Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has established a technological- driven Agricultural Market Information Centre to provide reliable and up-to-date one- stop data base of the agricultural market environment across the country.

Dr. Bukar Hassan, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, announced this in Abuja while declaring open a three-day capacity building workshop on operationalisation of Market Information Centre for participants drawn from 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Hassan explained that it was important for government to promote agricultural market information in order to boost investment, production, processing, marketing and exportation of agricultural produce out of the country to promote economic growth in line with the Economic Recovery Programmme of the present administration.

He said the one- stop agricultural market information centre was equipped with up to date facilities comprising the reception, work station ,conference room and library to respond to the need of the public in market intelligence as well as directly and indirectly help drive production, processing and marketing in the agriculture sector thereby facilitating wealth creation, employment generation and ensuring food security.

Piggery Farmers Demand For Piggery Colonies In Northern States

The National Association of Piggery Farmers are demanding colonies for their pigs across the 19 Northern States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In a statement signed by Ogbuefi Animam Eze, the National secretary of the association, which was made available to The HERALD via electronic communication, NAPF called out the Federal Government for marginalizing its farmers and exposed the harassment they have been hitherto facing from Hisbah police in the shariah parts of the country.

Dear Mr. President,

DEMAND FOR PIGGERY COLONIES

The National Association of Piggery Farmers deplore the marginalization of the association by the Federal Government. Our pigs have been variously targeted for elimination in several Northern states. Those Sharia compliant states have refused to allow our legitimate business to thrive. Our members have been hounded and harassed by the Hisbah Police and others. We deplore this.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has paid deaf ears to out plight. Our members demand that the marginalization must stop in order to forestall the breakdown of Law & Order.

From the foregoing, NAPF thus demand the following:
1. Equal opportunities for all farmers and herders throughout the federation
2. We demand for a 20 hectare Piggery Colony in the 19 Northern States especially Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Borno and Gombe
3. We demand the National Assembly to pass a law on Piggery Colonies in all Northern states
4. We demand that a section of the Nigerian Army be employed in the protection of pigs and pig farmers
5. We demand the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to set aside a budget for the importation of Pig Feed from Argentina
6. We demand a special department of Piggery in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Dear Mr. President, we are a law abiding association. We prevent our members from being provoked by the government-backed Hisbah/Islamic horde that aim to destroy our pig farmers. We shall not be involved in attacking and killing the anti-piggery people in the Sharia States. If these things are not done, we can no longer guarantee that our members would not deliberately target our transducers!