The federal government has challenged investors in the private sector to drive the cassava value chain in order to meet export demands.
Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world, with over 36 million metric tonnes, but the country has not released its full export potential to generate revenue for the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, said the ministry would create appropriate policy measures for successful production and distribution of cassava to ensure availability of food and raw materials for industries.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the project team of the Economically Sustainable and Integrated Cassava Seed System Phase 11 (BASICS 11) in Abuja, Nanono said BASICS 11 would transform the cassava value chain sector by promoting the dissemination of improved varieties, thereby creating a hub of seed entrepreneurs across the cassava valve chain in the agric sector.
“The ministry will continue to collaborate with BASICS 11 projects through facilitating capacity building of farmers in the area of yield gaps, strengthening research and development in diseases and pest control to improve cassava productivity, among others,’’ the minister assured.
In his remarks, the team leader and director of development and delivery, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Alfred Dixon, informed that “the BASICS-II project intends to address the gap by creating a formal seed system for cassava that links breeder seeds with foundation seed producers to commercial seed entrepreneurs, who will sell to cassava root producers.’’
Dixion highlighted, “Cassava root producers will subsequently process into various end products or sell surplus roots to processing industries in the country.
“In this fashion, we will be creating jobs and income generation opportunities for young people that will serve as seed entrepreneurs and modern producers of cassava, Furthermore, the use of certified seeds will increase the national productivity of cassava.’’
He appealed for the support of the federal government towards the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) GoSeeds and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike Seed, which he said would be imperative to the sustainable production of Early Generation Seeds (EGS) that will feed the demand pool for commercial seed producers.
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