SURGACANE

About Sugarcane
 

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) family Gramineae (Poaceae) is widely grown crop in India. It provides employment to over a million people directly or indirectly besides contributing significantly to the national exchequer. 

Sugarcane growing countries of the world lay between the latitude 36.7° north and 31.0° south of the equator extending from tropical to subtropical zones. Sugar cane originated in New Guinea where it has been known for thousands of years. 

Sugar cane plants spread along human migration routes to Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Here it cross-bred with some wild sugar cane relatives to produce the commercial sugar cane we know today.

Cultivation of sugarcane in India dates back to the Vedic period. The earliest mention of sugarcane cultivation is found in Indian writings of the period 1400 to 1000 B.C. 

It is now widely accepted that India is the original home of Saccharum species. Saccharum barberi and Polynesian group of island especially New Guinea is the centre of origin of S. officinarum. It belongs to family Gramineae (Poaceae), class monocotyledons and order glumaceae sub family panicoidae, tribe Andripogoneae and sub tribe saccharininea. 

The cultivated canes belong to two main groups: (a) thin, hardy north Indian types S.barberi and S.Sinense and (b) thick, juicy noble canes Saccharum officinarum. Highly prized cane is S. officinarum.

Climatic requirement
 

Temperature for different critical stages of sugarcane: The different critical stages are germination, tillering, early growth, active growth and elongation. Optimum temperature for sprouting (germination) of stem cuttings is 32° to 38°c. 

It slows down below 25°, reaches plateau between 30°-34°. Temperatures above 38° reduce the rate of photosynthesis and increase respiration. For ripening, however, relatively low temperatures in the range of 12° to 14° are desirable. 

Reduction in yield of sugarcane due to rise in temperature
 

The sugarcane productivity and juice quality are profoundly influenced by weather conditions prevailing during the various crop-growth sub-periods. 

Sugar recovery is highest when the weather is dry with low humidity; bright sunshine hours, cooler nights with wide diurnal variations and very little rainfall during ripening period. These conditions favour high sugar accumulation. 

The climatic conditions like very high temperature or very low temperature deteriorate the juice quality and thus affecting the sugar quality. Favourable climate like warm and humid climate favour the insect pests and diseases, which cause much damage to the quality and yield of its juice and finally sucrose contents.

Government Should Curb Wastages in Agric Produce and Preserve Food - Experts

As the efforts to position the Nigeria’s agricultural sector to become one of the leading players in food production in world continue, experts have called on the federal government to tackle the level of wastage of agricultural produce usually experienced from distribution to the marketplace and develop innovative ways to preserve them.

Speaking during the inauguration of Fruits2go café, the Chief Executive Officer of the café, Tosan Kukoyi, said government should focus on the end product value chain, as a lot of wastages are being experienced from the farm to the market.

According to her, the wastage is huge and government has not provided facilities to preserve these agriculture produce.

She also stated that if government encourages more people and provide the necessary support, most of the agricultural produce will be better preserved thereby reduce the reliance on imported foods which she noted is most preferred by Nigerians despite the preservatives it contains, “most of these imported products contain products that are not healthy for the body.”

Kukoyi, who stated that there is need for more people to go into farming, commended government’s efforts in positioning sector, adding that Nigerians should create innovations regarding ways of preserving and packaging agriculture products.

Speaking on the café, she said the cafe was a healthy alternative to eateries in Lagos and they are focused on wholeness, noting that the products used are locally sourced in order to provide space in the healthy food options segment where every member of the family can have a good meal, snack or drink.

Kukoyi said the brand is targeted at children because there are no smoothies’ stores or café targeted children, while stressing that they have taken their services a step further to schools to package healthy lunch for school pupils.

She added: “The school authorities have also given us the opportunity to talk with the parents of these kids on the importance of eating right and not compromising with the cheaper alternatives that are in the market. 

Parents are excited to bring their children here because of what we are offering such as the popsicles which looks like ice-cream, but it is made from pineapple fruits and other fruit addition. 

The parents of these pupils reach an agreement with us and they pay for the lunch we serve their pupils, on a term basis. We have covered two major schools.

“Children love our smoothies and juices. We are creating excitement for our customers and still focused on the core of the business. We have juices, and healthy Yogurts made without preservatives. We only persevere these Yogurts with refrigeration. This is the first branch, but we are looking at opening four other locations in 2017.

“Government should evaluate the agricultural value chain, the players and know where the challenges are coming from, then address it. 

I think the challenge before the administration facing is implementation. For private entrepreneurs, we will try our best to set the stage, within our capacity. 

The bank is not helping us with the interest rates they are giving. It is difficult if you don’t have funds. There should more credit facilities to encourage entrepreneurs.”

Anxiety in Nigeria Over Fate of Tomato Paste Industry

With the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) reluctance to amend its foreign exchange restriction for the importation of certain commodities, value-chain operators in the tomato paste industry have warned of the potential collapse of the N19 billion manufacturing industry before the end of second quarter of 2017, if the decision is not reviewed.

According to the operators, the value of imported tomato paste in Nigeria used to be about $170 million before the CBN ban on 41 items, out of which imported triple concentrate tomato paste used as raw material by the packers account for around $50 million.

Recall that an indigenous local tomato paste manufacturer, Erisco Foods Limited, made good its threat of shutting down the $150 million plant and relocating its manufacturing base to a location outside Nigeria last month.

The Chief Executive Officer, Erisco Foods, Chief Eric Umeofia, had announced that the company was winding down operations preparatory for its final exit from the country, citing that he was moving the factory to China, where he already had a thriving business.

He added that from there, he would be manufacturing and exporting tomato paste back to Nigeria, as it was far cheaper doing so than producing locally.

Spokesman of the Union of Tomato Paste Manufacturers in Nigeria, Nnamdi Nnodebe, hinted that the tomato processing industry is in a dire position as unavailability of tomato paste triple concentrate for the industry is grinding production to a halt.

While some operators had urged government to embrace a gradual backward integration agenda to achieve its objectives, Nnodebe noted that the sudden implementation of the forex policy by the apex ban has affected the profile of the industry drastically.

He said: “It makes better economics to import the raw materials that will enable production, grow the economy and keep jobs rather than importing the finished products or frustrating efforts to get the raw materials, thereby rendering millions jobless which might further kill the economy.

“The local packing industry can also form the hub for exports to the hinterland countries as there are adequate local capacities to more than cater to the domestic requirement. Using the ECOWAS benefits, this can be a huge foreign exchange earner for the country today and in the near future. 

Through the growth of the tomato industry Nigeria can compete with China instead of buying the finished goods from them.

“It is important for the government to recognise that the packing industry is an essential component of the tomato paste value chain and without this sector there can be no link between the farmer and the final consumer. 

Even if we develop our own triple concentrate manufacturing industry in future, the bulk of triple concentrate cannot be consumed in Nigeria alone as exportation of the local production will become more lucrative.”

Farmer Makes Mineral Feeder Portable

Lee Gooder already had three perfectly good feeders, one in each of his three pastures. Why, then, did he need a brand-new one, his wife, Jill, wanted to know.

“This mineral feeder has curtains and scratchers and a large, rubber tub for salt and mineral,” he explained to her.

Still skeptical, she asked him how he intended to move it from one pasture to the next. “That was a good question. Once I made it portable, she was OK with it, and we were all good to go,” he says.

That portability has worked out extremely well, Gooder emphasizes. The transition began by mounting a snowmobile trailer axle to the self-feeder.

Son Zach helped build the axle mount and a hitch. They got help from a local welding shop with fabrication and mounting.

“That axle is removable, so when we want to take it off and make a stationary unit, we can,” Gooder points out.

switch out when fly season is over

Since dust bags and an oiler aren’t required during the winter, the Gooders can have their trailer back in time for snowmobile season.

The Cattle Saver feeder built by Easy Way Cattle Care in Decorah, Iowa, gets shedded. “I put the three old feeders back out until springtime,” he says.

The Gooders’ pastureland has steep slopes. So steep, the ground has never been used for anything but pasture. Yet, Gooder says, he’s had no trouble pulling the feeder with his Gator.

“I can easily lift the tongue even when the feeder is full of mineral. It’s nimble, but it’s stable, too. We get quite a bit of wind up there, and, so far, it hasn’t been knocked over,” he says. 

Another winner

Gooder is the last recipient of a $2,500 Firestone in-store credit offer for having his idea chosen as the Idea of the Month.

More about Lee Gooder

Family farm: Besides fall-calving stock cows, Gooder grows corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. He also feeds out Jersey bottle calves. He is a full-time road maintenance employee for Howard County in northeast Iowa.

Anticipation: The county has ordered him a new Caterpillar road grader.

Changing practices: Gooder sold his disk recently and bought a super coulter. “I’m trying to go as minimum-till as possible. The goal is to eventually do no-till,” he says. 

Family: Wife Jill works full time at the local hospital. Both of their children, daughter Shelley and son Zach, are grown.

To join in the all farm contest click here and submit your ideas

UN Conference reaches agreement to Mainstreaming Biodiversity to ensure Sustainable Development

As part of efforts to achieve sustainable development, governments from 167 countries have given an unparalleled recognition to the need to protect biodiversity across the agricultural sectors towards ensuring food security and addressing climate change.

The global leaders while making the agreement at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP13) held recently in Cancun, Mexico consented on specific steps to promote the integration of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within and across the agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism sectors.

Addressing participants at the Conference, Deputy Director General Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Maria Helena Semedo explained that though agricultural sectors and biodiversity have often been regarded as separate and even conflicting concerns, they are inextricably connected.

“Agriculture is by nature a major user of biodiversity, but it also has the potential to contribute to its protection,” she added

The Conference declaration stressed that the international community must involve different governmental and economic sector and not just environment ministries to protect biodiversity- the thousands of interconnected species that make up a vital web of ecosystem services upon which global food production depends.

The platform which is aimed at facilitating cross-sector dialogue, will allow ministries of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and environment to share experiences and explore how to best encourage sectors that depend or have an impact on biodiversity to adopt integrated approaches for its conservation and sustainable use.

Dangote extols Nigerians’ perseverance, canvasses for agric resurgence

The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has commended Nigerians for their resilience and perseverance in the face of prevailing economic challenges, while stressing the need for Nigerians to return to agriculture.

 

Dangote who stated this while addressing a group of small and medium scale enterprises in Lagos, on the challenges faced in the country stressed the need to become a producing nation and reduce importation.

 

According to him, “We need to produce what we consume as opposed to importation, which takes away our forex. 

 

We import just anything and the reality is dawn on us now that we have to change this habit, this is why the federal government has been emphasizing the need to go back to agriculture and total manufacturing so that we also can produce what we need and even export rather than import.”

 

He furthered that the nation has abundant raw materials to produce and did not need to import of some of these products.

 

Expressing confidence that the sacrifices made by the citizens would see the country out of the woods the business mogul urged the people to cooperate with the government in bringing Nigeria back to a path of sufficiency and economic buoyancy.

 

Vanguard reports that the business mogul had indicated that his new $12 billion three in one project, the refinery, petrochemical and fertilizer plants currently under construction would create a minimum of 235,000 new jobs, both direct and indirect jobs, as it becomes operational in the first quarter of 2019.

FG increases import duties on rice, salt and other food items

The Federal Government has raised duties on some food items being imported into the country. Some of these food items include rice, salt and sugarcane and are known have alternatives that can be sourced locally.

 

The new rate which is contained in a circular by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is an increase from the 20 per cent which the owners currently enjoy. 

 

According to the Finance Minister, President Buhari has already approved the new tariff structure.

“This is to confirm that Mr. President has approved the 2016 fiscal policy measures made up of the 

 

Supplementary Protection Measures (SPM) for implementation together with the ECOWAS CET 2015 – 2019 with effect from 17th October, 2016”, she said.

 

“Consequently, all transactions prior to the effective date of this circular shall be subjected to the tariff rates applicable before the coming into effect of this 2016 fiscal policy measures”, she added.

 

Due to the increase,  sugar cane and salt prices have now increased by 60 per cent; alcoholic spirit, beverages and tobacco from 20 per cent to 60 per cent; and rice from 10 per cent to 60 per cent.

 

Medicaments such as anti-malarials and antibiotics; crude palm oil; wheat flour; tomatoes paste; and cassava products are also affected in the upward review of duties.

 

It will be recalled that the plan to raise the duties was first contemplated by former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala under the immediate past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

How AfDB is helping transform Agriculture in Africa – Report

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has deployed $5.5 billion in investments into the agriculture sector over five years up to 2015, the new Development Effectiveness Review on Agriculture, has revealed.

 

According to the review, the bank trained three million people on better farming practices, put 20,000 food marketing and storage into use, constructed four thousand kilometres of feeder roads, offered 150,000 microcredit loans, irrigated and built other water systems on 181,000 hectare of farmland.

 

While commenting on the review, the Director of Quality Assurance and Results of the Department that authored the Review Simon Mizrahi explained that the Review is Mission accomplished.

 

“The Development Effectiveness Review is mission accomplished, as the AfDB sets out an even more ambitious agenda in its Feed Africa strategy to end hunger and extreme poverty by 2025” he said

 

The Review which details the progress and the pitfalls to date in transforming Africa’s agriculture sector, lays out what steps must be taken to catapult Africa into becoming a global agricultural power house in the next decade.

 

It maintains that, agriculture has zoomed to the top of Africa’s policy agenda, with African countries pledging to eradicate hunger and halve post-harvest losses in under a decade. 

 

Some of other most noteworthy operations of the Bank cited in the report during the period include the Africa Food Crisis Response Programme, which fast-tracked relief that raised US$1.0 billion and led to better harvests; New Rice for Africa, which boosted the hardiness, nutrition and yields of rice and improved the livelihoods of almost a quarter of a million subsistence farmers amongst others.

 

To end hunger, the development report stresses the need to invest in agriculture as it remains the only panacea to the problem of hunger and poverty in the continent.

 

“It has become increasingly clear that investing in agriculture is the best way to end hunger, malnutrition, and extreme poverty in Africa,” the development report states. 

 

“Given that seven out of 10 Africans earn a living from the land, agriculture can create economic growth spread more evenly across society, and extending deeper into rural areas, and helping more women, who make up 70 percent of farmers”, it reads.

Bauchi flags-off Anchor Borrower’s scheme with 20,000 farmers.

Bauchi State government has launched the Anchor Borrower’s Scheme with 20,000 farmers that registered for the scheme.

The scheme was initiated by the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as an agricultural intervention to help farmers boost production.

 Governor Mohammed Abubakar officially launched the scheme in Bauchi State at Gadar-Maiwa town.

Speaking at the flag-off of land preparation for the programme, he said his administration will give priority to programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.

Governor Abubakar said the state government has in addition to other supports agreed to is pay off the 9% interest on the loan to be granted farmers in the programme.

“The government has placed a high priority to agriculture, especially laudable programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, as part of efforts to empower the people, create job opportunities and tackle the challenges of food security,” he said.

In his address, the lead consultant in charge of the programme in Bauchi State, Dr Abdulmalik Nura, said out of the 20,000 registered farmers, 10,000 had so far been screened by field officers and representatives of participating banks.

He said they have concluded all input assessment of irrigated rice production module for the state, which currently stood at N370, 000 per hectare.

“The aim of the programme is to create economic linkage between small holder farmers and reputable large scale processors. Each bonafide farmer is now expected to deposit N18, 500, which is his mandatory 5 per cent equity contribution as prescribed by the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) guideline,” he said.

MD, Guana Farms - Ban on rice importation hasty

The Chief Executive Officer of Raymos Guana Farms, Mr Raymos Guana, says the decision of the Federal Government to ban rice importation is too hasty.

Guana, a former Commissioner for Lands in Delta, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Thursday.

According to him, the quantity of rice being produce in the country today will not be able to meet the demands of Nigerians.

He said that government should have given farmers at least three to five years notice to work toward boosting rice production that could adequately feed the nation.

“With such target, each state of the federation would be given specified quantity of rice to be produced within the stipulated time.

“For example, Delta will produce one million tonnes of rice, Anambra two million, while Ebonyi will produce five million tonnes of rice.

“With this target, I am very sure that each state would work toward achieving its goals and expectation,’’ he said.

Guana also called on government at all levels to support farmers with processing facilities, adding that the magnitude of food lost after harvest was alarming.

“If we have processing machines around the country, there will be much food left after harvest