, 153
lH.E ClINWlAN, SUnda)(April29. 2012
At Umudike Meet, Experts list Ways To Agrie 1tansfonnation From Gort:I UdNI.n. Umuahla
A NUMBERofways for susIlalned agricultural transforlTliu ion t'Speclally In root: and tuber crops research, eXlenslon ;md production has been proposed by ellpens at the 2011 annual researdl and review plan. nln~ workshop of th e Nauonal Root Crops Research InsmUle (NRCRJ) Umudike Umuahia, Abia Slate. The thRe-day workshop at the Institute brought together fanners, researchers, Stale ADPs, academia and OIher stakehold· ers, had the theme ~Exploi[jng the Potentials of Root and TuberCrops through Research and Extension for Susrainable ~lrural
TrallSfonnation.~
~:l ~r~hJfc':ua!~~~eual national sratulory mandate Is to conduct research into the genetic: improvement, production, processing. utiJ· lsation, Sforage and market· Ing of Root. iI~d Thbec crops of econOmIC Impomnce namely yam, cassava, potdlO, 5W~1 porato, cocoyam, gin~fi ani! minor root crops mcluding HilU5iI potilto, turmeric,sugar beet and radish. With NRCRI sustained rHearch and ~rension activities In root and tuber crops. Nigeria has remained the world largest producer of cassava, yam and cocoyam with lotal annual OUtpUl of "5, D , and five million meDic lOnes reipt'niveJy; Also through its developmenl of True PotaIO SI!ed technology. the cost of production mJuced by~r35 percenrlroadingto Increased produCilon In Nigeria from 53.000 m&rlc tont'S In 1975 ro 75,000 In 2007. For cassava, NRCRJ in coltaborauon with Intemationallnstil'ute for Tropical AgrIcultural (IITA). lbadan, d~loped and released [0 fanners 40 Imp~ Varieties, 21 of them ~rwl!t!n 2005 and 2011
with five In Decem~r 2011. According to the NRCRJ Acting Execuuve Director, Dr Tom Ezulike, Cas.sava remains a major food crop for over 100 million Nigerians but over98 pror cent of this Is conrumrod locallr In his address al the workshop. he said, -ro Siltlsfy the cassava requ1~ent of Nigerians and have excess for expon, there must be a slgnillGint leap In Cassava production in Nige.rta", He added th.lt it is envisagrod thai its production in Nigeria will double when local varieties In the ranning SYSIerru ~ replaced by those which are ca paMe of yielding over 60 prorcem mort' tfum the local varieties In addition to being highll tolerallito lnajor pests and diseases of Cassava.. The aedng Executive Directorsald tharNRCRJ
Dr. Roth! FashoIa. r.onsutam. Rice ~
v.
f2Iail;'" Raul SIrr.ora. MIl, DI Group (lead ~), and Ur GboIahan lawai, lap Stala CmnIssioNr for and ~., the 6lhlap&anon.:Swmit 201200 TlE$day
--
Lagos To Drive Food Security On Fann Estates
.
'T1if challenge
f!!ed about .1 2omilUon mouths dally In [0
!:s\OSan~ ~~ =~ to ~ fu~~~a~~~n~;~~!~~ slve Inflaw of agricultural pro-
positing thai -tlmro has come when the lrovel of fund appropriation should reflect proifonnance and omput of InstilU[j~s to the national economy.." Consequently, he anvassed for federal govrmment aile). ation of an Imervenlion Fund to the NRCRJ expressIng opdmlsm th.lt If alloc.u· ed; the fundwilJgreatJy tnnsform the Insrltutro Into a centror of excellence in root and tuber crops research In
Africa. Keynote Speaker and emeri· rus professor of Applied Enromology. Dr. Robinson Egwuaru. proposed six focal areas In r6ei!rch and ~Ien sian In roots and tubers for sustainable agncultural transformation In the count~ They are researches 1010 pests, diSeases and weeds of root and tuber crops, root and extension ofhlRh yieldIng varieties, drought and reslstml variedes fn the IIghl of global wannlng. Omers are research into addlllg valuro[o root and tuber crops, re-newing of viable exlroosion services and adequall~ funding for research and eXl'ension servka
duce !'rom other pans of the rounD)/, the Stalro Is banking on the revltaliled F.um Esrares 10 levui!ge on mro iLS ilJ"I!a of fanning competiu~ adYanI'i!gt'. lhis is would impact on tilro food secur1ty of the megacity that woukl even take on more dinning rabies In lOts whron thro population would havro shot to the from as Africa's most populow til:)!. ThiS Is thro argument or thro lagos Commissioner for NtriruIture and Cooperauves, Gooialtan lawai, who oJddres:sed Invesrors and mke-holders during the week althe 5 Economic Summl!.
~
,.
Eke
2012' which hdd ,11
~In ImproMnga~~ tuR in the over the yun.. saying me stilte now h.lr.~ OV'I!':r
1,000 cusava growers ilRd
incused numbror of art1sanal nsherfQUrs, lawai assured that If fanners aJl!.ssistM Ihrough In&astruc· lUre, Inanlives and Innova· lions, amcuJrure would be rev-
olutionIsed In the state. N1~ria's Agricuirure Minister; Or. A1dnwumi Adr'SlI\a haroed on me compellln~ need' 10
dlvmlfythe nations economy 10 i1vrrt the peril of Impending food lru«uriry.
He lamcnt!!d that iIboul NlbiJ. lion Is used for wheat Imporotion dally and NI bilUoo fOf"rice Importation on daily ~ts also, saying only 40 per ct'nr of arable land in dH~ CDlInoy is cultivated. AdcsI.na, who was represented at me lagos Summil by his Senior ll.'Chnlcal Adviser on AgrobUSiness, Dr. tony Bello, said the COUntry's economy has txpanded rapkUy IO a.tnll 7.8 per run ilnd growing faster {han the Unfled Srates of AmmGl, the United KIngdom and India. Curiousl}\ it has DO[
(Tim~ loil1ed
to corresponding
numbeJ of ~ JObs.
He a .$urai Ihal WIth thro Federal Govemmroot's .-\grlcuhure nansformation Agenda will ew.bUsh )obs. CRaie weailh Ihrough agriculture as a busmess. -Agricultu~ contributes 75 per am 10 the non-oJl sector of Nigl':lia's KOllOmy and our goal Is 10 wqrk wllh swt' goyromm<!RJStomahNlgerialeading economies in Africa.. Wt will uansfunn agricul~ In Nigeria .and it wtUbecome safer and mo~ ~· hro saki.
NIMECHE Partners FlIRO On Tee 11 ogiea i Development (NIMECHE)twshownIU readiness to parmer the Federallnstirure oflndUSOial Research, Oshodl (AIRO) on
e1ln~
In a presenLloon,A.grirultute
and Agro-Aliied: llui Path Th Food Security In Lagos, the! Lagos Commissioner for Agriculrure and Cooproralives, Goolahan lawai noted thai liIgos Is the ~ market In Nigena and therefore, do nO( 1e.;j~ iloything 10 chance; the food Issue is being taken sen.
COnsuJL1flCY.servkes. in order to connlbure m&nliudullv to dIe technological d~op-' ment of the- counD)/. Durtnl'. itscall on FlIRO last week, tl.e Osainnanofthro lagos SlUt!: Chapter of NIMEO IE, Engr.IAAdeyromo said the body would embark on the collStrUaion of prototypes to ,nsu( FlIRO to iichJC'V'r' Its rapid Industrial developmentdri~ln
thro
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.....
He reill!rated the need to improve the standard of the local gnodin, machIneS, wIiIch haS a dire heallh effecton people. say. inga fa.irshoukl beorganlsed by f1lR() to bnng fubrtcato~ wgelher in order to produce
""p""
lawai saki food stCUrity Is a matler of straltgic nadonal lmponimce wtuch G1R only be acfiievrod if individuals can Invest mroanlngfu1Jy In 'fann tslates' across mil!' stall:. He srressrod !.hal the stilte has suc-
a new nlaChine that would conrrol deposipng of ferrous sub6taDt£S In food. In her..:ldress. the Director· Cmeral and Chief flu!C1..U:M Officet' of AIRD,Ilc(Mn.) Gkxta noted that NI¥OCHE bas hdped FURO 10 uanslat.e irs ~rch findJngs Into readyto-ll:Jvest prototype ~u1pmeru.md processing Un~.addlng that such contributions ~1M.'fl WJen~ require:1 in Insowlro s driVt: ill' the. rapid commer· cialisadol1 0( a R:sean:h result through pUoc plant produc· lion aNi equlpmem fabrtCol-
.A.gric:u.l ~re
aemo
NPK 15- 15-15 NPK 20-10-10 • NPK 12- 12-17 + 2 Mg 0 • NPK 27-13-13
me
• U r ea 46-0-0, etc Finest blend of quality fertilizer ror high crop yield 111 Malze. Rice, Collon, Yam, Cassava, Soybean, 'Jbrualo, MlIlct, Sorghum, directly 10 you.
dDa "J believe this Is the only way
No more middle men.
developmeruln our countly and m.ike re"Search output become to the needs of the~· shro saJd 8ema stresSed that FURO is looking forward to NIMEOIFs suppan in its effon to promote technol~ cal aniv llies and Indusmah· sadon o f NIgeri.1 through resurdl devrlopmenL
IA,""Oblo at;
e
Golden Fertilizer (a divislon of Flour Mills of N ig. PiC.)
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