Implications of middlemen in the supply chain of agricultural products

This paper appraised the roles of middlemen in the distribution of agricultural products and the inherent implications to food security. The results showed that climate and weather are known limiting factors of production in agriculture. Also, middlemen intervention raise price for consumers. The result showed that farmers encounter high production costs in their efforts to boost production but hardly get fair pricing of their products from the middlemen, the bulk farm gate buyers. The real profit goes to the middlemen who buy up the farm products at almost give away prices and sell at outrageous prices to the consumers. This attitude of middle men have discouraged genuine investors getting into agriculture because of the marginal profit associated with it as the middle men cart away the bulk of the profits. Thus, the activities of middlemen seem to be a threat to food security

Evoking the Knowledge of Tree Tenure in the Humid Tropics: A Review of Dimensions in Agro-Plantation System in Nigeria

This paper explored the natural situation of trees, concept, potentials and importance of tree tenure, tree and land tenure, types of tree tenure, problems of forest reservation in south eastern Nigeria and the way forward. The tropical rainforest of Nigeria occupies 9.7% of the total land mass of 98.3213km2, but is the most densely populated and source of Nigeria’s bulk timber. In the natural situation no nutrients is lost due to a balanced nutrient recycling and there are slight variations in temperature light, humidity, and characteristic meet groups. The concept and importance of tree tenure borders the fact that much of life on earth owes its’ existence to trees. Land and tree ownership rights are largely governed by customary tenure rules and these rights are rarely revoked. Land tenure does not necessarily mean tree tenure. Trees may be owned privately, communally or by government. Each of these forms of ownership have their advantages and disadvantages. In private/individual tree tenure, trees are owned by planting, inheritance, gender, purchase/lease and culture. Communal tree tenure involves full ownership, restricted ownership, village squares and evil forests/sacred bush. Government tree tenure is through acquisition and maintenance of forest resources at the local, state or federal levels. Some of the challenges of maintenance forest reserves include diseases and pests, wild fires, poaching, village/community participation, poor budgetary allocation among others. A proper knowledge of tree tenure is a must if trees are to be managed scientifically in such a way that their productivity is sustained

Mulches for Nutrient Addition to Soil

[Abstract Not Available

Effect of NPK fertilizer rates on the yield and yield components of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina del.) in Owerri southeastern Nigeria

An experiment was carried out from March – December 2004 and repeated in 2005 at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Technology Owerri to evaluate the effect of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer rates on the yield and yield components including the cost benefit of bitter leaf in Owerri, Southeastern Nigeria. There were 6 treatments namely 0 (control), 100,200,300, 400 and 500 kgha-1 rates of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer. A randomized complete block design was used with 4 replications. Results indicated that 500 and 400 kgha-1 NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer rates produced significantly higher growth and yield of bitter leaf and were better than 300, 200, 100 and 0 kgha-1 NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer rates. Although there was no significant difference between 500 kgha-1 and 400kgha-1 fertilizer rates, the former had higher yield and enhanced the crop growth more than the later. The NPK fertilizer treatment gave positive cost benefit at 400 and 500 kgha-1 respectively. The applications of NPK fertilizers with high N-levels supply enough nutrients for the high productivity of Vernonia amygdalina. Keywords: NPK fertilizer; yield; yield component; Vernonia amygdalina; NigeriaInternational Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences Vol. 2 (3) 2006: pp. 230-23

Effect of agrolyser on the yield of cowpea in Zuru, Kebbi State Northwestern Nigeria

Micronutrient status of an upland regosol in Zuru was determined using cowpea as test crop. Result from plant analysis shows that iron (Fe) status of the plant range between 2.4-10mgkg-1 with a mean of 9.6mgkg-1(1.23), manganese (Mn) 2.2.0-mgkg with a mean value of 1.95 0.10mgkg-1(0.10), Sulphur (S) 0.27-0.75mgkg-1 with a mean of 0.51mgkg-1(0.24) and zinc (Zn) 0-0.2 with a mean of 0.2mgkg-1(0.1). Micro nutrient application had no significant effect on the yield and yield component of the text crop. International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 7(2) 2006: 56-6

Effect Of Fish Consumption On Alleviation Of Protein Deficiency In The Diet Of Households In Owerri Agricultural Zone, Imo State, South Eastern, Nigeria

The problem of malnutrition occasioned by low rate of animal protein intake on the daily nutritional needs of food consumers in Owerri Agricultural zone Southeastern Nigeria, was assessed. Owerri Zone being one of the three agricultural zones of Imo State south eastern Nigeria was selected because of the geographical spread of the inhabitants which covered all the three socioeconomic and cultural status of human dwellers namely; urban, semi urban and rural settlers. Results of this study revealed that level (s) of income of consumers in addition to cost, palatability and digestibility of fish have made fish more easily acceptable in the household menu of majority of the respondents than other animal protein foods. The results proved that majority of consumers (70.8%), get their fish purchased from the market, and the remaining fraction (29.2%), go theirs caught from the streams and rivers that transverse the Owerri Agricultural zone. Due to prevailing rural poverty and in search of daily living, there is increasing rate of rural-urban migration by youths who would have ordinarily increased the number of fishermen in the zone, thereby increasing the quantity of caught fish from the waters in the zone. Any government policy aimed at the establishment of fish pounds, storage and processing facilities in the zone, should be encouraged to create an enabling environment to investors and inhabitant of the area. Keywords: Fish consumption, Protein deficiency, and Households diets, Owerri Southeastern Nigeria.Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 12-2

Utilization of food security crops in Imo state, Nigeria. Implications for sustainable development

The paper reviewed the production, availability and utilization of products and by products of food security crops in Imo State of Nigeria with specific emphasis on cocoyam, yam, maize, cassava, vegetables as very essential in the food of Imo people. This was confirmed by the increasing hectarage year after year of these crops with higher yield in each case. The sustainability of these food security crops cannot be overemphasized going by their by-products and needs of the common man. These crops were found to be the center thrust for rural food production and utilization in Imo State, Nigeria. Keywords: Production, Availability and Utilization, Food Security CropsGlobal Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 3 (2) 2007: pp. 137-14

Effect of okra and melon introduction on the productivity of yam minisetts in Southeastern Nigeria

Experiments were conducted in 2002 and 2003 cropping seasons (April – November) to determine the effect of okra and melon introduction on the productivity of yam minisetts. Okra, melon and okra/melon were introduced to the yam-minisett plots at 0, 5 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP) using a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Introduction at 10 WAP gave significantly higher tuber yields (P&#88050.05), and low yield of melon seeds than introductions made at 0 and 5 WAP. There was a 44% yam minisett tuber yield depression at 5 WAP in okra and okra/melon plots whereas; combinations with melon alone gave a 22% yam minisett tuber depression possibly because the melon crop failed. Introduction at 0 week, depressed the yields of yam minisett tubers by 41%, 39% and 48% respectively in the crop combinations with okra, melon and okra/melon. However, the high yields of melon seeds and okra fruits compensated for the depressed yield of yam-minisett tubers. This cropping system (introduction at 0 week) gave the highest gross monetary returns (N270,800.00) than introductions at 5 and 10 WAP.Keywords: okra and melon introduction, yam-minisett productivity, Southeastern Nigeria International Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Vol. 6 2005: 188-19

Prospects and Challenges in the Utilization of moringa oleifera lam. for Agroecosystem Sustainability in Nigeria

This paper reviews the practice of continuous crop production relative to the traditional shifting cultivation system and the associated impacts on the environment. It highlights the potentials of the use of Moringa oleifera for agro ecosystem sustainability. When used as a green manure Moringa can generate as high as 650 metric tons of green matter per hectare through which it can richly supply essential nutrients such as calcium(26.4g kg-1DM), phosphorus(1.36g kg-1DM) and potassium(21.7g kg-1DM). Its plant growth enhancing properties (phytohormone) can increase yield by as much as 20-35% while the cake derived from the oil extraction process is an excellent soil conditioner. Futhermore, Moringa has biopesticidal properties and serves as windbreak and mulch material. These beneficial ecological properties, apart from the medicinal, nutritional and industrial properties which have implications for socioeconomic development of households, suggest that Moringa could be exploited for agroecosystem sustainability as a strategy to supporting the emerging practice of continuous cultivation for food security. The major challenge now is the popularization of the plant among farmers, as studies have shown a high level of ignorance of the plant. This will require a well coordinated programme involving policy development, research in such areas as agronomy, physiology and farming systems as well as extension services

Indigenous Technologies for Adaptation and Mitigation of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

The sub-Saharan Africa have experienced the negative impacts of climate change namely: drought, desertification, flooding, sea level rise, high temperatures, land degradation, biodiversity and ecosystem degradation, famine, intensive rainfall and reduced crop yields. Past global efforts at dealing with the impact of climate change was based on mitigation aimed at carbon sequestration. This was followed by adaptation which was seen as a viable option to reduce the vulnerability of the anticipated negative impacts of global warming. However adaptation and mitigation should not be pursued separately. The resource-poor farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have developed their unique capacity to think, adapt to change in their environment, forecast, accumulate and pass on intellectual wealth to subsequent generations through indigenous knowledge. Farmers in Africa have developed and implemented sustainable adaptation and mitigation technologies which successfully reduced their vulnerability to the climate impact using local ecological knowledge. Such technologies include changing of planting dates, cover-cropping, agro-forestry systems, use of local species of crops and livestock that adapt to the environment, regenerative agricultural practices, ability to forecast the weather for use in planning their cropping seasons, use of zero tillage and conservation agriculture, mulching, use of emergency fodder in times of drought and eco-farming systems that adapt and mitigate climate change impacts. These indigenous technologies are sustainable, culturally acceptable and environmentally friendly. The challenge is thus for various stakeholders and policy-makers to recognize and integrate these local adaptation and mitigation strategies into planning, research and environmental policy needed for tackling climate change scourge in sub-Saharan Africa which is already facing various problems such as poverty, population growth and food insecurity