The Executive Governor of Oyo State, Oluseyi Makinde, has commended the efforts of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) for development of various innovations to boost food security.
The Governor who was represented by Commissioner for Agriculture, Oyo State, Mr Adeniyi Adebisi, stated this at the 2022 Farmers’ Field Day organised by CRIN on Tuesday in Ibadan.
The Farmers’ Field Day 2022 had the theme: “Dissemination of CRIN Developed Technologies to Boost Nutrition and Food Security.”
Makinde said that the theme and initiative of hosting the farmers were crucial as it gave opportunities for farmers and relevant institutions to showcase their discoveries to the world.
This, he said, would bring collaborations to push food production and value additions to the next level.
Makinde said that CRIN developed technologies on its mandate crops namely cocoa, cashew, coffee, kola and tea would invariably have positive impacts on the prevailing economic situation of the country.
He added that it would  improve the livelihood of the farmers and other stakeholders.
Makinde said that his administration would continue to build on good relationship between the CRIN and Oyo State Government in the areas of tree crop seedlings supply and other CRIN developed technologies.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, CRIN, Dr Patrick Adebola, said that the Farmers’ Field Day was an annual event organised by the institute to interact with farmers growing its five mandate crops.
Adebola said that the event was organised to show the farmers the results of the institute’s research and to know the problems and challenges they were facing in growing the crops.
He added that the event was aimed at displaying some of the innovation in nutrition developed by the institute.
“We don’t do research in isolation and we don’t do research for the sake of doing it, this event gives us opportunities to align our research to solve the challenges that farmers are facing,” he said.
He added that CRIN technologies were also developed for entrepreneurs to buy into it for commercialisation which would translate to economic development of the country.
He urged government to focus more on agricultural sector to proffer solutions to the current food shortage facing the nation by providing necessary farm inputs to farmers directly and not through intermediary that are not real farmers.
Adebola also called on government to earness huge opportunities in the cashew industry.
He said that cashew could grow in all states in the country, noting that its juice and nuts could generate huge economic benefits for the nation.
In his goodwill message, the National President, Cashew Famers Association of Nigeria, Mr Joseph Ajanaku, represented by a member, Mrs Adijat Asifa, called on government to do more in provision of farm inputs and training to the farmers.
In the same vein, Mr Osifeso Sunday, the National President, Kolanut Farmers Association, said that the growth of sector was not encouraging.
Sunday called on government to invest more in tree crops farming considering its economic benefits.
Earlier, the Head of Extension Section, CRIN, Mr Anthony Agbongiarhuoyi, called on cooperative societies and other small groups to take advantage of CRIN improved technologies products to empower their members.
Agbongiarhuoyi said that the process of accessing the products was simple.
The Head, Economics and Extension Department, CRIN, Dr Justina Lawal, noted that research results and CRIN improved technologies were available for translation into practice among investors and industrialists in order to improve production and social-economic life of the people.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured the exhibitions of the CRIN technologies such as cocoa bread, cola and voffee wine, black soap and products from others research institutions, organisations and farmers associations, among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)