SUNDAY PUNCH JUNE 19.2011
BUSINESS
23
Researchers, farmers to reduce crop loss in Nigeria, Kenya EMEKA EZEKIEL
• New project to generate $8 .6m annually
CIENTISTS based in
Nigeria
Ken~"
w«ds
and
hllve begun
II major push against parasilic that Mile spre;,c!
acTOSS much of 5ub-Saharan Afriu.. resulting estimated Nl86bn !$1.2bn) damage every yea! to the maize and
cowpea
ClOPS
of tens of
millions of small farmers.
The project, coordinated by the Nigeria-based International
01
Institute
Tropical Agriculture WIll introduce proven
technologies
for
fighting
Striga. or wljch\vud. and AlectTa Known by some as the ~"iole-I
Striga. 5p«ies is estimated to Mile infested up to four million hectares of land under mail:e production in subSahMan Africa, causing yield losses of up to 80 percent. Acmrding 10 rese<ln;he~ at IITA, Ihis represents up to $1.2 bn In losses for farmers and affects approximately 100 million people in subSaharan Africa. The parasitic weeds have spread widely in Africa In recent decades; their prolific seeds germinate In response to substances released by the roots of crop plants. Because crop plants have more difficulty competing
wilh witchweed In poor soils. intenshle farming and the expansion 01 farming InlO marginal soils have encouraged their sprelld Furlhermore, wi tchweed is difficult to control because each plant produces up to ha lf a million seeds IM t can remain dormant in Ihe §oil fordecadu According 10 the IITA Director·General, ~Africa is plagued by a planl 'va mpire' tna t robs farmers of theIr harvesl.- said Harlmann .. ~Dedicaled pursuit by farmers and 'l'l!Sean::hers Is delivering seveRII ""';!IV" 10 fight the parasite.-
The $9m Striga project is supported by a S6.75m grant from Ihe BiD & Melinda Gates Foundalion to IITA. Its goal is to help 200.000 mail:e farmers and 50.000 cowpea farmers who wo rk in areas wilh high rales of Shiga infestation in Kenya and Nigeria. By project's end in 20 14. organil:e~ estimate Ih at over 250,000 Individual rarme~ will potentially 5I!e up to 50 per cenl higher maize yields and 100 per cenl higher cou.tpea yields. The lour-year project will focus on improving and expanding access 10
methods of Siriga control. while supporhng research 10 Identify the most effective
means of controlling the parasitic weed under varying conditions. TIle project wi ll evaluate and tmplement four appro.!lches: using Slrig,,' resistant crop va rieHes; using a -push.puU- technology lhat involves inlercropping wilh speclfic forage legumes that inhibit the gennina\ion 01 S tnga, using herbicidecoated seeds; and deploying biocontrol of Striga Allera two-yearevalualion period. the project will scale up tile most effective
approaches The project J)lIrtners indudelhelnternalionalMaize and Wheat Improvement Center ,African Agricultural Technology Foundation , International Centre 01 Insect Physiology and Ecology and BASF Crop Protection. Scientists expect that the integrated wilchweed conlrol interventions will generale an estimated $8 6m worth 01 additiona l grain Imaizeand legumes) annually al Ihe pro,iect 10000tionsresul ting In increased income5, better nutrition, and reduced poverty. as we ll as employmen t opportunities from grain production 10 rood ~,,",,,,
vampire ~
twcaUN of ils bright purple color. Slriga attaches ilSelf to lhe rOOIS of pl"nb like maize
and cowpea and sucks oul nulnents. redudng yields and destroying entire harvests
Witch""eed primarily affects smallholdel !armen; who can', afford COSily herbicides for fighting the parasitIC plan!. The most widespread
MoneyGram. Access Bank partner on money transfer service S J)lIrt of its stmtegic plan tOWilfds provldmg excellent banking services 10 its customers, Access Bank Pk has m teted into an "9Iftmenl with MoneyGram Iniemilllonal By Ihis. Pv10neyGram InlemalJonal has extended ils network In Nigeria Wllh AI:t::Rss Bank's 200 branches and service outlets aaoss lhe country. thus maktng tke bank one 01 its agenl5 in Nigena. a statement from MokeyGfilITl indicaled on Friday. Speaking al the agreement signing ceremony ' lJek;I at lhe Aooes.s mk Corpol'ate head office in Lagos. the VKe-Presidenl. MoneyGram Intemationlll. Mr Guillaume [)eo.o.-aeI. saKi MoneyGram W<15 excited to welcome Access Bank into lhe MoneyG~m elite dub.
I"",. r",dlbl." F.<.libh, G!j~d·'? F-roISS
"".-, ;"':In
;:lges
a..
He said. "'Today. as
:"
"'e
!# Raised golden yellOW' yall( - rich In luleln and If!lIXOn,,,in wtlldl p/1!1len/ (Ige relaled macular eye degeneration In adults.
join hands with IV:.cess Bank - NIgeria. we aAl confldmt that the Bank wiD live up to ilS name. and ,loan us in the agenda to increase Access to Mone!tIGram servICe. not only for the good people 01 Nigeria but also for aI Africans. Gutllaume also ooIed that MoneyGram. which had been operahng in Nigeria si~ 1998. expenmca:l signtficant growth espe~, from 2006 up tiD last year when it tripled
tl5 network In the CO\Jntry and - we ale exdted about J)lIrtnering with Access Bank as it Is MoneyGram's ITmire«:nl and signiflcant expansion which win alloo.... us 10 provide mon! services 10 many rnot'e people through the bank's large networic.. -
FIrm nnd df!n~ (I/1J11men (egg white) wi", HIGHCR LEVEL oj goo(1 quollly proteins. d10tlne and e5$Ctltlnl vflamins Jar brain development In dilidren and Improvetl memory In adults.
: , High levfi'C 01 vllamln (ond ~Ifmlum - venejldal onlloxidonts whiCh boosl immune sySlem .ImproVt! sldn hrolth and keep you fit all doy long. ! I I.ongershelj llje.
Brown or IV/life £'9g. _some nutrltionolly
Art''''''
. ..- ...
1 .. ,,,,,,,,,.1' J c_~
••""' _ _ KotrauU Htg Ltd
For Enquiries Contnct: Kohl· 08056009329, K lke - 0802SnS184, Bukky - 08056293152, J ulie - 08056293157. Website: www.anlmalcare.ng.com. www.fun(unang.com