Glad Tidings for Pineapple Farmers

FARMERS NEWS

Better days are ahead for the teeming popula­tion of unem­ployed youths in the South-West. The good news came from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), and six states in the South-West geo-political zone.

A youth empowerment programme, entitled: Agri­business Opportunities in Pineapple Production for Un­employed Youths in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States, has been initiated to sustainably bridge the gap between pineapple supply and demand in Nigeria.

The pineapple production initiative is expected to help youths in the zone on massive job creation, income genera­tion, food and nutritional se­curity, poverty reduction and increased foreign exchange earnings. It is also expected to check the importation of fresh pineapple fruits – sugarloaf being grown on the hillsides of the Allada Valley in Benin Republic, with allegedly questionable sanitary status into Nigeria through Lagos State.

At least, 2,400 unemployed youths who are interested in pineapple production would be engaged over a period of three years. A total of 400 unemployed youths would be selected in each of the participating states.

The government, as gathered, would introduce the cultivation of two exotic pineapple varieties; MD-2 for its export potential and Sugar-loaf for local fresh fruit consumption. Also, the Federal Government, with the assistance of FAO, would import one million suckers/plantlets of MD-2 to boost the agribusiness.

The participating youths would also be organised into Pineapple Growers Coopera­tive Society for synergy and seamless access to credit facilities.

Meanwhile, a market worth over N300billion was said to have been secured in the zone for pineapple farmers to sell the herbaceous perennial plant, which grows in the humid tropics.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNC­TAD), there are more than 100 varieties of pineapple, but only six to eight are cultivated commercially. These include varieties from the Cayenne group such as the commer­cially and highly successful MD-2 variety.

The MD-2 is a hybrid pineapple with a golden skin when mature.  The pulp is sweeter with lower fibre and acidity, although it can contain as much as four times more vitamin C than regular varieties. It has a nine-day longer post harvest shelf life of 30 days when compared to other varieties and it is able to survive in cold storage for up to two weeks.  It was originally introduced in Costa Rica and has now become the standard variety for most large pineapple producers in Latin America and Asia.

The supermarkets and re­tailers, with their leverage and influence over what variety is imported, define the market for pineapple in Europe.  When the big chains in Eu­rope began demanding MD2, which was grown primarily in Costa Rica, instead of smooth cayenne, which was grown in Ghana and elsewhere, the industry as a whole shifted.in Costa Rica, instead of smooth cayenne,

A stakeholders meeting on the promotion of pineapple agribusiness, organised under the Horticulture Transformation Value Chain by the South-West Regional Office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Develop­ment, was held recently at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Moore Plantation, Apata, Ibadan in Oyo State.

Participants came from all the states in the zone. They agreed that the project would introduce youths to modern techniques of pineapple production in line with global best practices, help youths to produce pineapple for international markets, improve the livelihood of villagers in the production clusters and pro­mote the consumption of pineapple because of its nutritional and health benefits.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, in her keynote address, noted that Nigeria has been ranked seventh among major pineapple producing countries with progressively increasing national output of 0.91metric tonnes in 2000 to 1.4 metric tonnes in 2012.

Nigeria, according to her, spends huge amount annually in importing assorted concentrates and related products, adding that in 2009/2010, over 390,000 metric tonnes of assorted fruit juice concentrates, includ­ing pineapple and vegetables, valued at over N68billion, were imported to bridge demand and supply gap, created by high wastages. This, she stated, created jobs and wealth for countries of import.

Odusote, who was represented by the South-West Regional Director in the ministry, Mr. Olalekan Quadri, continued: “The increase awareness of health benefits in fresh fruits consumption and the Nigeria huge population – over 160 million, will further strengthen the market, thereby leading to increase in demand and production, job and wealth creation, income generation, bridge demand and supply gap for domestic consumption and export, reduce concentrates importation, earn and conserve foreign exchange as well as achieve sustainable food security.

In an interview, Quadri said a market worth over N300 billion has been secured in the South-West for pineapple farmers to sell their harvests. The array and profile of participants, he said, signified the dawn of a new era of economic progress, increased opportunities for youth employment, better income and livelihood for rural folks, capacity building for technocrats and other stakeholders of the sub sector.

The Coordinating Head of Homeland Affairs, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, Mr. Oluseye Oyeleye, said the demand for pineapple is at an all time high in Nigeria and West African sub-region in general.

“Indeed, it has been calculated that the pineapple industry is worth close to N3 billion and if we effectively tap into this market, we should be thriving in terms of a combination of timely actions to get our farmers back to the land and plant,” he said.

In her goodwill message to the meeting, the Representative of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria, Dr. (Ms.) Louise Setshwaelo, said the organisation was delighted to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Develop­ment to promote pineapple agribusiness. She reaffirmed the FAO’s commitment to avail its assistance and expertise to the success of the project implementation.

The project document, she said, has been technically cleared by the FAO technical team, saying: “The overall goal of the project, as proposed in the document, is to improve livelihoods of farmers, women and youth by enhancing the production, marketing and pro­cessing of pineapple into value added products as part of the ongoing government intervention for food and nutritional security, job creation and income generation for poverty reduction and increased foreign exchange earning in Ni­geria. The outputs and outcomes and activities of the projects are clearly outlined.”

In the lecture on pineapple production and marketing, Professor Isaac Aiyelaagbe from the Department of Horticulture, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in Ogun State, examined the health and nutritional benefits of pineapple.

He noted that the introduction of MD-2 pineapples into the country was based on the fact that the variety has become the kingpin of the European Union, stressing the benefits of growing MD-2 to farmers for exportation.

On the Sugarloaf, Aiyelaagbe said: “We can produce the Sugarloaf being produced in Be­nin Republic. If we work hard enough, instead of spending scarce money to buy imports we can produce, we can step up local production and save our money to buy what we cannot really produce.”

But he warned that indolent person should not come into pineapple production because it requires hard work. He emphasised the need for banks and farmers to work together in pineapple agribusiness and urged the govern­ment to stand as guarantor for the farmers.

Pineapple could be eaten in its fresh form, canned, processed into juice and wine, or used in preparing dessert, fruit salad, jam, yogurt, ice cream and candy. It is also used in the phar­maceutical industry because of its medicinal value. The residues from fruit processing are processed for use as animal feeds.

Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=82330