BusinessAgro

For lovers of apple, cash crop farmers and others in the areas of processing and export of apples, an amazing wealth creation opportunity is beckoning with the introduction of Malay apple, a new variety being developed in Nigeria. This specie, invented in Malaysia, Southern Asia, and commonly cultivated from Java to the Philippines and Vietnam,…

Agriculture has been described as a potent tool to reduce the alarming rate of poverty and hunger in Nigeria and other developing countries of the world.   Approximately 1 billion people in the world are said to be extremely hungry especially in the developing countries, while average of 12.9 per cent of the developing population…

The programme Coordinator, Technology for Africa Agriculture Transformation [TAAT], Mr. Crist Akem, has revealed that Nigeria, and other African countries with keen interest in fish, soya beans, cassava, vegetables and cocoa production can now assess the $120 million seed money put together by the World Bank, African Development Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gate…

Managing Director of AgroVet Nigeria Ltd, Mr Femi Akinwale, shares his experience on what farmers can do to break even, remain in business and expand operations. FEMI IBIROGBA presents excerpts. How has farmers/herders crisis affected cost of producing animal feeds? The problem affects everybody in Nigeria and the point around it is that we have…

Femi Ibirogba takes a look at benefits of integrated farming, backward integration and zero waste concepts as agribusiness sustainability techniques. Integrated farming and backward integration are interrelated agricultural and business strategies that most of the strong and prosperous agro-allied businesses have used to still the storms and stay afloat.     Integrated farming, also known…

The African Development Bank through its Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme is targeting to increase aquaculture production in Africa by five million tonnes by 2025.

FEMI IBIROGBA writes on the need to promote homegrown technologies towards commercialisation of agriculture and ensuring food security. Homegrown science and technologies have been described as invaluable resources in the efforts to promote agriculture and its value chain development in Nigeria. Agricultural technology is scientifically designing and fabricating devices, tools and techniques capable of reducing…

Nigerian maize and rice farmers have accused Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing in Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), an offshoot of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), of delaying their maize and rice cultivation for the year by unnecessarily holding back a loan already released by the apex bank. The farmers, under a cooperative society known as HOPE CONCEPT,…

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says more than 400,000 farmers have so far received its support under the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) to cultivate 12 crops, including rice, soya, maize, palm produce, cotton and cassava. The support, estimated at more than N56 billion since inception, has, however, raised local food production, saved foreign exchange and…

Mr Kola Lucas Adeniji, founder of Niji Lucas Engineering Ltd, explains challenges faced by agricultural equipment fabricators in Nigeria and how to move forward. FEMI IBIROGBA presents excerpts. In what ways are you contributing to agricultural development as a fabricator? The government is not sincere in Nigeria, and they are not facing the area that…

In this interview with FEMI IBIROGBA, Managing Director of Nobex Tech Company Ltd, Mr Adeoya Idowu, says the quality of locally fabricated agric equipment is better than most of the imported ones and Nigerian fabricators can make any machine if supported. What is the idea of developing cheaper African technologies to solve agricultural problems? Most…

A total of 100 farmers have been trained on ‘Best Practices in Cassava Cultivation’ by the Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, in collaboration with Cassava Adding Value for Africa ....