THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and major stakeholders in the Agriculture sector yesterday urged the Federal government to as a matter of urgency bring up modalities that would increase the competitiveness of agro business especially in the face of the present global economic meltdown.

The bearish trend in the Nigerian capital market continued Wednesday, as the value of listed equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dipped by N24.77 billion.

The strategic Relationship between Nigeria and China will be further strengthened as Mr. Jiang Jianqing, Chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Limited, visits the country.

Seven out of ten Africans earn their living by farming. According to researchers, the market for milk, meat, and staple food crops like maize, banana, sorghum, rice and millet within Africa is estimated at USD$150 billion a year—far exceeding Africa’s market for internationally traded cash crops like coffee, tea, and flowers. A year of record high food prices presents a unique challenge and opportunity for Africa. To benefit, African farmers must produce more food, but more importantly, they must have access to markets to sell their harvests at prices that benefit farmers and consumers.

The President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Abdullahi Adamu, said on Thursday in Abuja that more than 90 million Nigerians were under the threat of food insecurity.