Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Mustapha Shehuri says Nigeria will be among the top three world producers of potatoes by 2025.
Shehuri said this at the first international potato value- chain and other root crops submi held on Thursday in Jos.
He said that the ministry had identified the challenges confronting high yield as poor seed, disease infestation (late blight), inadequate storage facilities and mechanisation .
He noted that the challenges ought to be addressed not only at federal level but also at the state level to be able to achieve global standard.
“Let me say categorically that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is firmly committed to tackling these cchallenge,” he said.
The minister also said that some of the measures taken to tackle the challenges included the establishment of Tissue Culture Centre at the National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Sub-station Jos, Plateau, to solve the seed problems.
He said that and 20-hectare irrigated land which is also ongoing to support seed multiplication and a 10-tonne cold storage facility is currently being built in the station.
“In addition, two cottage factories have been constructed at Pankshin and Bokkos local government areas to support processors in the state to address post-harvest losses,” he said.
He said all these had been done in recognition of Plateau as the highest producer of Irish Potatoes in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
Shehuri said that recently the Federal Ministry and Rural Development procured some equipment to support production.
“These equipment have been made available for Potato Cooperatives/ Farmers at highly subsidised rate.
He, however, called on Potato Farmers across the nation to take advantage of numerous supports available to boost production.
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, represented by his Deputy Sunny Tyoden, said that so far under the potato value chain project, the state had done everything possible to support and encourage farmers.
“We have constructed a Tissue Culture Laboratory in Mangu, three Potato Processing Centres across the state, and nine Diffuse Light Stores which are almost completed,” Lalong said.
He said that as for potato, the state was second to none in Nigeria and has a high reputation for production of the crop in large quantities.
“This international conference is indeed holding at a time when we have put our best foot forward in consolidating our position as far as potato is concerned in Nigeria, ” he said.
Lalong said that the state was determined to enhance potato production using modern technologies and also building the capacity of farmers to adopt modern methods in production, storage, marketing and processing.
He advised all registered farmers to learn and make good use of the conference to improve on production.
Also present was the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Hosea Finangwail who said that the state had hired and deployed 400 trained extension workers across the 17 local government areas of the state as directed by the governor.
He added that under the Potato Value Chain Project, an adaptability trial for Solanum potato production had positively shown that additional eight local government areas from the initial nine could also farm solanum potato.
“Hence, the need for this conference cannot be overemphasised in the next few years.
“Plateau will be conspicuous on the global map of solanum potato producers, ” he said.
