Agriculture
Nigeria, China begin implementation of Crop-Watch programme
Nigeria, China begin implementation of Crop-Watch programme
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), in collaboration with the Aerospace Information Research Institute, and the Chinese Academy of Science (AIRCAS) has begun the implementation of the Crop-Watch Nigeria Innovative Programme.
The implementation of the programme started with a workshop on Monday organised by NASRDA to empower participants with the skills of collection and interpretation of agricultural data in Abuja.
Part of the objectives of the programme is to ensure that the zero-hunger agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals is achieved.
The programme also provides access to a timely food information system, improving crop production using space science and technology.
Crop-Watch programme is China’s leading agricultural monitoring system, using remote sensing and ground observation data to evaluate crop growth, yield and related information at national and global levels.
The programme is being supported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Alliance of International Science Organisations (ANSO).
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr Halilu Shaba, said that the Crop-Watch initiative was used to address food problems in China.
“Looking at how Crop-Watch helped China, you will know that agriculture depends so much on information for its accuracy and for full benefits.
“We agreed that we want to use the methodology so that we can provide necessary information to farmers and be able to advise the public and government on what is to be achieved.
“The whole idea is for training and customisation so that it will fit into what Nigeria is doing,’’ he said.
Dr Adepoju Matthew, Director, Strategic Space Application Department, said that zero-hunger cannot be achieved without the application of space science and technology.
Matthew said, “On this Crop- Watch, when our satellite goes over the country, it gathers the information on vegetation.
“Through that, we look at various crops planted in Nigeria, we check the health of the crop, the weather condition, soil type and more.’’
Associate Prof. of AIRCAS, Miao Zhang, said that they were collaborating with NASRDA to provide capacity-building programmes on the collection of data.
Zhang, also a key member of the Crop-Watch team, said the data will be used as a set and validation to prove the validity of the programme and agricultural practices.
“This training will focus on data collection in support of GVG, (an agricultural information collection app) smartphone apps, which will be used for high-resolution crop mapping,’’ he said.
Dr Rakiya Babamaaji, Coordinator, Crop-Watch Nigeria, recalled that they signed a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding on July 4, 2022, with AIRCAS to customise the programme for Nigeria.
Babamaaji said that the platform for Nigerian Crop-Watch will be developed and everybody will have access to information on remote sensing-based information concerning agricultural monitoring.
According to her, the platform will also provide high-resolution data on land use, land cover, also for early warning activities in the country.
“The training will help participants understand how to interpret this data and translate it to local farmers,’’ she said.
She mentioned that their major stakeholder is the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, adding that in early 2024, they will train agricultural extension workers, and NGOs on agricultural monitoring and data interpretation.
Mr John Itodo, Deputy Director, Agric Research, Planning and Policy Coordination, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the ministry has recognised the need to engage technology for precision agriculture.
Itodo said that Crop-Watch has the capacity to provide robust information for forecasting and farmers’ use for agricultural processes.
“The last meeting was to see how many crops will be covered under the Crop-Watch and we agreed on maize, rice, sorghum and millet.
“For now, we will try to see how much of the crops can be covered in this monitoring and once we get it now, it will help us in data collection.
He, however, added that they were considering adopting the technology into other sub-sectors of the ministry such as in livestock.
(NAN)
The Borno Government has announced the creation of Ministry of Livestock and Fishery Development to align its
Development strategy with Federal Government initiatives, and boost the state’s economic potential.
Gov. Babagana Zulum made the announcement on Tuesday during the swearing in of two commissioners at the council chambers of the Government House.
Zulum underscored the importance of livestock and fisheries as vital sectors with untapped revenue potential.
He emphasised that the new ministry would focus on high-yield livestock breeds, milk production and fisheries, targeting both domestic consumption and export opportunities.
The governor said that “no state government can make substantial money in livestock alone, but we believe with the right investment and political will, the sector can generate significant revenue.”
He said that the growing demand for milk by yogurt companies and the proximity of Maiduguri to Asian and Arab markets, are great opportunities for dairy exportation.
The governor, therefore, assigned the Deputy Governor, Dr Umar Kadafur, to oversee the activities of the new ministry, citing his practical experience and passion for livestock development.
He said “livestock development is not just about academic qualifications, it is about practice and the deputy governor has demonstrated capability in that regard.”
According to him, the ministry will prioritise procuring high-yielding livestock varieties, enhancing milk production and creating sustainable rural projects to support
Local communities.
He said that projects in Mafa, Gajiram and in Southern Borno will soon be launched under the new ministry’s purview.
The governor urged civil servants and ministry personnel to take ownership of the new initiative, adding that the ministry’s success would contribute to the states
Long-term economic stability and self-reliance.
The Port Harcourt Refinery, managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) through the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) has commenced operations after undergoing rehabilitation and modernisation.
The refinery with 210,000 bpd refining capacity located at Alesa, Eleme, in Port Harcourt, comprises two operational units which were established in 1965 and 1989.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the old plant refines a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), while the new plant refines 150,000 bpd.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government, under former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had in March 2021 secured a 1.5 billion dollars loan to rehabilitate the facility which contract was awarded to an Italian firm, Tecnimont S.P.A, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group.
NAN) reports that Malam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd. is leading the team to inspect the first lifting of petroleum product from the facility after its rehabilitation.
Alia appoints head of agric company, others
Gov. Hyacinth Alia has approved the appointment of Mr. Donald Aorkwagh Akule as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Benue State Agricultural Development Company (ADC).
The governor also approved the appointment of Dr Aondoakaa Asambe as Principal Special Assistant (PSA) on Livestock Development and Animal Transboundary Disease Control.
The appointments were announced in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Tersoo Kula, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Friday.
According to the statement, the governor also appointed Mr Abraham Agogo as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Community Mobilisation.
The statement added that the appointments take immediate effect.
It said that Akule brings over 15 years of experience in agricultural systems, community development, research and development, and food processing.
He holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, and is a Certified Fellow in Agricultural Systems Development under USAID and Lagos Business School.
Meanwhile, Asambe, a member of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association and a registered veterinary surgeon with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, has been a lecturer at Federal University, Dutsima, for the past 12 years.
He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi).
He also holds a postgraduate degree in Food Animal Medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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