2014 Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (3000 Euros in Prize Money).

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), in collaboration with FARA, Yam-Pukri, CAFAN, AYF, ANAFE, SPC/PAFPNET ande-Agriculture is pleased to launch the 2nd Edition of the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards).

This contest is organised in the framework of the ARDYIS project, which aims to raise youth awareness and improve their capacity on agricultural and rural development issues in ACP countries using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The aims of this blog competition are to:

• Put into limelight issues, successes and challenges faced by youth engaged in: agriculture in urban and rural areas;
• Encourage the production of information and the use of new information and communication technologies by young farmers’ groups and organisations interested in the “youth in agriculture” question;
• Promote the sharing of information on the issues of agriculture and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

 Who can participate?

The YoBloCo Awards are open in two categories:

a. Individual category

This category is open to students in agricultural training courses, young farmers, journalists or other young people interested in ICT or agriculture.

b. Institutional category

This category is open to local or national

• young farmers’ organisations;
• young members of farmers’ organisations;
• young members of any organisation interested in agriculture, rural development and ICT.

For this competition, an organisation is understood as any type of non-profit or for-profit association, cooperative, forum, network or related grouping, excluding government institutions. Organisations that receive funding from governments but are not formal governmental institutions can be eligible if they fulfil all criteria.

If the organisation or grouping submitting an entry is not officially registered in the country, it should be recommended, via a letter of recommendation, by a national partner organisation, which is officially registered.

How to participate?

Individuals or organisations who wish to submit a blog and take part in the competition will have about 4 months to prepare or update their blogs with content related to agriculture . Blogs and all required information/documents will be submitted via an online form between December and January 2014

Prizes

A. Individual category

• 1st Prize:  1,500 Euros
• 2nd Prize: 1,000 Euros
• 3rd Prize: 800 Euros

B. Institutional category

• 3000 Euros per region (West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, Caribbean and Pacific)

C. Special Prizes

• Best female blogger: 1000 Euros (only individual blogs will be eligible for this prize)
• Best blog on Family Farming (see Note 4 below): 1000 Euros (an individual or institutional blog may be eligible for this prize)
• Best blogs with business potential: at least two blogs will be selected, out of the best finalist individual blogs selected by the public, to receive mentorship and incubation opportunities  (See Note 5 below)

D. Runners-up

• A number of runners-up in will receive a certificate of participation

Winning blogs and other best blogs will be promoted by CTA and its partners’ various channels.  In addition, authors of winning blog or other best blogs will have the opportunity to be involved in future activities of CTA or its partners.

Launch of the competition: 8 October 2013

Submission of Blogs: 2 December 2013 – 31 January 2014

Online Evaluation (public): February – March 2014

Jury Evaluation: April – May 2014

Winners Announced: June 2014

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition

ARDYIS project/ICT4D Programme
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
Email : ardyis-project@cta.int
Telephone: +31 (0)317 467 100
The Netherlands

U. S. Export - Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 Trade Show.

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

June 12-15, 2013Baltimore, Maryland, USA

 

 

You are welcome to the U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 Trade Show, for a four day international trade event designed to promote business between Africa and the Americas through AGOA and to attract Foreign Direct Investors through Bureau of African Affairs.

U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 Trade Show will provide you with up-to-day market intelligence and assist you to develop international trading practice strategies for exporting your products and services into new markets around the globe. You will also have the opportunity to meeting directly with buyers and sellers from Central America, Canada, South America, Europe and the Middle East.

The event will feature international business leaders from the private sectors, African countries commercial service diplomats posted at their embassies in the United States and high ranking government officials from both continents.

Professional and well-experienced Trade Finance, Banks, African Union member countries, Trade Promotion organizations, buyers and sellers, equipment manufacturers, customs, agricultural and food products processors, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, agricultural and food products Quality Assurance organizations will keep you informed on latest and future developments that will impact where-and how-to develop new business opportunities and export strategies abroad. This event will also provide unlimited opportunities to network with industry experts in international business, government officials and other international buyers and sellers.

Exhibiting at the U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products 2013 event will help your company earn Priority and profitable Investment that determine the order in which booth and hotel reservations are made for the U.S. Export-Import Opportunities for African Consumable Products expo marketplace.

Mexico invests over N8bn in Nigeria’s agro-allied industry, says envoy

  #From Adamu Abuh, Abuja Business Services - Business News

MEXICO has so far invested about N8 billion in the agro –industrial sector in the economy, with prospects of creating direct 7,500 direct jobs in the country.
The Mexican Ambassador to Nigeria, Marco Antonio García Blanco, made this known on the anniversary of the 202 Independence Day celebration of the Central American country, held at the weekend, in Abuja.
Recalling a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Mexico and Nigeria, the envoy disclosed that his Embassy in Nigeria has reduced requirements to issue visas to prospective travelers to his home country to just one day of the application.
He noted: “We already have the opportunity to exchange trade mission and Mexico started to invest in Nigeria $54 million (N8 billion) in the first two projects at the agro-industrial sector that will create 7,500 directs jobs in this country.
“The Mexican Embassy is fully committed to continue to work together with the Government of Nigeria in the process of building a more active, strong and successful bilateral relationship with benefits to both nations.”
He said Mexico is interested and willing to increase, diversify and strengthen its ties with Nigeria, West Africa and the rest of the African continent, expressing the belief in the mutual benefits of a bilateral relationship under the principle of co-responsibility.
He described  Mexico as a friendly country with commitments to democratic values and belief in the benefits of the rule of law, individual rights, due process and the primacy of the law.
He disclosed that his country is an inclusive nation.
“For us, everyone fits in the world. Together, with responsibility, we can build a sustainable human development, be environmentally responsible and with respect for cultural diversity and pluralism.
“For this reason, Mexico has always privileged dialogue and negotiation, as well as cooperation, for the settlement of disputes. We do not believe in violence because we know that only brings more violence. We do not believe in terrorism and invariably condemn it.
“The real enemies of the man are not other men, but poverty, the lack of opportunities in education both as worthy for a job and enough to allow effective development, security, legality and welfare. These are the challenges we face to live peacefully and prosperously in this island where all live and which we call planet Earth,” he said.
Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country, with more than 115 million people. It is the 14th largest economy in the world by its gross domestic product and currently holds the chairmanship of the Group of 20 (G20), which brings together the 20 largest economies in the world.
Mexico is the tenth most visited country in the world, with twenty-two million tourists in 2011. Mexico is also the tenth trade country in the world, with a commercial trade balance of 600 billion dollars last year, similarly, is one of the main destinations of foreign direct investment, with an annual average of 20 billion acquisitions. In turn, Mexican companies invested more than 100 billion dollars abroad in the last decade.

IFAD Approves $80m Project For Nigeria

Thu, 26/04/2012 - 7:40pm | NAN

• News
• Agriculture

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has approved a project worth 80-million-dollars for Nigeria, says Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Adesina disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while answering questions from newsmen at the Ministerial Platform to commemorate the 2012 National Democracy Day celebration.
``The IFAD project is worth 80 million dollars and we had completed the negotiation with them (IFAD). We had completed that in February and March.
``I am pleased to inform the nation that this has been approved by the board of IFAD and that is great news for us.’’
According to him, the development is part of IFAD’s pledge to assist the Federal Government realise the 40 per cent cassava flour inclusion in bread initiative.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Adesina had discussed the cassava initiative with IFAD President Kanayo Nwanze during the 35th session of the UN agency in Rome in February.
Adesina recalled that IFAD had promised to assist the country secure a four-million-dollar grant for a joint training programme with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on the initiative.
The Minister observed that the grant had become imperative to enable IITA to provide support to the initiative, through research, modern technology, training and demonstration for bakers across the country.
He added that the Federal Government was also negotiating with other institutions to obtain the required grant, adding that the government was exploring various strategies for the smooth implementation of the initiative.
Adesina also commented on efforts to develop the local rice industry.
He said that the Ministries of Water Resources, Power and Works had packaged a comprehensive plan to revitalise Omor Rice Mill in Anambra State to realise its full potential.
He said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was collaborating with Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra to privatise the mill.
``The Omor rice mill has capacity for the production 30,000 tonnes annually. That mill was built 10 years ago.
``That mill has only worked 10 hours in 10 years and that was because it was being run by government.’’
He gave assurance that the comprehensive plan would be extended to every abandoned agricultural project in the country.
On the issue of tractors, Adesina said that the country has only 20,000 functioning tractors.
He, however, said that the Federal Government would soon launch a programme for access to affordable tractors for farmers.
``During my trip to the U.S.A., we concluded initial negotiation with the largest manufacturer of tractors in the world.
``They will be here next month and we are going to have them establish two manufacturing plants for tractors.’’, adding that the plants would be located in Rivers and Kaduna State.

Agro processing and export.

 
The market for oil palm production is vast and in high demand both national and international, with a population of over 167 million people and an estimated national population growth rate over 5.7% per annum ,an average economic growth rate of over 3.5% per annum in the past five {5} years. Nigeria has a large market for edible oil palm success, the demand is high but local supply low hence the need for vast production and distribution is needed.  

 

Everybody has a soul interest to be successful in their ventures and in life,in this business i'm very much in pursuit of its success and to have productive results for generations to come. Now why i will succeed is first dependent with my mind set,motivation and pursuit to succeed, for as a man thinks in his heart;so is he. I have groomed myself in the word of God and found out that God has already given us all things freely to enjoy but is up to us to develop mentally,spiritually and even physically to aquire them and use it effectively. Every great establishment starts with just a dream and every dream is sparked up with that idea which is always an inspiration from God, but it's up to me to study voraciously and attain the necessary skills and partnership to bring the idea to reality. This is my number one drive for this venture for i have put it in the hand of God first for He has already told me that i am fruitful in every good works. 

 The high demend for this palm oil produce is world wide for is mostly used for food processing, there is also the production of palm kernel and coconut oil from the same processing for palm fruit which is also in high demand in other counties of the world, mine is just to provide the need. And also the nuts shaft can be recycled to produce fertilizer,power,etc. With the world standard production processes, packaging and marketing/publicity of impeccable value and the help of the internet/media,

We are open to business to any person(s) of group(s) interested in agro product and processing.