Tanko Mohammed
The Federal Government on Wednesday announced that the country was the largest producer of cassava in the world.
Mrs Karima Babangida, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja, disclosed this at a workshop on cassava production organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for cassava farmers held in Bauchi.
The workshop tagged “Capacity Building of Farmers to Address Yield Gap in Cassava Production” was organised for youths and gender farmers in the North East subregion.
Karima, represented by Regional Director, North East, Federla Ministry of Agriculture and Rual Development, Alhaji Umar Mohamed, stated that in spite of the country’s low yield of below 10 metric tonnes per hectare, “is still the world’s leading producer of cassava compared to others like Thailand.”
She observed that the country has the potential to produce 40 metric tonnes per hectare but blamed the low yield to some challenges being faced by farmers in most parts of the country.
According to her, the low yield challenges could be addressed through workshops, proper policies, efficient technologies, agronomic practices and cropping systems.
Karima explained that the aimed of the workshop was to ensure that the yield gap in cassava production was address through dissemination and adoption of improved technologies as well as innovations by smallholders.
She said that the workshop would not only encourage youths and gender empowerment activities but would increase productivity and income as well as to instigates more economic opportunities to farmers in the cassava value chain.
Karima asserted that increase in production of the commodity in spite of providing food security, it would provide raw materials to industries, such as pharmaceuticals, ethanol and other sectors of the economy.
She noted that weed management and best practices tools evolved by International I institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has yielded results through increase in production from its earlier 10 metric tonnes to 20 metric tonnes per hectare.
Karima commended various organisations in the Agricultural sector for introducing assorted tools and expertise towards addressing the gap in the production of the commodity that have started yielding dividends in the sector.
The director assured farmers of continue supports by the government to enable them achieve increase productivity, farmer’s income, accelerated food, make farming profitable, and to availability and affordable price to the populace.
Dr. Umar Mohamed, Regional Director, North East Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, described the workshop as “fantastic happenings in cassava production.”
Mohammed, represented by Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bauchi, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, urged the participants to disseminate knowledge acquired to other farmers in the subregion.
Mr Innocent Onyekwere, Head of Station, National Root Crops Research Institut, Abuja, advised farmers to obtain their seeds from reliable sources to increase their harvest.
Onyekwere noted that the main problem being faced by cassava farmers especially in the north east were lack of good seeds, applications of fertilizer and soil laboratory test.
He most farmers don’t have access to good sources of seeds, knowledge on application herbicides and insecticides and fertilizers as well as tools for testing soil.
