THE National Assembly at the weekend, pushed for separate agricultural budget for speedy release of funds to boost performance, productivity and food security in the country.

THE 50,000 tons per annum cocoa processing factory in Cross  River State,  equipped with modern facilities, is set to process cocoa beans from the state and neighbouring West African countries such as Cameroon and Equatorial  Guinea for export.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said that his administration will invest over N5 billion in the agricultural sector to create more jobs and guarantee food security in the state.

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has made a case for intensive extension service that will link farmers to new technologies and research information, adding that the country’s agricultural sector has continued to suffer due to poor farming practices.

Kogi State farmers have been listed amongst the benefiting states for the World Bank $200m Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support Project (APPEALS).

ABUJA- THE Federal Government, yesterday, charged the National Agricultural Seeds Council Institutional Biosafety Committee, NASC-IBC, on coming up with sustainable road-map to properly handle concerns over Genetically Modified seeds, GM-Seeds in the agricultural sector.

Financing has been identified as a major challenge facing agricultural development in the country today, with many arguing that once farmers and other stakeholders in the sector have access to financing that the country can conveniently feed itself.

The Anambra Government has concluded plans to invest over N2 billion on land development, provision of facilities and inputs to farmers in the 2019 farming season.

The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Monday, linked low irrigation practice as one of the setbacks to agricultural production in Nigeria, putting it at only two per cent.

AN Agribusiness Consultant and Director of Marketing, Rome Business School, Toromade Francis , Nigeria, has revealed that most agribusinesses fail in Nigeria because farm owners and investors focus mainly on the technical aspect of the business without paying much attention to acquiring the cognitive managerial skills.

Cassava City in Osara, Kogi State, has received a major boost following plans by Contec Global, Geron Oil & Gas and JIL Farms to invest about $25 million into the cassava farms.

The National Fish Association of Nigeria (NFAN) says it is targeting local consumption of 3.2 million metric tonnes of fish in the country. NFAN, therefore appealed to governments to support stakeholders toward boosting fish production.

The Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative (FBIN), an NGO, has appealed to the Federal Government to increase its funding on agriculture, especially for women and youth farmers to increase their yields.

The agriculture sector has significantly reduced the rate of employment in the country as over 12 million Nigerians have ventured into rice production in the last two years.

Women farmers under the umbrella of Small-Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON) have called for restoration of scrapped Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) scheme.