Agro Hub Nigeria

Maize or corn is the third important cereal cash crop in India after wheat and rice. It is a Kharif crop and needs a generous rainfall for its growth. The optimum temperature for growth of maize is 22-30 degree Celsius but it can also tolerate temperature up to 35 degree Celsius. Corn has many health benefits. It - •    cuts the risk of heart diseases as it helps in reducing bad cholesterol in our body •    contains a lot of fibre and thus improves digestion •    keeps eyes healthy •    helps control Alzheimer’s disease •    helps fight cancer and makes our immune system strong •    keeps our skin and hair healthy A large part of corn produced is consumed by poultry. Corn flour, baby corn, sweet corn and pop corn are various forms in which maize is consumed by human population. Corn also makes good fodder for animals. Corn serves as a raw material for various industries: •    Almost one-tenth of total maize production goes in th

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has guaranteed that the agricultural and manufacturing sectors will enjoy single digit interest rates, this  it believes would fast track lending of a reserved special intervention fund set aside for the sectors. The CBN has set aside N235 billion and N750 billion as intervention funds for the manufacturing and agricultural sectors respectively, which it describes as pivotal in the  revitalization of the nation’s recessing  economy. The CBN Director, Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, made this known in Abuja, while addressing newsmen on the outcome of Bankers’ Committee meeting. She also disclosed  the joint decision by CBN and Bankers’ Committee to increase limit of banks’ FOREX sale to Bureaux De Change (BDCs) to $50,000 from $30,000 it was two weeks ago. Mrs Tokunbo Martins was accompanied to the briefing Group Managing Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Kennedy Uzoka, Zenith Bank Group Managing Director, Peter Amangbo, and Hassan

About 75,000 wheat farmers under the umbrella of  Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in Kano State are to benefit from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) facilitated borrowers scheme. The registration of farmers for this programme has commenced and beneficiaries are expected to use the loan to cultivate the commodity throughout this year’s dry season. Speaking about the registration of farmers ahead of the programme, the Kano State chairman of WFAN, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u said the decision to commence the registration was borne out of the  Association’s effort to process the loan early, to enable farmers prepare before the dry season. According to the WFAN chairman, farmers are required to open an account with one of the commercial banks as one of the conditions before accessing the loan. “We want to make sure that all registered farmers fulfill the conditions for accessing the loan before the dry season farming commences,” he said. Rabi’u, however, expressed optimism that the

About 75,000 wheat farmers under the umbrella of  Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in Kano State are to benefit from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) facilitated borrowers scheme. The registration of farmers for this programme has commenced and beneficiaries are expected to use the loan to cultivate the commodity throughout this year’s dry season. Speaking about the registration of farmers ahead of the programme, the Kano State chairman of WFAN, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u said the decision to commence the registration was borne out of the  Association’s effort to process the loan early, to enable farmers prepare before the dry season. According to the WFAN chairman, farmers are required to open an account with one of the commercial banks as one of the conditions before accessing the loan. “We want to make sure that all registered farmers fulfill the conditions for accessing the loan before the dry season farming commences,” he said. Rabi’u, however, expressed optimism that the

The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh has said that The Green Alternative Policy roadmap will help to assemble agro information, harness intelligence & capacity and make knowledge available to farmers for practical implementation. The Minister said this in Abuja at the official launch and public presentation of the Green Alternative. He cited that it is a policy document that would exploit  the sector’s potential for economic development. Identifying the policy as central to the development of the agricultural sector, Ogbeh said it is an attempt to build on a previous foundation and avoid policy somersault. He added that, “we are not throwing old policies overboard but expanding, deepening and adjusting policies where necessary.” The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, speaking at the launch, said the problem has never been with the lack of policy but implementation. He thereby requested for the full participation of everyone as the new policy document navigates eve

 The WorldStage Economic Summit 2016 is set to address the challenges facing agriculture in Nigeria and review strategies to create millions of jobs through the agricultural value chain. The Nigerian agricultural sector has been battling  diverse challenges, especially spending over $1.3 billion to import milk or dairy products despite it's huge potential to produce. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh had insisted that it was unsustainable and unacceptable for Nigeria to spend such a sumv on importing milk with the huge potential she has, not only to produce enough dairy for local consumption, but also for export purposes. The WorldStage Economic Summit 2016 which would be held at Lagoon Restaurant, Lagos on September 7 and 8, 2016 would have in attendance  Senator (Dr.) Abdullahi Adamu, Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development  as part of the panel discussion session with Sub-Theme “Creating Millions of Jobs through Agricul

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a Smart Phone Application – “Wetin App” for flood forecasting especially along the Niger and Benue rivers. The application, which will be available on Google App Store is a collaborative project of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, said Nigeria sought the help of the International Agency to develop the application following the devastating flood of 2012 which led to huge destruction of farms, houses and human lives. The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Ministry’s Director of Agricultural Businesses, Processing and Marketing, Alh. Azeez M. Olumuyiwa added that the country had decided to turn that bitter experience into a blessing by looking at the various ways farmers and government could take advantage of the tech