Abeokuta: ‘The old glorious days of cotton’

The farmers under the aegis of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) with support  from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), and the Arewa Cotton and Allied Products Limited, came together in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital for the capacity building exercise on development of extensive cotton production, processing and marketing.At the […]

The farmers under the aegis of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) with support  from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), and the Arewa Cotton and Allied Products Limited, came together in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital for the capacity building exercise on development of extensive cotton production, processing and marketing.
At the well-attended event tagged: “capacity building (training) programme on good quality and increased cotton production for the cotton out-growers in the South west region of Nigeria” with the theme: “Producing Long Stable Cotton To Improve Nigeria Cotton Export For The Benefit Of Our Country” papers presented and speakers who spoke provided insight on the past, present and the future of the cotton industry.
The Southwest Coordinator of NACOTAN, Alhaja (Mrs) G. ‘Lola Adeoye Kushimo said the training was, among others ,aimed  at reviving  the production and processing of cotton in the South West Region of Nigeria.
Kushimo adds: “To make improved seeds specific to the region available for farmers,  and maintain their varietal integrity though a virile and systematic seed multiplication scheme. To ensure that the project will result in the provision of quality seeds, leading to increased cotton production within three (3) years. To modernize on a vast scale cotton farming so as to create wealth for all the participating farmers in the project.
The Zonal Coordinator also noted that the training will “ensure that the vital raw materials for the first and second tiers of the Textile Value Chain (Ginners and Millers) are available and are rightly priced. To make available adequate quantities of Breeders, Foundation State I, Foundation Stage II and Certified Cotton Seeds ,that will allow for the production of not less than 90,000 Metric tons of seeds Cotton over a period of three (3) years.”

In her address, the Ogun State commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun  said the Nigeria Cotton and Textile Industry had long established historical antecedents, but its modern transformation commenced in the 1960s and 1970s,  when more technology driven mills were established mainly through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
To her, “the textile industry was second only to agriculture in economic importance. It employed in excess of 700,000 persons and with considerable contribution to the GDP and foreign exchange earnings in the early 80s. The textile industry is unique in the sense that it uses high percentage of locally produced raw materials,  such as cotton and polyester.
“To assist in reviving the industry, the Federal government of Nigeria, through the Bank of Industry released  N100 billion for on-lending to businesses under the cotton, Textile and Garment value chain. Our cotton farmers in the South West were part of the beneficiaries .
Sokefun, who was represented by  her  Ministry’s  Permanent Secretary, Alh. Bisiriyu commended the organizers for hosting the workshop “at this time with the aim of encouraging the cotton farmers, investors and new entrants into increasing both the quality and quantity of cotton being produced from the South West.
The Director of Tree Crops and Rural Development services in the State Ministry of Agriculture educated the farmers on the diseases of cotton in Nigeria.

According to him, “Bacterial blight of cotton, Alternaria leaf spot, Die-back disease. Other diseases of minor importance areeolate mildew, Aschocyta leaf spot, anthracnose. Root knot caused by nematodes and cotton leaf curl caused by viruses.” He also provided suggestions for controlling the diseases.
The highpoint of the training was  the paper on Cotton Processing Grading and Marketing in Nigeria, presented by S.A Adenopo, who lectured  the farmers on cotton quality. He stressed  “cotton quality is dependent largely on the efficiency of harvesting. He noted that while harvesting can be done by hand or machines, “manual picking is slow but better preserves fibre characteristics of cotton.”

He disclosed that in global cotton farming, “hand  picking recorded about 60-70 %, while the use of machine is between 30-40%. Adenopo advised that picking should be done at regular intervals, to prevent rain damage and staining, which can also lower quality of seed cotton. Special consideration on time to start picking cotton in the southern zone is important because of high humidity and possibility of damage by rain.”     
The deputy-director of Produce in the state ministry of agriculture talked about grading, contamination in cotton, which effects, he listed to include “stickiness, wastage of dying material, requires extra efforts and unnecessary inflates cost, warning, “even after cleaning, left over embedded pieces of contamination in yarn affects its quality and value.”
In his presentation on the essentials of large volume production of Cotton, “Building Global Confidence In Nigerian Cotton” Adebayo Olayemi, the Regional Manager, South West of AREWA Cotton, asserted that South West Region States and citizens are guaranteed easy access to the benefits of the Agriculture Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria ,having proven to have the capacity to utilize FG’s incentives.
South West Region States, according to him, “will enjoy additional income via taxes ,such as Produce Tax Employment creation and generation South West Region States will have the enviable status as cotton producing zone. It will also attract expansion of the rural economies where cotton is to be farmed; improved purchasing power for all involved in the value chain; investment opportunities along the value chain i.e cotton seed oil production mills, textile mills, Livestock, Poultry, Pharmaceutical items such as Bandages, Cotton wool etc and Multiplier effect on value chain supporting sectors such as transport.”
At the end of each presentation, questions were asked by participants and satisfactory answers equally provided.   

A cotton farmer and brother to the Ogun State Governor, Alhaji Abidoye  Amosun, said the training would not have come at appropriate time, “than now, when Cotton farmers are now determined  more than ever  before, to return the country to the old glorious days of cotton industry.
“I am one of the farmers who are planting cotton now. We have to return to the old good days, and that is why this training is good for us in the  area of quality cotton production.”
Ondo State chairman of NACOTAN, Richard Oluyewa-Ogungbe expressed satisfaction on the training ,declaring that increase in the production would be recorded. He said with the papers presented “we are sure of having more hectares to work on, so this means more money for us.”
Mrs. Funke Oshun, the Secretary of NACOTAN in Osun State, admitted that most of them are cotton farmers with no knowledge of the industry, “but, with this training, I personally have learnt to be aware of certain steps to take,  in case of pest or disease in cotton farms. I am going back to Osogbo to pass the message to my members,  and definitely, we are coming out stronger and better in cotton farming.”
The Secretary of Southwest NACOTAN, Alh. Abdullahi Kasali said the training had been carefully designed for the period, in order to prepare for the next planting season, assuring that “a new era in cotton farming is dawn in the region. Already the global market knows that we have the best quality.So what we are aiming at is best of the best quality,  and that is why the association is doing everything possible to bring all farmers on board for this training.”