IITA, Foundation Partner On Cassava Production

A four-year project,
(2015-2019) to develop a commercially sustainable cassava seed value chain in Nigeria has been launched at the Head quarters of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan.
In a press release made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt recently, the Director General of the institute, Dr Nteranya Sanginga explained that the key to industrializing cassava was to increase productivity.
The IITA boss said the process aims at addressing the problem with weeds, improving agronomy and also provide quality seed.
According to the release, the $USD11.6 million project is funded by the Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation and led by the CGIAR Research Programme on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB).
Despite being the largest producer of cassava in Africa, Nigeria’s average yields of 14 tons per hectare are less than half of what may be realistically attainable.
The project aims to help Nigerian producers reach their potentials through developing a commercially sustainable cassava seed value chain.
This, the statement said, would provide farmers the opportunity to purchase quality seeds made available by vibrant and profitable village seed entrepreneurs and basic seed production linked to cassava processors.
Further, these seeds businesses will provide healthy seed of more productive cassava varieties leading to the adoption of new varieties  to improve productivity and food security.
It would also lead to increased incomes of cassava growers and village seed entrepreneurs and enhance gender equity.