Regenerative Agriculture 4.0 Tool Box

Regenerative Agriculture 4.0 Tool Box® Target | Nigeria Agriculture Job and Wealth Creation Location | Six- Geo-Political Zones, Nigeria HEUTZ RESEARCH Limited Apo Spark light Mall, Opposite Living Faith Church, Durumi District Suite BD9 First Floor, Abuja, Nigeria www.huetzresearch.com Contact: Ayodele OTAIKU PhD Scholar, MSc, FIMS, FIAMN, FICM aotaiku@gmail.com | WhatsApp Mobile +234 803 3721 219 ayodele.otaiku@aratiace.com | ayodele.otaiku@huetzresearch.com 20th August, 2020 © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 1 +234 803 3721 219 Contents: 2 Acronyms Executive Summary 3 4 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Application form for Expression of Interest 5 8 2.0 Methodology 9 3.0 ARATI Tool Box® Business Intelligence 13 4.0 Solution - Agribusiness Products & Services 15 4.1 Agro-Corridor Development, Nigeria 15 4.2 ARATI ProSumer ® 20 4.3 Farm Management 22 4.4 Contract Farming Ace 3+ 24 4.4.1 4.4.2 4.4.3 4.4.4 4.4 5 4.4.6 4.4.7 Why Contact farming ACE? Requirements/Feasibility Contract and their Specification Management Coordinating Production Monitoring Performance GSrazing / Livestock’s Breeding & Genetics 24 25 26 27 33 34 35 4.5 Trading Commodities - ARATI Trade X® 38 4.6 Human Capital Training 40 4.7 Farm Monitoring 43 4.8 Farm Surveillance and Survey 44 4.9 Organic Seed Production 47 4.10 49 49 Renewable Energy 4.10.1 Solar in Agriculture 5.0 Expected Outcome 53 Appendices 53 Appendix 1 - Farm In-Puts Biotechnologies 53 Appendix 2 - Processing Machine: Cereal Drying Machine 60 Appendix 3 - Organic Rice Cultivation 61 © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 2 +234 803 3721 219 Acronyms CF ERM ERP FAO GIS GPRS GPS GSM ICT IT IVR MMS MS QA RS SMS USSD Contract Farming Enterprise Resources Management Enterprise Resource Planning Food and Agricultural Organisation Geographical Information System General Packet Radio Service Global Positioning System Global System for Mobile Communications Information and Communication Technologies Information Technologies Interactive Voice Response Multimedia Messaging Service Microsoft Quality Assurance Remote Sensing Short Message Service Unstructured Supplementary Service Data ARATI Toolbox® | Agriculture 4.0 Target | Nigeria Agriculture Job and Wealth Creation® Powered by: www.aratiace.com | www.huetzresearch.com | www.aratibiotech.com | www.huetzmobile.com www.aratifarms.com | www.aratishea.com | www.innoaf.com © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 3 +234 803 3721 219 Executive Summary Increased demand for agriculture produces and out-of-season products in Nigeria together with globalization, presents a great opportunity for the export of agriculture. Nigeria’s agricultural sector does not lend itself easily to investment. Next to classic constraints such as insufficient infrastructure or insecure property rights, the production structure itself provides one of the most severe impediments to commercial development. Good planning and sound implementation are essential. Small-scale farmers have become vulnerable to ‘middlemen’ who have replaced marketing boards and who over time could manipulate market access, if left unregulated. Background information on the existing agriculture value chain development developmental for rural farmers is often overlooked. This includes information on the availability of reliable and cost-efficient inputs such as extension advice, mechanization services, seeds and credit, and guaranteed and profitable markets. t also provides a reliable source of supply to the investors, from the perspective of both quantity and quality. The document describes in detail the general modus operandi of agriculture value chain development with focus on agro-ecology development of agriculture infrastructure called agro-corridor to optimize the value of biodiversity, water resource and conservation agriculture for sustainable development of agribusiness. ARATI Tool Box® was developed more than one decade to offers a better opportunity to improve, optimize and commercialize agriculture using state-of-art agriculture called Agriculture 4.0. Agriculture 4.0 combined internal and external interacting of farming operations, offering digital information at all farm sectors and processes represents a great opportunity to consider the variability and uncertainties that involve the agri-food production chain development. The components of ARATI Tool Box® are : Agro-Corridor Development, ARATI ProSumer® , Farm Management, Contract Farming Ace 3+, Grazing / Livestock’s Breeding & Genetics, Trading Commodities - ARATI Trade X®, Human Capital Training, Farm Monitoring, Farm Surveillance and Survey, Organic Seed Production, Renewable Energy and Solar ;in Agriculture that holistically solves the agriculture sustainable issues in Millennium Development Goal (MDG). It also optimizes the operations of agriculture Universities in Nigeria towards developing crop and region specific agendas; where, agricultural Students curriculum have ‘hand-on-skill’ within the proposed six-geo-political zones agro-corridor development. The document describes in detail the general modus operandi of agriculture value chain development with focus on agro-ecology development to optimize the value of biodiversity, water resource and conservation agriculture for sustainable development of agribusiness for export economy and food security. ARATI Tool Box® promotes ‘regenerative agriculture’ with twin objectives of the ecosystem sustainability, climate mitigation / management holistic agriculture production management systems of integrated soil nutrient management components (biofertilizer a, biopesticide b and bioherbicide c) and xenobiotic biodegradation d, e ecosystem restoration. _________________________ . Gateway Organic Fertilizer | Biofertilizer Gateway Biofertilizer Organic 3.0 https://www.academia.edu/42632817/Gateway_Organic_Fertilizer_Biofertilizer_Gateway_Biofertilizer_Organic_3_0 a. . ARATI BAJA ® -Liquid Biofertilizer | Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) https://www.academia.edu/43310069/ARATI_BAJA_Liquid_Biofertilizer_Integrated_soil_fertility_management_ISF M_ b. Biopesticide https://www.academia.edu/41445902/ARATI_Biopesticide_Microbial_Granular_and_Liquid c. Bioherbicide https://www.academia.edu/41445611/ARATI_Yaranta_Bioherbic d . Kachia Military Shooting Range in situ Fungi Species Biodegradation of Explosives, Kaduna, Nigeria. https://www.academia.edu/41374883/Kachia_Military_Shooting_Range_in_situ_Fungi_Species_Biodegradation_of_E xplosivesKaduna_Nigeria d . Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon Production Wastes using Environmental Biotechnology Inoculant (OBD-Plus ®) Obagi, Niger Delta, Nigeria .https://www.academia.edu/43310346/Bioremediation_of_Hydrocarbon_Production_Wastes_using_Environmental_Bi otechnology_Inoculant_OBD_Plus_Obagi_Niger_Delta_Nigeria e. Military Shooting Range Xenobiotic Bacteria Consortia in Situ Biodegradation, Kachia, Kaduna, Nigeria. https://www.academia.edu/42089079/Military_Shooting_Range_Xenobiotic_Bacteria_Consortia_in_Situ_Biodegradati on_Kachia_Kaduna_Nigeria a © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 4 +234 803 3721 219 1.0 Introduction Agriculture cluster development a conscious attempt to encourage involvement and investments in the economic activities in the upstream (research and development, certified seeds, high-value varieties, farming systems), midstream (processing, high value end uses), and downstream. To catalyse and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation systemic investments made through its alliance of partners to boost market-oriented production and increase agricultural competitiveness. Agricultural technology revolution started with Agriculture 1.0 with animal power; then the combustion engine defined Agriculture 2.0, passing to Agriculture 3.0 in recent years with guidance systems and precision farming, starting when military GPS-signals were made accessible for public use today. Agriculture 4.0 farm activities are connected to the cloud., the next step with Agriculture 5.0 includes digitally-integrated enterprise, which rely their production processes using robotics and some forms of artificial intelligence. Technological solutions deliver significant influences towards transforming the challenges of agricultural supply chain management into opportunities. Simple technologies, e.g., Bluetooth, GPS (Global Positioning System), or RFID (radio frequency identification), combined with the communication among operators and agricultural machinery at all levels of collaboration, make it conceivable to create a self-optimizing agricultural supply chain structure. The Agriculture 4.0 evolution happens in parallel with comparable evolutions in the industrial sector (Industry 4.0), based on an idea for future manufacturing. Agriculture 4.0, like to Industry 4.0, stands for the combined internal and external interacting of farming operations, offering digital information at all farm sectors and processes. Even in agriculture, as in the industrial sector, the 4.0 revolution represents a great opportunity to consider the variability and uncertainties that involve the agri-food production chain. Opportunities: i. ii. iii. iv. Food security for Nigeria population to grow to 470 million by 2050 and currently 200 million today; Agriculture constitutes the core of the Nigeria economy. The sector accounts for about 65 percent of full-time employment; Funding of agribusiness is becoming attractive to private venture capital; and Governments are pushing for product and market diversification for agriculture industry export economy. Global Challenge Food security for a future world population of more than nine billion people is one of the main global challenges of our time. It will require food production to increase 70 percent by 2050. The challenge appears even more daunting against the backdrop of climate change and resource scarcity. This production increase has to be achieved on virtually the same amount of farmland – and in many cases without additional fresh water resources – while also aiming to reduce overall carbon emissions per ton of crop. Global growth also affects agriculture: The world population will grow to an estimated 9.1 billion by 2050, meaning more mouths to feed. Africa alone is set to double its population, to about two billion in the next forty years. Global economic growth results in a bigger middle class and higher purchasing power, driving the consumption of agricultural produce, including dietary changes. Rationale Agriculture constitutes the core of the Nigeria and African economy. The sector accounts for about 65 percent of full-time employment and an estimated 85 percent of Africans depend upon the sector, which contributes nearly a third of GDP, and over half of total export earnings to the continent’s economies. African agriculture faces a number of simultaneous challenges. Not only is the need for investments in physical infrastructure immense, there is an alarming backlog in investments in human resources, including innovation, R&D, training, education, and extension service delivery. The most critical challenge is low productivity. Whereas per capita food © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 5 +234 803 3721 219 production since 1960 has doubled in Asia, it has remained largely stagnant in Africa south of the Sahara. In contrast, population growth rates have been and look set to remain – high. Decades of negligence and underinvestment have also resulted in reduced soil quality. With the lowest mineral fertilizer application rate of any region, at about seven to eight kilograms per hectare (against a middle and low-income country average of about a 1–200), and together with a shortage of organic fertilizers, African soils have been constantly mined for minerals without adequate replacement. Another challenge is the fact that today African producers are generally not particularly competitive in global markets, though this is slowly changing. Nigeria’s Agriculture Potentials Population to grow to 470 million by 2050 and currently 200 million Source: CBN Figure 1. Showing the potentials of Nigerian Agriculture African food market by 2030 grow to US$1 trillion by 2030.To maintain its share of the continent’s agriculture GDP by 2030, Nigeria will need to grow its agriculture sector revenues by a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% annually. To ensure this is achieved, agriculture budget to GDP will have to be sustained by at least 7% annually. It is estimated that agriculture is Africa’s largest economic sector, representing 15% of the continent’s total GDP. Nigeria contributes 14% of Africa’s agriculture GDP. The World Bank forecasts that by 2030, the food market in Africa will grow to be a US$1 trillion industry. Nigeria will need to intensify its investments in improving agriculture yield and integrating the value-chain over the next decade to effectively capture a significant share of the US$1 trillion market. According to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Africa continent would require over US$300 billion of public and private investments across the agriculture value-chain over the next decade. Nigeria is the largest rice producing country in West Africa. In addition, the country grows about 50% of grain crops produced in West Africa. Nigeria is the 3 rd largest millet producing country in the world after India and China. Also, the country is the world largest producer of cassava and yam; the 2nd world largest producer of sweet potatoes and the 4th world largest producer of groundnut and cocoa. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 6 +234 803 3721 219 Nigeria has over 84 million hectares of arable land, of which only about 40% is cultivated; 230 billion cubic metres of water; abundant and reliable rainfall in over two-thirds of its territory, and some of the richest natural resources for agricultural production in the world. The ratio of Nigeria’s budget for agriculture to annual budget falls short of the prescribed standard set by the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security (“The declaration”). Through the declaration, the African Union (AU) agreed to allocate at least 10% of its member countries annual national budget to agriculture. ARATI Toolbox ® Grand Agribusiness Strategy Figure 2. ARATI Tool Box ® target Nigeria Agro-Job and Wealth Creation® © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 7 +234 803 3721 219 A New Vision for Agriculture 4.0 in Nigeria and Africa The lessons learned from Nigeria Agriculture development since 1960 experiences help frame the ARATI Tool Box® construct proposal for achieving successful agricultural ‘transformation’ of Nigeria and Africa. Successful transformations are business led, and involve the creation of three simultaneous conditions: i. ii. iii. A large-scale dissemination of productivity-increasing technology and inputs, plus input intensity and capital intensity; the development of input and output market structures and incentives that allow the full realization of the value of increased production; and, A well-funded and competitive private sector that can manage and allocate skill and capital to scale emergent success and drive long-term sustainable agribusiness growth. There is a critical role for the public-sector to play to enable transformation, by kick-starting the process with selected investments and directed activities (especially in circumventing ‘bootstrapping’ problems where markets fail to exist), shepherding the overall transformation process to scale, and creating the enabling environment assets and policy conditions to allow businesses to thrive. Figure 3. Value preposition for the ARATI Toolbox® grand agribusiness strategy. 1.1 Application form for Expression of Interest Nigeria Agro-Job and Wealth Creation®: Individual farm, Community farm corporate farm, AgroCorridor development, Farm Management, Organic farm inputs production franchise, Commodities trading and Agribusiness consulting. Application form for expression of interest (attached): © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 8 +234 803 3721 219 2.0 Methodology      1. Agriculture value chain development nationwide for export with eco-innovation. 2. To address the softer aspects of trade facilitation in effective trade policy (e.g. harmonisation of regulations, procedures and standards) to fully make use of the benefits of harder infrastructure such as road improvements etcs (Figure 4). 3. Goals for environmental sustainability, social inclusion and gender equity should be taken into account. Also having a team in place that is dedicated to assessing these impacts at all stages of corridor planning, construction and operation. 4. Facilitate and provide enabling environments for competitive agro-industries. 5. Technical trainings and capacity building for farmers’ capacity for improved agriculture. Provide farmland for industrial agriculture and integrated security for farming communities and stakeholders. 6. Application for special economic zones for the Agro-Corridor Projects in Nigeria. 7. Facilitate policy reforms be spread beyond and offers opportunities for linking publicprivate dialogue and identifying where interests align around specific investment opportunities as well as potential technical and policy reforms for agriculture and industrial cluster within the Agro-Corridor Projects nationwide. Figure 4. ARATI Tool Box® Agro-Job and Wealth Creation Framework. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 9 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 5. ARATI Tool Box® Construct of 4.0 Agribusiness for Agro Wealth ACE ® Value co-creation of stakeholders offer complementary knowledge management: i. ii. iii. Real-life practice: strategies, implementation plans. Constraints and limitations optimization (Figure 5). Values and norms underlying decision-making. Researchers ensure and offer: i. ii. iii. Scientific excellence of the research questions. Broader and alternative viewpoints, time scales, options. Understanding of the interconnectedness of phenomena; the context of global change (Figure 5). Narrative of Figure 5: i. ii. iii. Value of talented people goes beyond predefined tasks: building brands, relationships, reputations, and other intangibles (high value). Collaboration. It refers to the capacity of human communities to evolve towards higher order complexity and harmony, through such innovation mechanisms as differentiation and integration, competition and collaboration. The collective activity of individuals and their modifications to the environment are responsible for intelligence (Table 1). Meeting the Nigeria food security in a sustainable manner and convincing farmers that this works is the key challenge of precision farming. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 10 +234 803 3721 219 Table 1. Key features of the IoT. Data ownership and control At the core of the digital agricultural 4.0 revolution is the use and collection of data to drive management decisions. In this way, data in agriculture is no different than data from other sectors insofar as it is collected from multiple sources (often involving a variety of agencies and private sector entities), exists in many different forms, and may be held and processed by different parties. Within this array of stakeholders, data, and data collection and processing user agreements, there are significant differences in the levels of empowerment among the players. The Agriculture 4.0 evolution happens in parallel with comparable evolutions in the industrial sector (Industry 4.0), based on an idea for future manufacturing. Agriculture 4.0, like to Industry 4.0, stands for the combined internal and external interacting of farming operations, offering digital information at all farm sectors and processes. The methodology used to effectively connect all the actors of this continuous and data-rich communication is that of virtualization (Figure 5). Among the benefits, this recent rural revolution permits (i) to realize more efficient systems that operate in conditions of greater safety both for the environment and operators, and (ii) to reduce the operating costs of the processes, e.g., allowing the realization of more complex processes at equal costs. Farmer Field School – INNOAF Ecosystem (Academy) i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. Smart Agriculture Horticulture, Planning and Crop Planning Seeds, Starts and Transplants Soil, Nutrients and Fertility Pest and Disease Management / Crop Rotation Irrigation, Harvesting and Post-harvest Management Tools and Equipment Edible Perennials Biofertilizer and ecological agriculture Marketing. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 11 +234 803 3721 219 ARATI Tool Box® Value Co-creation Figure 6. ARATI Tool Box® Agribusiness Strategy: Value Co-creation. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 12 +234 803 3721 219 3.0 ARATI Tool Box® Business Intelligence i. ii. iii. iv. v. To reposition agriculture job and wealth creation potentials in line with its cardinal objectives through capacity building and effective collaboration with key players in AgroIndustry; Food Security is among the National Security Strategy (NSS) in providing Nigeria with prosperity and sustainable development; Mandate to engage in lawful ventures as a limited liability company; Effective collaboration with key players in Agro-Industry for self-reliance to meet with the local demands, to sustain farming and ranching (livestock’s) as successful ventures; and The collaboration efforts also enable stakeholders to build capacity in production, processing and product development for our raw materials with key sectors to benefit from agricultural value chain (Figure 4). Figure 7. ARATI Tool Box® Business Intelligence for agriculture value chain development. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 13 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 8. ARATI Tool Box® Investment feasibility/business plan development. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 14 +234 803 3721 219 4.0 SOLUTION – AGRIBUSINESS PRODUCTS & SERVICES 4.1 Agro-Corridor Development – Nigeria Location: Agro - Corridors within six-geo-political zones in Nigeria The Agricultural growth corridor is intended to reduce early-mover risk and create economies of scale for investors by coordinating projects in advance literally laying the groundwork for an active rural economy. Proponents hope to use the technological, financial and managerial capabilities of global investors along with the regional expertise of domestic players to bolster local business. By facilitating commercial opportunities for sophisticated private players, the corridor will upgrade the supply chain and attract resources for smallholders, such as financing, improved seed, agri-dealers, storage facilities and links to deeper demand. A goal is to ensure equitable growth through models that benefit smallholders and protect their communities (Figure 4). The plan mobilizes the local private sector as change agents within the agro-corridor in six geo-political zones: entrepreneurs, such as SME owners and small warehouse operators, support smallholders and interface initiatives of the government, donors, input/ off-take companies and commercial banks. National players with deep regional knowledge find investment opportunities in supplying domestic food markets and global agri-business companies can use sophisticated technology and large-scale production mastery to secure export markets. Government policy is critical for investment in agriculture. A framework of regulations should be consistent, transparent and evidence-based and include strict standards of governance, property administration and quality regulation. The policy environment must provide incentives for players to invest in agriculture while protecting the welfare of citizens and the environment. This entails increasing market access while ensuring sufficient public goods (such as research, education and gender equity). Operating principles of the New Vision for Agriculture. Figure 9. ARATI Tool Box® specific interventions in the Agro-Corridor development in Nigeria. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 15 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 10. Proposed locations of Agro-Corridor development in Nigeria. Land Availability for farming (contract farming) by interested participants or members. Investment opportunities is based on the agro-ecology of Nigeria in six geopolitical zones. The scope of investment by members/investors is based on the choice hectares for crops production or livestock that ranges from: North Central, Nigeria: Contract farming locations NASARAWA STATE , NIGERIA Location 1: NASARAWA State, Nigeria LGA: WAMBA Hectares : 500,000 Hectares Crops: Maize ,Tumeric, , Groundnut Rice, Seasame, Ginger, Galic Horticulture & Vegetables NIGER STATE , NIGERIA NIGER State, Nigeria Location 1: Agwara LGAS: 500,000 Hectares Hectares : Sugarcane Crops: © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® NIGER STATE, NIGERIA Location 2: NIGER State, Nigeria LGA: New Bussa ,Mokwa, Edati, Lavan, Katcha and Agaye Hectares : 2,000,000 Hectares Crops: Rice, Maize ,Tumeric, Groundnut Soya Bean, Seasame, Ginger, Galic Horticulture & Vegetables 16 +234 803 3721 219 South West : Contract farming locations OSUN STATE , NIGERIA Location 1: OSUN State, Nigeria LGA: AYEDADE Hectares : 500,000 Hectares Crops: Cocoa , Kola nut Location 2: LGA: Hectares : Crops/Livestocks: OGUN STATE , NIGERIA Location 1: OGUN State, Nigeria LGA: YEWA Hectares : 500,000 Hectares Crops: Rice and Rice seed farming OYO STATE , NIGERIA Location 1: OYO State, Nigeria LGA: IBARAPA Hectares : 1,000,000 Hectares Crops/Livestock : Maize , Cassava, Groundnut Horticulture & Vegetables Small and Large animals OYO State, Nigeria ISEYIN 1,000,000 Hectares Maize , Cassava, Soya Bean Horticulture & Vegetables Small and Large animals North West : Contract farming locations KEBBI STATE, NIGERIA Location 1: Kebbi State, Nigeria Gwandu & Koko Besse LGAs: 1,000,000 Hectares : Sugarcane Crop: SOKOTO STATE , NIGERIA Location 1: SOKOTO State, Nigeria Binji LGA: 500,000 Hectares Hectares : Sugarcane Crops: KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA Location 1: Katsina State, Nigeria LGAs: Daura, Dutsi, Mai'adua and Mashi Hectares : 1,000,000 Crops / Livestocks: Cereals, Meats and Agro-allied Critical Success Factor for Agro Cluster Projects 1. 2. 3. 4. Training: Farmers field schools for agriculture value chain development; Agricultural funding by central bank of Nigeria CBN AADS and CBN AGSMEIS; Establishment of crop-processing zone to drive agro-allied processing for export; Functional, effective and efficient implementation arrangements with institutions and support infrastructure; and 5. Development of agro-industrial clusters; 6. Road shows in Europe, Asia and United States as clients or stakeholders in the projects; 7. Make Nigeria the hub for organic agriculture in Africa. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 17 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 9. Site model of the proposed Agro-corridor development in six geo-political zones in Nigeria Table 2. Nigeria Water Basin Authority for Agro-ecology N/S Colum 1 Name of Authority 1 Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority 2 Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority Colum 2 Area of Operation The whole of Anambra and Imo State The whole Bendel and Ondo State excluding those parts of Bendel State drained by the Benin, Escravos, Forcados and Ramos Rivers creek Systems 3 Chad Basin Development Authority The whole of Borno State excluding those parts drained by the Jama’are and Misau Rivers systems but including those parts of Gongola State drained by the Yedseram and Goma Rivers system 4 Cross River Basin Development Authority The whole of Cross River State 5 Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority The whole of Kano State and those parts of Bauchi and Borno States drained by the Jama’are and Misau rivers systems 6 Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority The whole of Benue and Plateau State 7 Niger Delta Basin Development Authority The whole of Rivers State and those parts of Bendel State drained by Benin, Escravos, Forcados and Ramos Rivers Creek systems 8 Niger River Basin Development Authority The whole of Kwara and Niger State; the Federal capital Territory, the whole of Kaduna State excluding Katsina State 9 Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority The whole of Oy, Ogun and Lagos States 10 Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority Those parts of Bauchi State drained by the Gongola River system, the whole of Gongola State excluding those parts drained by the Yedseram River System 11 Sokoto-Rima River Basin Development Authority The whole of Sokoto and Katsina State       Animal Pasture Development and Breed Refinement. Agro- Corridor - Infrastructural Development. Livestock Management. Entrepreneurial and R&D Programme Farm Implements and Machineries. Manpower Sourcing and Deployment © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 18 +234 803 3721 219 Column 3 Headquarters Owerri Benin Maiduguri Calabar Kano Makurdi Port Harcourt Minna Abeokuta Yola Figure 10. Farm Management of livestock in ranches using ICT (Agriculture 4 .0) © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 19 +234 803 3721 219 4.2 ARATI ProSumer® i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. Production of agriculture crops and livestock for consumer termed ARATI Prosumer ® Out-grower systems are schemes that provide production and marketing services to farmers on their own land as a joint venture with a private firm (Figure 7); The private sector, where farmer and firm engage in a forward agreement of production and marketing; Contract farming refers to a system whereby a central processing and exporting unit purchases the harvests of individual farmers, and the terms of the purchase are arranged through contracts; The terms of the contract vary and usually specify how much produce the contractor will buy and at what price. The contractor often provides credit inputs and technical advice. Contracting is a way of allocating the risks between producer and contractor; the farmer takes the risk of production and the contractor the risk of marketing; The basis of such arrangement is the commitment of the farmer to provide a specific commodity in quantities and at quality standards as determined by the purchaser and the commitment of the company to support the farmer’s production and to purchase the commodity (Figure 4); ARATI ProSumer® is powered by Contract Farming Ace 3+ (see section 4.4). ARATI ProSumer® Objectives: Objectives © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® Drivers to achieve the objectives 20 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 11. Agriculture value chain development services of ARATI ProSumer® ARATI ProSumer® critical success factor © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 21 +234 803 3721 219 4.3 Farm Management Agribusiness targeted commodities are those that are likely to give a competitive advantage to the country. These include, cereals (rice, maize, wheat), cotton, roots and tubers (cassava, potatoes, yam, ginger), sugarcane, tree crops (oil palm, cocoa, rubber), legumes (soya bean, sesame seed, cowpea), tomatoes, livestock, and any other commodity that are funded by agriculture finance facility by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Figure 12. Smart Agriculture Corridor model for Farm Management (Agriculture 4.0). © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 22 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 13. Nigeria Agriculture potentials deploying Agro-Corridor Potentials and ARATI Tool Box® for value co-creation. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 23 +234 803 3721 219 4.4 Contract Farming ACE 3+ 4.4.1 Why Contact farming ACE? The post COVID-19 scenario where the Federal Government of Nigeria has taken a number of initiatives, such as ban of agricultural raw materials for feed mills and food industry, pruning of the list of agricultural items reserved for small-scale industries trigger ‘rethinking of improved agriculture development for food security’. The 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in food processing, reduction in corporate taxes and excise duties on processed foods, priority sector lending to food processing industry, enactment of new an integrated food law, de-regulation of agricultural markets, etc. to boost food processing and promote agribusiness nationwide. Source: The Out-grower system epopa 2007-04 Figure 14. Framework for Contract Farming Ace 3+ powered by ARATI Tool Box ®  Contract Farming ACE - 1+ Develop agriculture produces grades and standards Price and quality of products are two major factors that can render a contract farming scheme a success or failure. Public-private partnership in agricultural research and extension: Contract farming is more prevalent in high-value agricultural commodities that have a considerable market demand. This implies a greater diversification of agricultural production portfolio, and sets a demand-driven agenda for agricultural research and extension (Figure 13). Market provision / Management specifications The grower and buyer agree on terms and conditions for the future sale and purchase of the crop or livestock. The grower agrees to follow recommended production methods, inputs regimes, and cultivation and harvesting specifications. Contract farming schemes are organized by large agribusiness firms including processors, exporters and supermarket chains. Developing contract farming thus requires appropriate policies, infrastructure and regulations that facilitate private investment in agribusiness, Figures 7 and 9 respectively. Agricultural value chain development are listed in trading commodities exchange called - ARATI Trade X® (section 4.5). © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 24 +234 803 3721 219  Contract Farming ACE- 2+ - Resource provision In conjunction with the marketing arrangements the buyer agrees to supply selected inputs, including on occasions land preparation and technical advice. The success of any agricultural investment requires that two multidimensional preconditions be met (Figure 14): i. ii. The general suitability of the topography, location of the out-growers, climate, soil fertility and water availability, Table 2. The suitability of the physical environment for the specific plant genotype for which there is a market demand (Figure 12). The extent to which all these factors interact determines production yields, quality and profitability.  Contract Farming Ace- 3+ : The Consortium Approach Agro Wealth ACE ® planned to increase farmer profitability by 30-40 per cent by better and cost effective input supply and better value realization from farm produce (100% organic agriculture) by finding better markets [ Trading Commodities - ARATI Trade X® ] and elaborated by Figures 4., 7 and 8 respectively. We leverage ARATI Tool Box® to optimize the agriculture mechanization within six geo-political zones in Nigeria (Figure 10), strong customer base, dealer network and first mover advantage. Its product portfolios include organic agriculture farm inputs (seeds, biopesticide, biofertilizer, bioherbicide irrigation systems, equipment rentals, post-harvest services, farm surveillance systems, monitoring and evaluation (ARATI Agro APP®) information provision, and finance. For this purpose, various partners i.e. retailers, agri input companies, logistics companies, farm equipment companies, food companies, and agri finance corporations and banks, besides agricultural universities and research centres are networked into the Agriculture 4.0 Agro Wealth ACE ® project (Figure 13). We offer extension services to farmers for a fee but ensures a certain level of yield target. If farmers get lower than the assured level of yield, then they need not pay the fee. We provide all the inputs, technical support and finance (facilitate) to the registered growers for a specific crop and facilitate the sale of produce at reasonable price. Given that the nature of modern farming involves a tremendous amount of technological input and market orientation requiring capital resources, it is but inevitable to involve private corporate business interests in agricultural development through contract farming system (Figure 4). The imperative lies in making business “inclusive”, tackling yields, quality, skills development and supply chain linkages at the same time. 4.4.2 Requirements/Feasibility The physical and social environments The success of any agricultural investment requires that two multidimensional preconditions be met: i. ii. The general suitability of the topography, location of the out-growers, climate, soil fertility and water availability; and The suitability of the physical environment for the specific plant genotype for which there is a market demand. The extent to which all these factors interact determines production yields, quality and profitability. Many rural communities are wary of modern agribusiness and strongly influenced by traditional practices. There are often great disparities in cultural attitudes towards work. Before beginning such a venture (Figure 16), firms need to develop an understanding of the cultural attitudes of whom they are working with. Factors that fall under physical and social environments are: i. ii. The physical environment must be suitable in general, and in particular for the product to be produced; Sufficient utilities and communications must be available, this includes feeder roads and for agro-processing water and electricity (Table 2); © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 25 +234 803 3721 219 iii. iv. v. Land availability and tenure - contracted farmers require unrestricted access to the land they farm (see 4.1 Agro - Corridor Development, Nigeria); Input availability - sources of inputs need to be assured (Appendix 1); Social considerations – cultural attitudes and practices should not conflict with farmers’ obligations under the contract, and firms must develop a full understanding of local practices. 4.4.3 Contract and their Specification Agreements, in the form of a written contract or verbal understanding, usually cover the responsibilities and obligations of each party, the manner in which the agreement can be enforced and the remedies to be taken if the contract breaks. In most cases, agreements are made between the firm and the farmer. The farmers can be in cooperatives, associations or just individual farmers. In the case of arrangements through intermediaries, the firm contracts directly with the intermediaries who make their own arrangements with farmers. Four aspects need to be considered when drafting contracts: i. ii. iii. iv. The legal framework: the formal law of contract in the country, as well as the manner in which that law is used and applied in common practice. The formula: the clarification of the managerial responsibilities, the pricing structures and the set of technical specifications that directly regulate production. The format: the manner in which the contract is presented. The specifications: the details of the implementations of the contract. The legal framework: i. The contract should comply with the minimum legal requirements and if the legal framework is not available, at least the contract must address issues that will avoid exploitation of the actors involved. ii. Local practice must be taken into account. iii. Arrangements for arbitration must be addressed. The formula: It can be based on: i. ii. iii. iv. Market specification, where only quality standards are specified and input provision is often minimal. Resource specifications, where details of production, product e.g. varieties are specified. Input provision is often limited and income guarantees are minimal. Management and income specifications, which are the most intensive and may involve predetermined pricing structures, farm input advances, technical support and managerial control. Land ownership and land tenure specifications, which are a variation of the management and income model with additional clauses relating to land tenure. This formula is usually used when the contractor leases land to the farmers. The format: i. ii. Formal agreements are legally endorsed contracts, with detailed obligations for each party. Simple registrations are the most common format, which the contractor and farmer sign to indicate understanding of the terms of agreement. Informal models frequently use an informal format. The specifications; i. ii. The duration of the contract, quality standards required by the buyer. The farmer’s production quota and the cultivation practices required by the contractor. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 26 +234 803 3721 219 iii. iv. v. vi. The arrangements for delivery/buying of the crop. Transparency on price calculation system; prices fixed at the beginning of each season, flexible prices based on world or local market prices, spot-market prices, consignment prices (when payment to the farmer is not known until the raw or processed product has been sold) or split pricing (the farmer receives an agreed base price together with a final price when the contractor has sold the product). Procedures for paying farmers and reclaiming credit advances. Arrangements covering insurance. 4.4.4 Management Poor management can cause potentially promising agriculture ventures to fail. This section outlines the steps that managers must take in order to coordinate agriculture production activities and the delivery of produces by farmers to the processing and/or marketing facilities. Emphasis is placed on the need to carry out all activities in a transparent and participatory manner so that the farmers fully understand their obligations and those of management (Figure 7). For this to be achieved, the maintenance of the harmonious relations between management, farmers and stakeholders are important. Management - ARATI Tool Box® Tool 1: Farmer registry Tool 2: Bulk SMS, voice mail & USSD Tool 3: Data collection by SMS polls and surveys Tool 4: Barcoding and traceability Tool 5: Supply chain management software Tool 6: ICT tools for training smallholders: Farming techniques Tool 7: ICT tools for empowering smallholders: Management capacities Tool 8: ICT tools for diagnostics and advice Tool 9: ICT supported financial services Tool 10: Sensors, GIS and remote sensing. Table 3. Characteristics of contract farming structures Source: FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 145 Contract Farming. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 27 +234 803 3721 219 Table 4. Characteristics of contract farming structures Source: FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin 145 Contract Farming. Tool 1 : Farmer registry By definition, contract farming involves a large number of stakeholders. The biggest group are the smallholder farmers, each single one with a specific profile in terms of name, location, parcels, crop, etc. In the contract farming business, no planning is possible without the knowledge of the number of farmers, the size and location of their parcels, what type of crop they grow. In most cases, advanced information like phone numbers, bank account details, water consumption, etc. is not available. This information would help significantly in streamlining various processes. Neither are maps of the farmers’ lands available, which would help to identify best agricultural practices and fighting pest incidents. The following roadmap outlines the introduction of a farmer registry: (1) Defining data elements to be collected; (2) defining the collection procedure; (3) collection, input and validation of data; (4) developing the IT solution (Excel sheet or database); (5) developing interfaces where necessary; (6) training users. Simple phones are sufficient to receive bulk SMS messages sent from the buyer to the farmers as well as to collect information using advanced USSD technology.  Data collection by SMS polls and surveys Solution Modern communication technology offers ways to collect information efficiently. It helps to prevent typing-errors, structuring and saving the data and ensures rapid data transfer and safe storage. It can automatize data verification and automatically store relevant Meta data, such as date, time and location where the information was collected, name of the collector or collecting device. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 28 +234 803 3721 219 USSD: Unstructured Supplementary Service Data The “Unstructured Supplementary Service Data” technology offers a way for bi-directional communication. USSD technology is commonly used by prepaid cellular phones to query the available balance. This technology allows the lead firm to provide on demand more specific information. The farmer can dial a number and is then led through a menu, e.g. “… for the weather forecast”. The technology is dramatically more complex and expensive than SMS services as it requires a USSD server which has to be developed and maintained -usually by the service provider. Available technologies: SMS polls: SMS polling, based on two-way communication by SMS, allows sending out simple but structured questions via SMS and collecting/mapping the corresponding answers. Expenses for the poll are paid by the lead firm in order to guarantee a high percentage of responses. What to collect? – Management data: i. ii. Pest information: Number of animals/size of plots affected. Observation of specific pests on the farmer’s fields; Inputs survey: “How many organic farm inputs are required (biofertilizer, Biopesticide and Bioherbicide, do you need?”. Smartphone & App: Smartphones allow the installation of different apps (applications), e.g. specially developed or customized apps for the collection of a specific set of information. The survey conductor can enter the data directly into the smartphone. Checkboxes and drop-down lists help to avoid input errors and accelerate the data collection. Smartphones are equipped with GPS technology and cameras and allow capturing coordinates and photos along with all other data. Smart-phone-based GPS signals are less accurate than the signals from pure GPS devices. Smartphones also are more sensitive to dust, water and direct sunlight. Depending on the type of application a pure GPS device might be more convenient. What to collect? – Management data (see above) and general data: i. ii. Farm data, farmer contact information, household size; Hectares/acres under cultivation, crop type. Global Position System (GPS): Most information in agriculture has a spatial component, the technology of capturing precise locations is of very high value. GPS devices store the exact position in a format which later can be read out for further processing (it is not recommended to write down the measured co-ordinates on paper for later data entering as the number formats are confusing). Some modern devices allow the capturing of geo-tagged photos which can easily be imported into Google Earth and visualized on satellite images. This is a very effective method to build up a common photo database. Traditional GPS mapping technology is used for geo-mapping the boundaries of the farmers’ parcels. Running periodic inspection schedules with geo-coded proof of visits and pictures to assist in further analysis is another field of application. What to collect? Spatial data: i. ii. iii. Shape, size and location of parcels: Hectares/acres under cultivation; Locations of farms; Locations of pest incidences. Tool 4 : Barcoding and Traceability Problem: Transparency and traceability are key factors within the agricultural supply chain. In order to be compliant with national or international standards and certifications, information concerning the farm has to be collected and made available to the end-user. Along the supply chain, all participants from suppliers to major markets have to be able to identify the producer if problems related to food safety arise. The production chain has to be identifiable from the end product back to its producer and plot/hectare. The shift from quantity-agriculture to a new emphasis on quality, safety and sustainability-oriented production demands for the development of traceable supply chains © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 29 +234 803 3721 219 (ecological agriculture). In contract farming 3+, a large number of individual producers are involved in planting and harvesting a variety of crop types on different sized parcels at different times. A lot of information has to be collected to be able to deliver inputs and extension services to the farmer and to master the buying process and the calculation of the payments to each individual /corporate farmer. The smallholder farmers themselves often lack the expertise for comprehensive bookkeeping and they frequently rely on the documents that the lead firm provide as receipt for the deliveries. During the process from the delivery of inputs to contracted participants, the collection of produce from the farmers at the fields, the transportation and quality control, a lot of information is collected and captured only in hand-writing. This procedure needs extensive human resources and, even with trained personnel, is time-consuming and prone to errors. Solution: The introduction of barcoding in the agricultural value chain helps organizing the high amount of information collected. The fact that computers and scanners are much more reliable and faster than manual data collection has led to the worldwide spread of barcoding in the food chain, which starts at the farmer and field level. Barcoding produce directly in the field during the harvest and buying process enables traceability on the parcel level. Barcoding can also be helpful for the accounting of inputs and deliveries. Packed produce can be equipped with barcode stickers for the foreign market. Regarding technology, barcoding is only feasible with an ICT (ARATI ProSumer ®). Barcoding needs databases, servers, and reliable backup procedures (Figures 6 and 12 respectively). Once barcoding has been introduced, daily operation strongly depends on its functioning accurately. Power breakdowns, computer and software failures, lack of material/consumables, they all would affect the production chain and in the worst case can provoke interruptions and standstill. The producer can benefit from barcoding as the technology introduces higher transparency by the use of digital scales, printers, and reports. The contractor can deliver monthly reports for each farmer listing all available information, such as purchase dates, weights, produce quality, delivered inputs and the accounting balance. Tool 5 : Supply Chain Management Software Problem: The agribusiness production chain includes a variety of processes, such as supply management, production management, and demand management to customers. In contract farming, additional issues, such as the difficulty in communicating with a high number of producers, in guaranteeing a homogeneous quality from these different producers and in managing the harvest-and-delivery process are standing in the way of competitiveness and success. Each step on the way has its difficulties, such as the diversity of production and demand, traceability, quality dissimilarities, complicated transport (perishability), and seasonality. Bookkeeping for hundreds or thousands of smallholder farmers and their payment in remote regions where banking services are rare or absent can make contract farming difficult. If the various risks and uncertainties cannot be mitigated, contract farming can be unattractive both to the lead firm and the smallholder farmers. Solution: Supply chain actors are typically interdependent and need to manage several different types of risk. ARATI Tool Box® addresses the mitigation of risks (Figure 6). Supply chain management software is especially designed to comprise most of these tools or interconnects them. This software can thus play a major role in reducing the addressed risks and in improving the efficiency of the agribusiness. It helps reducing overhead and time loss, the latter of which poses a high risk to the quality of the produce. Agricultural supply chain management software is not restricted to contract farming; it is common for all types of large-scale farming all over the world. Supply chain management software covers the following objectives: producing crop plans on a parcel basis, calculating the necessary inputs with respective delivery and application dates, forecasting harvest dates and yields, organizing the delivery, buying and transportation process. The software helps to manage the quality control, the warehouse input procedures and the traceability from the farm to the end user. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 30 +234 803 3721 219 It presents an opportunity to both farmers and lead firm to have more control over what their holding produces throughout the year. Such data can then serve as a basis for the farmer’s business plan. Also, the software helps farmers to comply with the required certification regulations (organic agriculture) for export. Such a system can allow land users to integrate their crop plan, the type of organic farm inputs requirement plan to use, soil health and return a balanced fertilizer plan. The introduction of supply chain management software is always a complex task. It has to be based on a conceptual framework of the concerning agribusiness. The software solution will depend on the type of crops produced, the size of the farms in their entirety, the number of contract farmers with their average field size, the transport distances and road conditions, the target markets and the respective rules and legislations, etc. It also depends on the type of contract farming arrangement (Tables 3 and 4). Project objective should be a prior before selecting appropriate software. Due to the high level of complexity, which can include communication tools, crop planning, accounting functionalities, farmer registry, etc. it is recommended to make use of existing software that integrates many of the functionalities. Tool 6 : ICT Tools for Training Smallholders: Farming techniques Problem: In most cases, contract farming 3+ ( agriculture value chain development end-to-end) to produce for the export market and thus target the production of crops which formerly were unknown to the local communities. As a positive side-effect, this reduces the risk for side-sales and strengthens the mutual interest in a long-term partnership. Successful cultivation of unfamiliar crop, however, depends on the transfer of the necessary knowledge and techniques to the farmer. The lead firm has to make sure that the contracted farmers have the ability to grow the crop in the demanded quality and within the given timespan. Farmers who fail to produce the amounts of crop in the demanded quality cannot sell their produce to the lead firm and consequently will leave the contract farming business and search for more profitable alternatives. Consequently, the lead firm’s (ARATI Farms) interest in building the necessary capacities at the farmers’ level is high. Traditionally, the lead firm provides these training measures through extension services which may have local installations but highly depend on the centralized expertise available at the lead firm. There is a high need for frequent local field visits which entails travelling in rural areas. This procedure is resource-intensive in terms of time and money and also results in a large overhead of the extension services. Wrong or missing farming techniques may result in low quality of the produce and/or low yields, both putting livelihoods into danger. Examples are: wrong farming techniques for the respective crop, insufficient pest and weed control, soil deterioration due to missing or wrong application of farm inputs, unsuitable or missing crop rotation, etc and water management. Solution: www.huetzmobile.com The transfer of knowledge for better agricultural practices highly relies on practical or visual presentations (Figure 12). ICT cannot replace agricultural trainings but it can support them in various ways. Although not strictly ICT, the production of video modules, flyers and posters can intensify training by audio-visual support. This material should be specifically produced for the existing target group and crop specific context. Particular attention has to be paid to locally existing idioms and to the local agro-climatic setting. The best solution is to produce videos and posters on the farms of the contract farming scheme using local languages and local practices, in short: to tailor the training material to the local situation. Unlike training sessions, the videos and posters can be-have viewed and re-used repeatedly so that the knowledge acquired sticks better with the farmers. Videos: By far the best medium to transfer agricultural knowledge. Use the locally spoken idioms and produce the video in a well-known surrounding. The video can also present the whole production chain “from farm to fork” and that way create a better understanding for the complexity of the contract farming business. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 31 +234 803 3721 219 Posters and photo guides: The cheapest way of training. But opportunities are limited. Use photos and pictograms frequently as the literacy rate might be low. Use colour printing if photos show plant varieties, pest incidents and other colour-sensitive features. Possible topics are: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. Ground preparation, minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover; Planting and crop-rotation; Application of spray, ecological agriculture; Best weed and pest control practices; Best harvesting practices; The contract farming business - “from farm to fork”. Tool 8: ICT tools for diagnostics and advice Problem: The lead firm (buyer) highly depends on timely deliveries of good quality products. As the quantities and dates for the export of a specific crop are usually negotiated with an overseas buyer in advance, shortages or delays in the delivery of the products from the contract farmers to the lead firm for further processing can disrupt the process severely. It is in the interest of the lead firm as well as of the farmers that no loss of crop occurs, no matter if it is due to pest, drought, heavy rains or other problems. Thus, action has to be taken as soon as a problem occurs or even better: before the problem gets severe. In case advice is needed, the communication chain is often complicated and time-consuming while it should be as short and responsive as possible. The resulting delay often entails a partial loss of the crop or quality degradation. The risk the lead firm has with its clients can have a critical impact for the future of the lead firm, and as a final consequence for all contracted farmers as well. Solution: www.huetzmobile.com Locally available knowledge is the best remedial measure (tool 6). If advice cannot be found at the local level, ICT is a strong means to accelerate and specify answers to the questions. The simplest way is the use of mobile phones for a precise description of the problem and for asking advice on how to mitigate it. The extension services have to provide a hotline number during day hours. Usually the lead firm (ARATI Farms) has comprehensive knowledge of all possible pest incidents and of the possible results of wrong agricultural practices. Mitigation actions can be communicated via phone but in most cases might need a site-visit of an extension worker for a better (Figure 10) understanding of the problem, its size and for the implementation of the remedial action. The description of the distinct problem can be enhanced by taking photographs with a smart-phone and by sending them to the lead firm’s diagnostics centre via WhatsApp or any other data channel. Tool 10: Sensors, GIS and remote sensing Problem: In agriculture, most data has a spatial reference. Water consumption depends on the size and the situation of the parcel. Productivity depends on the soil type, slope, applied techniques and solar insolation, which all vary over time and space. Transportation costs depend on distances, the availability of roads and waterways and their conditions. The absence of this information often slows down better planning or the identification and introduction of appropriate agricultural practices. Finding new lands and small-holders best suited for the crop to plant is difficult. In many places, water resources are limited. Uncontrolled water consumption severely affects farmers downstream. But water extraction rates are unknown in most cases (e.g. flood irrigation). If figures exist, there are no procedures in place to make use of the information and to mitigate the problem. Solution: Introducing high technology such as sensors and geographical information systems (GIS) opens the field of precision farming where high-precision positioning systems (like GPS) play a major role and the narrative elaborated with Figure 5 and Table 2 respectively. Modern tractors can collect all © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 32 +234 803 3721 219 kinds of information. Integrated electronic communication between tractor and farm transmit this information to a control and analytics centre for analysis. Sensors measure the soil moisture and control the sprinklers for the best conditions for the plants. Still, some of these technologies might be useful and worth the investment. Using GPS for geo-mapping the farmers’ hectare or farm management, for instance, can be very useful for a better understanding of the local scenario management. This knowledge can help to identify the best crop varieties for the specific parcels and can help to optimize irrigation schemes and plans within the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to understand the agro-ecology. This information will also be useful for fighting and mitigating pest incidences and for optimizing transportation routes. The outcome will result in higher yields and a more sustainable management of available resources. Drones with infrared sensors can be very effective for early warnings and for harvest control and deploying satellite images. They are a good source for the identification and development of new agricultural lands. Technologies and application fields vary very much. The classification below is neither complete nor always applicable. Most ICT solutions in agriculture were particularly conceptualized for a very specific agro-industrial subsector and a very specific situation. The different agribusinesses vary in their crops or products, their size, environmental conditions, remoteness of the location, etc. 4.4 5 Coordinating Production A number of specific organisation and administration activities have to be carried out before production commences. The key issues that managers must address in advance are: i. ii. iii. iv. v. Identification of areas that are suitable for production and provide easy access for transport and other support (Figure 13). Selection of farmer’s criteria will vary according to the crop and intensity of the contractual relationship. Formation of groups of farmers - This involves the establishment of a field organisational structure, which should be able to help in the provision of extension advice, delivery of inputs, training, buying, and crop collection. Arrangements for the ordering and supply of inputs, and provision of farmer credit. Arrangements for purchasing the product in accordance with the contract, in particular to ensure that farmers can verify weights and qualities. Managing the agronomy It is important that managers not only form competent field extension teams, but also plan effective production schedules. During the production season, supervision by extension services of all cultivation activities is essential, particularly to be sure that certain recommended practices are compatible with the farmer’ s ability to implement them. Significant factors in any venture’s performance include: i. ii. iii. iv. Field extension services and staff must be fully familiar with the product and system of production involved and, preferably, have local knowledge. Technology training for field staff must be able to adopt technologies to the farmers’ situation and must be aware of the problems expected in technology adaptation by the outgrowers. The use of cropping schedules to ensure the correct timing and sequencing of all contractual activities. Training of extension staff and farmers, and research into varieties and cultivation/production practices. Organic agriculture requires a lot of research and observations and this has to be in place. Management relations The development and maintenance of a positive relationship between management and farmers is crucial for the stability of any venture. The management relations can be maintained and strengthened by paying attention to: © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 33 +234 803 3721 219 i. ii. iii. Farmers out-grower management forums, which link management and out-growers or their representatives to interact and negotiate and can avoid many of the problems caused by lack of communication. Male-female relationship, which can be adversely affected by out-grower system through payments to men for work largely carried out by women or through conflict between contract requirements and women’s priorities with regard to subsistence farming. Participation in community affairs, which helps to create a positive atmosphere of partnership. This can include participation in social events and/or provision by the firm of small-scale infrastructure, health facilities etc. 4.4.6 Monitoring Performance Regular attention needs to be given to all activities of out-grower system ventures in order to take full account of changes. Some anomalies that are found may require amendments to the contract, technological modifications or the reorganisation of field extension services. This section highlights the need for monitoring and suggests methods for management to ensure that the objectives of the contract are achieved. Monitoring quality and yields i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. Deterioration of quality can have far-reaching consequences for any venture while quantity shortfalls can reduce processing efficiency and jeopardize markets. Quality control should be carried out before, during and immediately after harvest and at buying. Formal monitoring of the crop at all stages may lead to identification of factors that could cause poor production (Figure 13). Remedial measures may have to be implemented prior to harvest if the farmer fails to carry out recommended practices. Sale by contracted farmers of extra-contractual production from other farmers must be avoided (not allowed in organic farming). Techniques for estimating yields are visual observations and statistical analysis. Estimates can then be used to prepare calculated yield indicators in order to identify products infiltrated from outside. A farmer list presented by the Internal Control System in organic farming should be able to provide such data. Production matrixes represent a way of identifying the key components of production and post-harvest performance. Monitoring human resource i. ii. iii. iv. v. The human resources need to be monitored. Extension should be evaluated through visits to farmers’ fields at least twice a year, so that management can see at first hand the extension worker’s relationship with farmers and his or her knowledge of the crop. Extension staff will need to carry out routine visits to all farms, the frequency being determined by the nature of the crop. All field activities, with dates, should be documented. Farmers should also be encouraged to keep records. Building up a strong relation with the out-growers reduces risks. In short effective monitoring systems involve a holistic approach (Figure 5 and Table 2), especially when the out-grower system is in its initial stage of establishment. This is particularly important with organic agriculture production. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 34 +234 803 3721 219 4.4.7 Grazing / Livestock’s Breeding & Genetics Mixed crop-livestock systems, where interactions between crops and livestock activities are significant (Figure 10), are and will continue to be the backbone of sustainable pro-poor agricultural growth in the developing World to 2030. Their significance cannot be ignored in the global development agenda. The three key insights related to using grazing and animal impact as tools for healing degraded land: a) Grazing lands evolved from an historical predator-prey relationship, with pack-hunting predators keeping large herds of ungulates bunched and moving. Healthy grasslands are still achieved in dry lands by bunching the stock into large herds and moving them frequently. Controlled grazing allows for more even distribution of dung and urine that can enhance soil organic matter and nutrients for plant productivity thus regenerating grasslands and improving livestock production simultaneously. b) Overgrazing is a function of time (grazing and recovery) and not of absolute numbers of animals – it results when livestock have access to plants before they have time to recover. Compromised root systems of overgrazed plants are not able to function effectively. Unmanaged grazing or complete exclusion from grazing often will lead to desertification and loss of biodiversity in all but high rainfall areas note that grassland productivity is dependent on the mobility of livestock and herders, the length of continuous grazing on the same parcel, the frequency with which the patch is re-grazed, dispersion of animals and herds around the camp, and the interval during which the patch is rested. The Lease Agreement should contain the following: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. Carrying capacity limits Stocking rates for seasonal conditions Maintenance of waters, fences, roads, yards and buildings Maintenance of land condition Wet season spelling of paddocks Weed control programs Feral animal control. ARATI Tool Box® Livestock smart agriculture Traditional grazing methods in Nigeria The efforts to stop the encroachment of pastoralist to crops production is a challenge to industrial agriculture and food security in Nigeria today. Recently, the pastoralist has had to face new external pressures of poor grazing land for their livestock population increase, forceful sedentarisation, and indiscriminate water development. These problems have been compounded by a relentless series of droughts in northern Nigeria. These external pressures have contributed to pasture shortages, land degradation, and socio-economic disintegration especially during farming seasons nationally and treat to farming community security and development. Human capacity development, reducing costs and/or increasing production are the two avenues that livestock producers have for improving profitability. Focusing on management and control of production and pasture resources can be a cost reducing strategy (Figure 15). © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 35 +234 803 3721 219 A well-managed rotational grazing system can reduce or eliminate the need for labour-intensive or purchased inputs such as supplemental feed, nitrogen fertilizer, and weed and brush killers. Improved pasture condition and higher forage yields can also lead to more animal production per pasture acre by: 1. Land ranch management - the extent to which rainfall is converted into pastures, influenced by soil fertility, soil health, pasture species and grazing system. 2. Level and evenness of grazing - the utilisation of pastures, influenced by stocking rates, grazing system and animal type. 3. Diet quality- the conversion of pasture into animal products, influenced by herbage quality, legume content and pasture species. 4. Monitoring land condition over time will reveal how the management strategies are contributing to the land’s improvement or degradation. Training objectives: Participants will learn the fundamentals of forage plant structure, growth, development, physiology, management, nutritional value, and contributions to grazing agricultural sustainability. This will include i) how forage plants function and respond to their environment; ii) the integration of forage plants and livestock into systems; and iii) how to approach problems in forage and grassland management. Through field exercises, participants will gain understanding of the concepts and nature aerial application of farm in-puts using air tractor. The course stresses principles ecological agriculture, which can later be applied to specific cases in the design and management of sustainable forage-livestock systems. Training Component Course description: Importance and nature of forage and grassland resources; application of biological principles to growth, development, management, and use of cultivated forage plants as pasture and conserved feed; interaction of soils, plants, animals, and environment in forage livestock systems; and design of sustainable grassland production systems. Learning will be through lecture, discussion, problem-solving in field exercises. Field exercises and lectures will be complementary and interactive with CD-Rom/GPS/Air Tractor etcs. And, also a visit pilot or organic pasture development by participants. Sheep and goats are multipurpose domestic animals producing meat, milk, skin and hair, although their primary function is meat production. It is estimated that these species contribute about 150 million kilogrammes of carcass to the Nigeria’s annual meat supply. Sheep and goats also feature prominently in their economic and socio-cultural life of Nigerians in many ways. The different breeds of sheep indigenous to Nigeria include Balami, Uda, Yankasa and West African Dwarf, while their goat counterparts are Sahelian White, Sokoto Red, and West African Dwarf. These breeds are known to adapt and perform best under specific ecological niches where the breeds are most commonly found. This is an important trait that tells much about the suitability of the local small ruminant diversity for viable economic ventures. Animal Breeding /Management /Training i. Breed Improvement and Fertility Management; ii. Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Ram, Goat Feeding and Nutrition Management; iii. Cattle, Sheep, Ram, Goat Breeding and Management; iv. Dairy Farm Management; v. Dairy Housing and Manure Management; vi. Forage Production and Management; vii. Hygienic and Quality Milk Production; viii. Young Stock Management, Breeding and Genetics. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 36 +234 803 3721 219 Source: Herrero et al., 2010 and Wright et al.,2011 Figure 15. ARATI Tool Box® Livestock smart agriculture conceptual framework. Table 5. Nigeria Agriculture Grazing & Animal Management (NAGAMA ®) Solution by Aratibiotech Limited Course Modules Course Code NAGAMA 001 NAGAMA 002 NAGAMA 003 NAGAMA 004 NAGAMA 005 NAGAMA 006 NAGAMA 007 NAGAMA 008 NAGAMA 009 NAGAMA 010 Class room courses Organic Agriculture, Livestock & Climatic Change Land Evaluation & Trans-boundary Conservation Dry land Farming: Crops & Techniques for Arid Regions Development, Improvement of Animal feed supplement/Breeding Water Harvesting & Livestock Supply Chain Management Small Farm Business Planning & Management Participation, Consensus building & Conflict Management Practical Courses Organic Farm In-puts Technologies for Organic Pasture Development Grassing Techniques & Management Agriculture Aviation Technologies & Grazing Security Management © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 37 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 16. Livestock Agro-Corridor (Farms Locations) Nigeria www.aratibiotech.com www.aratifarms.com 4.5 Trading Commodities - ARATI Trade X® Trading commodities is extremely popular because of the choice they offer and their diversity in regards to what affects their prices. Commodities are inherently linked to the development of organized society agriculture and mining are tightly intertwined with the history of the human race. Initially commodities were traded between themselves economies and societies grew though so did the use of commodities. Today, commodity trading is immensely popular as it is relatively easy to understand, driven largely by supply and demand and commodities tend to stay stable or even go up when stock prices go down. What are Agricultural Commodities? Agricultural commodities are a vital part of our existence; probably even more than we realise in Post COVID-19 era. These commodities fall into the category of soft commodities, which include a variety of agricultural products, such as sugar, cocoa, wheat and coffee. In contrast, hard commodities are mined (crude oil, copper, phosphate, economic minerals and gemstones). Agricultural commodities can also be divided into 3 main categories: © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 38 +234 803 3721 219 i. ii. iii. Food crops, such as corn and soybeans; Livestock, such as cattle and pork bellies; Industrial crops, such as wool and rubber. These important commodities generally have three main purposes; they are either meant to be used, traded for goods or speculated upon. With such a huge demand for these products by people, nations, and companies globally. Agricultural commodities trading offers a wide range of trading opportunities. At ARATI Trade X® we provide a secure and all-inclusive trading environment that enables you to trade your preferred agricultural commodity with access to a wide range of trading tools and features. How Are Agricultural Products Traded? Agricultural commodities trading is classified as the world’s largest traded commodity class and traded on national and international commodity exchanges. Commodities are often bought and sold on the spot market, such as crude oil. A spot trade is the sale or purchase of a commodity for instant delivery. This is an opposite to futures contracts, where two parties agree to transact a commodity at a specific price and date in the future. There are many reasons why one would use futures and options in the commodities markets. For example, a large buyer of corn, such as a company that produces breakfast cereal, may buy corn at a specific price for delivery in the future in order to lock-in the price. This is referred to as hedging. Other market participants will use options as a way to protect themselves in the same way that a futures contract would. On agricultural commodities are often transacted directly between commercial market participants for risk management or hedging purposes. Frequent Ask Question (FAQs) - Agricultural Commodities Agricultural commodities often have very seasonal dynamics, as crops will depend on the quality of harvests in both hemispheres, which in turn depend on a number of other factors, but often the weather. Pests can also have a big impact. Success in agricultural commodities trading depends an informational edge and research. For example, one very profitable hedge fund had employees working for it in West Africa doing first hand research on the ground in cocoa plantations, and actually participated in physical cocoa trading, not just futures. Most traders in North America will use futures to trade agricultural commodities. Agricultural commodities trading relies on futures prices, so you will need to study how the futures markets function. Futures contracts were originally developed to facilitate the purchase of agricultural products like grains – they allowed buyers to determine a more efficient price for crops before they were harvested. Each commodity will have its own suite of futures which determine is price. With each commodity it is important to do some background reading on the dynamics of that market – find out what the main risks and drivers of the price are. Before committing any live trades, study the price performance over a period of weeks or months so that you are familiar with that market. This makes it easier to decide where to set your stop losses and manage your risk. Our benchmark contracts offer the most globally relevant price markers for the agricultural markets and provide customers across industries with tools to manage price and counterparty risk, facilitate price discovery, and capture new trading opportunities in a highly liquid, transparent market. Pressed by recent global developments, Nigerian government authorities are now discussing various ways of diversifying the economy, including developing a vibrant commodity trading platform that would help create jobs and reduce high poverty levels. Commodity trading starts with having a basic understanding of the market and the main forces that drive commodity prices up and down. Depending on whether you are trading commodity futures or options, you need to keep in mind that these are derivatives of the actual market for the physical delivery of the commodity you decide to trade. Therefore, it is important to learn the fundamentals of the supply and demand for the asset in question. All worldwide commodity exchanges, as well as a variety of trade organizations and government agencies, offer commodity data, news, and updates free of charge. However, to stay on top of sudden market movements, traders are advised to add © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 39 +234 803 3721 219 Google alerts and professional subscription services Understanding the commodity markets and what determines the future direction of commodity prices rests on a combination of both technical and fundamental analysis. Technical analysis is the study of patterns and price momentum on charts. Fundamental analysis, on the other hand, involves compiling and interpreting supply and demand data. When it comes to commodity prices, these two sources provide the best insights into the fundamentals of market movement and commodity trading. Technology-enabled commodity exchange Technology-enabled commodity exchange is aimed at providing solutions to farmers’ challenges in aggregation, storage, financial inclusion as well as providing a ready market for both farmers and buyers to participate. This is a novel idea in the country and if well harnessed, it will bring about tremendous revolution in Agribusiness value chain particularly at the post harvesting stage. Leading firm like AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited, Abuja, Nigeria. 4.6 Human Capital Training What knowledge, skills, attitudes and values will today's farmers and stakeholders need to thrive and shape agriculture value chain development? How can instructional systems develop these knowledge, skills, attitudes and values effectively called Innovation Ecosystem Community Learning Centre (CLC)? Visit www.huetzresearch.com. Societies are changing rapidly and profoundly. The first challenge is environmental, climate change and the depletion of natural resources require urgent action and adaptation. A second challenge is economic, scientific knowledge is creating new opportunities and solutions that can enrich our lives, while at the same time fuelling disruptive waves of change in every sector. Unprecedented innovation in science and technology, especially in biotechnology and artificial intelligence applied to agriculture, is raising fundamental questions about what it is to be human. It is time to create new economic, social and institutional models that pursue better lives for all. The third financial interdependence at local government area and State levels to created Best-in-Class agriculture value chains powered by ecological agriculture for premium global market value and agro-export value added economy, but also pervasive uncertainty and exposure to economic risk and crises. Data is being created, used and shared on a vast scale, holding out the promise of expansion, growth and improved efficiency while managing new problems of agro-corridor development (Figure 5). These ideas are summarized in the agriculture value chain innovation ecosystem figure below which contrasts a formal education institution such as a Palm oil innovation school with a typical learning centre. General function of the community learning centres is listed below. palm oil Innovation ecosystem learning centres provide venue for learning and development. Education and Training   Provision of education and training activities for the community. Training of extension personnel. Community Information and Dissemination of Resources   Community information and resource services. Advisory and counselling services. Community Development    General community activities Community development projects. Future visioning. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 40 +234 803 3721 219 Co-ordination and Networking   Provision of linkages between farmers, stakeholders and NGOs. Promotion of lifelong learning. The children entering education in 2018 will be young adults in 2030. Schools can prepare them for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated. It will be a shared responsibility to seize opportunities and find solutions. "A community Learning Centre is a Local Education Institute outside the formal education system, for villages or urban areas usually set up and managed by local people to provide various learning opportunities for community development and improvement of people's quality of life." The definition has important implications. Learning Centres play a key role in personal and societal development. They are an effective mechanism for empowering individuals and promoting community development for sustainability. They achieve this providing opportunity for all members of society to engage in lifelong learning. This idea is illustrated below in Figure 17. Learning Centres would tend to have the following characteristics: i. ii. iii. iv. v. They cater for life-long learning They reach out to the community They promote the development of a community Their programs are responsive to and reflective of the needs and aspirations of members of the community They draw their mandate from the community and serve the community. Animal Breeding /Management /Training i. Breed Improvement and Fertility Management; ii. Dairy Cattle, Sheep, Ram, Goat Feeding and Nutrition Management; iii. Cattle, Sheep, Ram, Goat Breeding and Management; Dairy Farm Management; iv. Dairy Housing and Manure Management; Forage Production and Management; v. Hygienic and Quality Milk Production; Young Stock Management, Breeding and Genetics Source: INNOAF academy training link: huetzresearch.com/training/innoaf-academy Plates 1. Model of Farmers Field School in Minna, 2011 for 100 farmers by Aratibiotech Limited © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 41 +234 803 3721 219 Difference between school and CLC Figure 17. Agriculture value chain development Innovation Ecosystem Community Learning Centre (CLC) Benefits of Agro Corridor Policy leaders should take an integrated approach to food security, poverty and climate change within the co-value creation of Agro-corridor (Figure 5). These approaches include: i. ii. iii. iv. v. Integrated planning of land, agriculture, forests, fisheries and water at local, watershed and regional scales, to ensure synergies are properly captured (Table 2). Promoting activities that increase carbon storage, combine animal husbandry and trees with food production, and are geared towards improving soil fertility (Appendix 1). Reducing a variety of emissions from agriculture such as nitrous oxygen from fertilizer application, livestock emissions and methane from rice cultivation. Exploring carbon finance as a “lever” to promote sustainable agricultural practices that have many other direct benefits for smallholder farmers and the environment. Diversifying income sources and genetic traits of crops to help farmers hedge against an uncertain climate. a. Developing sound risk insurance and risk management strategies as well as resilience building strategies including safety nets that reach the poorest farmers. b. Adaptive management that disseminates timely climate information to farmers and monitors the local outcomes of different actions, builds on the traditional knowledge of farmers and tailor’s techniques to shifting climatic conditions without harming ecosystems. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 42 +234 803 3721 219 4.7 Farm Monitoring Farm Intelligence Philosophy The pragmatic approach to research is informed by the belief that the practicalities of research are such that it cannot be driven by theory or data exclusively and a process of abduction is recommended which enables one to move back and forth between induction and deduction through a process of inquiry – www.huetzmobile.com®. This entails:       Value claims are not meaningless but co-created with collaborative intelligence; Local understanding may be incomplete but not inherently defective/optimization; Conflicting value claims can productively be viewed as an invitation to a conversation and the beginning of an inquiry and customized solutions development (Figure 18); Expert knowledge can enhance that inquiry with local content development; Education as the transfer of the means for continuing growth and development is at the heart of good educational research outcomes and deployment; The inquiry process should leave those affected in a better condition to handle their own future difficulties and value co-creation for sustainability development (Figure 19). Figure 18. ARATI Tool Box ® Big Data Agrosciences framework for Agriculture 4.0 © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 43 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 19. HUETZ Mobile.com® framework schematics for farming intelligence.  Drivers The potential for trade lies in implementing farming practices, knowledge, and science technologies (innovations) to: i. Maintain and increase farm productivity and profitability while ensuring the provision of food, and agricultural goods and services on a sustainable basis; ii. Reduce negative externalities and gradually lead to positive ones; and iii. Rebuild ecological resources (i.e. soil, water, air and biodiversity “natural capital” assets) by reducing pollution and using resources more efficiently for sustainability. 4.8 Farm Surveillance and Survey The Bat Hawk is used for surveillance now by some countries Defence Force such as Botswana (The Botswana Defence Force) The South African Police Services, The South African Department of Agriculture and National Parks (Kruger National Park, Mokala National Park, Addo National Park). Also by Mozambique, Tanzania with Kenya in the process of its acquisition and a host of others in the conservation and farm security industry. i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. Regular ranger patrols. Carcass location. Water-point monitoring Crop Spraying and Aerial Topdressing Monitoring of rare species. Scenic Flights for Guests and Tourists Gathering of Scientific data for research purposes (Figure 20). Radio telemetry and chemical immobilization of animals. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 44 +234 803 3721 219 The Bat Hawk is used for surveillance for agriculture. Apprehending Poachers Surveillance N.B: ARATI Tool Box ® Agribusiness will partner the military and security sector for Surveillance nationwide for farm infrastructure management. The other benefits of The Bat Hawk: © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 45 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 20. ARATI Tool Box® Big Data science on farm monitoring and evaluation schematics that elaborate the framework in Figure 5. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 46 +234 803 3721 219 4.9 Organic Seed Production Organic Farming has the twin objective of the system sustainable and environmentally sensitive. Growing awareness of health and environmental issues associated with the intensive use of chemical inputs has led to interest in alternate forms of agriculture in the world. Organic agriculture is one among the broad spectrum of production methods that are supportive to the environment. Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agroecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. Biofertilizers1 —natural fertilizers containing carrier based microorganism viz., rhizobium, azatobacter, azospirillum, BGA, azolla, micorrhizae and phosphobacteria.2. www.aratifarms.com Figure 21. ARATI Tool Box® organic seed cultivation schematic _______________________ 1 .Gateway Organic Fertilizer | Biofertilizer Gateway Biofertilizer ® Organic 3 https://www.academia.edu/42632817/Gateway_Organic_Fertilizer_Biofertilizer_Gateway_Biofertilizer_Organic_3_0 2 .ARATI BAJA ® -Liquid Biofertilizer | Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) https://www.academia.edu/43310069/ARATI_BAJA_Liquid_Biofertilizer_Integrated_soil_fertility_management_ISF M_ © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 47 +234 803 3721 219 Biological agents for controlling insects -Protozoa are available as biological agents controlling the population of insects.3 The subject of seed production and plant breeding in organic agriculture has received increasing attention over the past few years as a consequence of developments in biotechnology. In organic agriculture gene technology is not accepted. To ensure the long-term availability of seed and the choice of varieties, the organic sector therefore needs to address the issue of seed production and plant breeding. Environmental conditions in organic production are different from those in the conventional sector and ask for other varieties. In organic agriculture, the vision on sustainability includes economic and social sustainability at plant and farm level. This influences practices such as fertilisation and crop protection. Quality seed production which follows efficient certification procedures plays a major role in the increase of food production of our country. Seed is a basic agricultural input and it is an embryo, embedded in the food storage tissue. Seed is also defined as a matured ovule which consists of an embryonic plant with storage of food and surrounded by a protective seed coat. Organic seed production requires a high degree of sanitation, e.g. disease freedom of the basic seed, roguing in any stage of plant development and a stringent isolation of production fields. The organic sector is closing the entire organic production chain for its credibility, consumers' trust and transparency. Organic seeds are seeds which have been produced entirely through organic practices by a certified organic operation. In order to be sold as such, they must be produced by such a facility which has been certified by an accredited government agency. Organic seed is seed (planting material) produced by a crop that is planted and raised organically for at least one generation in the case of annual crops, and two generations in the case of biennial and perennial crops. Organic Farming has the twin objective of the system sustainable and environmentally sensitive (use organic weed control 4). To achieve the objectives of organic farming, there is need to develop some rules and standards. Soil fertility and physical condition can be effectively maintained with rotation and appropriate use of organic amendments 5. Application should be made based on soil testing and/or use of budgets. ____________________ 3. Biopesticide https://www.academia.edu/41445902/ARATI_Biopesticide_Microbial_Granular_and_Liquid 4. Bioherbicide https://www.academia.edu/41445611/ARATI_Yaranta_Bioherbic 5. Biofertilizer Visit You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi_OpgVcFcg Waste –to-wealth Technology You Tube: Gateway fertilizer Plant, Abeokuta, Nigeria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG2ODAx3ICY © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 48 +234 803 3721 219 4.10 Renewable Energy Biogas Production will save the forest and climate change management. Objectives: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. Zero waste of biomass from farming communities; To sanitize the Farms environment there by reducing pollution To reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) Emissions (Figure 22). To diversify the energy sector within the farming communities. To mitigate climate reduction. To gain carbon credit [Environmental finance] Figure 22 . ARATI ToolBox® Bio-waste conversion to biogas 4.10.1 Solar in Agriculture Solar photovoltaic (PV) applications are already widely adopted in intensive agriculture, and increasingly by broad acre farmers and pastoralists. The most common applications are: i. ii. iii. iv. Facility based installations to supply electricity for intensive animal and horticultural production. These are typically mounted on the roofs of sheds and are often integrated with general farm electricity supply Diesel-solar hybrid power generation sets: These can provide a cost-effective and reliable supplementary power supply in remote and regional areas. Free standing small solar where the cost to run power lines is high and the low maintenance nature of solar is highly beneficial. For example, for stock water pumping to replace diesel pumps or wind mills. These systems are best suited for transfer pumping to interim storage tanks. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 49 +234 803 3721 219 v. Larger scale solar systems for irrigation. Farmers with high but seasonal irrigation energy demand are candidates for projects to augment mains power supply enabling load shifting and sale of excess power. Since the conversion of sunlight to electricity occurs without any moving parts, solar PV is a technology that requires little maintenance and is highly reliable. One of the strengths of solar technology is its scalability. A solar system can be sized to power a single water trough pump in a remote corner of a paddock; an entire intensive animal or horticulture farming facility; theoretically, it can be sized to meet the needs of irrigation pumps moving millions of litres of water. How solar PV works. A Solar PV system is typically comprised of two major components; the panels and an inverter. Solar PV panels contain semiconductor devices (solar cells) made of materials such as silicon that use the photoelectric effect to generate electricity (Figure 23). Figure 23. ARATI Power® – Renewable schematic for solution. Solar Photovoltaic in Agriculture PV can be applied for pumping for a wide range of processes, most importantly for irrigation, refrigeration of agricultural products, aeration for aquacultures, but also for electric fencing, poultry lighting and pest control. Application of small PV systems though is limited to the provision of power for activities that require little power input. For energy intensive activities e.g. in rice mills and other agricultural processing PV systems are not an option. Benefits of renewable energy technology Protection from rising electricity, gas and diesel prices. Security of supply. Electricity users in rural areas being the fringes of the network are often prone to high rates of brownouts, blackouts, or voltage spikes. Likewise, farmers in remote areas are the first to suffer from restrictions to diesel supply. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 50 +234 803 3721 219  Flexibility Renewable energy can supplement existing energy sources. There is often no need to become fully energy self - sufficient. A farmer who can generate energy can make market based decisions as to when to buy (use) or sell (export) energy.  Flow-on savings Installation of farm generation will typically be associated with energy efficiency measures such as automated control systems which help protect equipment, reduce maintenance costs and extend equipment life.  Regional and community benefits Displacing a portion of your electricity demand can sometimes help stabilise local voltages and reduce the likelihood of your area experiencing outages from a tripped transformer. This can eventually help to lessen the need for costly network upgrades (which have significantly driven up electricity costs in recent years).  Community energy projects NSW Farmers supports community energy initiatives where rural stakeholders collaborate to share the costs and benefits of renewable energy projects.  Green credentials and product differentiation Incorporating renewable energy can help reduce environmental impacts from your farm and provide an enhanced marketing platform for many products. Differentiation through “carbon neutral” or “sustainably grown” wines, eggs, dairy or other products can add value to a product through customer perception and increased demand.  Capitalise on energy and carbon markets Surplus energy generated on farm can be sold directly to other users or into the energy market. Verifiable carbon abatements or other environmental credits can be claimed through government or privately-supported market exchanges. Improving the environmental sustainability of your property. Minimising fossil fuel use can have multiple environmental benefits both on farm for the broader environment. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 51 +234 803 3721 219 5.0 Expected Outcome Development of agriculture biotechnology/technology must be accompanied by a robust commercialization plan and improved access to financing for farmers and agribusinesses to ensure adoption at scale and interrupted supply of improved inputs. A network of well-functioning and well capitalized agro-dealers to deal in crop aggregation and trading (Figure 25). Surplus producers need pre-planting contracts to make informed decisions on crops to grow and corresponding investments in improved inputs and post-harvest handling. Agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security for smallholder farming households through strategic country support and government engagement coupled with a set of targeted catalytic downstream and systemic investments made through its alliance of partners (Figure 24). Figure 24. Trans-disciplinary (Figure 5) ARATI Tool Box® framework for co-value creation for sustainable development of agriculture value chain development, Nigeria © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 52 +234 803 3721 219 Figure 25. Agriculture Supply value chain of ARATI Tool Box® Agriculture and Environmental Biotechnology Powered by : © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 53 +234 803 3721 219 Appendices Appendix 1 Farm In-Puts Biotechnologies www.aratibiotech.com Agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes GHGs (mitigation) where possible and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals. WEED CONTROL (BIO-HERBICIDE) Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) https://www.academia.edu/41445611/ARATI_Yaranta_Bioherbicide_ © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 54 +234 803 3721 219 SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT Ecological Agriculture - Foliar Application ARATI BAJA® Liquid Biofertilizer Inoculant ARATI BAJA - Liquid Biofertilizer for Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) ARATI Baja ® - Biofertilizer constituents of microbial consortium that colonizes rhizosphere of the plants to improve nutrients uptake by increasing the rate of mineralization of insoluble nutrients in the soil through numerous natural process such as nitrogen fixation, phosphorous fixation etc. It promotes climate smart agriculture (CSA) and resilience agriculture. 5 Litres 40 Litres ARATI BAJA ® -Liquid Biofertilizer | Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) https://www.academia.edu/43310069/ARATI_BAJA_Liquid_Biofertilizer_Integrated_soil_fertility _management_ISFM_. © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 55 +234 803 3721 219 Visit You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi_OpgVcFcg Waste –towealth Technology You Tube: Gateway fertilizer Plant, Abeokuta, Nigeria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG2ODAx3ICY © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 56 +234 803 3721 219 ARATI Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) Seed priming: An approach towards agricultural sustainability Formulation: Liquid Microbial Formulation Auxins: Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA); CK- Cytokinins; SA - Salicylic Acid ; GA - Gibberellic Acid ; ABA - Abscisic Acid PESTS & DISEASE MANAGEMENT ARATI Biopesticide® Broad Spectrum Biopesticide Inoculants Visit www.aratibiotech.com/biopesticide Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) N.B: We can formulate base on client’s requirement Web link: https://www.academia.edu/41445902/ARATI_Biopesticide_Microbial_Granular_and_Liquid © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 57 +234 803 3721 219 STORAGE (POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT) Cocoa Qorun Post Harvest Grains Storage Biotechnology © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 58 +234 803 3721 219 Cereal Bio protection Research and Developed: Web link: You tube LINK:- https://youtu.be/1eCAloMWG3g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG2ODAx3ICY https://www.academia.edu/41445902/ARATI_Biopesticide_Microbial_Granular_and_Liquid https://www.academia.edu/41445611/ARATI_Yaranta_Bioherbicide_ © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 59 +234 803 3721 219 Appendix 2 PROCESSING MACHINE: CEREAL DRYING MACHINE Source: www.aratishea.com Crops: Cereals : Soy bean, Millet, Wheat, Rice, Maize Sesame and Sorghum etcs Essential Oil and Raw materials: Shea nuts , groundnuts, etcs © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 60 +234 803 3721 219 Appendix 3 Organic –Rice Cultivation Climate Smart Agriculture rice cultivation by ARATI FARMS www.aratifarms.com Contact: Ayodele A. OTAIKU +234 803 3721219 (WhatsApp) aotaiku@gmail.com | ayodele.otaiku@aratibiotech.com www.aratibiotech.com © 2020 ARATI WEALTH ACE ® 61 +234 803 3721 219