Soil scientist, Prof. Ayodele Odofin of the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State, has called for more attention on agriculture to increase profits, food security, preserve, and enhance the resource base of the nation and its environment.

The don made the call when he delivered the 56th Inaugural Lecture of the university titled: “Nigerian Soil Resources: The Neglected Base of Our National Development,” at the Caverton Lecture Theatre, Main Campus, Minna.

Odofin, who is of the Department of Soil Science and Land Management, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT), said that conservation agriculture would increase profits, food security, preserve, and enhance the resource base of the nation as well as its environment.

He disclosed that conversation of agriculture centres around three inter-related core practices namely; continuous no-or minimal mechanical soil disturbance, maintenance of a permanent organic soil cover and mixing or rotating at least three different crops, with a balanced mix of legume and non-legume crops.

According to the don, the thrust of the lecture was to draw attention to soil management techniques which majority of Nigerian farmers must embrace if the nation’s soil resources are to be exploited in a sustainable manner to ensure food security.

Odofin said that, before independence, agriculture was the most important sector of the economy and accounted for more than 50 per cent of GDP and more than 75 per cent of export earnings.

“However, with the rapid expansion of the petroleum industry, agricultural development was neglected due to inadequate funding and massive importation of food items.”

This, he said, has given rise to high food prices, hunger, domestic inflation, depletion of foreign reserves and
rural-urban migration.

The lecturer noted that intensification of agriculture and agro-industrialisation remains the only logical option for
food import bills to be reduced.

In conservation agriculture, Odofin said planting holes are made in line with cutlass, dibble stick or jab planter for direct sowing (zero tillage) and the advantages of conservation agriculture are erosion control, time saving and labour, timely planting, elimination of tillage machinery expenses and profitability.

He, therefore, enjoined farmers to switch from tillage agriculture to conservation agriculture and recommended that government should officially recognise conservation agriculture as a production system to be actively promoted and supported.

According to him, this will enhance food production and sustainability.

He also recommended that conservation agriculture should be added to the schedule of Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the appointment of Desk Officers for conservation agriculture, which should also be replicated in all the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Musbau Akanji, commended the Inaugural Lecturer for his presentation.

By Aminu Ahmed Garko

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) says 5,400 agro-inputs dealers and farmers have benefitted from its three million dollars Feed the Future Nigeria Agro-Inputs Activity.

The Nigeria Mission Director of USAID, Stephen Haykin, said in a statement in Abuja that the three years Agro-Inputs Activity had built approximately 1,400 agro-inputs dealers and 4,000 smallholder farmers.

Haykin said: ”It demonstrated the productivity-enhancing technologies of Urea Deep Placement and soil and crop specific fertiliser blends.

”The activity worked with microfinance institutions to improve access to credit and easing the burden normally faced by farmers during the planting season.

”Through this partnership, 60 per cent of beneficiary farmers and agro-inputs dealers were able to access finance to grow their businesses.”

He said that the Activity had also strengthened the private sector-led agricultural inputs market in Nigeria.

Haykin said that it had helped to provide extension advisory services to farmers and to compensate for a shortfall of public extension agents in the Federal Capital Territory and seven target states.

He said that the interventions focused on maize, sorghum, rice and cassava value chains.

The director explained that the Agro-Inputs Activity had strengthened the capacity of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He also said that the scheme had helped to regulate the agro-inputs sector and improved the entrepreneurial capacity of agro-dealers to extend their networks to rural areas.

Haykin said that the activity had helped to increase smallholder farmers’ demands for high-quality inputs, technologies and good agricultural practices.

He said that it had also helped to empower women and youth farmers to access inputs and new technologies.

According to him, the scheme has strengthened the private sector-led agricultural inputs market, which enabled farmers to access quality inputs and increase their agricultural productivity.

”We are heartened to see that the strong actions of Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders have fortified these gains, and we are confident that we will continue to see progress,” he said.

Mrs Edel-Quinn Agbaegbu, the Secretary, National Biotechnology and Biosafety Consortium (NBBC), says biotechnology will address the onslaught of pest and disease challenging crops growth in Nigeria.

Agbaegbu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, October 20, 2017 in Abuja that biotechnology or Genetically Modified (GM) crops had been offered as a modern crop development tool.

She said that GM would not only address pests and disease challenges but the vagaries of weather and other challenges to growing crops.

Agbaegbu said that the new generation of biotech crops, manifested by the increasing use of stacked traits did not only address farmers’ concerns but also consumers’ preference and nutritional needs.

“The use of improved varieties is expected to contribute to improved health, environment and income as well as drastically reducing the need for frequent spraying with insecticide.

“As crop biotechnology faces the third decade of commercialisation, wide acceptance and innovations are expected to transform the development of biotech crops and traits.

“Fortunately, the genetically modified crops so far produced and globally commercialised are for herbicide-tolerance, insect, disease and drought-resistance.’’

Agbaegbu said that through the efforts of researchers, together with conducive and harmonised regulations; crop biotechnology innovations could help double food production to address the needs of the growing global population.

She said that it was no longer a subject of controversy that advanced countries of the world got their leap over others through the application of science in virtually all spheres of life.

“They are on the march again, through the application of science in agriculture and crop farming, Nigeria and the whole of Africa must tag along,’’ she said.

The scribe said that Nigeria should remain alive to the fact that for agric-biotechnology to be fully accepted; public opinion leaders must have adequate knowledge on science and technology and must be versed in communication skills.

“Today’s global development and sustainability are based on science.

“Granted that our health and biodiversity are indeed our strength, all efforts therefore should be concentrated toward ensuring its adequate protection and preservation through effective biosafety regulations.

“It should be noted that failure to achieve a critical mass of sustained political support for the technology and its safe application can result in policy contradictions in the country.’’

Agbaegbu applauded the management of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) for demonstrating special competence and efficiency in biosafety management and deliverables.

“The agency is committed to adoption of safe modern biotechnology in diversification of Nigeria’s economy under sound biosafety regulatory framework.

“It has also resolved to ensure safety to human health and the environment in the approval of any GMO that will be released for any purpose in Nigeria,’’ the scribe said.

By Ebere Agozie