 |
| Prof. Joseph Akinola Ogungbangbe |
GEOGRAPHICAL OVERVIEW OF NIGERIA
Nigeria is situated at the western part of Africa. Its
borders are in the South by the Gulf of Guinea, in the North by Niger Republic
and Chad, in the west by Republic of Benin and in the East by Republic of Cameroon.
The total area of Nigeria is 93,768 Sq.Km land area. The area
covered by water is 13,000Sq.Km and coast line is 853km. the land use by (2008
est) is arable land 33.02% permanent crops 3.14% and other 63.84%
The terrain in the South is lowland that merges into central
hills and plateaus. We have Cameroonian Mountains in the East and plain in the
North. The climate varies from equatorial, in the South with its attendant
forest, tropical savanna at the center and in the North. The natural hazards
are periodical drought, flooding and erosion.
The population of Nigeria as at July 2011 was estimated at
155,215,573. The age structure by men was 0-14: 4%, 15-64: 7%, 65 and above:
3.1% The above date throw light on the direct impact on the soul and human
activities which include agriculture on which human existence is guaranteed.
NIGERIA SOIL
Soil is defined as the substance on the earth surface on
which plants grow. It is on the soil that animals, birds and other living
things have their existence. We have fertile and infertile land in Nigeria. The
fertile land has better yield than the infertile land. That is why cassava even
though grown in every part of Nigeria, the yield per/hectare is more in some
parts of Nigeria than the other parts. Research has shown that Niger Delta area
and North East part of North Central has better yield than other parts of
Nigeria. This may be due to alluvia
deposit of the Niger Delta and the dust
deposit of the Sahara Desert during the harmathan over thousand years. The
windward side of the Cameroonian mountain is also an advantage to Nigeria.
The effort of government to distribute fertilizer directly to
the farmer is a way of improving the fertility if the soil for agricultural
purpose. This has a minimal effect on the nature of the soil. Hence, the
average yield of cassava in Nigeria is between 12 and 15 metric tons per
hectare whereas countries like Conga, Burkinnafaso and Ghana have up to 25
metric ton/hectare. This metric ton/ per hectare has cost implication on cost
of production of cassava. For instance, the countries mentioned fall within the
same tropics. The same vegetation is found in all of them. But the yield per
hectare difference between 15 metric
ton/hectare and 25 metric ton/hectare
is 10 metric ton/hectare. When other
factors are held constant, the sale of cassava root in those countries will be
cheaper than that of Nigeria.
The cost implication and price of cassava roots in Nigeria
will not be able to compete favourably in the international market. This is the
reason why Nigeria cassava products find it difficult to compete favourably in
the international market.
For instance, the most advertized industrial products
especially for export market are cassava chips and pellets. This translates to
de-water cassava that is palletized or cut to chips that add no other value.
The price at which it is demanded short change =s the farmers to the extent
that he cannot recover 25% of his inputs. For example, cassava has an average
of 70% water during the raining season and the peel is 5%, with the substance
or dry mass of 25%. It therefore requires 4 metric ton of fresh cassava to
produce a metric ton of chip or pellets. The cost of production of a metric ton
of fresh cassava is N14,000 (Fourteen thousand Naira) per metric ton. It then
means that N56,000 (Fifty six thousand Naira) per metric ton for raw cassava
and processing cost of N20,000 (twenty thousand Naira) metric ton. While the
cost production and processing is N76,000 in Nigeria. The price in China is
between N10,000 (Ten thousand Naira) and N20,000 (Twenty thousand Naira). This
is why the Government effort to export cassava products failed. But, other
countries with fertile soil and higher yield could supply at cheaper rate than
Nigeria. The current effort of the Government will surely improve the cassava
production significantly.
NIGERIA WEATHER
Nigeria has two main seasons. The wet reason in May and ends
of November while the dry season begins in November and ends in April. We have
two minor seasons which are found to be significant. They are dry season that
begins in July and ends in August. This is also called August break. The other
one comes up in March to April, it is called hot dry season. This season set in
after the harmathan period.
Cassava root respond to each of these seasons. The seasons
dictate the behavioral pattern of cassava roots. For example, during the hot
dry season, the substance of cassava roots rises to 70% (as against the 25% in raining season). Immediately rain sets in, it
uses the substance to produce shot for the growth. That means from June to
July, the substance will be as low as 30%. By August, it starts to ass more
substance till the end of raining season. The cassava yield gets stabilized
between November and December after it remains until another raining season.
The cassava producer does not know the behavioural pattern of
cassava. He looks at the size of the cassava and its weight and charge his
price based on the root and production.
The cassava processor who is not aware
of the bahavoural pattern goes ahead and buys water instead of substance this
makes him produce less.For example, right now, most of cassava processing factories
in Nigeria are unable to operate at 25% of their installed capacity because the
available cassava is too costly for industrial use. Their products, which
include high quality cassava flour, industrial starch and pellets, cannot
compete in the local and international market if they use the cassava tubers
that are available. The implication is that imported products are cheaper than
when we produce these products in Nigeria e.g. wheat, which is less than N50.00
per kg. For instance, like the chips and pellets describe earlier,
high quality cassava flour is not different. The cost of production is higher
than the other two because of the complexity in processing. The cost increase
is about N10,000 per metric ton. That means about N86 per Kg. The cost varies
from N86 per kg during dry season to N130 per kg during the wet season. The
effort of the Government will make the cost to drop drastically. But if APRIL
concept is adopted, it will further reduce the cost.
HUMAN FACTORS
1. The youth are no longer interested in farming because of
it low returns. But Government effort, if sustained will bring improvement.
2. the implement developed several years ago were not
improved upon. But the mechanization method of the Government is okay. The
incentives giving will improve the dignity o farmers.
3. Although Nigeria is the highest producer of cassava in the
world, but it is the highest domestic consumer, so nothing is left for
industrial raw materials. But the Government effort will yield required supply.
4. Any attempt to introduce industrial supply, the law of
demand and supply will come up automatically. But the current effort of the
Government will produce the required quantity for industrial use.
5. The protection of local industries during military era had
given way to superior imported materials. Very soon, superior products will be
exported by Nigerians especially the five products of APRIL.
6. Until recently, all the government efforts on agricultural
sector was taken over by the party patronage.
7. In the past, Petro-Naira syndrome has blindfolded the
government from growing the economy and concentrating on development, hence the
waste of money on salaries rather than investment. But the present Government
is addressing the issue.
8. Poor infrastructure in rural areas where cassava is grown
makes accessibility to crop difficult. The present Government policy will
change the situation.
9. Thank to the Minister of Agriculture that has taken the
bull by the horn by providing direct incentives to cassava growers association.
10. It is necessary to remind ourselves about Operation Feed
the Nation, Green Revolution, Back to Land. The present transformation agenda
will surely work if it is private sector driven.
11. To complement the effort of the Government, the committee
should consider this presentation and advise the authority accordingly.
 ROOT AND ITD PRODUCTS IN NIGERIA){kind=link}
0 Comments