Stories by Steve Agbota [email protected] 08033302331
Two kenaf factories were established in Badagri, Lagos State, and in Jos, Plateau State, in Northern Nigeria in 1960.
The purpose of the two factories was to encourage commercial kenaf farming to produce items like jute bags for storage of agricultural produce for the export of cocoa, cashew and palm kernel. But production could not be sustained because of the erratic supply of raw materials and transportation problems, which necessitated the importation of raw jute in large quantities to supply the factories.
However, history has it that the two factories only lived just for a short time as they went comatose and folded up due to successive governments’ lackadaisical attitudes towards the project.
A recent survey by kenaf farmers revealed that the two decorticators (machines) installed in the early years of the industry cannot be economically rehabilitated but would need to be replaced.
Economically, one of the major industrial uses of kenaf, which Nigeria is presently most concerned about, is the production of jute sacks for packaging agro raw materials for exports. In view of the collapse of the national initiative on jute sacks production locally, the current jute sacks requirement in the country is estimated at 28 million.
Farmers say the importation of jute bags currently costs Nigeria between N2.75 billion and N3.5 billion in foreign exchange on annual basis, which forced commodity’s exporters to import fairly-used jute sacks popularly known as ‘Tokunbo’ from Ghana to package some of the agricultural produce, even when Nigeria has capacity to farm kenaf in 23 out of the 36 states of the country and process it into jute bags and other related products.
A source told Daily Sun that most of the jute bags already used for fish are brought from Ghana and used to package cashew for export and when it gets to Europe, some of them are rejected because the cashews nuts will have been impacted by the smell of fish.
Farmers have lamented that successive governments failed to encourage commercial farming of kenaf, which they say can generate twice what cocoa can earn the nation going by the many usages of the plant.
They highlighted kenaf’s economic benefits to include being richer in cellulose fibre than wood. The whole stalk has two fibrous components – bast (bark) and core portions. When the kenaf stems are cut into small pieces, the core and bast fibres can be separated with a mechanical fibre separator. The separation of the two fibres allows for independent processing and provides raw materials for a growing number of products including paper, particle board, newsprints, animal bedding, livestock feed, building materials, absorbents, bioremediation aids, interior car parts, bioplastics and soilless potting mixes.
Kenaf seed contains about 20 per cent oil, which can be used for cooking and lubricants. The oil can also be used in the manufacturing of soap, linoleum, paints and varnishes. Cattle feed in the form of a seedcake can be made from the residue after oil extraction. Kenaf leaves have medicinal properties as the plant’s potential seems unlimited.
Information made available by Kenaf Development Association of Nigeria (KEDAN), reveal that the ban on use of synthetic packaging materials in importation and exportation of agricultural produce has necessitated the use of natural fibers like kenaf in making sacks. It is a very important raw material in textile industries and in construction companies where it is used in making asbestors ceiling (POP). Kenaf oil is also another product, which is important to manufacturing industries. The oil contains a lot of minerals and vitamins, which are essential to the man.
Speaking with Daily Sun, the Secretary of KEDAN, Mr. Adeniyi Fagbohun, said that technology has shown a wider usage for kenaf, adding that the core fiber of the kenaf plant is effective in oil spill clean-up and is being used for remediation projects in the Niger Delta.
He said, “as an association incorporated since 2012, we’ve been advocating and organising seminars. We have even engaged NNPC in demonstrating usage of kenaf in Nigeria. Even top shots in NNPC said they import kenaf to clean up oil spillage and they told us that they need to get directives at the top before this can be done in Nigeria.”
On why Nigeria has not been able to embark on kenaf production, he blamed government’s attitude for not being able to provide enabling environment for farmers and processors of kenaf products.
He explained: “As an association, we asked our farmers to start planting but we stopped them because kenaf is not edible like yam and cassava that can be used to produce garri. So after planting, we suffer a lot with our farmers.
Naturally, any farmer goes to farm with the hope that after planting, there should be a yield but after planting kenaf, there is no place to put the product so that our farmers will earn a living. We have been planting in almost all Southwest states, up to the North and some parts of the East because kenaf grows very well in more than 23 states in Nigeria and within 120 days, the plant is ready for harvest. It is only in swampy areas that it doesn’t grow well.
“We have limited strength to do it. We wanted to partner with the private sector but the thing still boils down to getting the intervention of government of the day. We even went to Abuja as an association where we spoke with the current Minister of Agriculture. After meeting with the Minister, I understand that the Minister is taking it up with another group now to set up a factory in Kastina but I don’t have any cogent proof of it yet,” he said.
He said there is need for government to create an enabling environment for people to engage in kenaf production, noting that if government can do this, people and farmers that KEDAN has trained would go into kenaf farming and plant in hectares of land.
Because of the diversification of the end product, he said Nigeria can earn more than what it earns from crude oil from kenaf if it is cultivated at commercial level as it would engage all the jobless youths on the streets thereby reducing unemployment.
As part of efforts to embark on commercial production of the plant, he said: “as an association, we have also been speaking with external investors.”