News Star newspaper

NigeriaSat-2 will boost agric – Ekpiwhre

UMOH ETUKNWA

The Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, said that Nigeria will soon launch a high resolution satellite, NigeriaSat-2, which when combined with the Nigeria Communication Satellite launched in 2007 will boost agriculture and lead to a better standard of living for all Nigerians.

She said that since its creation in 1999, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has embarked on various activities. One of these was the launch of NigeriaSat-1 on September 27 which allowed easy access to satellite data at an affordable cost.
NigeriaSat-1 is a satellite of the standard Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) design. It can image scenes as large as 640 x 560 km, providing unparalleled wide-area, medium-resolution data. The data will be used within Nigeria to monitor pollution, land use and other medium-scale phenomena. NigeriaSat-2 will enhance the performance and help scientists make more accurate predictions.
NASRDA was established in 1999 by the Nigerian government with the primary objective of establishing a “fundamental policy for the development of space science and technology.” Its initial budget was $93 million.

“Only courage and passion can make one successful in poultry farming”

 

– Dr. Ajiboye, chairman, Poultry Farmers Association, Sango Otta, Ogun State.

Dr. Akinboye Ajiboye is the managing director of Daram Farm Nig Ltd. A veterinary doctor by profession, he is chairman, Poultry Farmers Association in Sango Otta, Ogun State. He is one of the people that have strong passion for agriculture. He bares his mind on the challenges of poultry farming in Nigeria and proffers solutions in this encounter with SEGUN OLAGUNJU. Excerpts:
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How would you describe poultry farming generally?
Poultry farming is a good business but it involves commitment and determination. The way poultry farming is practised in Nigeria is different from the way it is practised in advanced countries because over there they have enough equipment that makes it easier.   Someone who is not determined cannot do the business because it is labour- and capital-intensive, especially at the beginning. The farmer keeps on spending. It is one’s passion that can make one successful in poultry farming. Some people ventured into it in the past and they pulled out because of some hurdles they encountered.

What prompted you into poultry farming?
It is the passion that I have for farming that prompted me into farming 10 years ago. I think that it is an avenue for me to contribute my own little quota in food production. There is popular Yoruba saying that says if the problem of hunger is solved every other problem is almost solved.

Bird flu is a major threat to poultry farmers. Is there any way to curb it?
There are many ways to curb bird flu but the good thing is that it is not prevalent in Nigeria as being said.
 
What are the necessary precautions to take to avert high mortality rate of chicks?
Well, this is a serious problem that poses a lot of fear to some farmers but there are lots of ways to avert this. There should be adequate preparation before the arrival of the chicks. The farmers should fumigate the pen and clean the environment thoroughly with insecticide. All the equipment in the poultry must be washed especially the drinker (the equipment used to give the chicks water). The feeder must also be washed. This is the equipment used to feed the chicks.
At the arrival of the chicks to the pen they must be given their drugs immediately because of the stress they have passed through while conveying them from where they are hatched to the farm. The farmer should make sure that the source of the chicks is free from disease and the poultry attendants should be observant to identify the chicks that are affected by disease so that they can be separated from others to avert epidemics. If all these preventive measures are taken the rate of mortality will be reduced to a minimal level.

What are the challenges of poultry farming?
In fact the challenges are numerous; it takes courage and passion for the business to survive these challenges. One of the major challenges is that the business is not insured. Regardless of the loss the farmer may incur, he will have to bear it all alone. For instance, when there was bird flu case in Nigeria which led to the death of many chicks the compensation given by the government to the farmers was not commensurate with the loss. Some farmers did not even get their own compensations. Lack of regular power supply makes the business extremely difficult because the farmer has to spend a lot on diesel to generate self energy to warm the chicks and pump water to wash the farm equipment.
Another hurdle agriculture faces generally is poor road network and lack of definite frame work for agricultural development. There is also the problem of high cost of raw materials and equipment and lack of adequate capital to go into large scale. Government at all levels should be more committed to agriculture by providing the necessary facilities that will facilitate farming of all forms as it is the only way to sustain economic growth. All these challenges make farming unattractive to many Nigerians.

Ostrich farming is not very popular in Nigeria. What is your view about this?
The cost of rearing ostrich farming is very high and that is why it is not popular in Nigeria. Also the meat is consumed by a class of people.

The advent of many eateries and fast food joints has made poultry farming to be more lucrative than it used to be. How would you react to this?
It is true that the operators of fast food joints patronize poultry farming to buy broilers. It is believed that the broilers locally bred are more nutritious than the imported ones and it is fresh.

Eko Poultry 2008 had the theme “Present Challenges in the Nigerian Poultry Industry: The way Out”. What are the gains of such events?

The gains of such events are many. One of the gains is to create awareness on the present situation of poultry farming in Nigeria. It is also to solicit for the assistance of the government at all levels. Also it is an avenue to educate members on how to tackle some of the challenges they be experiencing.

What do you think government can do to make the youths embrace farming?

Government should encourage farming by organizing seminars and trainings for the youths. They should be made to understand that farming is part of human life, for every living creature of God needs food to survive. Government should also create an enabling environment by providing infrastructure and provision of soft loans through banks.

Consumers patronize village markets for cheaper food items

OLAIDE OYELUDE, Ibadan

Spiraling prices of food items and consumable items in major markets in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, have forced many consumers to now patronize markets in nearby villages where they get such items at cheaper prices.
News Star investigations revealed that the village markets being patronized include Egbeda, Akinyele, Abanla and Ofa Ile. These markets are just a few kilometers’ drive from the state capital, depending on which side of the city one lives.
Business activities in these markets are transacted between 5am and 8am and each market has a definite day in the week when commercial/ business activities are transacted. However, this usually ranges between five and seven days’ intervals.
Many consumers, especially those from Ibadan, visit the markets very early in the morning each market day to purchase their food items and other consumable items.
Some of the traders, especially those who buy wholesale at the market and resell in most Ibadan markets arrive the market on the eve of the market day.
It was further observed that many traders, including those who sell such items as imported rice and second-hand clothes have joined the league of those who now patronize the village markets where they even sell their products cheaper than what they sell in Ibadan.
Some villagers, especially those who stay far away, bring their farm produce to these markets to sell in order to avoid high transport fare and other risks they would face if they had to take their goods all the way to Ibadan.
News Star found out that virtually all items being sold in these markets attract lower prices to what is obtainable in Ibadan markets. For instance, a bag of Cotonou brand of rice (Mama Africa) attracts N250 per standard measure or N7,500 per bag averagely in Ibadan markets while the same brand  of rice attracts N220 per standard measure or N6,600 per bag in these village markets.
A 25-litre keg of palm oil is N5,400 in markets in Ibadan but N4,200 in village markets.
Yam flour (white) is N80 per standard measure in most markets in Ibadan while it is found at between N55 and N60 in the village markets. Gari (cassava flakes) is sold at between N80 and N90 in Ibadan markets per standard measure whereas the same measure in the village markets is sold for between N60 and N70 depending on your bargaining power.
Other items such as vegetables, yams, cassava, fruits and livestock also attract cheaper prices in the village markets.
A civil servant, Mrs. Bisi Olawuni told News Star that a colleague introduced her to the village markets last year and since then she has been going there to buy food items and other needs.
“Apart from the inconveniences of having to wake up and be here by 5.30 or 6.00 in the morning, I find coming down here to buy my items very cheap”, she added.
Also speaking in the same vein, a trader at Egbeda market, Mama Ramo declared, “There is no way one will attend the market and not make good bargain and profit. I buy vegetables and yam flour here every five days which I later resell in Ibadan.”

We don’t eat rat – Ibadan residents

UMOH ETUKNWA

Ibadan residents have come out to vehemently deny that they have resorted to eating rat because of the global food crisis.
The Canadian, a not-for-profit national newspaper which circulates in Canada, had run a story in its website that the food crisis had “forced many countries to turn to other food sources to feed their populations.”
The newspaper, which claims it is inspired by Canada's very first newspaper called Le Canadien had reported that “As the price of poultry, cows, sheep, pigs and seafood rises, rodents are coming more and more into the picture… rats are being actively farmed and processed for food in countries as culturally diverse as Nigeria, Cambodia and India.”
The newspaper which specifically mentioned Ibadan in Nigeria as an example of a rat consuming city, however failed to distinguish between bush rats and domestic rats.
Bush rats, also known as cane rats, live in the wild. They are much bigger than the domestic rats and are not dirty scavengers. “They are the size of a small dog,” said Tunji Adesina, an Ibadan-based farmer. “They are succulent and sweet and very nutritious.”
He added that bush rats have been a delicacy for years and did not just become ce of meat just because of the food crisis.
Taiwo Amadusan, an Ibadan resident, said it is disgusting to even think about eating rat. “No amount of poverty can make me eat rat. Instead, I will become an emergency vegetarian. That report is in bad taste and just another way to ridicule Nigeria,” he told News Star.
Olu Adekunle who runs a restaurant/pepper soup joint in Ibadan said those who eat bush rat are not necessarily poor. “In fact, most of my customers are rich men and women who can afford to buy any kind of meat. This is certainly not for the poor.”
Since 1973 the University of Ibadan has been carrying out research to develop techniques for breeding cane rats in captivity. It has been so successful that commercial large-scale cane rat farming is growing in southern Nigeria.
This year, neighbouring Cameroon opened its first commercial cane rat farm this year in the capital, Yaounde. It is meant to be a training farm to show others how to commercially raise cane rat for food.
In other parts of Africa, farming the cane rat is seen as a better option than chickens, because they are easier to raise as livestock.

Ebera farmers solicit Oyinlola’s assistance

HAMEED OYEGBADE, OSOGBO
 
Thousands of the Ebera farmers who are engaging in large-scale farming in various farm settlements at rural areas in Osun State have solicited for support from the state government. This, they say, will further aid and boost their production and improve their farming activities.
The Ebera farmers who are indigenes of Kogi State under the aegis of Ebera Voyan Association (EVA) said they want the Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyiunlola to come to their aid in the areas of subsidized fertilizer, modern farm implements and agric loans.
The president of the association, Mr. Suaib Abere who spoke with News Star in Osogbo, the state capital on behalf of the Eberas in Osun State, said it became imperative for them to improve in their activities considering the spate of food crises not only in Nigeria but across the world.
“There are thousands of Eberas from Kogi State who are farmers in Osun State. We like the way the Yorubas accommodate and relate with us here and we are enjoining our farming business and we are willing to improve. However, we need government attention in the areas of farm implements, loans, fertilizers among other things”, Abere noted.
“Many people who were jobless initially have joined us in the farms and now they are doing very fine. So, we feel that Oyinlola’s government should assist and encourage us to keep it up since we are part of the 3.4 million people that make up the population of Osun in the last head count”, Abere added.
The EVA leader noted that the Governor Oyinlola-led government is so passionate about agriculture and committed to the welfare of farmers in the state. He applauded the government for its various agriculture-oriented programmes and motivational grants for the farmers.  
Abere said the Eberas cherished Oyinlola’s style of leadership that gives peace of mind to Eberas at their various farms. He said they have a sense of belonging because there is room for the non-indigenes to own and run businesses in the state without fear or intimidation.
The EVA president who noted that majority of the Eberas in Osun State ventured into large-scale farming and dwelled in the rural areas such as Wasimi, Waro, Igbo-tente, Ode-Iomun, Ipetumodu and Ikire also appealed to the state government to strengthen the security in the areas so as to guarantee the safety of lives and properties of the rural dwellers.      
He posited that the state government should extend the gesture to the Eberas even though they are not indigenes of the state. He said his people would make good use of any opportunity extended to them by the Oyinlola administration and contribute to the food security in Osun State.
Abere also urged the governor to incorporate the Eberas into various agric boards and agencies and the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This, he said, will enable them to also make impact in the process of taking Osun to greater heights in agriculture.