Agriculture development: Campaign on access to high quality seeds gets a boost

A resource person engaging the participants during the session

By BALA SHEKARI

A 2-day seminar organized by Partnership to Engage,Reform And Learn-Engaging Citizens Pillar (PEARL-ECP),has opened in Kaduna State to look into the strategies for increased access of farmers to getting high quality seeds.

On the first day, experts and participants brainstormed on issues like; low performance of seeds companies in both production and disbursement of high quality seeds, non conformity of farmers to terms and conditions of loans collected as well as issues of lopsided government policies and non enforcement of policies by agencies involved.

Participants also dwelt extensively on strategies to remedy the challenges in advocacy on farmers access to high quality seeds.

The strategy session attracted participants from farmer associations, Civil Society Organisations (CSO),Non Governmental Organisations (NGO), the Media, the Legislature, Groups and Government Agencies.

Comments

NEWS FEATURE: Governor el-Rufai and the Sanctity of the Ballot

el-Rufai: Voting at his polling unit BY NASIRU JAGABA F irst of all, let me start by congratulating the Citizens of Kaduna State, for violence free election in the local government polls. The peaceful conduct of the citizens in Kaduna despite the happenings that had shown clearly the desperation of persons in the corridor of power to manipulate, overturn the result refused to give in to the chaos but rather responded with all sense of maturity and confidence in the sanctity of the ballot. Had Kaduna responded in similar desperation as shown by the institutional riggers, perhaps curfew would have been slammed in several areas which would have created the perfect cover for the malpractices to happen. The hate speeches and incitement from the top government officials in Kaduna state government did not end on the platforms for the campaigns alone but went further to reflect in the exercise that held. There are several accounts going round about thugs accompanyin...

Why States may be unable to pay new minimum wage -Commissioner

Citizens listening with rapt attention By YUSUF GOJE C ommissioner, Planning and Budget Commission Kaduna state, Mohammed Sani Dattijo has queried the rationale behind the proposed upward review of the minimum wage, which he said compels even states that are not viable to play ball. Making the assertion at the recently concluded Citizens' Consultation forum on Medium Term Expenditure Framework 2019-2021 held in Kaduna, Dattijo said:"The minimum wage should be moved from the exclusive to the concurrent list, even though Kaduna state is healthier than most states, there are states that cannot afford the increase in minimum wage. If this is not done, the increase in minimum wage will only be on paper but difficult to implement by many states, resulting in labor disputes". He stressed that the exclusiveness of this piece of legislation which empowers only the Federal government to de...

Nigerians demand progressive plan on Agriculture

Cowpeas mostly produced across Northern Nigeria ''Advocacy brief on agriculture if carefully developed would undoubtedly go a long way in enriching the quality of farmers' yield in Nigeria's agricultural sector and the time to actualize that is now". Mustapha Kurfi of of the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) who made this observation in his goodwill message to participants at a program facilitated by the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED ) and her partners in Kaduna, revealed that the one day event with the theme 'Developing An Advocacy Brief for the Kaduna State Agricultural Advocacy Group' , was conceived and convened to enhance the on going efforts by stakeholders to diversify the economy through agriculture in Nigeria. Yusuf Goje Head, Governance and Advocacy, CALPED, reaffirmed the importance of the State Development Plan, Sector Implementation Plan and relevan...

Body faults Kaduna govt on Primary Healthcare

Commissioner of Health and Human Services (Centre), flanged by officials By YUSUF GOJE A group, Kaduna State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), has called on the Kaduna State Government to revisit the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) said to be completed by contractors in the 255 wards of the State. This was contained in the recommendations made at the KADMAM 1 st Quarter Interactive Forum #openKDSMOH for Health Sector Performance Review held at ASAA Pyramid, Hotel, Kaduna. Mallam Lawal Abubakar, Kaduna Chairman, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, remarked that “of the 77 PHCs identified 100% completed in 21 LGAs, 75 were assessed”. Furthermore, he stated that “more than half of the PHCs do not operate 24 hours per day; more than a quarter (36.0%) of the PHCs do not have the minimum recommended number of 13 rooms for provision of services; none of the PHCs have the recommended number of 19 skilled health workers”....

Coalition cautions against Nigeria's Disunity

N etwork for Better Nigeria, a coalition of concerned Civil Society Organizations in the 19 Northern States has responded to the growing tension threatening national unity and socio-economic development of the country and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently collaborate with the governors in the 19 northern states and critical stakeholders to arrest the lingering insecurity in Nigeria. In a joint statement signed by Mallam Isiaku Abdulhameed, the coalition in collaboration with Arewa Youth Consultative Youth Movement, Arewa Youth Assembly and Chanchanta stated inter Alia: "the Federal Government should urgently collaborate with the Northern State Governors and come up with a modernistic livestock development policy which will not only provide solutions to the herders/farmers crises but transform the age long traditional open grazing towards providing additional economic value for pastoral communities. Equally, we wish to express our support on the position...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog