FUTA’s new tomato variety will boost farmers’ income.

FUTA’s new tomato variety will boost farmers’ income. A new variant of tomatoes named Eva F1 has been introduced into Nigeria courtesy of a collaborative effort between the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT) and the Teaching and Research Farm (TRF) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State. The Eva F1 tomato is a variety five to seven times bigger in size than the commonly available ones in the Nigerian market and it is capable of producing paste more than four times the others. The Dean, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Professor Taiwo Amos, and Farm Manager, Mr Olajide Adedayo, said the seedling was imported from Israel and carefully nurtured in FUTA’s Green House under controlled temperature. FUTA’s new tomato variety will boost farmers’ income.

Government plans to make agriculture pivot of economic stabilization.

Government plans to make agriculture pivot of economic stabilization.The Federal Government yesterday said that current effort is geared towards making agriculture a pivot for economic stabilization in diversification and employment generation. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, stated this yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 10th edition of agric show organised by the National Agricultural Foundation. Represented by the permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Bukar Hassan, he said government was working on reducing high cost of production and creating wealth for Nigerian farmers. Chief Ogbeh said the ministry has imbibed the culture of promoting best practices in agricultural development in the country. Government plans to make agriculture pivot of economic stabilization.

Elumelu Foundation Signs MoU To Promote Youth Entrepreneurship In Africa.

Elumelu Foundation Signs MoU To Promote Youth Entrepreneurship In Africa. Tony Elumelu Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with French Bilateral Development Bank (AFD) to promote youth entrepreneurship in Africa. The information is in a statement by Damilola Ayodeji, the Press Officer, French Embassy in Nigeria on Monday in Abuja. Ayodeji stated that the MoU was signed at the end of the 2017 TEF Entrepreneurship Forum recently held in Lagos. The understanding, he added, was signed by founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu and Country Director of AFD Nigeria, Olivier Delefosse

World Food Day: Experts suggest agricultural sector reform .

World Food Day: Experts suggest agricultural sector reform .Experts have proposed the urgent reform of Nigeria’s agricultural sector to boost food production and rural development. 

They made the suggestion in separate interviews in Ibadan on Monday. Prof. James Adediran, the Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, said that farmers, women and youths in agriculture should be given the needed support via capacity building. He said that they should also be assisted through the provision of farm machinery to enable them to produce large quantities of agricultural produce, while empowering all the participants in the agricultural value chain. 

World Food Day: Experts suggest agricultural sector reform . Adediran stressed the need for the rehabilitation of moribund farm settlements in some states, adding that government should invest in food security and rural development schemes. 

The executive director said that rehabilitating existing farm settlements and creating more centres of agricultural production would go a long way in addressing the problems facing smallholder farmers.World Food Day: Experts suggest agricultural sector reform .

Internet farming: all you need to know about rice cultivation.

Internet farming: all you need to know about rice cultivation. Nigeria, which is the largest producer of rice in West Africa and the third in Africa after Egypt and Madagascar producing about 3 million metric tons on the average annually, falls short of meeting its local demand which is placed at about 5 million tons. Rice can be grown anywhere, that is, rice can grow in all the geographical zones of Nigeria depending on the variety. There are numerous varieties of rice that can be cultivated in Nigeria. The process involved in rice cultivation depends on the geographical and ecological factors available. The different varieties thrive in different geographical and ecological zones in Nigeria. The basic fact is to start with good seeds to ensure bumper harvest. Good quality seed can increase yields by 5-20%. Using good seed leads to lower seeding rates, higher crop emergence, reduced replanting, more uniform plant stands, and more vigorous early crop growth. Vigorous growth in early stages reduces weed problems and increases crop resistance to insect pests and diseases. All of these factors contribute to higher yields and more productive rice farms. Good seed should be the pure form of the chosen variety, full and uniform in size, viable with more than 80% germination with good seedling vigor, and free of weed seeds, seed-borne diseases, pathogens, insects, or other matter. Before rice can be planted, the soil should be in the best physical condition for crop growth and the soil surface is level. Land preparation involves plowing and harrowing to ‘till’ or dig-up, mix and level the soil. Tillage allows the seeds to be planted at the right depth, and also helps with weed control. Farmers can till the land themselves using hoes and other equipment or they can be assisted by draft animals, such as buffalo, or tractors and other machinery. Next, the land is leveled to reduce the amount of water wasted by uneven pockets of too-deep water or exposed soil. Effective land leveling allows the seedlings to become established more easily, reduces the amount of effort required to manage the crop, and increases both grain quality and yields. RICE CULTIVATION.

Rice farming in Nigeria: how the Olam group is empowering local farmers to boost productivity.

Rice farming in Nigeria: how the OLAM group is empowering local farmers to boost productivity. Olam is developing a 10,000 hectare fully irrigated paddy farm on greenfield site in Ondorie, Nasarawa State. The farm is expected to yield 10 MT per hectare (over two annual crop cycles), based on four varieties of high-yield rice tested with the West African Rice Development Association. 4,351 hectares are already under cultivation, with a further 3,000 hectares on target for 2018/19. Up to 1000 workers are employed on the farm depending on seasonality. At the heart of the rice farm is a mechanised rice milling facility. The state of the art mill incorporates Satake milling technology and Italian par boiling technology. The mill has a capacity to process 105,000 mts of Rice per annum and the Only ISO 22000 FSMS and FSSC certified rice processing company in Nigeria. The rice-growing communities in Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna States are supported by Olam with group formation, training and all agri-inputs on credit in order to improve their own paddy yields and revenues with assured buy back system. Over 5000 farmers including women are currently engaged in the programme with an area of 5563 ha, with a target of 16,000 by 2018, ultimately supplying 30-40% of the mill’s capacity. Olam buys paddy from all producing states, controls quality and hires transport to factory. This is how the Olam group is empowering local farmers to boost productivity

RICE FARMING: How to start a rice farm.

RICE FARMING: How to start a rice farm. Nigeria, is the largest producer of rice in West Africa and the third in Africa after Egypt and Madagascar producing about 3 million metric tons on the average annually, falls short of meeting its local demand which is placed at about 5 million tons. Rice can be grown anywhere, that is, rice can grow in all the geographical zones of Nigeria depending on the variety, the area of land used for rice cultivation is relatively minute about 2 million hectares when survey puts it that Nigeria has the potentials of cultivating about 5 million hectares. Rice farming is not only lucrative but rice is a major stable in Nigeria giving access to a lot of market that can be tapped into. Rice farming could be done directly or indirectly and still reap the expected harvest. The array of internet farming has exposed farmers and farming enthusiasts into the agriculture with all eyes on profit while ensuring food security. Rice farming can be done indirectly by investing in rice projects and reaping the profit at the end of tenure. There are several platforms that offer such services,where you can own farms on outskirts while living in urban areas or even overseas. Rice farming indirectly by investing can be done here .Rice farming indirectly is not limited to production alone ,investors can also capitalise on sale of finished products. Prospective rice farmers can start by sales of products,juggling brands to know the most popular brands so as to boost investments. Rice farming directly will involve engaging in all aspects of the process from farm to market. Rice farming like all other agricultural ventures requires insight into the business for it to be successful. Learn all you can by linking up with established farmers ,test the waters at all levels of the chain before you start out. Learn about rice farming here