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' 73

Agrocare ......

Institute Catalogues Benefits In Neem-based Manure From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja

IN ORDER for Nigeria to be self-reliant in fer­tiliser production and supply, the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology

INARICT) based in Zaria has been at the front­ine in research for some time now. Aspecial kind of feniliser specially adapted to the Nigerian soil, with the additional possi­biliry of boosting crop yield without harming the soil, and capable of renewing the soil , fo r farmers to use farmlands over and over again is in stock at NARICT. Farmers could use this on same farmlands annually, withoutpractis­ing shifting cultivation. The fertiliser projeer of utilises bio·resources

that are abundant in the country, particularly neem and other seed-producing crops, like ru.bber plants, jarhropha and any oil-seed­producing plant. Dr. Ebenezer Ol<onkwo, rhe institute's direc-

tor general, told The Guardian thanhe centre is now designing the plam for processing neem seeds. "Neem," he sa id, "is popularly known here as dongoyaro. The seed is cur· rently not been utilised by any industly."

Institute Organises Summit On CommercialAgric From Abiodun Fagbemi, lIorin

THE need for a prompt rerurn of commer­cia l agriculture imo the Nigeria's main economic sector wi ll form the locus of

discussions during a rwo..day human re­source development(HRD) conference fixed for this week on Wednesday and Thursday at the campus of the Agricul tural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), !lorin. The evem, funded by ARMTI, is titled 'Promo·

tion of Commercial Agriculture in Nigeria: Implications for Human Resou rce Develop­ment.' Over200 participants are expected, ac­cording to the organisers.

In his background to the project, Dr. Okonkwo disclosed that "when we did a re­search and development feasibiliry, we found use for it in various seerors of the industry. For instance, we found out that we could use the oil in the cosmetics and perfumery industry and as medicinal ingredient, biodiesel, and so on." When the oil is extracted, he added, "we use the cake to formulate organa-mineral fer­tiliser. We call it organa-mineral in that most times, we don't use it exclusively for feniliser formulation because the NPK(nitrogen phos­phorous potassium content) of it is very low for the formulation of fertiliser. So, you in­clude the percentages of those three ingredi­ents to make up a good fertiliser. By the time you have the insecticidal property, it controls pest, especially termites and nematodes." He stressed that his agency had designed a

production outfit for t110 processing of the

I\(cording to the head, Human Resource Unit of ARMTI, MrGbenga Ol<e-Owo, the confer­ence "vi II equally provide a rorum to review previous HRD activities and discuss emerging r issues in the agricultural and rural develop­ment (ARD) sector with a view to strengthen-ing commercial agriculture in Nigeria.

neem plant into feniliser, and that NARlCT had established a functional plant in Katsina, designed to produce 10, 000 metric tons per annum. He said; "The Katsina government has on its

own established four more of the plants be­cause of the benefits they have seen in it and, right now, they have predicted that this year's farming season, they are not going to impon any fertiliser." For Katsina State, Okonkwo noted, "all their fenilisers would be produced from the plants. We are also establishi ng one in Kebbi state, which is almost 60 per cent completed. The one in Kogi State is completed, waiting for completion. We have another one in Anambra State and the last one in Enugu State. According to Dr. Okonkwo, "the benefits are

that the raw materials are abundantly avail­able. The neem was·introduced into Nigeria to

check desenification.ln the process, a lot of it was planted." He said "statistics conducted re­cently shows that Nigeria has the largest pop­ulation plants in the whole world. We have also attracted entrepreneurs to the whale chain. There are now large sca le suppliers of the seeds. We have also empowered our tech· nology transfer to a few investors who have set up on their own. Majority of them are estab· Iishing neem oil extraction facilities and seJl­ing the cake." Okonkwoadded that the federal government had accepted the product as complimentary to fertili se r. He pointed our that the institute is worldng towards becoming a research in­stituteof internarional repute in the provision of innovati~e research and development in the processing and conversion of indigenous raw materials into valuable chemicals and chemical products for industrial applica tions.

lvIa Jlam Mohammed Dadawi, coordinator of Kana State Commercia l Agricu ltural Develop­ment Programme (CADP) is expected to de­liver a key note address at the event. Bags of raw materials for preparation of neem-based organominerals developed by the Nalional Research Inslitulc for Chemical Technology, Zaria on display atlhe processing site

Syngenta, Swiss BiostadtTaclde Crops' Productivity Constraints From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt Th is s trategy, "no doubt, has

yielded result, Mirbey added, "and we are reviewing how best farmers can access and adopt our new in­novations and services." He spoke during a training meeting with Biostadt at the International Insti­tute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan. The training, which was attended

by delivery specialists, agrono­mists and other company experts

reviewed bottlenecks in the agri­cultural value chain and also worked out plans for a way for­wa rd. Mr. Emmanuel Ajayi, managing di­

rector, Swiss Biostadt Nigeria, pointed out that "what we ob­served during tlie survey was the high rate of postharvest losses, es­pecially in vegetables." According to Ajayi, available data in Africa show that postharvest losses have

remained a big constraint with esti­mate ranging from 50 per cent and above, depending on countries and crops. With a porous infrastructure, postharvest losses have been recorded eve n in famine-prone re­gions of the.continent, he added.

Sol utions proffered included the training of farmers on better use and application of pesticides, her· bicides, and improved seeds. "What we are looking at," stressed Ajayi, "in

SWISS Biostadt and Syngenta both agricultural g iants, agreed to work together to seek

fresh options that will boost farm­ers' productivity, improve incomes and guarantee food securiry. These disclosures came recently after two firms have completed a survey of the Nigerian agro·ecolog­ical zones with a view to under­standing emerging challenges

faced by farmers. "Yi th I L B fi FA' Cd' ~~~~~C~I~l~~tSXf~~~~~dh~~db~: ou S n agos ene t rom gnc re It

postharvest for instance, is to offer farmers seed variet ies with longer shelf life such that even without preservation facili[ies, their crops will not perish on time." "At the end of the day, we wa nt to

make the life of the farmer better," he assured . According to him the aim was [0 make the farmer hap­pier by making agriculture more attractive, improving inco mes and livelihoods.

cameclearro us during the visits to By KamalTayoOropo Th f h I I fi h I I d farmers' fields that pest and dis- TIE FJRSTbatch ofloo newly tral'ned 'arm- e armers, w a are specia ise in pou try, IS oca pro uction to save more than NI billion

II h II " farming, bee-keepi ng and aU season vegetable from what the federal governme nt expends on l':.'~:h~~~:~eeds':.'~~ofo~ ~n~r.~~ ers in lagos State has received a N454 mil- production, are the first beneficiaries in the the importation of rice from other countri es. productivity." lion credit from the state government Agric-YES initiative designed by the state gov- He said "the state, through the rice for job Their findings showed that, across under the state's Agric Youths Empowerment ernment to produce 1,000 first class entre pre· initiative, has ~uccessfuUy re-introduced mod-f . ~ ff I d Scheme (Agric-YES), with the aim of helping neurial elite farmers. ern rice farming into the farming system with

A nca, armers su er ow pro uc- them esta blish th eir own farm settl ement for He explained that part of the objectives of the an average cu ltivat ion of 200 hectares annu-tivity due to a plethora of problems more food production . scheme was to replace ageing farmers with aUy by the engaged 200 youths. that include inadequate inputs The state government has also said it has in- young elite farmers. These are at various levels Productiviry, he said, has increased from less such as pesticides, herbicides, fer- creased the totaillectares for rl'ce cultl'vatl'on to of training, internship and farm settlement at th t h t b t 2 5 tilisers and poor extension services, I I an one anne per ec are to a au . tonnes among others. In some cases where overl,450 hectares, and has placedorder for 20 Araga, Epe oca government area. while the irrigation faCility in place will in-inputs are available, which is usu- tonnes per day capaCity modern rice factory. Basorun added said the product from the crease this to over four tonnes per hectare ally not the case, misapplication In Ikeja during a mimsterial media briefing . scheme, which include over 200 crates of egg with double cropping. due to poor knowledge frustrates recently, the permanent secretary in the Min- per day, 18 tonnes of fresh fish per cycle and "In order to complement the two eXisting f1ce yields and place farmers in poverty. istry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Dr. Ola- about 160 tonnes of cabbage, sweet and water mills at I toga In Badagry and Idena In Epe dlvl-

Jlde Basorun, said each of the 100 farmers is melon, cuc4mber, pepper and assorted leaf SlOn, the mimstry has placed order for a 20 f:~~h~~::~sd~t~e~~~~~~~l~f~r~~: entitled to a sum of N 4.54 million to operate vegetable per month are a lready being mar- tonnes-per-day capacity ultra modern f1ce fac-e h v b 'd ' In thelf Isreall·rype farm settlement, and that keted In the state." . tory that IS expected to be fully mstaUed by i~pro~e~en~es~IJrr~I)V~ Ing crop . "the fund is expected to be paid.back Within , ',. The permanentsecretary s\lid th.e need to in-. _ Septemberat Imota in Ikorodu," Bashorun dls-, . " "' ,., .. - •.• - .. .. ' ". ,,, ., 'fiveyea~s:" , .. > . 'crease'rlce'productlon'elYtalied encouraging · ' · c1osed. ..