LCCI initiates Agro-Study tour of Israel to boost knowledge, exposure, capacity
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry as part of its efforts to help make Agriculture in Nigeria smart, attractive and profitable, has initiated an Agro study tour of Israel.
The tour is expected to cover the Kibbutz Green houses, Plantations, Cow & Sheep Sheds, Milking House, Fish Ponds, Date Palms, Desert Agriculture, Dip Irrigation, Research Organisations,
Preservations Technology, Packaging Techniques, Wine Factory, and Water Purification Centre, among others.
It will also include the study and understanding of smart farming as well as Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings which are to be arranged with Israeli Agricultural and Irrigation experts and companies to be organised by the Federation of Chamber of Commerce Israel, reads part of a notice by Dele Alimi the Director, Trade Promotion & International Affairs.
Oluwatoyin Idowu, Senior Manager, International Relations at LCCI, describes the tour as an educative one, which is meant to leverage on the immense knowledge on agriculture in Israel.
Idowu notes that despite poor soil and other challenges, which ought to put Israel at a disadvantage, the country still produces in sufficient quantities to meet local demands, and even for exportation. Nigeria on the other hand, with good soil and large expanse of land, has been lagging behind, and desperately in need of advanced knowledge to redevelop the agric sector.
Interested participants in the Israel study tour are expected to undergo a stipulated registration process, in preparation for the trip, which is to hold from25th July to August 2, 2016.
The initiative as industry observers note, will boost knowledge of agro-allied stakeholders in the country; on best practices towards improving their production volumes and quality.
The study tour is also expected to complement on an Integrated Agric Project, which has also been started by the Agric group at LCCI.
Exposure to standard agricultural practices in Israel is expected to spur many Nigerian producers towards adopting some of the techniques and processes delivering premium quality in agro-productions.
It is expected to key into thoughts expressed by Adeola Elliot, Chairman of the Agric Group at LCCI, emphasising the need to revolutionise the way agric is presently practiced, adopting more integration and improving on value addition.
Tunji Falade, managing director of Kingsway Quality Foods had described the integrated agric project as “a total and complete agric value chain framework. We are looking at a situation whereby production is enhanced, storage, processing, and eventually to the market. We want to harness (distribution) of farm inputs, enhance production, processing, and marketing.”
The LCCI Integrated Agric Project (LIAP) aims to drive the agro-processing segment with vigour in order to have well packaged products available to the Nigerian market; develop state-of-the-art building and facilities for LCCI Integrated Agriculture Supermarket in every Local Government, incorporating existing facilities owned by members or any willing persons; liaise with other manufacturers of consumable goods to distribute their products through the project’s supermarket; and relate with Commodity Exchange Board to obtain market current information for farmers.
Caleb Ojewale