By Tor Vande-Acka

Rev. Fr. Michael Melladu, Chairman, Benue State Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, has stated that the Government of Israel has promised to grant some youths from the state scholarship into some of its schools.

The first batch of the youths that would commence apprenticeship training on Israeli farms are expected to return to Benue and replicate the modern farming techniques they acquire in the state to boost food production.

Fr Melladu, who disclosed this while playing host to members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Benue State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by the Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, also said, the Board, plans to float a school that would serve as a revenue generating venture for the Board.

Speaking on his meeting with the Israelis during the last pilgrimage, Melladu, explained that he told the Israelis “I have gone through your profiles, you are running hotels and schools; you are also into farming in Israel. So where do we come in as a State and they asked me what do you want?

“I said you need to give us some scholarship slots in your schools. You also need to take some of our young people and train them in your farms in Israel so that when they come back, they will implement it in our state.

“So during the pilgrimage, I had an aside meeting with them and they have agreed that they will be taking five persons each time we go on pilgrimage. So we are already working on the first set of young people who will travel there and do the apprenticeship in their farms”, he said.

Similarly, on the plans by the Board to float a school, Melladu stated “I did a proposal to the governor where I suggested that it would not be right for this Board to be depending solely on government sponsorship and that we should also find a way of generating revenue so that at the end of the day, even if we are unable to get all the monies that are required for running this Board, we should have something on ground and only be looking for something to supplement what we get.

“We have a vast land that belongs to us. That is where we are supposed to build our permanent site so I told the governor that the land there is enough to build our permanent site. So let us build a modern kindergarten of international standard on our permanent site.

“Also we have many people here who have a lot of money and are looking for where to spend the money. So when we build the school, we will consider giving those who are less privileged subsidy.

“When I was in Port-Harcourt, we had such a school under my parish and I know how much we were generating annually. And if we begin that project in this place, which is in the heart of the town and if it is properly handled, this Board will be able to become independent.

“The governor has bought into the idea and we may be considering to do that. But for now things are not as it should be and as you can see even the infrastructure here (present office) is not befitting”, adding that “despite these challenges, our dreams are huge and we are looking to doing better, God willing”, the Board Chairman stated.

Earlier, the Chairman, NUJ, Benue State Council, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, congratulated Rev Fr Melladu on his well-deserved appointment, noting that his track record of “spiritual leadership, administrative discipline, and unwavering commitment to the service of God and humanity.

“Since you assumed office, your leadership has ensured that Christians from Benue state successfully embarked on the Holy Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the NUJ chairman observed.

By Felix Umande, Makurdi

Benue farmers are facing significant financial losses due to plummeting prices of farm produce, despite soaring costs of inputs like fertilizers, herbicides, labor, and machinery.

Press icon survey indicates dampening morale among farmers who have embraced farming as a business. For instance, a Guma-based farmer, Mr. Gbamwuan Barnabas, who spoke to the press revealed that he invested over ₦1 million in rice and beans farming last season but only recovered about ₦500,000, prompting him to consider quitting the crops for cassava which is not capital intensive. He said the experience of his last investment has rendered him broken, shattered his expectations and weakened his hope.

Another farmer, Mr. Wayo Samson, who shared a similar experience told newsmen that he spent about ₦2 million on rice, cassava, beniseed and yam, but couldn’t recover half of what he invested. According to Wayo, with this experience, farm investment is no longer encouraging except for those who cultivate crops solely for consumption.

Another Makurdi-based farmer, Mr. Kwagh-hange Silas, who specializes in cassava is also facing losses of up to ₦11 million on 50 hectares of cassava investment.

According to Mr Kwagh-hange, he currently cultivates about 50 hectares of cassava where he invested about 26 million naira but due to the current selling price of #58 per 1kg as against the #300 per 1kg selling price in the previous years.

Kwagh-hange too is already at great lose as the entire farm’s net worth may not be up to #15,000,0000.

Kwagh-hange however faulted the low cost of farm produce in Benue State on market glut during harvest seasons, poor storage, and middlemen exploitation. He pointed out that places like Aliade, Katsina-Ala and Ukum, where many farmers harvest maize, yam, rice, and cassava at the same time, which leads to excess supply in markets such as Aliade Market.

“Another major problem is poor storage and processing facilities. Because farmers lack good storage, they are forced to sell immediately after harvest to avoid spoilage. Also, farmers in rural areas like Mbaivur, Mbakyan and Mbalom depend on middlemen who dictate prices. Low purchasing power of consumers and competition from imported food items, such as foreign rice, also contribute to the problem”, he said.

Speaking with Press Icon Newspaper correspondent, Felix Umande, in Makurdi, the Benue State Project Coordinator of Fadama Project, Mr. Kelvin Adugu Tarnongu attributed the low cost of farm produce recently to the massive import of some food items including Rice.

According to him, “When there is change in any Government policy, it is accompanied by a shift either ways. It could be positive or negative but that does not imply that the Policy is bad because there are short term and long term benefits of every shift in policy direction. Be that as it may, when there was hardship, the Federal Government decided to cushion the hardship by importing large quantities of rice and distributing it to the citizens including Federal and State civil services,” he added.

Adugu agreed further that despite the low cost of farm produce, the prices of agricultural inputs remained unchanged or are on the increase”. He noted that in order to also cushion the effect of high agricultural input prices, the government should in the next cropping season offer input to farmers at very subsidized rate to encourage them to sustain their agricultural production activities.

Mr. Adugu also advised farmers to always observe all the economic principles by adopting the best combination of inputs at reduced cost to ensure optimum benefits.

By Philip Nyam

Agriculture is at the heart of our survival and economic well-being, providing food, jobs, and income for billions across the globe. However, this vital sector is facing mounting pressures from climate change, resource depletion, and unstable financial systems.

With rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and changing ecological patterns, agricultural productivity has taken a hit in many areas, especially in developing nations. On top of that, inefficiencies in agricultural finance, policy execution, and global trade have widened the gap of inequality and jeopardized food security.

In light of these challenges, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into sustainable agriculture and agri-finance systems offers a groundbreaking opportunity. AI technologies can boost climate intelligence, enhance financial transparency, and streamline agricultural value chains, paving the way for a more resilient and fair global food system.

Ultimately, the convergence of AI, green finance and climate-smart policy design marks a transformative shift in the global agricultural paradigm. Despite these benefits, the use of AI-driven sustainable agri-finance and policy systems remains undersubscribed in Nigeria, primarily due to poor awareness.

It is commendable that an Osun-born agricultural economist, Mr. Adedapo Emmanuel Alawode along with his team of authors took a deep-dive to advance academic research, contributing to the body of knowledge within this area of human enterprise.

Alawode is an accomplished agricultural economist, data analyst and researcher with several publications in local and international journals. His work spans artificial intelligence, agricultural finance, climate resilience, and food security. According to Stats weekly report, Dapo has 3, 176 reads, 31 citations, with 96.9 RI score, which is compared to be higher than 63% of all ResearchGate members and higher than 98% of ResearchGate members who first published in 2023.

In his study on AI-Driven Climate-Smart Agriculture and Fraud-Resistant Green Finance, he explores how AI and digital technologies are transforming agriculture into a data-driven, climate-resilient sector. Using drones, sensors, and satellite data, AI systems enhance crop management, irrigation, and pest control. The research also addresses fraud risks in green finance, proposing AI-based verification and geospatial monitoring to ensure transparency.

Another work, Agricultural Subsidy Reforms and Their Effects on Smallholder Farmers, analyzes how reforming subsidies influences farmers’ income and efficiency. Drawing on data from Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia, it finds that targeted, transparent subsidy systems—supported by extension services and credit—can improve productivity. However, weak administration and infrastructure remain key constraints.

In Integrating IoT and AI in Sustainable Agriculture, Alawode demonstrates how connected sensors, drones, and AI analytics can optimize resource use, reduce environmental harm, and strengthen financial accountability. Predictive modeling also enhances insurance accuracy and risk management. The study proposes a framework linking environmental sustainability with financial transparency.

His paper on Financial Derivatives and Risk Management in Agricultural Markets examines how tools such as futures and options help mitigate market volatility and stabilize prices. While derivatives support price discovery and liquidity, speculative trading and unequal access pose challenges. The study calls for inclusive regulation and financial education.

In The Role of Agricultural Value Chains in Enhancing Food Security and Economic Development, he explains how linking farmers to markets and processors boosts efficiency, reduces losses, and promotes inclusive growth. Upgrading value chains through infrastructure, digital platforms, and partnerships can foster food security, rural jobs, and gender equity.

His research on Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa details how erratic weather and heat stress undermine yields and livelihoods. It highlights adaptation through technology, indigenous practices, and inclusive policy, stressing gender and youth empowerment for climate resilience.

Adedapo’s article, Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa critically examines the multifaceted effects of climate change on agricultural productivity in SSA and its cascading consequences on rural household incomes, employment patterns, food systems, and migration trends, identifying gaps in current adaptation strategies and offering a roadmap for integrating climate-smart agriculture with broader rural development policies.

In another groundbreaking research work, he explores the heterogeneity in U.S. food consumption, with a focus on how households respond to changes in food prices across regions and other social demographics, such as SNAP and non-SNAP participants.
In a poster presentation titled Recent Trends in New Mexico Farm Income: The Significance of Government Payments, Adedapo examines trends of net farm income components from 2014 to 2020 (pre-pandemic) and 2021 to 2023 (post-pandemic) considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzes trends in the value of production, production expenses, and government payments, suggesting a meaningful effect of trade disputes, pandemic disruptions, and add-hoc payments on NM farm income.

He also worked on AI-Enhanced Scenario Planning for U.S. Food Trade Policy, with focus on how AI can strengthen trade policy amid global disruptions. Using machine learning and geospatial analytics, AI can forecast shocks, support rapid policy response, and promote equity. The study advocates ethical AI governance and collaboration to build resilient food systems.

The author’s body of work serves as a complex and detailed guide for transforming modern agriculture and finance, going well beyond what individual research papers can offer. At the heart of it all is a fresh blend of cutting-edge digital technology and essential economic policy changes, all spurred by the urgent challenge of climate change. The research clearly shows that building a climate-resilient global food system is tightly linked to creating fraud-resistant green finance and ensuring transparent governance.

Works like AI-Driven Climate-Smart Agriculture and Integrating IoT and AI in Sustainable Agriculture emphasize the practical role of technology, illustrating how tools like geospatial monitoring, sensors, and machine learning are pushing farming into a new era of efficient resource use and improved productivity. The immediate benefit here is a clear path toward environmental sustainability, along with a reliable way to verify land use and crop yields, which can significantly cut down on the misallocation and corruption often seen in agricultural subsidies and green investments. But the research doesn’t stop at technical applications; it also provides vital insights for systemic policy reform.

The thorough analysis of Agricultural Subsidy Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa offers crucial evidence for policymakers, showing that effective interventions need to shift from poorly managed input-based support to more conditional, targeted, and inclusive frameworks that are closely tied to supportive extension services and access to credit. This push for transparency is echoed in the examination of Financial Derivatives and Risk Management, which, while recognizing the important role these instruments play in stabilizing unpredictable agricultural markets, also highlights the urgent need for stronger regulations to reduce speculative risks and tackle the unfair equity gap that often leaves smallholder farmers behind.

The cumulative impact of policies calls for frameworks that are not just efficient but also inclusive and fair at their core. This research portfolio’s most significant contribution lies in its emphasis on building resilience throughout entire ecosystems, stretching from local farms to global trade networks. The insightful evaluation of Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa offers essential regional context, highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by rain-fed farming. It champions integrated adaptation strategies that blend indigenous knowledge with modern technology, while also addressing the crucial roles of gender and youth in enhancing adaptation capacity.

This regional perspective is further enriched by the global initiative on AI-Enhanced Scenario Planning for U.S. Food Trade Policy, which raises the conversation to a level of national strategic preparedness. By introducing an AI framework to simulate and predict supply chain disruptions, the author lays out a blueprint for national policies that shift from merely reacting to crises to engaging in proactive, resilient planning.

Ultimately, by linking value chain improvements, subsidy reforms, digital integrity, and strategic trade planning, the author offers a thorough and actionable vision for transforming agriculture to withstand both current and future global and climatic challenges, with a particular focus on benefiting developing regions.

…Philip Nyam, Media expert and public affairs analyst writes from Abuja