Two former heads of state of Nigeria, Dr Yakubu Gowon, and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo will be among dignitaries that would grace the 50thanniversary celebration (IITA@50) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan on 24 July. The two former heads of state will be addressing a gathering of more than 1000 staff including former and serving workers of the Institute and other dignitaries. Other confirmed participants include Dr Akin Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB); Dr Kanayo Nwanze, Former President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chair…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Group disclosed that it was investing N10 billion dollars in rice cultivation in five states to boost food self-sufficiency LAGOS, Nigeria, May 29, 2017/ — The Dangote Group (www.Dangote.com) shone at the just concluded 2017 Gateway Trade fair which was held in Abeokuta, emerging as the second most patronised exhibitor, just as the Group disclosed that it was investing N10 billion dollars in rice cultivation in five states to boost food self-sufficiency. To mark its Day at the Fair, a subsidiary of the Group, Dangote Cement, gave out several tools and implements to the block makers in Ogun State in…
Ibadan— The improved seeds donated by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to Borno State are lifelines for farmers, and will help rebuild the livelihoods of food insecure persons in the region. Tagged ‘seeds of renaissance’, the35,930 kilograms seeds comprising cowpea, maize, soybean, rice, sorghum and millet were received by the Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima on 22 May in Maiduguri. The delivery of the seeds comes at a time when aid agencies offering food packs are hurt by funding cuts from donor agencies, and some are scaling down their operations. Dr Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General for…
South Africa has around 40,000 commercial farms, which together generate around 12% of the country’s GDP and the introduction of Fendt recognises this growing market segment BOTHAVILLE, South Africa, May 16, 2017/ — On 16 May 2017, the official launch of Fendt (www.Fendt.com) machines in Africa will take place at the NAMPO Harvest Day in Bothaville, South Africa. Four tractors from the high-tech brand Fendt will be introduced into the South African market. “We are delighted to launch our machines at South Africa’s biggest trade fair for agriculture and farming technology. With this market launch, professional South African farmers can…
By Ronald Bailey | February 19, 2016 Fallacious arguments against developing and growing modern biotech crops are cause for great moral concern. Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan and NYU statistician extraordinaire, has ducked out of a debate with me that had been arranged by the Journal of Markets and Morality. The topic of the debate was to be, “Do GMOs [genetically modified organisms] present cause for moral concern?” “The goal of this controversy,” the editor explained, “is to assist our readership (economists, political scientists, theologians, moral philosophers, ethicists) in developing a more informed understanding of the issues at stake in the current state…
Statement Issued at a Media Briefing held on 24 April 2017 at Apo Apartments, Apo, Abuja Gentlemen of the Press, WE DEMAND: THE PROTECTION OF OUR FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REVOCATION OF MONSANTO’S GMO PERMITS and REPEAL OF THE NATIONAL BIOSAFETY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ACT 2015 The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act, 2015, was signed into law in the dying days of the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. In spite of the far-reaching importance of biosafety matters to citizens of Nigeria, the process that led to the passage of the Biosafety Bill and its eventual signing into law was trailed…
Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), says billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, may become the largest exporter of rice in the world by 2021 LAGOS, Nigeria, April 17, 2017/ — Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), says billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote (www.Dangote.com), may become the largest exporter of rice in the world by 2021. Speaking at the Mo Ibrahim Forum in Morocco over the weekend, Adesina said Africa must focus on agriculture to drive growth and create jobs on the continent. “I remember when I was minister of Agriculture in Nigeria. Aliko Dangote was there,…
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By Abdallah el-Kurebe The Burkina Faso’s cotton companies and growers have settled their long dispute with Monsanto Seed Company over their revenue losses allegedly caused by the introduction of genetically modified (GM) cotton. Among the world’s poorest countries, Burkina Faso, which began the nationwide introduction of cotton containing Monsanto’s Bollgard II trait in 2008 to fight against pests, is Africa’s top cotton producer. However, a decline in quality of cotton, which lowered the crop’s value on the global market, was blamed on Monsanto by the country’s cotton companies and the national farmers union. They demanded $76.5 million in compensation from…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe President Macky Sall of Senegal has thrown his weight behind the adoption of agricultural biotechnology in the country. He made the declaration during the 2017 Annual Session of the Senegal National Scientific and Technical Academy (ANSTS) on the situation, implications and perspectives of GMOs in Senegal. At a session chaired by him, President Sall made it clear that he supported the implementation of biotechnology in Senegal providing that necessary measures to minimise risks, were taken. ”I must say very clearly that I am for the use of GMOs based on the precautions taken and based on a dynamic…