Agriculture
NSPRI Offers Guide On Fruits Storage
Worried by the rate of waste of fruits in homes and markets, the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Rumueme, Port Harcourt has presented a guide on how fruits can be preserved after harvest.
Revealing these methods in a chat with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt, the officer in charge of the institute Mr. Simon Robbert said a lot of food is being wasted and that this has given the institute much concern, even as a research establishment for the purpose of preservation and storage.
To that effect, Robbert stated that the institute has developed some facilities that can handle the storage of fruits so as to reduce the rate of rot and mutilation during and after harvest.
According to him, the NSPRI has in its store some of the items developed for the handling and storage of mango fruits, tomatoes and maize as well as oranges which he said will be of help to those trading on these fruits.
He said that tomato is an important food condiment and can be eaten fresh or processed and can grow all over the country but can spoil easily because they contain a lot of water, and require special care to preserve.
Robbert however recommended that spoilage of fruits will be reduced by harvesting in the cool part of the day, and transfer same to cool sheds and pack good fruits in suitable container such as the plastic crates that have been developed by the NSPRI for transportation, which will help those trading on them.
For mango, the NSPRI boss said that mango is a good source of vitamin C and in their fresh form highly perishable, especially under hot tropical condition, adding that the best way to harvest mango is to pluck fruits carefully by hand or by mango picker to avoid mechanical damage, and should be washed immediately to remove the gummy sap.
He said the fruits should be stored wholely in cool store/fruit shed or be stored in an evaporated cooler developed by NSPRI, and can be put into the safety crates also developed by the institute for adequate transportation with minimal spoilage.
The research institute presiding officer maintained that the NSPRI is on the vanguard of increasing Nigeria’s agricultural self reliance through adequate post harvest boss prevention, adding that they have produced domestic storage that can properly store dried maize in air tight containers like metal drums, plastic pots with screw caps and polythene bags.
According to him, the idea is to control infestation by fumigation with phostoxin, with the note that fungi is the cause of degradation of colour of grains due to mould growth, as maize is the most widely cultivated cercal in Nigeria and the major source of energy for animal feed and for production of starch, as NSPRI has extention department to give advise if contacted.
Corlins Walter
Agriculture
FG, Ogun Distribute Inputs To 2,400 Farmers
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
Agriculture
Niger Allocates 10,000 Hectares For Smallholder Farmers
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
Agriculture
GO-CARES: Gombe Empowers 573,429 Farmers, Entrepreneurs
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
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