BENUE GOVT TO PURCHASE 250 TRUCKS OF FERTILIZER FRO FARMERS.

The Benue State Government will purchase of 250 trucks of assorted fertilizer for this year’s cropping season at the cost of N385.5 million.


This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Lawrence Onoja Jnr after  the State Executive Council meeting presided over by its Chairman, Governor Samuel Ortom at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.

The fertilizer will be sold to farmers at rates highly subsidized by the Ortom administration.

Council also approved the purchase of 60 tractors as first tranche for the State Ministry of Agriculture which would be sold to interested individuals and groups such as cooperative societies, to boost the agriculture sector.

It also approved the award of contract for additional works on the 20 kilometer Abuku-Jingir-Tyogbenda-Wombo-Ugah-Iortsor road under construction in Buruku Local Government Area of the state.

The contract which is valued at N1.3 billion covers the construction of the bridges initially omitted in the bill of quantities.

The State Executive Council also approved the payment of claims owed contract Staff of Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, between June 2014 and June 2016. BY benue.com.ng

BENUE GOVT TO BUY OFF GRAINS FROM FARMERS.

The Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) is to spend more than N500 million to mop up grains from farmers to enhance value for money during post harvests sales.


Mr Alfred Adem, the General Manager Investments, Risk and Assets Management, said the State Government would want farmers to gain both in sales of produce and during harvest.


Adem, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, said the option would encourage food security and standardisation of food prices.


“After harvest, middlemen usually come to purchase all farmers’ produce at cheaper rates, leaving the state with no food or money worth what was spent on planting the crops,’’ he said.


The manger explained that the government intervention plan was to assist farmers against post harvest loss where issues of transporting produce and proper storage was a challenge.


“The first strategy will be the use of licensed buying agents to get the grains for us, the
farmers and traders are familiar with these agents, and this will make it easier for us.


“The second is the BIPC’s designated warehouses, we will advertise to the public to bring their produce for direct sales.


“We will evaluate for quality and specification, then we will weigh and buy them off from the farmers,’’ he said.


Adem said there were various warehouses in Markurdi, Gboko Aliade, Ihugh, Naka, Wannune and Otukpo with other small collection centres across the state.


According to him, the warehouse in Makurdi can store 35,000 bags of grains; the storage facilities are well inspected during constructions to suit the storage of grains.


He said the company intended to sell grains during the planting season at subsidised rates to farmers too.


Adem said the company was a profit making organisation that aimed at exporting services. By benue.com.ng.

BENUE TO BEGIN YAM FLOUR PROCESSING AS ORTOM WOOS SOUTH AFRICAN INVESTORS.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom says the processing of yam flour is one of the key components of the agriculture value chain soon to commence in the state.

Governor Ortom stated this today in Cape Town, South Africa, at the ongoing economic programme hosted by AidTrade Foundation.

He said Benue as the Food Basket of Nigeria produces yams in quantities that could feed many African countries, saying that processing of the commodity would also generate thousands of jobs for the people.


The Governor stated that the decision by the State Government to establish a commodity marketing board and the ongoing construction of warehouses across the state would prevent post-harvest losses yearly experienced by Benue farmers.

Governor Ortom said the present government of Benue State has matched words with action through the prompt payment of counterpart funds for different development projects in collaboration with international organizations.


Earlier, some investors at the first session of the forum hosted by the Head, International Trade – Africa, Mr Michael Gamwo, commended the determination and focus of Governor Ortom in diversifying the economy and expressed willingness to take advantage of the numerous opportunities in the economy of the state.



They said Benue holds the potential to feed the continent of Africa through various agriculture produce, giving assurance that the public-private initiatives of the Ortom administration would yield positive results.


Those who spoke at the event included a representative of the Western Cape Government, Roderick Thyssen, Chief Executive Officer of Agri All Africa, Dirk Hanekom, a team of top officials of AidTrade Foundation led by Kriek Bekker and a market research analyst, Ruby Swigelaar of WESGRO.


Governor Ortom was accompanied to the economic forum by four members of the State Executive Council who are with him on the trip to South Africa. By benue.com.ng.

BENUE RELEASES N383M FOR IFAD-RICE, CASSAVA, FADAMA 111 PROJECTS.

Benue State government has released the sum of N166 million being outstanding arrears of the counterpart funds for the IFAD Rice and Cassava Value Chain Development Programme, leading to the smooth takeoff and implementation of the programme in the state.


The sum of N217 million, which was also outstanding arrears of counterpart funding for the smooth takeoff and implementation of Fadama 111 Additional Financing Development Project has also been released.


These were disclosed by the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, James Ambua, during ministerial press briefing at the NUJ House, Makurdi, yesterday.


The commissioner further disclosed that the cumulative impact of the project on Benue farmers had led to the improvement of yield in the rice and cassava enterprises from 1.2 MTS and 13 MTS prior to the takeoff of the project to 3.5 MTS and 25 MTS per hectare for rice and cassava respectively in the 2016 cropping season.


He revealed that the state in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a foreign investor for the establishment of a bio-fuel plant in Agasha, Guma Local Government Area.

The project, he said, would also involve the establishment of sugar cane and cassava plantations for the provision of raw materials needed by the plant, stressing that plans were at advance stage for the takeoff of the project.


The commissioner also stated that Benue State Swine/Crops Integrated Project which is the first of its kind in West Africa, had produced more than 800 piglets which had been sold to farmers across the country as parent stocks to establish their farms. He said the programme had aided the establishment of more than fifty farms with exotic breeds within and outside Benue State. By Benue.Com.Nig

ORTOM INCREASES BOUNTY ON EX-AMNESTY BOSS, GANA TO N10 MILLION.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has announced a N10 million reward for anyone who volunteers information leading to the arrest of ex-amnesty boss, Terwase Akwaza also known as Gana.

He disclosed this today at the burial of Mama Kwaghnzuul Naikyo Degarr who was also the mother-in-law to Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor at Tse-Degarr in Mbajir, Shitile, Katsina-Ala local Government Area.

Governor Ortom explained that the upward review of the reward from the earlier N5 million to N10 million would be formalized at the next State Security Council meeting.

He restated the resolve of his administration to expose criminals and advised the people against shielding hoodlums in their midst.

The Governor said those with useful security information should contact relevant authorities and gave assurance that such informants would be protected.

Speaking, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ijohor who recalled the challenges before the Governor in repositioning the state, stressed the need for the people particularly the clergy to sustain prayers for him to take the state to the next level.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN thanked the Governor and all who stood behind them to accord his mother-in-law, a befitting burial, praying God to reward them abundantly.

Earlier in a sermon, Reverend Father Benjamin Vesue, urged Christians to emulate the teachings of Christ by loving and caring for one another as well as being generous to others and called on people of the state to always find good reasons to identify with their leaders instead of castigating them.

In separate comments, the Ter Katsina Ala, Chief Fezanga Wombo, and the State Assembly member for Katsina-Ala, Hon. Iana Jato commended Governor Ortom for what his administration is doing for Sankera people in various spheres of development and appealed for more. By Benue.Com.Ng

MAKE FARM SAFETY A PRIORITY THIS YEAR.

During the spring planting season, farmers often rush to get into the fields, where they work extremely long hours.


“When you spend a lot of time working, you become fatigued; when you are fatigued, you make poor decisions about your safety,” says Charles Schwab, a safety specialist with Iowa State University Extension. “If you are working long hours, you need to take breaks so you can reenergize.”


To limit injuries and to avoid risk, he suggests developing family rules appropriate to the age and stage of each family member, involving youth in farm safety projects, inspecting the farm for obvious hazards, and teaching youth proper safety skills.


Being aware of hazards and risks is very important, and stressing safety at all times can help prevent injuries and death.


“The agriculture industry is the most dangerous industry in the U.S.,” Schwab says. “Make sure you take the right steps to avoid disaster.” BY LISA PRATER.

FARMERS EDGE INTRODUCES CORN MANAGER.

Corn Manager, the latest addition to the Farmers Edge farm management platform Farm Command, equips growers with tools for tracking corn growth, planning nitrogen applications, and visualizing overall crop health and variability.

“Efficient, fast, and exceedingly easy to use, Corn Manager represents a major breakthrough for the industry as it transitions from precision agriculture to decision agriculture,” says Dr. Solomon Folle, senior cropping system modeler at Farmers Edge. “Tapping into real-time, field-centric data monitored at a finer spatial scale than ever before, this new toolset optimizes nitrogen application rates on a zone-by-zone basis. Built on a foundation of in-depth research and extensive trials, Corn Manager truly is the most comprehensive corn management system available today.”

One interface = three tools
Corn Manager includes three primary components – nitrogen, staging, and imagery.

1. Nitrogen. Although it is one of the most important nutrients for corn production, nitrogen is still the most difficult for many growers to manage. Because this input is driven by field-centric variables, the nitrogen tool incorporates weather information from on-farm weather stations and precision, zone-based soil sampling test results and includes daily plus on-demand updates.
This tool has been tested under a wide variety of management scenarios, including a multiyear study at Iowa State University.

2. Staging. Also driven by field-centric data, the staging tool monitors and forecasts crop development to identify key growth stages. Growers can then better manage the day-to-day logistical activities that determine their farms’ overall profitability, such as application timing, scouting, and equipment deployment.

3. Imagery. Aggregating remotely-sensed data from up to four different sources, the imagery tool offers high-frequency, NDVI-derived crop imagery.

This imagery enables crop health maps and field variability maps. Crop health maps provide a consistent view of the fields through time, allowing growers to track the progress of the crops. Field variability maps illustrate the major locations of variability across a field then identify subtle differences to pinpoint unique areas that may require further investigation. BY LAURIE BEDORD.

WOMEN IN AG: DID WHEAT SURVIVE THE FREEZE?

I thought because we don’t grow fruit crops on our farm, freezing temperatures that hit North Carolina a few weeks ago weren’t a concern.

I was wrong. When I wrote this post about farmers trying to save strawberries, apples, and other fruits from freezing temperatures, I didn’t realize one of our crops might also be damaged.

We grow soft red winter wheat, which is the class of wheat grown by most farmers in my state. This class has lower protein, so the grain is often used for livestock feed. When ground into flour, it is used in cookies, biscuits, crackers, pastries, and other foods. It is not used for bread.

We had a hard freeze over two days in the middle of March. In the eastern part of the state, where I live, wheat fared better than in the Piedmont (middle of the state), where some farmers lost 90% of their wheat crop.

When my husband talked about assessing our wheat to see how much damage we had, I wondered how the crop could be damaged. I knew wheat had matured early due to an unseasonably warm winter, but the grain heads hadn’t emerged from inside the stem. It turns out that while the sugars in the leaves can insulate the grain head and protect it, they are still susceptible to freeze damage. 

As wheat plants mature, they are more vulnerable to spring freeze. Our wheat is in the reproductive stage, so the plant is putting it’s energy into producing a grain head. The head, or spike, of grain was moving up the plant, but it hadn’t emerged yet. This is called the boot stage. Plants at this stage are sensitive to freezing te

temperatures over a prolonged period of time.

In the east, temperatures dropped to 24˚F. or below, but they didn’t stay that low more than two hours. Any longer and wheat could have been significantly injured. In the Piedmont, temperatures dropped to the teens.

In addition to temperature and duration, other factors that influence the amount of freeze damage on small grains (including wheat and barley) include:

Variety of wheat

Stage of plant growth

Plant moisture

Wind

Rain

Land elevation

Topography

We can’t control any of the circumstances that may damage or kill wheat. We can only asses the damage and decide what to do after the freeze. Our wheat had some damage, but we are continuing to manage it for the grain. Farmers whose fields had significant damage may choose to start managing their wheat as a cover crop, which means they won’t harvest the grain. In a year where a record wheat crop was predicted, those two nights of freezing temperatures were very costly to some North Carolina farmers. BY HEATHER BARNES.

INVESTORS AWAIT TUESDAYS USDA REPORT

Friday morning saw the release of the official estimates for Tuesday's Supply/Demand report which helped to add a little more weight to corn.

Last month saw corn carryout at 2.320 and the average analysts' average estimate for Tuesday is an increase to 2.352. It is likely that trade has priced most of this in already as they have expected this report to be slightly bearish for some time now.

Friday helped to put a solid number to that thought of a slightly bearish report.At this point, we would have to think trade is prepared for that 2.352 number meaning that Tuesday would likely have to generate a number higher than that to see a selling reaction.

Friday's weather maps had active rainfall for TX/OK/MO with lighter amounts for southern Illinois, but as we know it will mean much more what Monday's maps show.

For next week, in particular, any trading of weather maps will likely have to wait until after Tuesday's report. But corn traders will still want to watch Monday's maps closely to know what to expect for corn direction after the report.


In the short term, Tuesday's report should be the center of attention. Longer term weather maps are likely most important, especially if any threats to slow planting are seen.

Bulls

• Bulls will be looking for a wet forecast on Monday to give some support to corn after seeing Tuesday's report

• Bulls will want to see the USDA raise their ethanol usage number on Tuesday's report, ethanol has been strong enough the last couple months to expect an increase on the balance sheet

Bears

• Bears will be looking for a carryout increase of 32 million bushels as the analysts' estimate suggests
• Bears will also be looking for a clear forecast to avoid any slow planting discussion before or after Tuesday's report. BY RICH NELSON.

ENHANCING SOIL HEALTH FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Dean Sponheim has worked diligently to enhance the quality of the soil of his Iowa farm ever since he began farming in 1979. For nearly four decades, Sponheim has implemented new and innovative in-field farming practices, many of which weren’t viewed as conservation practices initially, but rather, just a different way of farming.


“Strip-tilling is a good example of something that we experimented with not because it was a conservation practice, but rather an effective way of getting more out of soils with poor drainage,” Sponheim says. “What we’ve found is that strip-tilling increases the efficiency of nutrient uptake since fertilizer is placed right below the seed, where it’s needed for the crop to grow.”


Sponheim’s custom-strip-till business has been a longtime user of N-Serve® nitrogen stabilizer, even back in the days when many farmers were hesitant to adopt the practice.

“We had 15 more inches of rain in 2016 than we normally get in an entire year, but our yields were better than the record-setting year before,” Sponheim says. “N-Serve and timing of fertilizer applications helped control what would have likely been excessive nitrogen leaching. Nitrogen loss in the spring has a profound effect on yield and water quality. It was amazing we had such great yields despite the excessive rain events.”


In addition to implementing innovative conservation and in-field farming practices, Sponheim says N-Serve protects water quality by reducing the nitrates lost to groundwater.
“I can honestly say that I’m going to give this soil to my son in better shape than my dad gave it to me,” he says. BY DOW AGRO SCIENCES.