Rice farm in Kebbi state By Abdallah el-Kurebe As the Federal Government Anchor Borrowers programme on rice farming in Kebbi State progresses, the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA) and Labana Farms have began joint mobilization of farmers for large scale rice farming in the State. The partnership is aimed at mobilizing individual rice farmers and cooperate organizations to support the utilization of 15,000 hectares of uncultivated virgin Fadama land along the Niger valley for rice farming in Bagudo, Koko-Besse, Shanga, Suru and Yauri local governments areas. The project manager of Niger Valley Projects of the SRRBDA, Alhaji…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
A typical rain storm By Abdallah el-Kurebe Heavy downpour and windstorm has destroyed up to 300 houses in Kebbe town, headquarters of Kebbe local government of Sokoto State. Acting chairman of the local government, Mustapha Maishanu. told newsmen in Sokoto on Friday that the incident which occurred recently, rendered up to 500 people homeless and were being accommodated in the 30-housing units, schools, other public buildings or with relatives. According to him, “A delegation of the state government, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and those of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have visited scenes of the…
Coca-Cola drinks • Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), along with other organisations from across the world, urges Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to stop marketing sugared drinks to children • The group asks for responsible action from the companies, specifically in view of their growing focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India • Highlights role of sugar sweetened beverages in growing obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and limited ability of LMICs to tackle huge health and economic burden due to such diseases New Delhi, April 22, 2016: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) along with health groups from across the…
Agric farm By Abdallah el-Kurebe The Federal government, through the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has revealed that in its efforts to bridge funding challenges in the sector, it is set to invest $300 million to fund youths in agriculture. He also assured that 20% of an initial grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with the Islamic Bank, was to be channeled to support the development of women and youth in Agriculture at a total cost of N100 million annually, for a five year period. Senator Lokpobiri made the disclosure…
A typical tiller By Abdallah el-Kurebe Farmers in the 23 local government areas of Sokoto State are to be provided with 1,000 hand tillers in the first instance, Governor Aminu Tambuwal has promised. He stated this in Sokoto on Tuesday during farmers’ stakeholders’ forum organized by the Technical Committee on Immediate Framework for Agricultural Development (TCIFAD) in the state. The distribution of the tillers, already procured by the state government, Tambuwal said, was part of efforts to mechanize agriculture in the state as well as reinvigorate the Tractor Hiring Scheme in partnership with some agricultural firms in the country. “The…
Abdullahi Zuru, GM, Labana Rice Mills By Abdallah el-Kurebe The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Markets II declared Labana Rice Mills, among other rice millers in Nigeria, as a reliable partner for sustainable economic growth. Experts from the Agency, led by the Director of Economic Growth and Environment, Mr. Nduka Okaro are undergoing assessment tours to ascertain the Agency’s impact in the Northern part of the country. During a visit to Labana Rice Mills in Birnin kebbi, Kebbi state, Okaro observed that the partnership between USAID and Labana Rice Mills had remarkably improved the economic wellbeing of rice…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The death of a national diploma student of the Polytechnic of Sokoto State in the early hours of Saturday, Muyideen Salawu has been attributed to acute malaria. Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Aminu Ibrahim spoke in Sokoto on Saturday against a peaceful demonstration by students of the polytechnic, who allege that the lack of adequate water and electricity supply as well as non functional clinic, were responsible to the student’s death. According to him, “It is untrue that the student died due a waterborne disease. Malaria was the cause of his death. Our clinic is fully functional and…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) has said that during the last year, African farmers planted a total of 3.5 million hectares of Biotech/GM Crops. This was also during the 20th year of global GM crops commercialization. The Director of the Afri-Center of ISAAA, Dr. Margaret Karembu who presented Africa’s report during the launch of the 2015 Annual Report on Global Commercialization of Biotech Crops, said that so much was achieved in the continent on biotechnology and biosafety during the year under review. “For Africa, 2015 was the 18th year of successful commercialization of…
By Abdallah el-Kurebe A high level individuals from across Africa, led by former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Accra, Ghana launched a prestigious new award called the Africa Food Prize (AFP). A statement issued by the president of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr. Agnes Kalibata revealed that the award, which is worth $100,000 would recognize outstanding individuals and institutions that were contributing to the development of farming in Africa. According to her, “The US $100,000 accolade will recognize outstanding individuals and institutions that are changing the reality of farming in Africa from a struggle…
African Farmers Planted 3.5 Million Hectares of Biotech/GM Crops in 2015, the 20th year of global GM crops commercialization Nairobi (April 13, 2016) – Today the world celebrates the 20th year of successful commercial planting of biotech crops. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA, AfriCenter) will launch the Annual Report on Global Commercialization of Biotech Crops 2015, highlighting the milestones on biotechnology and biosafety achieved in Africa during this period. “For Africa, 2015 was the 18th year of successful commercialization of biotech crops. The cumulative hectarage from 1998 to 2015 in Africa stood at 3.5 million hectares (Ha). Three countries,…