Approximately 1,000 cassava farmers and processors from the South-West region have participated in a training program focused on Good Agronomic Practices to enhance their skills in cassava farming and processing. This initiative was announced by Adeyemi Olojede, the Director of Tuber Crops Research at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), during the program’s official launch at Fashola Farm in Oyo town, Oyo State.

Olojede noted that the program, organized by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), aims to reach over 6,000 farmers, with particular emphasis on empowering women and youths. He expressed optimism that the initiative would significantly improve cassava farming and processing in Nigeria, equipping participants with essential skills to enhance their livelihoods through better production methods and increased value creation.

“This weeklong training, facilitated by the NRCRI, kicked off with the first batch of 1,000 participants, comprising farmers and processors,” he stated. The program is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH in collaboration with AATF, Agridrive Ltd., and Clayuca Corporation.

Olojede revealed that this training marks the initial phase of a series expected to unfold over three years, with plans to train 1,000 participants in 2024, 2,000 in 2025, and 3,000 in 2026. The program will also include training for 1,000 processors, mainly women from Oyo and Ogun states, focusing on enhancing value addition in cassava processing.

Kehinde Jimoh, AATF’s Programme Officer for Agribusiness, emphasized that the initiative is part of the foundation’s broader commitment to boost the productivity of cassava farmers and processors. He highlighted that the training aims to empower participants with best agronomic practices and value addition strategies, which are expected to lead to significant improvements in their livelihoods and cassava productivity.

Jimoh also noted the importance of this training in not only boosting cassava production but also enhancing value addition, providing farmers with alternative income streams.

• …Stresses the importance of genetic diversity in agriculture
• …Advocate for improved genetic reference libraries

Experts in the agricultural sector on Monday, emphasized the need for harmonization of gene banks in Nigeria to enhance the country’s agricultural productivity.

The call was made at the opening of a 4-day Breeders Country Team and Centralized Function Expert Meeting, organized by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Plants Variety Protection Office (NPVPO) amongst other partners.

The meeting aimed to review the first wave results of the Institutionalizing Monitoring of Crop Variety Adoption using Genotyping (IMAGE) project, which seeks to improve crop productivity and enhance genetic diversity in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen, Dr. Ishiak Khalid, Acting Director-General of NASC, stressed the importance of harmonizing gene banks to support the country’s agricultural development.

He said; “Harnessing the potential of our genetic resources requires a coordinated approach. By harmonizing our gene banks, we can ensure that our research institutions are working together to develop improved crop varieties that meet the needs of our farmers.”

Dr. Khalid encouraged research institutions to prioritize research on improved seed varieties, highlighting its impact on farmer yields. He praised plant breeders and crop experts for their achievements, stating that their expertise and commitment have been instrumental in driving agricultural progress.”

Also speaking, Prof. Lucky Omoigui, Seed System Specialist from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), stressed the crucial role of quality seeds in boosting crop productivity.

“Quality seeds are the backbone of productive agriculture, and to increase crop yields, we must ensure farmers receive seeds with the right genetic material. This requires rigorous testing and verification against reference materials.”

Omogui further emphasized the importance of maintaining robust seed banks. he said “A well-managed seed bank is vital for preserving genetic diversity and ensuring seed quality. Continuous use of seeds without replenishment from reserves leads to quality degradation.”

Meanwhile Dr. Folarin Sunday Okelola, Acting Registrar of the Nigerian Plant Variety Protection Office (NPVPO), presenting a paper titled “Crop Survey Results: Nigerian Cassava, Revised Genotyped Crop Survey based on the Cluster Pipeline Bioinformatics Pipeline.” reiterated that the essence of the meeting is to adopt and advise farmers on effective seed systems.

Okelola urged stakeholders to consider opportunities for improving access to quality seeds, maintaining seed purity, enhancing genetic reference libraries, and conducting analysis to characterize genetic entities and unidentified samples

According to him, ongoing and regular analysis based on growers’ reports and genetic features will help understand what farmers are planting.

He however, encouraged research institutions to conduct further studies to comprehend genotyping and the clustering pipeline, which can be effectively applied in dynamic seed systems with uncontrolled variation in outcrossing crops, where genetically diverse Open-Pollinated Varieties (OPVs) predominate.

The Minister of state Defence Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has donated fifteen trucks of fertilizer to members of the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State.

The statement by APC State Publicity Secretary Yusuf Idris which was made available to newsmen on Sunday, said the donation of fertilizer to APC members is free and was done to complement the Federal Government’s efforts in boosting agricultural production in the country.

Yusuf stated the Minister’s donation, which was handed to the secretary of the party by the Chairman of the state APC Tukur Umar Danfulani, for distribution to the beneficiaries across the state is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agricultural transformation programme

Danfulani said the Minister’s gesture to the APC party faithful in the state will boost the agricultural output, economic growth and development.

The Chairman explained that part of the fertilizer was allocated to the Minister by the federal government and he purchased additional trucks in order to complement the federal government agriculture initiatives to ensure a bumper harvest in the coming wet farming season

He further said that all the 15 trailers will be distributed free of charge to all identified beneficiaries with the sole aim of supporting farmers.

Danfulani also thanked the Minister, who doubles as the leader of the party in the state for the gesture.

He recalled that during his time as governor, Matawalle kept very close ties with all members of the party, which helped in sustaining unity among leaders and supporters of the party.

The chairman who assured that the fertilizer will reach every members of the party cutting through all the 147 wards of the 14 local government areas of the state, implored other leaders to imbibe such goodwill to the people of the state.

“Beneficiaries of the gesture will include Party State Working Committee members and executives, local government executives and some ward executives, Party Elders, Youths, and other critical stakeholders across the state.

“The Chairman commended the party members in the state for their patience and support, which is making the party more popular and acceptable among people of the state.”