New Cassava Variety Raises Hope For Farmers

The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, near Umuahia in Abia, recently announced that it has developed a new cassava variety it calls Bio-Cassava Plus.

As Dr. Kenneth Nwosu, the institute’s executive director gave the cheery news at the 2010 Annual Research Review and Planning Workshop of NRCRI, hopes were immediately raised for farmers, consumers and other end users of the crop, who expect quantum leap in volume of annual cassava production.

According to Nwosu, the new cassava variety, developed through bio-technique is rich in starch, protein, vitamin ‘A’ and iron.

Though it took the research institute about three years to develop, Nwosu explains that but for the use of bio-technique, which sped up the project, the feat would have taken up to 10 years.

NRCRI achieved the feat through a collaborative effort with researchers in Africa, Europe and the U.S. and through a funding by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Notwithstanding that the find holds great potential for increased yield in cassava cultivation, a snag still exists: the absence of a bio-safety law in Nigeria.

Presently, a bill on bio-safety is pending at the National Assembly.

The absence of such a law, agricultural experts say, will limit the wide-scale application of the new variety by cassava farmers.

However, the institute has gone on to the next stage of field-testing the variety through a very limited distribution of the specie to farmers.

Nigeria, undoubtedly, is one of the world’s largest producers of cassava, with an annual production of 45 million metric tons but much of this is consumed locally.

It is reasoned by agricultural economists that utilisation of the improved variety could lead to a quantum leap in export volume, with the resultant potential for foreign exchange earning for the nation. 

“Cassava is a major food crop for over 100 million Nigerians but 98 per cent of the volume produced are consumed locally, leaving an insignificant proportion for export,” Nwosu laments.

The institute’s latest effort is one in series of others, which have significantly helped the higher yield of cassava in the country through joint efforts with the Ibadan-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Jointly, they have developed and released 29 improved pest resistant cassava varieties to farmers over the years and these have been salutary.

The optimism of researchers is that in three to five years’ time, when the latest variety would have come fully on stream, if you consume cassava, you will be taking in a good amount of starch, vitamin ‘A’, protein and iron.

“This is good news for Nigerians” Nwosu says.

Prof. Baba Abubakar, the Executive Secretary of Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) as well as Governor Theodore Orji of Abia, have both lauded the feats by the NRCRI.

Abubakar stresses that the institute’s efforts have boosted cassava production in many states of the federation.

 Orji on the other hand, says that the research findings are good for the nation’s agriculture sector since “food insecurity precipitates hunger, high mortality rate, human under-development, and social crises.”

In spite of its achievements, the NRCRI faces a number of challenges, mainly under funding, which Nwosu says is not healthy for the research institute.

Rep. Gbenga Makonjuola, the Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, agrees with Nwosu and joins in the call on the federal government to establish a biotechnology centre for agricultural activities in the country.

The federal lawmaker stresses that such creation is imperative, especially for cassava production. He describes development of the newest variety of cassava as “heart warming”.

“Now that Nigeria has come to terms with bio-technology in agriculture; and with the modest achievement of NRCRI in this area, such a centre should be established in Umudike.

“We cannot conduct research into modern agriculture in poorly equipped laboratories.   

 ”This is the only way to achieve a quantum leap in cassava production in Nigeria to satisfy local needs and have excess for export,” he notes.

Anxious to put the research institute on a better footing, Nwosu desires a modern research laboratory in the country, which will enhance the activities of his institute.

“In spite of leading the world in cassava production, we are still backward,” he laments, while calling for an intervention fund, to enable the institute to transform into a centre of excellence in roots and tuber crops research in Africa.

Abubakar shares similar sentiments, and adds that the ARCN has solicited an intervention fund, with which to upgrade infrastructure and equipment in the nation’s research institutes.

“We still want you to do more, but for you to do more, more has to come from us,” he told NRCRI.

He says that the council had negotiated funds for competitive research grants, under which priority projects not funded through the normal subvention would receive succour.

He discloses further that the ARCN, in conjunction with West and Central African Research Development has secured a World Bank grant for the West African Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP).

The WAAPP project, according to him, will bring additional funds to national research institutes and thus improve their sectoral allocations.

Oh his part, Makanjuola assures that the National Assembly will work hard to pass the Bio-Safety bill in order to enhance the application of biotechnology in agriculture.

According to him, public hearing on the bill has been concluded.

No doubt, stakeholders who converged at Umudike, during the workshop to appraise NRCRI ‘s activities in 2009 as well as chat a road map for its future research programmes were pleased that the institute has held its own in the discharge of its mandate.

Sure, they expect that these strides in researches should transform into increased production of agricultural products, so as to satisfy local and export demands and thus guarantee food security.