrangement had been concluded for the distribution of fertilizer and other inputs to farmers in the state. (NAN)

Source Leadership.ng

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FG Seeks State Governments’ Support To Improve Agricultural Production

The federal government has called on state governments to support its efforts in improving agricultural production in the country.

The minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh made this known during his meeting with members of the Cotton Ginners Association of Nigeria led by the President, Alhaji Salmanu Abdullahi in his office on Thursday, January 22, 2016.

Ogbeh said "the call for support on state governments was necessary because more investments and innovations would be needed to reposition the country's agricultural sector as an alternative to crude oil.

In the words of the minister, he said "We have to get back to business, thank God oil is finished. The Ministry has no land, all we need is to give the way and the ministry will drive the campaign among the state governors".

Ogbeh who expressed displeasure at the tragedy that had befallen cotton production in the country noted that tree crops like cocoa, palm oil and rubber among others had hitherto formed major players in the economic growth of Nigeria. He said the yield of 300 kg of cotton per hectare is very low; stressing that, the use of biotechnology would be introduced to improve agricultural production in the country.

He stated that the present administration would make agricultural practices an all year round operations with the provision of improved irrigation facilities in all states of the federation.

The minister disclosed the intent of the ministry of convening a National Council on Agriculture to brainstorm with State Governors and other stakeholders on the way forward for the nation's agricultural sector.

Earlier, the president of the Cotton Ginners Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Salmanu Abdullahi who led the delegation explained that the association which is made up of cotton ginning processors, cotton producers, merchants and cotton exporters is the main link between cotton peasant farmers and end-users of cotton products locally and internationally.

The president lamented that as a result of the decline in cotton production in the country, only 10 out of the 52 ginneries installed by the association were operational and produced below their installed capacities of 20- 30 per cent .

He noted that African countries such as Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso and Tanzania depended sorely on cotton production to sustain their foreign exchange and Nigeria has huge capacity to produce more than local demands for cotton as well as export to other parts of the world if properly harnessed.

Abdullahi said members of the association have both indigenous entrepreneurs and foreign investors who had made huge investments in the cotton industry; he called on the federal government to fast-track the revival of cotton and textile industries in Nigeria for its economic growth.

Source Leadership.ng

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Rural Farmers In FCT Beg FG For Land Allocation

Rural farmers in the federal capital territory (FCT) have begged the federal government for land allocations to enable them embark on massive production of food.

The farmers made the demand recently in Abuja, during Avian Influenza (AI) sensitisation campaign and interactive session with rural farmers in Jikwoyi Phase 4, Karu local government area of the FCT, organised by the African Centre for Food, Agriculture and Sustainable Development AFRI-CASD

The farmers, among other challenges, bitterly complained on non-availability of land as a major constraint to farmers in the FCT.

Speaking on behalf of the farmers, a Former Deputy Director Pest Control at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Joseph Olorunda affirmed that, to embark on a large scale farming, which will be beneficial to the country, there is need for the government to support farmers on acquisition of land for this purpose.

According to him, most of the land used for farming in the nation's capital is either on lease or borrowed.

Earlier, the executive director, Afri-CASD, Mr Bamidele Adanikin, expressed dissatisfactions over the challenges often faced by Nigerian farmers despite the importance of Agriculture to reviving the country's economy.

He explained that not only are farmers at the mercy of buyers of farm produces, but are often faced with post-harvest losses in terms of perishable produces.

Adanikin stressed the need for the establishment of agriculture commodity marketing board by the government, so as to reward the labour of farmers.

While speaking on the FG's free meal scheme for schools, the Executive Director, urged the Federal Government to develop a policy that will ensure that food commodities are gotten directly from local farmers.

He said, food commodities such as Rice, Garri, Fishes among others should be purchased directly from local farmers rather than importing these from other countries.

His words;"since government unveiled plans to embark on free meal for schools, which also reflected in the 2016 budget, government should ensure school proprietors, buy food commodities directly from the farmers. Rice, Garri, Fishes for instance, should be purchased directly from the local farmers rather than patronising importers of Rice from Malaysia, among other rice exporting nations.

Source Credits ::::Leaadership.ng

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N/Delta: Chevron, IITA partner to train 40 youths in agriculture

A female farmer

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL)and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, had concluded arrangement to train 40 youths from the Niger Delta region in agriculture.

Mr Deji Haastrup, General Manager, Government and Public Affairs of Chevron, disclosed this on Thursday in Warri at an event to kick-start the programme.

Haastrup said that the youths would be trained on aquaculture, cassava, plantain, banana production and processing.

He said the programme tagged ''Agropreneurship'' would offer an opportunity for large scale employment leading to self-reliance.

"The pilot programme incorporates young people from the Egbema-Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation and the Itsekiri Regional Development Committee.

"Other parties that are collaborating with CNL and IITA are the Delta Government and the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND)," he said.

Haastrup said the current programme would gulp about N188million.

He said that CNL would continue to support the people of Niger Delta with a view to making life meaningful for them.

Mrs Clementina Arubi, representative of the General Manager, NNPC-NAPIMS, stressed the need for economic diversification through other ventures, especially agriculture rather than over-dependence on oil.

Also, Mr Michael Johnny, Chairman Egbema-Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, in his remarks, commend the effort of the parties that organised the agricultural programme.

He, however, solicited for scholarship for the people as part of the initiatives to widen their horizon.

Source Credits ::: PM News

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Nigeria Loses $1.2bn Daily To Oil Thieves – Prof Eshett

The former deputy vice chancellor, University of Science and Technology, Owerri, Prof Ebong Thomas Eshett has disclosed that Nigeria was losing about 400,000 barrels per day to oil thieves and vandals which is approximately $1.2 billion.

This is even as he called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the ailing power sector saying that steady power supply had remained impossible in Nigeria since 1960.
He made this revelation in Abuja yesterday during the 10th anniversary celebration of “African Icon of Our Generation Award,” organised by Accolade Communications Limited, Lagos in collaboration with International Centre for Comparative Leadership for Africans and Blacks in Diaspora.

In his presentation titled, Reforming, Restructuring and Re-Positioning Nigeria for True Greatness and Sustainable Economic Development, he advocated for the review of jumbo salaries paid to legislators and other public office holders and channel the excess monies into projects that would alleviate poverty and create employment for the masses.

Eshett who was the deputy chairman of 2009 Agriculture and Food Security Thematic Group of Vision 20:2020, urged the federal government to urgently re-visit and implement the recommendations made by the group adding that the committee members should be co-opted into the implementation team.

According to him, the unfortunate relegation of agriculture to the background, unbalanced distribution of developmental projects across the geo-political zones, economic marginalisation of some sections of the country are deeply responsible for retarding growth in the country.

He lamented that billions of dollars were periodically smuggled out of Nigeria and stacked away in foreign banks noting that the ill-gotten monies are used to purchase expensive landed property or to establish businesses abroad that would help in boosting the economy of foreign countries at the detriment of Nigeria economy.

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‘Nigeria Spends $1.5bn Annually on Importation of Tomato Products’

 

 

To benefit from new high-yield tomato seeds

 

By George Okoh in Makurdi

Director General and CEO of the Raw Material and Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Dr. Husaini Ibrahim, has revealed that Nigeria spends around $1.5 billion annually on tomato products importation from China and other parts of the world.

Ibrahim said such imports were unsustainable following the economic downturn befalling the country, and added that the country can reverse the trend with the introduction of improved seeds that yield more in dry season farming.

Also, to address the problem of acute shortage of tomato vegetables and boost Nigeria foreign currency earning, the council introduced improved and certified high yielding tomato seeds to various Growers Associations in the country.

Ibrahim, represented by a Consultant with RMRDC, Dr. Usman Argungu Hassan, disclosed these yesterday while addressing farmers in Lafia, and said the essence of introducing the improved seeds is to boost its production in the country.

“In Nigeria in spite of all the comparative advantage the country has in all year round tomato production, we are largely dependent on importation of tomato paste and other tomato products from China and other exporting countries, which is unacceptable”, he said.

According to Ibrahim, the council has developed a robust monitoring and evaluating plan in conjunction with the Nasarawa state government to ensure productivity in crop production.

Earlier, while welcoming the DG to the event, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture Nasarawa State, Mr. Naphthali Dachor commended the council for researching and improving the tomato seed, which is reportedly resistant to diseases and pest.

He advised famers in the state to go into dry season farming using irrigation technique for bountiful harvest. He disclosed that during dry season crops like tomato yield twice as much as it does during the raining season.

Dachor also called on the council to assist farmers in the state by setting up a tomato production factory in order to check wastage of produce.

Responding on behalf of farmers, Mr. Ali Adamu said with the introduction of the new seeds, farmers in the state will increase their efforts and hope for a bountiful yield in March 2016.

 source

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Nigerian Catfish Farmers Can Save The Nigerian Economy, But Does Our Govt Care?

Developing nations of the world depend mainly on the primary sectors of the economy which basically are mining and agriculture.
The situation in Nigeria is not different, only that the majority of Nigeria’s working population depends on agriculture more than mining. Agriculture is the most important sector of Nigeria’s economy, and research shows that about 70% of Nigeria’s labour force is engaged in agriculture.

The agricultural sector in Nigeria is mainly dominated by the aged (50+ and retirees), but a sector that is appealing to Nigerian youths is the catfish farming sector. The reasons for this are not far-fetched:

• It is easy to set up a catfish farm compared to other sectors of agriculture
• It is less strenuous than other types of agriculture
• It can be done on part-time basis with returns guaranteed; it isn’t unusual to find people involved with catfish farming in addition to full time jobs
• You can recoup your capital and interest within a short time-frame; typically between 3 – 6 months
• There’s readily available market for catfish produce

The sector offering opportunities

Since the early nineties, people have been going into catfish farming increasing awareness about catfish, and many Nigerians now see it as a substitute to imported fish.

The self-employment that has been the outcry of the Nigerian government can never be actualized in other sectors of the economy except the agricultural sector, catfish farming in particular. Hence, many unemployed youths have embraced this opportunity to be self-employed in this sector.

In our findings, we discovered that there are over 13 different areas that Nigerians are gainfully employed in the catfish farming sector. These include: 1) pond construction, 2) breeding, 3) feed milling, 4) selling of input, 5) marketing of fresh fish, 6) setting up of fish processing factory, 7) importation, 8) marketing of floating feed, 9) repairing of implements (e.g. pumping machines), 10) consultancy services, 11) work opportunities for farm attendants, 12) transportation and logistics, 13) harvesting.

It will be folly for any reasonable government to neglect a sector that provides so many opportunities for the unemployed, which is why Nigerian farmers are crying for a saviour at this critical moment.

Until recent times, Nigerian catfish farmers have been able to overcome their numerous challenges and thrive. They are now beset with so many challenges that are threatening the industry, and unless the Nigerian government comes in, the once promising industry has a gloomy future.

Some of the challenges in Nigeria’s fish farming sector that need urgent intervention from the government

• One of the major challenges of the moment is the low quality of imported inputs (raw materials), some of which include fish meal (72%, 68% and 65%), soya meal, methionine, lysine and other minor ingredients.

A recent informal survey conducted between January and July this year shows that imported materials are not yielding as much as locally available materials which have not been available due to the Nigeria’s internal Boko Haram crisis. This was further aggravated when the border was closed during the 2015 elections.
Imported fish feeds are not exempt, and a 2012 study of imported floating fish feeds revealed that the actual proximate composition of fish feeds, when analyzed in the lab, was inferior to what was declared by the companies producing the feeds. Four brands were analyzed and fish feed sold by one of the brands, Adolf Calyx, contained just 25.89% crude protein while the company declared 42% crude protein on their label. To the unsuspecting farmer, this discrepancy can have catastrophic effects.

• Even some of the locally sourced ingredients have been adulterated. For example, there has not been pure GNC for a long time now. What is sold as GNC is either blended with Bern seed, rice meal, shea butter, or other less proteinous ingredients.

In fact, findings of an informal survey of catfish farmers in various parts of southwest Nigeria, show a good majority of them are now running at a loss since the first half of this year, and the increasing unavailability of ingredients and degradation of the quality of available ingredients is playing no mean feat in this.
Bearing in mind that some of these people took loans from commercial banks with high interest rates above 20%, it makes no sense to continue the business if it is unprofitable, and this is leading to an exodus in the catfish farming sector.

• The fish breeders have not been helping the situation in any way. As a result of increase in demand for fingerlings and juveniles, many breeders now use inferior broodstock to breed for innocent farmers. Some even do in-breeding, bearing in mind that the quality of fingerlings and juveniles depends on the parent stock. Little wonder farmers are not getting results like before. The size that can be attained in six months before now may not be attained in eight months. Due to this, many farmers have been unable to recoup their capital within a reasonable period of time.
• The current structure of the market for catfish is not helping the situation in any way. There are few individuals that dictate the pace of this business instead of the force of demand and supply. Many economists may argue with this fact, but what should a farmer do when middlemen purchase on credit and refuse to pay? In fact, it isn’t uncommon for few individuals, especially middlemen, to meet and fix the price of the outputs.

In an ideal economy, the price of inputs should determine the price of outputs but this is not the case with the catfish farming industry in Nigeria. The price of the output is often not in agreement with the price of input. A farmer could raise his fishes when the price of inputs are sky high only to sell when the price of outputs has dropped, often resulting in a loss, and nothing is being done to check this.
To sustain the current government policy banning importation of certain items that include fish products, the Nigerian government must do something to save this sector of the economy.

Proposed solutions

1. The Nigerian government should make use of existing institutional frameworks saddled with the responsibility of regulating and standardizing inputs and raw materials. For example, bodies like the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC should be proactive at ensuring the quality of inputs entering the country and produced in the country, to ensure that the stated quality are in accordance with what is declared.

2. Research institutes should be established, or empowered, to produce quality broodstock and make them widely available to local breeders to use nationwide. When establishing these institutes, the government should consider areas with is a high concentration of catfish farmers. This will ensure the availability of their produce to the breeders and farmers.

3. The government should be involved in marketing and distribution of the products of the outputs. This can be achieved through price boards and other regulations and controls to ensure stability in catfish production and also the availability of these products all year round.

Conclusion

If the catfish farming sector is ignored and subsequently collapses, the Nigerian government will be dealing a major blow to the agricultural sector that currently employs the highest number of the Nigerian populace. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure the sustainability of this emerging industry.

Bamidele Onibalusi

This article was contributed by Bamidele Onibalusi, with massive input from the veteran of the Nigerian catfish farming industry, Abiodun Eniola Elusoji. Mr Onibalusi is a blogger and freelance writer who has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Fast Company, Digital Journal, and the Guardian. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Community Supported Agriculture: Connecting consumers, farms

 

With rural farmers facing the challenge of accessing profitable markets, experts say Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), an arrangement in which members pay for produce upfront at the beginning of the farming season, should be adopted. CSA provides needed fund for farmers and ensures affordable fresh food for consumers, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Some farmers have started  tapping into the growing demand for fresh produce to make money.
In Lagos and other cities, the increasing demand for fresh produce, such as vegetables, mushrooms, tomatoes, water melon and others, by supermarket chains has increased. For example, farmers in Lagos have been making steady income by supplying outlets such as Shoprite and  Eko  Farmers  Mart.

Spotting a lucrative opportunity, many farmers have agreed to sell their produce using the thriving market platforms. For instance, it is a daily ritual for workers at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, to stroll into Eko  Farmers Marts to buy fresh fruits, eggs and vegetables. Such markets are celebrated for providing fresh produce, such as eggs and fruits.

The Eko Farmers Mart has, undoubtedly, increased farmers  income. Under the arrangement, the  Lagos  Agric  Youth Empowerment Scheme  works with young  farmers to  produce  crops and  poultry  products, which  are  distributed through  the marts.

At a forum, the  Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olajide Basorun, said the markets offer quality, freshness, hygiene and reasonable prices.

He said the government would play a pivotal role in supporting the local industry by assisting farmers to sell their ever-increasing volumes of fresh farm produce.

Across Lagos, Eko  Farmers Marts and supermarket chains  have revolutionised food distribution in the short span. The megastores are popular with customers for their lower prices, choice and convenience.
The marts, according to Basorun, provide added value with healthier food in an environment that fosters social interactions. Producers or farmers keying into the system sell a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and poultry products. The benefits are manyas they provide jobs, generate less waste, bring fresh wholesome food, and connect one to their source.

Through Eko Farmers Marts Basorun said local  producers are  being  integrated  into a food distribution system recognised for its  potential to boost  economic  development  through  agriculture. The  system, he  noted,  has  created  a market channel  for people to  bring fresh  produce  into the city and  new opportunities for families, who live in rural Lagos.

He said the marts, located  in  various  parts of the  state, offer cheap fresh foods to members of their host communities and encourage farmers to increase output.

While these types of markets are on the rise in the cities, the same is not obtained in rural areas. Consequently, many small farmers in rural areas do not have access to such markets unlike their  medium and large growers, with more money and marketing savvy.

For example, farmers outside Lagos struggle to take their produce to the  market. They have to transport the produce to far  places by trucks.  As such, the  produce do not arrive their destinations fresh. They are also of limited variety and are expensive with costs rising between 50 to 100 per cent  in centrally located urban areas.

Its feeble attempts to sell to major supermarkets in the town illustrate how the odds are stacked against small farmers. Those  produce may be sold in small shops and open-air markets, but the value of supermarket purchases  in places  such  as Eko  farmers marts and Shoprite have soared.

Stiff competition from big urban and industrial growers is also real. To supply the supermarkets is a big challenge in terms of requirements.  Even though sales are there in the rural areas, the local markets accounts for less than 10 percent of sales.

For   watchers, local food systems are pillars of rural economic development together with agriculture. The  expansion of cities and their increasing demands should be  paired with the challenges of improving rural livelihoods.

Consequently, there   is a clear need for small scale farmers to find an alternative to formal market that is mainly dominated by big -businesses. One possible solution is the Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA) model.

In CSA, members buy a share at the beginning of the growing season. That provides farmers with up-front capital to grow and manage the farm. In exchange, consumers receive a weekly delivery of fresh, seasonal produce. They also take on the risk of a poor harvest. Ideally, the model builds community and personal connections around food.

Speaking  with  The Nation, The Project Director, Cassava Adding to Africa (CAVA), Prof Kola Adebayo said  CSA refers to an arrangement where consumers purchase a share of a local farm’s harvest prior to the growing season. Sometimes known as subscription farming, CSA is based on an annual market agreement between a farm and local individuals or households. In return for the up-front cash and commitment to the whole growing season, consumers get a weekly variety of farm-fresh produce.

He  said  farmers  in the  rural  areas  will benefit if  they  adopt   CSA  arrangement  with  consumers  within local and  urban  communities. Apart from  having  access  to  markets, they  will  be  able  to  grow the local economies, expand their businesses and get more income for their produce.

Interestingly,  CSA  is a membership farming scheme. Members of the farm communities commit themselves to buying a share of the farm’s harvest for 12-months at a time. This approach allows the farm to invest in the year ahead knowing that it has the support to continue and that the produce will be eaten as they can grow to meet the demand. This system is very beneficial for the farm because it allows the growers to concentrate on what they love, growing food, rather than worry about marketing, processing, branding among others.

As community supported market farms, members, both farmers and consumers feel connected to where their food is coming from and how it is produced.

According to Adebayo, CSA is a relatively new way of farming involving a partnership between food producers and the local community.

CSA, according to him, brings farmers and their customers together to  share responsibility for the land where their food is grown and how their food is produced.  The farmers and consumers participate in marketing system where seasonal produce are sold weekly. The aim is to provide sustainable and growing market for farmers and give customers access to fresh produce with less food miles and at competitive prices.
The system ensures that fresh produce is available year round for producers, their families, and local communities.
Unlike conventional agriculture, where farmers bear the risks of weather, pests, and the marketplace alone, in community supported agriculture the entire community shares the bounty and scarcity.

He said CSA would work  when  farmers  are committed to buying from a producer, or group of producers. A key point is that the consumers are committed to buying on a regular basis and at least, for a whole growing season.

Community supported agriculture is, in fact, a big name for a simple idea. Communities of any size make a financial pledge to support a local farm. This helps them to connect directly with their local farmers and provides benefits for both parties.

The farmer benefits financially from having a secure market of committed customers and the ‘members’ of the CSA often contribute additional labour and a range of skills.

President, Federated FADAMA Community Association, Lagos State, Alhaji Abiodun Oyenekan said strong links to markets for poor rural producers are essential for increasing agricultural production, generating economic growth in rural areas and reducing hunger and poverty.

Oyenekan said better access by small producers to domestic and international markets means that they can reliably sell more produce at higher prices. This, in turn, encourages farmers to invest in their businesses and increase the quantity, quality and diversity of the goods they produce.

To him, belonging to an organised group,  allows small farmers to bulk produce, reduce costs through economies of scale and, perhaps most importantly, to strengthen their bargaining power with powerful private-sector actors.

With increasing challenges of accessing markets,  Oyenekan said  it becomes necessary to support farmers to organise themselves into groups such as cooperatives that give them needed capacity to negotiate for better prices.

He said such cooperatives   improve farmers’ access to markets, increase their earnings, and improve the livelihood and well-being of their families. Apart from addressing the real need in the agriculture value chain of ensuring that farmers have access to necessary inputs to raise their productivity,  they are facilitated to increase their overall earnings from agriculture.

He said cooperatives    enable farmers to work together, reducing competition and making it easier to take care of tasks such as marketing. By combining forces, they can also supply larger users such as restaurants and other businesses, and may be able to hire people to work out the distribution while they focus on farming.

source

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Agriculture Remains Largest Employer of Labour - Dangote

Lagos — President and chairman of the newly inaugurated Nigeria Agricbusiness Group (NABG), Alhaji Sani Dangote, has affirmed that agriculture remains the largest employer of labour, and so the private sector must put its acts together to engage with government.

Dangote stated this during the inauguration of NABG attended by farmer associations, input dealers, representatives of finance and Insurance sectors, the supply value chain, poultry, fisheries, research and development in Lagos.

He noted that though the journey to bring agriculture to the forefront would not be easy, Dangote called for patience and unity so that the association can meet her objectives.

"There was nobody to interface with government at any level to represent the interests of the private sector, but now with the NABG, there will be a platform to discuss issues and challenges and be able to engage government on these issues.

Speaking further he said: "For many decades the agricultural sector has faced many challenges and there are so many issues facing the sector, so we decided that the way forward is to have a unified body that can project the sector".


He further informed that the group was not meant to replace other existing agriculture group, but to strengthen them and urged Nigerians who are into agriculture to be part of the group because of its huge benefit.

Dangote said the group will only thrive with collective efforts of other groups.
Also speaking, the coordinator of the group, Chief Emmanuel Ijewere, stated that Nigeria needs to turn to agriculture to drive the economy, stating that the position of NABG should therefore be seen as a patriotic one.

He recalled that less than two years ago the former Nigerian president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on advice of the then Eminent Persons Group agreed that members of the agriculture value chin should come under one group for adequate representation.

Ijewere added that 23 persons chosen to ensure an all-embracing body was put together to become the voice of agriculture from a holistic point of view.

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