Experts in the agricultural sector have lamented low knowledge of climate and pest-resilient crops among Nigerian local farmers.
They stated this at the inaugural meeting of the “Technical Working Group on Germplasm Users’ Engagement Activity” and sensitisation of farmers in Niger State organised by the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) in collaboration with the Global Crop Diversity Trust held at the National Agricultural Mechanisation Development Agency (NAMDA) in Bida.
The Head of Extension and Linkages at NACGRAB, Ibadan, Dr Olabisi Alamu, said farmers spent millions of naira annually in cultivating crops that were not climate and pest-resilient, especially with the low rainfall in some parts of the country.
Therefore, he said there was need to sensitise farmers on various climate and pest-resilient crops to enable them make good returns from their farming activities and to address the challenge of food insecurity in the country.
He said the campaign which targeted small-holder farmers in Niger, Kano and Oyo states was aimed at increasing their knowledge on crops that had potential to resist climate change such as cowpea, okra, yam and sorghum, and to prepare them for quality crop production next rainy season.
Dr Alamu explained that climate change affected crops the same way it affected human beings and animals, noting that germplasm was critical to food security in Nigeria.
He said NACGRAB had over 600 varieties of germplasm to release to farmers in Nigeria, explaining that the responsibility of the Technical Working Group was to facilitate the use of germplasm collections on a large scale.
Other speakers also called for proactive measures to assist farmers in understanding the varieties of crops with relevance for climate change resilience in the selected three states.
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