Nigeria’s potential at global cowpea market.

Nigeria’s potential at global cowpea market. Cowpea, known as beans in Nigeria, is an important economic crop whose seeds are consumed as a major source of protein, while the stems and leaves are used as animal feed during the dry season serving as a major source of income to its farmers. Its acceptability and consumption demand, adaptability to different soil types and drought resistance makes it an attractive and profitable crop to grow. Nigeria produces nearly 47 million metric tonnes of beans from an estimated 4.5 million hectares annually, making it the largest pulses producer in Africa and fourth largest producer of cowpea in the world.Nigeria’s potential at global cowpea market. Cowpea has been proven to improve soil fertility, manage soil erosion and could be harvested while the pods are young and green, mature and green, or when completely dry. India’s $1 billion offer to Nigeria: On February 7, Head of Chancery at the High Commission of India in Lagos, Mr Jagdeep Kapoor, announced his government’s plans to encourage Nigerian farmers to plant more pulses that would be exported to India, adding that his government would send in Indian farmers to support their Nigerian counterparts in farming the crops.Nigeria’s potential at global cowpea market.

GM beans hit market in 2018.

GM beans hit market in 2018. The field trials for the genetically modified cowpea have been concluded in Nigeria and the artificially engineered staple food will hit the markets across the country in 2018, Federal Government officials and a science conducting the research have said. There have been calls for and against the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms across the world, with some scientists arguing that the practice will be harmful to human health. But government officials, agricultural experts in the universities and farmers gathered in Sheda, Abuja and gave a clean bill of health to the biotechnology practice. The conclusion of field trials for the pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea (bean) was announced and it was said the country would officially introduce its first indigenously engineered GM product in commercial quantity next year.GM beans hit market in 2018.

FG secures 55,000 hectares in 11 states for grazing reserves.

FG secures 55,000 hectares in 11 states for grazing reserves. The Federal Government said on Thursday that it has secured 55,000 hectares of land from 11 states for the development of pasture and paddocks grazing reserve in the country. Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, disclosed this when he briefed newsmen on the Federal Government’s achievements in the sector in commemoration of the 2017 World Food Day in Abuja. The minister said that the government had also procured exotic grass seedlings to enhance paddock fodder package and increase domestic beef and milk output in a sedentary grazing reserve set up. FG secures 55,000 hectares in 11 states for grazing reserves.

WHO lab confirms 3 positive for monkey pox.

WHO lab confirms 3 positive for monkey pox.The World Health Organisation’s regional laboratory in Dakar, Senegal has confirmed three cases in Bayelsa positive for monkey pox, the federal health ministry said Monday. The number of cases suspected to be monkey pox in Yenagoa local government alone has risen to 17 by October 31, most of them people believed to have been in contact with those affected. The three cases testing positive for monkey pox are among samples taken from all 17 people in Bayelsa for testing in Dakar.

Farmers to partner Contec Agro on bio-fertilizer.

Farmers to partner Contec Agro on bio-fertilizer. The President of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN), Prof. Benjamin Ewa Ubi, and the Chairman of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), Mr. Musa Labaran Wamba, have expressed preparedness to partner with Contec Global Agro limited (CGAL), a multinational agro solutions/inputs provider, for increased agriculture production in the country.Farmers to partner Contec Agro on bio-fertilizer. The Chairman of CGAL, Dr. Benoy Berry, who expressed happiness at the partnership while conducting the visitors round the tissue and microbiological labs in Maitama, Abuja, said Nigerian farmers were set for high crop yields with the application and use of the inputs and the scientifically manufactured bio-fertilizers using microbes and bacteria from Nigerian soil. Farmers to partner Contec Agro on bio-fertilizer.

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.