Mrs Karima Babangida, a Director at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), has said that Nigeria has the potential to produce more than 40 metric tonnes of Cassava per hectare (mt/ha).
Babangida said this on Thursday at a workshop on cassava production, held at the National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, near Umuahia.
She described the country as the world’s leading producer of cassava with 10 mt/ha.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop, tagged “Capacity building of farmers to address yield gap in cassava production,” was organised for youth and women farmers in the South-East.
Babangida, who was represented by the South-East Regional Director of FMARD, Mr Felix Kehis, said there was need for farmers to intensify efforts to improve productivity.
According to her, increased productivity would attract more people and benefits to cassava production.
“Nigeria is the world’s leading producer of Cassava, in spite its low yield of 10mt/ha, compared to other countries such as Thailand.”
“However, the country has the potential of having good varieties that could give more than 40mt/ha,” she said.
Babangida said that the workshop was to ensure that the yield gap in cassava production was bridged.
She said the target could be achieved through the dissemination and adoption of improved technologies and innovation by smallholder farmers.
She said that the ministry would continue to support relevant activities of cassava value chain to utilise and produce improved cassava planting materials.
In a remark, the Abia State Director of FMARD, Mr Victor Ihediwa, said the ministry would continue to support relevant activities of cassava value chain.
Ihediwa urged the participants to put all they learnt into use toward achieving the national policy on food security.
In an address of welcome, the Executive Director, NRCRI, Prof. Ukpabi Joseph-Ukpabi, said that FMARD was working towards achieving food and nutrition security in the country through its various activities.
Joseph-Ukpabi, represented by Dr Namdi Eke-Okoro, urged participants to disseminate every knowledge they acquired at the workshop to other farmers.
A participant, Mrs Chinyere Agbai, expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying that the workshop had further enriched her knowledge in cassava farming. (NAN)
