Despite the insecurity
insurgency in northern Nigeria, the Federal Government has reiterated its
resolve to have a wheat bumper harvest by 2015, thereby halving imports through
local production.
This follows the discovery
of two improved varieties of wheat expected to position Nigeria well in local
wheat production, sufficient to reduce national wheat import by half in 2015.
Special Assistant on
Media & Strategy to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr.
Olukayode Oyeleye disclosed this to NaijaAgroNet,
quoting the executive director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Dr.
Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanji, as saying in Abuja, while presenting 100
per cent Nigerian wheat bread to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina in his office.
Dr. Olabanji said
these varieties, due to be released in 2014 are capable of producing an
"average yield of 5 to 6 tons per hectare” stressing that the
varieties, named Norman
Borlaug and Reyne 28, are expected to position Nigeria to produce what it
requires as it expands its land holdings allocated to wheat production, and
would boost the economy of the north.
The reality of the
improved varieties, Dr. Olabanji noted, “was achieved through collaboration
with CIMMYT in Mexico and ICARDA in Tunisia.”
The director referred
to the earlier work done on wheat in Nigeria, saying that, “for wheat research
in LRCI, we have done a lot of work on the genetic improvement of wheat in
Nigeria. As at 1976, the average yield was 1.2 tons per hectare. But, with the
launching of the wheat transformation agenda by the Honourable Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development of the federal government of Nigeria, we have
been able to develop some improved varieties that can give us an average
yield of 5 to 6 tons per hectare.”
The efforts will
ensure that, by 2015, the quantity of wheat imported into Nigeria is reduced by
half. This is to be achieved through aggressive production in 10 states of the
north as disclosed this week during the official presentation of Abuja. Dr.
Olabanji also projected that, “between now and 2015, we should be able to
produce half of our demand in this country.”
He observed that “our
demand for wheat is 3.7 metric tons, expressing optimism that, “by 2015, we
should be able to achieve 50 per cent of this national demand. And that will
reduce the cost of importation by 50 per cent. Presently, Nigeria is spending
N635 billion every year for wheat importation.”
As part of the
effort toward achieving the laudable goal, the executive director talked about
strategies to harness the comparative advantage for wheat production in the
north. “We have the potentials to produce our own wheat. We have 600,000
hectares of land in this country that is suitable for wheat production, out of
which only 10 per cent of land this area is utilised for wheat production. But,
within this agricultural transformation agenda, we have proposed, for 2013 to
2014, to cultivate 150,000 hectares of land in the wheat-growing areas. These
are 10 states in the northern parts of the country.”
On the varieties that
would do well in Nigeria, he said, “we have rain-fed wheat in Nigeria. And this
rain-fed wheat is cultivated in Nigerian highlands. These Nigerian highlands
are in Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State, Jos in Plateau State, and Obudu in
Cross River State. These are potential areas for rain-fed wheat production. We
have about 80,000 hectares area of land in these areas that are suitable for
rain-fed wheat production.”
Dr. Olabanji explained
that the work on wheat goes beyond mere field cultivation. “With ATA, we
emphasise value chain, not just producing the wheat. We have gone into
processing our Nigerian wheat into flour. We also have recipes that are made
from this wheat flour, like the bread. We have 100 per cent Nigerian made
bread. Our wheat flour is comparable, if not superior, to imported flour that
we are clamouring for in Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Minister
of Agriculture and Rural Development commended the efforts of Dr. Olabanji and
his institute, LCRI, pointing out that LCRI is the first among other
agricultural research institutes to bring up products of research to his
office. “What Dr. Olabanji has just shown was that Nigeria’s comparative
advantage is not to be in consumption but that we can produce even the things
we are importing,” the minister stated. To Dr. Olabanji, he said: “We will hold
you up as an example for all the others, about how our agencies should work and
help Mr. President.”
Expressing the hope
that, Nigeria will soon be self-sufficient in wheat production, Dr. Adesina
said, “all the way in the north; Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto
states: in all those areas, we can produce wheat.” He lamented, however, that
“we have not been doing that well.” Rather, he noted, “we spend N635million
annually in importing wheat.”
Excited, the minister
expressed the belief that, “with all the wheat value chain that we have, we
will be able, over a four-year period. …Just imagine what the northern states
will look like. We did dry season rice in 10 states in the north. You saw what
happened. You can imagine if wheat expansion of those varieties under those
mechanised conditions happened all over the place.”
Dr. Adesina promised
to support, the research institute and wheat transformation agenda.
He said
“Nigeria will not be a consumption centre. Nigeria must be self-sufficient in
producing what we actually eat, so that we can reduce our dependency on
others,” adding that “any nation that does not free itself from food import is
a danger to its own very self.”
The minister observed
that “the quality of our wheat in terms of consumer acceptance is excellent,”
but sympathized that “our local research institutes are not well funded.” He
said, “with the little amount that they have, (you can) imagine what they have
done.”
He enthused that “these are the moments that make me enormously very
happy and more confident that our future as a country in agriculture is very
bright.”
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
.jpg)
