Author: Adewale Kupoluyi

By Oludele Taiwo The Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, Abisola Olusanya, while receiving a report on coconut value chain analysis from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), has pledged to upgrade the development of coconut value chain in the state. She said the report had shed light on policies and investment around the coconut value chain and that the report was aimed at formulating the investment plan necessary to upgrade the coconut value chain in the state. Olusanya noted that the 300-page report seeks to generate coconut planting awareness to ensure its sufficiency in…

By Olamide Tejuoso Have you wondered about the kind of agricultural business that can be ventured into? What are the opportunities and shortcomings? Here are some that can be looked into: 1. Vegetable Farming Vegetable farming is one the most popular and profitable businesses that keeps you busy all round the year. Greens will never be lacking in meals – whether vegetarian population increases or not. There’s always a demand for it, because a lot of people eat veggies. For instance, spinach, lettuce, pumpkin, tomatoes, cabbage, and cucumber, et al, are all vegetables that are consumed in every part of the globe and can…

By Omolola Pedro To enhance the production capacity of women, the International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD), has trained more than 100 women farmers on climate-smart agriculture and farming technology in Badagry, Lagos State, FarmingFarmersFarms reports. At the training programme themed, “Farming Technology and Capacity Building Training for Women Farmers”, the Programme Officer of ICEHD, Miss Mercy Joshua, stated that the reason for the training was for women farmers to have the needed skills, resources and opportunities to deal with climate challenges, increase farm production and promote food security. She noted that most women have been economically left…

By Sodiq Lawal The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet), Prof. Mansur Matazu, has assured farmers, experts and others that NiMet would continue to provide accurate services to the nation. Matazu gave this assurance in Lagos when he was awarded the ‘Independent Aviation Icon of the Year’ award. Represented by the Director of Human Resources Management of the agency, Hajiya Rabi Mohammed, he expressed his appreciation to organisers of the award for finding him worthy and disclosed that it would serve as a source of motivation. “We want to appreciate the independent publishers for finding…

By Olamide Tejuoso Asides using robots for weed control, fruit farmers in some countries are now embracing robotics in harvesting their crops, which is termed mechanical picking, in order to boost efficiency. This development is coming to help farmers continue harvesting amid human worker shortage. In Australia, the Federal Government and private investors have collaborated to invest in the development of fruit-picking. Recently, Tasmanian Berry Farm has been in the news, for using robotic harvesters to pick its fruits. The robots are said to be picking the fruits with precision, picking them on the farm according to colour, shape and…

By Olamide Tejuoso In this exclusive interview with the Director of Operations of BIMABEL Farms, Mrs. Bimbo Bello, who works in a farm that specialises in poultry production, but focuses on using organics to raise them naturally in order to encourage healthy eating and living by the people, she spoke to FarmingFarmersFarms on a number of issues pertaining to what organic broiler farming is all about, profitability of the venture, and agriculture in general. Excerpts: What is the concept of organic broiler farming all about? Why do we produce organic chicken; organic broiler to be specific? Organic poultry production is…

By Omolola Pedro The Federal Government has disclosed that 32 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and 178 local government areas (LGAs) are at risk of heavy flooding in 2023. The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu made this known at the presentation of the General Highlights of the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), put together by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Adamu also stated that the forecast for 2023 AFO shows that many states across the country were at high risk of flooding. According to him, 24 LGAs in 35 states of the…

By Oludele Taiwo The National Programme Manager, Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Wheat Development Project, Dr. Aliyu Samaila, has said that all efforts must be made to increase farmers’ yields in order to sustainably expand wheat production in the country and to make it competitive with rice and other dry season crops. He stated this while speaking during the Kebbi wheat farmers green field day in Bunza LGA of the state. He said that the cultivation of 114-hectare demonstration farms across the six northern states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe to provide training on good agronomic…

By Oludele Taiwo The National President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Sunday Ezeobiora, has called for a special and substantial attention to be given for poultry production in order to produce cheap and enough poultry meat and eggs for good protein sources for the people. He stated this in his remarks on the launching of the AFD-Feed Africa-Food Sovereignty and resilience summit in Dakar, Senegal. He said at the moment, there are over one billion people currently underfed and malnourished and that the sure and best way to get people out of hunger and poverty is to give…

By Oludele Taiwo A lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Olanike Deji has affirmed that women should be given significant attention and empowered to engage in farming in order to achieve food security in the country. She made this known in her presentation titled; “Role of Institutions towards Achieving the SDG of Food Security” at a workshop sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning, in conjunction with OAU and Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State for rural farmers with the theme: “Scaling-up Lifelong Learning for…