Author: Adewale Kupoluyi
By Olamide Tejuoso Over 10,000 cocoa farmers at the Oluwa Forest Reserve (OA3A) in Odigbo, Ondo State, are protesting the government’s step to evict and destruct their farmlands. The protesters, who trooped out to the streets of Odigbo in large number, had carried placards with various inscriptions such as, “Our land is weeping because its keepers have been displaced”, “Where do we farm, if our land is taken away?” Others include “Respect the farmers, because we give life”, “Farming is our job, we are not criminals”, and “We pay our rent, government leave us alone”, among others. The farmers lamented…
By Olamide Tejuoso Farmers have been advised not to use pesticides and other chemicals when storing dried beans and other legume crops by the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). The head of NSPRI, Dr. Akin Olagbaju said this at a sensitisation workshop in Sokoto, which was organised, to enhance the capacity of farmers and merchants on how best to preserve beans for effective and profitable exportation. Warning further, he reiterated that the use of chemicals for storage is the cause of several ailments such as cancer among many others. Olagbaju added that…
By Oludele Taiwo and Sodiq Lawal The Lagos State government would commence the commercial sales of Eko Rice, a commodity produced and packaged at the state mill, located in the Imota area of the state. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Rice Mill Initiative, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, dropped this hint at the Secretariat, Alausa, Lagos while speaking during the signing of an agreement with the Lagos Commodities and Future Exchange (LCFE) and key capital market operators to provide sustainable finance to the commodities ecosystem through the generation of tradable financial instruments. According to him, the signing…
By Omolola Pedro A 50-year-old farmer, Olaoluwa Olorunfemi, has been killed by armed herdsmen, following the invasion of Ago-Oyinbo community at the Ala Forest Reserve in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State while eight other persons in the community sustained injuries in the violent attack. The herders wreaked havoc on the people, who are mostly farmers, in the middle of the night without any challenge. Addressing newsmen at Akure, the state capital, the community spokesperson, Samuel Olowolafe, said the heavily-armed herders also looted property of victims. He explained that the situation had left many residents with no choice,…
By Omolola Pedro The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated the steering committee on states’ implementation of the food systems transformation pathway, targeted at establishing Nigeria’s efforts at ensuring an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient food system transformation, FarmingFarmersFarms reports. The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, while speaking at the inauguration of the committee, held in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, said, there is no better time to inaugurate the committee than now that the current administration would be transiting to a new one on come May 29, 2023. “Due diligence was undertaken in the…
By Omolola Pedro Following renewed bandit attacks in the Mashegu, Munya, Rafi, Paikoro, and Shiroro communities of Niger state, farmers have expressed fears while farming this year. As a result, they warn that hunger is looming in the state and throughout the country and as such, called on the federal and state governments to establish a permanent security base in their areas to enable them return to farms this rainy season. It would be recalled that the Shiroro, Paikoro, and Munya local government areas are among the major producers of yams in the state with the International Yam Market located in…
By Oludele Taiwo To address the high rate of malnutrition and under-nutrition especially in a country with a population as large as Nigeria, large scale food fortification must be embraced. This is according to the Country Director of Technoserve, Adesuwa Akinboro during the second edition of the Micronutrients Fortification Index (MFI) awards in Lagos. She said the MFI was designed mainly to incentivise private sector companies to fortify their products for three main reasons – public recognition, providing a level playing field for all companies to ensure fortification compliance and incentivising companies to improve and maintain high fortification standards. Products…
By Oludele Taiwo The General Manager, Lagos State Coconut Development Authority (LASCODA), Dapo Olakunleyin, has stressed the need to plant more coconut trees to keep up with the growing demand and to protect the environment. He stated this during the flag-off of the planting of 1,000 coconut seedlings on Lagos coastline to rebuild the Atlantic green walls, an initiative of the Rotary Club of Eko Atlantic in partnership with LASCODA. He said about 180 kilometres from Ibeju-Lekki to Badagry, Seme border, would be rebuilt under the partnership and that the collaboration was to further promote sustainable coconut production, utilisation and…
