Business
Banker Harps On Improved Groundnut Production
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has called for the collaboration of Nigerian farmers and International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in the use of watershed irrigation technique in the production of groundnuts for export.
The Executive Director, Corporate, Investment Banking and Treasury of the bank, Mr. Philip Ikeazor made the call recently at the governing board meeting of ICRISAT, a statement, signed by the bank’s head of Corporate Affairs, Francis D. Barde, said.
Speaking on the future of agriculture in Nigeria, Ikeazor said the last six years with ICRISAT had natured his belief that agriculture is one of the most potent ways to alleviate poverty and create significant income streams for the poor people of the semi-arid tropics.
The statement said Ikeazor believes that the giant strides and impact made by ICRISAT’s research, work on the peasant farmers in India and East Africa and some parties of West Africa would work in Nigeria.
He said he was particularly keen on transferring the watershed irrigation technique piloted in India and the recent Groundnut Revolution in Malawi, which had seen a thriving export of improved groundnut to the United Kingdom.
Recalling Nigeria as the world’s leading groundnut exporter when the crop accounted for about 70 export earning, he stressed the need to work with farmers to grow improved varieties of groundnuts which will be resistance to disease, increase export market demands and better aflatoxin management to prevent contamination.
He said it would make Nigerian farmers significant and boost groundnut production and sales, adding that this would create employment and yield significant income for peasant farmers especially in the Northern and the South Western part of the country.
Ikeazor expressed optimism that with ICRISAT’s reopening of its research office, in Kano, Nigeria needs to support the existing bilateral agreement in order to reinstate the nation’s former groundnut pyramids.
Vivian-Peace Nwinaene