Tuesday, April 26, 2011 THISDAY, Vol. 16, No, 5846, Page 43

8 BusinessWORLD agnc FG Promotes Potato Development with Stakeholders' Conference

The Federal Minislly of enjoying 50 per cent subsidy Cornmerce and Induslly, Stories by Crusoe in order to boost agricultural in conjunction with the Osagie output in the state. Export Cornmodities He also noted that the state

Co-ordinating Committee other major stakeholders . has embarked on market (ECCC) and the Potato This is on the commercial development in Zaria for Growers Processors and value and high medicinal agricultural produce, which is Marketers Association of benefits of potatoes (Ipomoea to assist farmers and mar-Nigeria (POGMAN), recent- batata) in the economic keters to have a befitting mar-ly organised a one-<lay sensi- development of Nigeria in ket structure in the state. tisation workshop. line with the vision of the pre- In his address read by

The workshop, which held sent administration in pro- Mallam Muazu Ahmad EI at Kaduna, was in continua- mating non ojl export. Rufai, the Executive tion of Federal Government He therefore challenged Governor of Kaduna state, sensitisation programme on workshop participants to con- Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, 'Promoting the value chain of sider how this wonder crop pointed out that the theme of potatoes for wealth creation (potato) can be used to the workshop 'Promoting the in Nigeria ' . enhance economic diversifi- value chain of Potato for

In his keynote address cation, wealth creation and wealth creation in Nigeria' while declaring open the employment generatio n in underscored the urgent need workshop, the Minister of N igeria. for an integrated approach in Commerce and Industry, The Minister commended taCkling matters related to Senator JubriJ Martins Kuye, the Executive Governor of potatoes production and mar-who was repr!'sented by Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick keting for weitlth creation D irector Commodity and Yakowa, for his agrarian rev- among the peeple. Products Inspectorate in the olution policy in the state by He challenged the work-Minislly, Alhaji Usman MD increasing the procurement shop to provide remedies to Gwandu, told the participants and distribution of fertiliser the absence of effective post that the aim of the workshop from 48,0000 metric tonnes harvest stl)rage, management, was to reach out to farmers, in 2010 to over 65,000 metric ,which haS ru;counted for a

al output in the counlly, adding that there was need for urgent and concened efforts to reverse the trend.

The Governor said he per­sonally believed that Nigeria stands to benefit tremendous­ly from its agricultural resources which, in contrast to petroleum, have ,the advan­tage of being renewable or inexhaustible .

To this end, he said his administration was support­ing genuine and organised private sector initiatives in agricultural production, and providi~g necessary infra­structure to boost agriculture in the state.

In his address, the National PresideDtofPOGMAN, Han. Bayo Ajibade, pointed out . that food security was on the 7-point Agenda of Federal Government and ,the same was a caroinal programme of Kaduna State government. He said, to fully achieve this objective, it was peninent to take advantage of the various

opportunities and potentials in sweet potato production .

'. He said that the mass pro­duction of this vital blood purifying food crop will gen­erate employments for our youths, check unrest, reduce poverty and create wealth and vitali ty for Nigerians. According to him, this will also help to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MOGs) of food for all and poverty eradication by the year 2020.

During the workshop, a total of three papers were pre­sented and exhaustive discus­sions made at the syndicate level leading to the adoption of a fifteen-point commu­nique as fo llows:

Participants noted the need for collaborative efforts by Government and the relevant stakeholders towards educ~­ing the populace on U,e com<' mercial and high medicinal value of sweet potatoes for the trea tment of diabetes , anhritis . hean diseases etc;

a way of moving forward the Potato sub sector;

Participants agreed on the need for regular meetings between communities, farm­ers and cattle-rearers to pre­vent the cattle from entering the farm lands;

The workshop noted the need for low interest credit facilities to be made avai lable to farmers as this will go a long way in moving the pota­to sector forward; participants called upon the Federal Government to encourage the establishment of Potato Processing Centres, especial­ly in producing states;

especially potato growers and IOnnes in 201 1 with farmers high loss \l[;annuaJ agriculiiir-

BOr Hails Notore's Fertiliser Production, Distnbution Scheme The panicipants , while

call ing on government to show commitment and politi­cal will towards supporting U,e production and process­ing of potato as a source of wealth creation , urged potato growers to take advantage of the workshop by ensuring tltat the knowledge gained is put into good use;

The forum, while recog­nising the high medicinal value of sweet potatoes , urged government at all levels to organise awareness pro­granmles on its heal th bene­fits. Participants, while noting the need for production to be tailored towards spec ific mar­kets. sought for government's intervention in the provision of storage facilities for pO[a­toes:

Pruticipants agreed , as one of the ways of addressing the marketing aspe-cts of . .pota­toes. on the need for an awareness campaign for the School Feeding Programme , whereby reniary institutions should be encouraged to have potato stands in their institu­tions.

has been successful.

Managi ng Director of "These farmers , who eam Bank of Induslly less than $ 1 a day, live far (BoI) Ms Evelyn away from market centres Oputu, has . hailed and cannot access the markets

local fertiliser producers, easily. Not only do the farm-Notore Chemical Company, ers find it difficult to come up for their ingenious move into with the cash needed to buy successful feniliser manufac- the 50kg bag fertiliser but car-turing and distribution to rying it home from the mar-resource poor local farmers ketplace also poses a chal-in the rural parts of Nigeria, lenge for them:'

Oputu, who joined other He added that while intra-stakeholders on tour of the ducing the I kg bag that they Notore facility at Onne, River selected salesmen also known State last week, said she is as ' Village Promoters' glad every time she comes Notore, he said, conducted a across a Nigerian outfit mak- rigorous and transparent ing laudable effort, not just nationwide recruitment exer-for the purpose of profit but cise for Distribution Partners, also for the improvement of in which one out of every five the lives and well-being of applicants emerged as a other Nigerians, especially D istribution Partner. those living under the pover- The lucky applicants were ty line. selected based on their expe-

The BOI's boss was rience, capabilities and align-thrilled by the success stories ment to Notore's vision of ofYiliage Promoters, a group championing the African of local extension agents Green Revolution. trained and deployed by Okoloko disclosed that the Notore. She said "as a 'Village promoters' under-Nigerian it makes me very went training conducted by happy when I see another Agricultural services depart-Nigerian outfits growing, it ment of the company with a means it is going to create curriculum that was devel-wealth for another Nigerians, oped by both Notore and it is means poverty is going to PropCom. "The curricula be cut , it means a lot of things included best practices on and impact on the GOP:' correct fertilizer usage and

Speaking during the visit, farming techniques . These Group CEO, Notore , Mr. village promoters are in tum Onajite Okoloko, said they sharing the ir knowledge are creating a green revolu- amongst the farming commu-tion in Nigeria by making nities in which they sell the inputs available to farmers lkg;' he added. and producing it locally at the Recalling the success sto-same time at the volume and ries of some of the Village quality the farmers will Promoters, the visiting team require for easy application. was told of Auwa\u Sarti, an

During the tour by visitors Islamic college graduate, who that included the Bank of was selected as one of the vil-Industry (BO!) 's boss, Ms lage promoters on the Oputu; John Aboh of Notore's lkg pilot project Oceanic Bank and -"7, called-Fast Track, was able to Emmanuel Ijewere of the make 'profit margins of over Nigeria Economic Summit N75,000 on it and N224,760 Group among others, they w ith On Track. went round the company 's Awalu said , ' 'Notore taught facil ities , and were briefed on me the fertiliser business in the success recorded so far by which I sold about half a the company. truck of 50kg.I have expand- .

Okoloko said the introduc- ed my business to selling tion of the lkg fertiliser bag other farm inputs . They also option, in response to the taught me the best practices, infrastructural and financial and I in tum , through demon-challenges currently faced by stration plots, teach farmers Nigeria 's subsistent farmers. how to improve their yields."

He added that be has .been able to build a house and' got manied as , well as own a motorbike.

Nigerian farmers utilise about 8-lOkg of fertiliser per hectare, a far cry from the 200 kg per hectare that 'is approved by Food and Agricultural; Organisation (FAO).

The question has always been, how do Nigerian farm­ers access fertiliser among other agricultural inputs to increase crop yields and qual­ity as well as farmers income?'

Stakeholders believe gov­ernment's involvement in fer­tiliser purcbase and distribu~ lion is one of the many rea­sons for low consumption of fertilisers as the system is heavily politicised, with many pol iticians using ferti liser supply and subsidies to gamer votes and reward patronage.

This has implications beyond low fertiliser con-

sumption. Firstly, the subsi­dies, which cost the govern­ment dearly, very often bene­fit the wrong people .

Many poor farmers find it difficult to pay for the 50kg bags of fertiliser .and . either opt to buy 'it in small units from open' bags, which often contain degraded or adulterat­ed products, or wait ' in the vain hope of receiv ing sub­sidised fertiliser, thus missing out on applying it at, the opti­mum time, if at alL

Recently, the Federal Government has grant~ some companies that were given contacts to supply , fer­tiliser for 2010 faming season an extension date because of failure to meet the contract term.

Notore says the precarious si tuation bas propelled it to

. taKe ,the_, bull by the hom ' to start production to meet local needs and also to penetrate the ,export market.

Participants al50 noted that , as a way of enlightening the public on the production of sweet potatoes, Government should assist in providing a comprehensive Master Plan on the mobilisation drive;

The workshop affirmed the need for government to re­focus the country's Agricultural Policy along the value chain to meet the mar­ket-product-<lemand through adequate capital infusion across the entire agricultural chain'

Pa;tidpants noted the need for the provision of farmi ng . implements and adequate fer­tilisers to farmers at the right time and at subsidized rate as

They agreed on the need for the inclusion of 10 per cent of sweet potatO flour in the production of bread. The workshop cal led on govern­ment to direct the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) , Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) to come up with a blueprint on the exportation of sweet pota­toes. The forum also cal led on government at all levels to buy the excess of potatoes being produced as way of encouraging the farmers; whi le participants agreed on the need for the sustenance of the sensitisation workshop.

• L-R: President, Nigerio.n AssocioJWiI oj Petrolellm ExploraJionislS (NAPEj)J7·. JilIe Ojo, Presidelll,Ajriealllllslilllle oj PetruleulII, Dr. D,meall Clark£ and CluUnlJani Manag;ngDirectorJ Chevron NigeriaJMr.A"dr~w Faw.lhrop, aJ the 5th Nigen'all Indepe"dents FonmlJ Featlirillg'Uat!illg Nigeripn Oil & Gas ;lIdepelldelll pltJyen, orgallised by Global Pacific '& Parill.n, held at Ihe Federal Paillce Hotel Lagos.:reeellily

, PHOTO: Etop Uklllt