GARDENING, MEET THE MAN WHO BROUGHT MERLOT, CABERNET AND SNAILS TO CARLIFORNIA.

If you happen to be a local oenologist — a winemaker, that is — the name of Antoine Delmas could well be near and dear to your heart. If you happen to be a gardener, however, this same name could evoke highly charged negative emotions, to say the least.

Antoine Delmas, you see, who arrived in the Santa Clara Valley in 1849, is famous for being the first to bring into California two important commodities: one for praise and one for execration. Delmas was the first person to introduce French grapevines, merlot and cabernet varieties prominent among them, into the state.

But Delmas also bears the burden of being the first person to import European snails into the state.
Delmas considered snails — escargot in French — to be a tasty delicacy, best washed down with select varietal wines. As it turned out, the only way a gardener could possibly accept the presence of European snails was if he became regularly inebriated from serious imbibition of merlot or cabernet.
Delmas deposited his snails on the west bank of the Guadalupe River, near San Jose.

 Fifty years later, a correspondent from San Jose reported that the snails had reached the east side of the river and had “multiplied to such an extent that, in some instances, they are troublesome in the gardens.” It should be noted that Delmas had also traveled south to Los Angeles with a batch of his snails and that his prized gastropods proved even more precocious in our area than up north, no doubt due to the fact that our climate more closely resembled that found in the Mediterranean habitat of the European snail.
Snails are not all bad. There are 240 California native snail species and none of them are garden pests. They live off fungi, terrestrial algae, and other micro-organisms.


A major factor in the snail’s rapid reproduction is its hermaphroditic status. This means that every snail coupling results in a double impregnation. With each snail laying 80 eggs at a time, and with five or six impregnations per year, it is easy to see how a snail population could explode by geometric proportions in a short time.
Snails also have a highly sophisticated osmoregulatory system, allowing them to eliminate water loss during a drought and deny entry of water — which could cause them to freeze to death — when the weather gets cold.

Although they would not be found in a kosher restaurant, snails and snail eggs are widely available as comestible fare.

When it comes to cost, snail eggs are expensive, nearly rivaling fish eggs or caviar at $50 an ounce.
Beginning gardeners may regard snails as a serious problem that requires drastic control measures. Metaldehyde is the chemical of choice for killing snails, but it is toxic to pets, so dog and cat owners may resort to Sluggo, a product that is deadly to snails but pet-friendly.

Veteran gardeners are much less aggravated by snails, regarding them more as an occasional nuisance and knowing that diligent handpicking will keep the mucinous mollusc menace at bay.

An early morning snail hunting foray into the garden on a daily basis, or a nightly search with a flashlight, where snails are simply removed from wherever they adhere or slither and dropped into the trash, will take care of most snail problems in a matter of several days to a few weeks, depending on the severity of the infestation.
Again, though, if you monitor your plants on a daily basis, year in and year out, snails should never gain a foothold in your garden.

It has also been my experience that snails are more of a problem in a hygienically clean, non-mulched garden where soil is bare than in a “dirty” garden where a layer of mulch is constantly decomposing on the soil surface.

Now is an excellent time to collect fallen leaves and spread them around between your plants. This sort of rough mulch will serve admirably as a snail deterrent.
Raising chickens for a steady supply of fresh eggs, which seems to becoming more commonplace among Los Angeles gardeners, carries the added benefit of a reliable snail patrol. Just as a posse of cats will often eliminate a rodent problem, a chicken or two will gladly gobble up snails wherever they show their lovely helical shells.

Snails are not omnivorous and many plants can grow among them without suffering any damage.
Just as in the case of gophers, it seems that snails are also deterred by plants with strong fragrances.

 The list includes lantana, geraniums, rosemary, sages (Salvias) of all types, mints and ornamental ginger (Hedychium). Non-fragrant but still snail-resistant plants for your flower beds include impatiens, bedding begonias, fuchsias, cyclamen, crocosmia, hellebores and foxgloves. Baby tears are snail-resistant and so are ferns of every description, as well as hydrangeas. California poppies and ornamental grasses are resistant, too.
It seems that snails are mostly interested in annual flowers and vegetables, although they will climb the trunks of citrus trees to munch on leaves and fruit.

One way to keep them out of vegetable boxes and citrus trees is through the use of copper. Copper bands or foil (Snail-Barr is one recommended product) ringed around tree trunks or stapled along the perimeter of a planter box serve as no trespassing signs where snails are concerned.

When, in time, copper becomes tarnished, it loses its snail deterring effect but can be reactivated when polished with a little vinegar and water. Make sure your banding or foil is 8 inches wide to eliminate all chance of snails moving over it. Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate plus hydrated lime) will also provide one year’s snail protection when painted on trunks of susceptible trees and will give two years’ protection when white latex paint is added to the mix. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

GOVT INTRODUCES PLANS TO ATTRACT YOUTHS INTO AGRICULTURE.

Government has rolled out a program aimed at enticing the youth into agriculture.


According to the Minister designate for Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the program is expected to revamp the sector, create jobs and ensure food security.


Speaking at the opening of the New Year School at Legon, Dr. Akoto emphasized that the initiative known as operation planting for food and job will depend heavily on ICT.


On his part, President Nana Akufo-Addo said his government places great premium on modernizing the sector with the introduction of ICT.


He said: “It is clear that ICT has brought to the fore new ways of doing things. Given the rapid penetration of ICT in our society today, particularly the use of mobile telephones, there is a realisation that ICT should be integrated to be effectively used as facilitating tools in agricultural development to boost its impact on the lives of our farmers.”


“ICT provides easier access to markets and information resources and I have no doubt that if this is mainstreamed into our agricultural practices, productivity within the sector will be increased to ensure that not only will farmers’ input increase but also the nation’s food security will be guaranteed,” he added.

BIRD FLU OUTBREAK REPORTED IN UGANDA.

Authorities said precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the disease from spreading further.


He said bird owners must keep them indoors to avoid them interacting with wild birds and animals and added that people must not touch or eat wild birds or other wild animals that are found dead, but report these instead.


The bureau said it first identified H7N7 and H7N8 avian flu subtypes near the Yilan farm in December, raising the alert that led to a three-month monitoring process to determine if more deadly flu strains were also present in the area.
The H5N8 strain, which is deadly for pou

ltry but has not been found in humans, has spread in Europe and the Middle East since late past year, leading to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of farmed birds and the confinement of flocks indoors.


In a statement, Christopher Kibazanga, minister for agriculture, animals and fisheries, said local wildlife authorities on January 2 had reported the "mass death of wild birds, seen by fishermen at Lutembe beach at the shores of Lake Victoria near Entebbe".


Uganda announced on Sunday it had detected bird flu among migratory birds, without specifying whether it was the particularly virulent H5 strain detected this season in countries worldwide.


According to the World Health Organization, avian influenza viruses do not normally infect humans but there have been instances of certain highly pathogenic strains causing severe respiratory disease in humans. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

LATEST BIRD FLU WARNING FROM NATIONAL GAME KEEPERS ORGANISATION.

The Government has come together with countryside and shooting organisations to issue important information about the latest outbreak of bird flu, of concern to everyone involved with gamebirds

 

 

The information, endorsed by Defra, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments and collated by seven leading countryside and shooting organisations (BASC, CA,CLA,GFA,GWCT, NGO and SGA).

Key bird flu warnings, advice and action in brief

• H5N8 bird flu is a serious and notifiable disease and continues to be found in wild birds and some kept flocks in the US.
• Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, is a disease that affects gamebirds, chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry. It can also occur in many species of wild birds
• The H5N8 strain can be passed from wild birds to kept flocks, causing birds to fall ill and die
• It can be transmitted  from bird to bird or from bird droppings or on people and equipment
• Risks to human health from H5N8 are very low
• Bird flu does not post a food safety risk
• There is currently a legal requirement in the UK for all captive birds, including game birds, to be housed or kept separate from wild birds
• The law says you must register with the Government if you keep 50 or more game birds or other poultry.
•  Cleanliness, disinfection and attention to detail when moving and mixing birds are crucial in game bird management, particularly now
• Do not allow dogs eat any dead wild birds and do not feed uncooked shot birds to animals
• Separate different gamebird production stages, keeping laying birds away from hatching and rearing facilities
• Use footbaths containing government-approved disinfectant products
• Ask your vet for advice on biosecurity
• Brief staff thoroughly and restrict access by non-essential visitors.
• Keep food and water clean and, as far as possible, inaccessible to wild birds.
• Symptoms of avian flu in affected birds include;  loss of appetite, swollen heads, respiratory problems and multiple unexpected deaths. BY CHARLOTTE PETERS.

CHINA CONFIRMS 1 MORE HUMAN DEATH FROM H7N9 BIRDFLU.

SHANGHAI –  A man in China's central Henan province has become the latest person reported to have died this winter from H7N9 bird flu, the state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday citing local health authorities.


The 36-year-old roast duck salesman developed a fever and a cough around Dec. 25 in coastal Zhejiang province, near Shanghai, and returned to Henan in early January, Xinhua said. He was diagnosed with H7N9 on Jan. 10 and died the next day.


Bird flu is most likely to strike in winter and spring. In recent years, farmers have stepped up cleaning regimes, animal detention techniques, and built roofs to cover hen pens, in their efforts to prevent the disease.


China's last major outbreak killed 36 people and caused more than $6 billion in losses for the agricultural sector. NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

THIRSTY CROPS RUN A TEMP

Kendall DeJonge’s mission is to take plants’ temperatures. But the crops, like corn, that he’s working with don’t have to open up and say, “ahh.” Instead, DeJonge employs an infrared radiometric thermometer (IRT). It is a simple point-and-detect temperature detection tool that you can own.

The USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) engineer is refining a simple way you can use IRT readings to pinpoint when a crop needs to be irrigated.

CREATING A SIMPLE CALCULATION

DeJonge is basing his work on research that confirms thirsty plants get hot. So a simple method of taking crop canopy temperatures could be a boon to farmers. Also, DeJonge points out, IRTs could be placed on posts in fields, center pivot irrigation systems, or even on a drone to gather temperature readings on crops.  

Scientists can interpret the IRT readings by using one of several indicators, including the commonly used crop water stress index (CWSI). 

Developed by ARS scientists in the early 1980s, the CWSI requires knowing air temperatures and humidity levels in addition to crop canopy temperature to calculate a vapor pressure deficit. Although accurate, CWSI is fairly technical to use.

DeJonge and his team of researchers have developed two new indices that are simpler to use than CWSI. These formulations include the degrees above nonstressed (DANS) index and the degrees above critical temperature (DACT) index.

The team is monitoring soil water levels and crop water use in fields fully to partially irrigated using IRT. They have found that DANS and DACT were just as effective as CWSI at determining water stress. 

Not only are both calculations simpler to employ, but also crop canopy temperatures need to be taken just once a day to be accurate. 

An online search found that an IRT with a handheld meter retails for between $600 and $700. Individual sensors that would be put on center pivots retail for $600 to $650.

DeJonge is now working on refining the calculations to establish water needs of specific crops under different scenarios. With his crop-water coefficient data, you could use handheld or drone-mounted IRTs to calculate water needs over extensive areas.

Click here to find more details about DeJonge’s research.

Source: Successful Farming 

FINDING THE BLUE SKY IN AGRICULTURE

WE MAY BE FACING STIFF WINDS, BUT OPPORTUNITIES FLY THROUGH AGRICULTURE IN 2017

It’s not reported much, but there is blue sky in agriculture, and we want to explore it.

But first, have you heard of this saying?

The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones. Rick Hanson, a psychologist and author, writes about taking in the good. “People will work much harder to avoid losing $100 than they will work to gain the same amount of money.” He adds, “Painful experiences are much more memorable than pleasurable ones.”

Farmers are no different. They can tell you exactly what year they grew their farm’s worst crop, the lowest price they ever took for corn or soybeans, or where they were when the broker called and asked for more margin money for their futures trading account.

There is hope for farmers in Hanson’s message. 

Here’s how to “take in the good” in three simple steps.

1. Look for good facts and then turn them into good experiences.
2. Really enjoy the experience. Stay with it for 30 seconds without getting distracted.
3. Intend and sense that the good experience is sinking into you.

We want to help you take in the blue sky for agriculture in 2017.

After sinking prices in nearly every grain and livestock market in 2016, economists see a return to higher ground.

“The heavy red ink for cattle operations could be behind us, and profits are projected to return to the hog market this spring,” says Lee Schulz, Iowa State University Extension economist. 

Some grain analysts and market watchers see record global demand as poised to dwindle record supplies and to offer opportunities for farmers to sell at profitable levels in mid-2017.

There’s more blue sky. Now may be the time to buy good, used equipment. The outlook for fertilizer prices and cash rent rates point in favor of savings for farmers.

- Mike McGinnis

LOWER CASH RENTS

Growers looking for some positive news on the cost side can take heart knowing that, on average at least, cash rents are going down along with the price of commodities. 

Agricultural land rents – both irrigated and non-irrigated – are projected to fall 6% year over year in 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The average value of cropland in the U.S. will fall about 1% to $4,090 an acre, the first decline in seven years, the agency reports. 

The downturn is a marked reversal from gains the past decade when cropland values doubled and cash rents jumped 71%. The falling cost of land – among the only decliners since many other inputs including seed and fertilizer stand fast or rise – likely will continue until crop prices begin to rise, says Jeff Voeks, a market adviser at Stewart Peterson Brokerage Solutions. 

“Cash rent prices will edge lower,” Voeks tells Successful Farming magazine. “To say they’ll fall is overstating it a bit, but I think they’ll continue to eke a little bit lower.” 

While rents are down year over year, corn prices have tumbled about 10% and wheat futures are off by about 20%. Soybean prices are up from last year, but only because they rebounded in the first half of 2016 on weather worries that never materialized. 

Lower rents will help out younger farmers, especially small stakeholders who are trying to expand their holdings or to get started in the industry, says Larry Glenn, an analyst at Prime Ag in Quinter, Kansas. While conventional wisdom would say that now isn’t a good time for a young farmer to jump into the industry, it’s possible that getting in now when rents are low could pay dividends in the future. 

Even large bank- and corporation-owned farms will likely be forced to reduce rents due to extremely low crop prices, though probably not as drastically as small farmer- or family-owned landholders, he says. 

“Big corporate farms are going to want to stay up as high as they can,” Glenn says. “I wouldn’t be surprised,” however, if larger banks or corporations that own farms make adjustments based on the price of grains and soybeans, he says. 

Cash rent prices probably will continue to fall into next year. To offset declining or stagnant crop prices, growers are reportedly saying they’re going to cut back on corn and bean planting, Voeks says. This will only work if they hold true to their word, he says. 

Still, it will take a while to work through the glut of several years’ worth of high yields, which could mean an extended period of low rental prices. 

“Downward pressures likely are being placed on rents,” says Gary D. Schnitkey, a professor in the department of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois. “Therefore, it is likely that average rents in 2017 will be lower than those for 2016.”

Now is the time in agriculture when farmers should be looking for opportunities, according to Michael Boehlje, Purdue University economist. 

- Tony Dreibus

CHEAPER IRON

 Certainly one of the biggest silver linings in the storm clouds of a depressed farm economy has been the significant savings being offered on late-model, and low-hour machinery. 

Values on high-horsepower tractors, four-wheel drives, combines, self-propelled sprayers, and grain carts are one quarter to one third less than in 2012. 

“I’ve never seen opportunities to buy large machinery at such competitive prices as exist today,” says Jeremy Knuth of Heritage Power, a John Deere dealership out of Baldwin City, Kansas. 

“We are looking to move out built-up inventories, and we are willing to work hard to make a transaction work for an individual farmer’s situation,” Knuth says.

Another hallmark of this massive inventory of late-model machinery is that most of the equipment for sale carries unprecedented low hours. It is not uncommon to uncover a 2014 model year 300-plus-hp. tractor for sale with fewer than 500 hours. 

"Our C-O-P is near $3 with seed down $15 and fertility down $25 per acre." – Central Indiana Farmer

In a recent price comparison of tractors available on dealers’ lots, Successful Farming magazine identified 42 high-horsepower tractors of various makes with fewer than 400 hours. It is not unusual to find 3-year-old machines with only 150 hours. This same situation is well stated in Class 7 and larger combines, as well. 

The poster child of like-new large machinery is the grain cart. A search of John Deere’s dealer website, machinefinder.com, finds 252 large (1,000-plus-bushel) grain carts for sale that are 3 years old or younger. Even more amazing is the number of brand-new carts that are 2, 3, and even 4 years old still sitting on dealers’ lots. For a detailed analysis of large machinery price trends, refer to the December issue of Successful Farming magazine on pages 32-36.

There is another aspect that accentuates the unprecedented value of large and late-model machinery. Manufacturers have armed dealers with an array of financing plans to entice buyers. 

“Whether it’s a certified preowned (CPO) program or low- or no-interest financing, dealers are in a position to reward farmers for buying in ways not available before,” observes Nate Weinkauf of Case IH. These programs commonly inspect used equipment, often making necessary repairs and improvements before going on used lots. In addition, a dealer can extend warranty coverage of a used machine for up to three years.

While it’s not necessarily new, you will find it far easier to lease large and late-model machinery than in the past. 

“It’s a financing option that appeals to certain farmers who are trying to minimize debt,” points out Brad Tolbert of John Deere.

Though it may be stating the obvious, leasing large and late-model machinery is far more affordable than in the past because the base value of the leased machine is lower.

However, as Rick Vacha of Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers warns, don’t wait to pull the trigger on such good deals. “We are already seeing once-large inventories of such combines as the Deere S680 dry up, which is driving up their auction values,” he says. “I certainly expect the same to happen to high-horsepower tractors this winter.”

- Dave Mowitz

INPUT COSTS VARY 

Good news: Seed prices have remained fairly steady from 2016 going into 2017.

Bad news: That steadiness doesn’t match the dip in corn and soybean prices from last summer’s spike.  

“The price of some products has gone up; some have gone down. Overall, we are pretty flat from where we were in the past year,” says Jeff Hartz, director of marketing for Wyffels Hybrids. 

"We'll pay off a huge portion of our equipment debt in 2016 and 2017." – Central Indiana Farmer

The decline in commodity prices has prompted farmers to economy-shop for seed.  

“We have started to see growers become more sensitive to the price of seed and trade down,” says Chuck Lee, head of seed product marketing for Syngenta Seeds. “They are choosing hybrids that have a lower number of traits. Within the same trait class, we have also seen a trend of growers moving into picking the lowest-priced hybrids.”

Cutting traits is a way to save money. Remember, though, that pests such as corn rootworm and European corn borer (ECB) still lurk. 

“Farmers have to be careful that they don’t get into a situation that can backfire,” says Hartz. “We saw some non-GMO fields in eastern Iowa that had an issue with corn borer. We saw that in 2015, too, when corn borer cost farmers 30 to 40 bushels per acre in yield.”

FERTILIZER

More good news is that prices for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) plunged to their lowest since 2007 two to three months ago, says David Asbridge, president and senior economist for NPK Fertilizer Advisory Services. 

“We have had way too much capacity across the board with N, P, and K, but they (manufacturers) are beginning to manage it somewhat,” he says. 

"We marketed 1/3 of our 2016 corn production above $4 per bushel." – SW Kansas Farmer

Asbridge says prices will likely remain steady through winter and start rising in March through the end of spring. This coincides with heavy fertilizer use during and shortly after planting. Prices will then drift lower before rising again (albeit at a lower level than in spring) in the fall.  

“At this point, because of overwhelming capacity, we don’t see any big price hike,” he says.

Except . . .

One factor that’s changing the N market is the opening of three large-scale N plants, the first to be built in the U.S. since the 1960s. Last year, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. opened a urea/urea ammonium nitrate (UAN)/anhydrous ammonia plant in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. This firm has expanded a new ammonia plant, followed by a urea synthesis and granulation plant at Port Neal near Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. It wasn’t open at press time but is expected to open any day. Iowa Fertilizer is also building a new anhydrous ammonia/urea/UAN plant in Wever, Iowa, expected to open in mid-February, says Asbridge. 

“If for whatever reason that Wever plant doesn’t open up in mid-February, there could be issues with procurement, particularly urea and also UAN,” he says. That’s why Asbridge is recommending to clients they lock in about 40% to 45% of anticipated urea and UAN needs soon. Anhydrous ammonia supplies should be adequate, he says. 

K AND P

Industry overexpansion has throttled down the potash market, with about one half of the Canadian industry shut down, says Asbridge. This – along with a fall run on potash – helped perk up K prices a bit. 

However, the fall run will take some of the pressure off the spring market, he says. 

Mosaic, the biggest U.S. phosphate producer, is reversing its latest slowdown in production. 

Thus, Asbridge is recommending his clients to lock up one third of their phosphate and potash needs by the end of January. 

- Gil Gullickson

Source: Successful Farming

CBN/Sokoto to spend N1.12bn on 2017 Anchor Borrowers Wheat Farming

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Sokoto State Government is set to complete the spending of over N1.12 billion on the Anchor Borrowers Wheat Farming Programme in February 2017. This was revealed by the Chairman of the Framework Committee on Agricultural Development, Sokoto state, Chiso Abdullahi.

Abdullahi also informed the News Agency of Nigeria that out of the amount, the CBN contributed about N990 million, while the state government provided over N125 million including wheat seeds.

”The state government had since distributed over 1500 bags of wheat seeds free to the farmers across the state. In the same vein, the state government had sold additional 2,094 bags of wheat seeds to the farmers, with each bag bought at N35,000 and sold at N18,219”, he said.

Speaking further, he said about 4,305 farmers are beneficiaries of this scheme that commenced November 2016 and will end in the first week of February 2017.

”The government had also given assorted fertilisers to the farmers at highly subsidised rates as well as other farm inputs,” he said.

The chairman further said that the farmers had been fully trained, while adequate extension officers were provided for them, with each farmer billed to get a package of N235,000 in cash and/or kind.

Speaking on the efforts of the both the CBN and the state government, he stated that both parties have made adequate arrangements provide all the logistics needed for the success of the programme.

Abdullahi, who is also a former deputy Governor of the state, also disclosed that the state government has also concluded arrangements to establish a mini-tomatoes paste production company in the state.

According to him; “all these are being done in the bid to have more value addition, reduce poverty and unemployment, curb post-harvest losses and boost food security in the state”.

Bank of Agric on Food security, To modify policies to lure graduates, women

Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has said its programmes for young graduates and women would be more flexible and accessible with a view to getting them involved in agricultural production.

To this end, the bank is set to revamp some of its youth-based programmes, one of which is its Youth in Agriculture Development in Nigeria (YAN) programme. The YAN programme presently attracts low interest rates as beneficiaries can now access up to N1m agric loans for a start, and also take even more instantly on repayment. A similar procedure which also applies to the women in agriculture loan scheme.

Disclosing this in Ibadan, at a workshop organized by the bank, the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu Sambo challenged the youth in the Niger Delta region to avail themselves of the programmes targeted at the youths. This he said would be instrumental to them accessing agric loans of a minimum of up to N1million, which would serve as a massive boost to their fish farming entrepreneurial ventures.

Sambo, who was represented by the South West Zonal Manager, Idiat Titilayo Folorunsho, announced the BOA’s commitment to positively change the orientation of Nigerians towards agricultural development.

Mrs. Folorunsho, while commenting on the objectives of the workshop, was quick to explain that it was geared upbraiding the bank’s staff on existing realities and modern trends in agricultural banking such as acquiring knowledge on the fundamental principles of banking, risk identity and control measures, customer care techniques, and ICT for customer care.

Majority of Nigerians eat Poison – Ogbeh

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh has expressed that majority of Nigerians are not eating well, but rather feed on poison.

Ogbeh who revealed this at the re-inauguration of an Inter-Ministerial Agricultural/Nutrition Working Group yesterday in Abuja, noted that there were deficiencies in most Nigerian diets.

“There is crisis in Nigerian food sector because there is a great deal of self-poison in our diet. Just yesterday, I was talking with the Ministers of Science and Technology as well as Health about a great deal of metal poisoning in our food and the ingestion of dioxin through plastic pathogens among other things” He said.

While dwelling extensively on the citizenry’s feeding habit, Ogbeh said many Nigerians prefer swallow foods like yam, cassava, sorghum, maize among others which are injurious to health.

 “How do we persuade people to take more of fruits as against the carbohydrate they are used to? For instance, it is an insult in some villages when you tell an elderly man to take banana instead of the pounded yam he is used to. That means most Nigerians are not eating well.” He said.

The minister who expressed concern that children do not have access to egg, chicken or beans, resulting in 37 per cent of malnourished children nationwide,  asserted that there is need to give children balanced diet during the first five years to enable their brains develop well.

The Minister however charged the committee to come up with the right formula for the country to improve its nutrition deficiencies, adding that the ministry of Agriculture was ready to provide the needed resources and collaborate with the ministries of Health, Women Affairs, Science and Technology and other agencies to boost the health of Nigerians.