Business
Farmers To Enjoy Improved IITA Cassava Varieties
As part of efforts to ensure food security for Nigerians and neighbouring countries, as well as meet the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) targets farmers in Nigeria are to benefit from the distribution of free improved cassava varieties of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan.
Distribution of the cassava varieties is also part of activities lined up by researchers at the Institute towards implementing the unleashing the power of cassava in Africa (UPOCA)project which is founded by USAID in seven African countries.
According to a release from the IITA which was made available to The Tide, the distribution of the varieties is part of the activities lined up for 2010.
From the release, Richardson Okechukwu, the IITA UPOCA Deputy Project Manager, who is also the Nigerian country coordinator stated that the aim of the project in Nigeria is to empower at least 75,000 farmers with improved varieties by the end of 2010.
He said “we also expect increase of production by 30 percent. The project will thereafter ensure food security for Nigerians and will also provide more roots for the large scale cassava industry.”
The release further states that increasing cassava production is one important aspect of the project that researchers are pushing to improve processing and ultilisation technologies, to create more markets for the crop, and that the USAID project is funded in seven African countries as Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.
Between February 23rd and 3rd March, 2010, the release states that the IITA conducted two training programmes for farmers, processors, and women in agricultural development.
Corlins Walter