
RIFAN urges farmers in Katsina to repay ABP loan
The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Katsina State has urged its members who benefited from the first phase of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) to repay the loans. The state RIFAN Chairman, Alhaji Shuaibu Wakili, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Daura on Tuesday. News Agency
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Harvest-Plus refutes being part of $200bn bio-fortification fund
Harvest-Plus Nigeria has denied being part of purported $200 billion food bio-fortification of crops as reported by some dailies. The Country Manager of Harvest-Plus Nigeria, Dr Paul Ilona, said the publication was unfounded, and emanated from those bent on maligning the image of the international organisation. He said the budget of Nigeria is even far
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84,000 lose jobs as 16 cocoa companies go under
• 5% of cocoa’s $140b comes to Africa despite 70% of global output • Nigeria loses $100b over inability to export major produce Over 84,000 Nigerians have lost their jobs in the cocoa value chain industry while about 16 companies have folded up in the last 10 years. The National President of the Cocoa Association
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Farmers, agro-industrialists, others demand simple procedures in agric financing
Farmers, industrialists and financial experts in the agro-allied industries have called on the Federal Government to simplify processes and requirements of accessing agricultural financial facilities. They hinged the call on the layers of hurdles that unsophisticated farmers are made to go through while applying for loans as individuals or cooperatives. Though the Central Bank of
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Bee venom can kill virus, heals wounds faster – Don
Dr Mkabwa Manoko of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, said bee venom could be used to kill deadly viruses in the body. Dr. Manoko, also Head of the Department of Crop Sciences and Beekeeping Technology in the university, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines
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Ogbeh urges soil scientists to check degradation
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said there is urgent need for a well planned scientific soil management strategy to control or prevent degradation for continuous use of the soil for increased and sustained crop production. The minister stated this in Abuja while inaugurating the governing council of the newly
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Why FG should build cold-rooms
A non-governmental organisation, ProtectOzone Sustainable Livelihood Initiative, has urged the Federal Government to build cold-rooms from solar technology to elongate produce nutrients and shelf-life Olalekan Sipasi, the founder of the organisation, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. Sipasi said the call became necessary because cold-rooms could
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Hosa GreenHouse set to achieve all-year-round tomato production
Before now, only few Nigerians embraced greenhouse farming, maybe because of its cost implication. But today, the Wells Hosa GreenHouse Farm Limited, located in Edo State, is showing the way for all-year-round farming in Nigeria. Wells Hosa GreenHouse, owned by Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbor (retd), last month, launched its first fruit harvest of its greenhouse
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PAN, AFAN list ways to end food smuggling, import
Competitive food production, involvement of youths in agriculture, introduction of technologies and mobilisation of resources to the agro-allied industry have been suggested as means of ending high food import bills and smuggling. Presidents of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Ezekiel Ibrahim Mam and the All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Kabir Ibrahim, said
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How to cultivate pumpkin for sustainable income
The pumpkin is popularly known as ugu. It is a native plant of West Africa and is mostly grown and consumed in the southern part of Nigeria. It is increasingly becoming more popular among other Nigerians who have known that the vegetable is full of essential nutrients. Common names for the plant include fluted gourd,
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