Nigeria Needs 5MT More Of Maize Production -ARI

The Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) has said the current maize production in the country stands at 15 million metric tons (MT) while Nigeria needs 20 million (MT), leaving gap of 5 million.0The Principal Investigator, Tela Maize, Prof. Rabi’u Adamu, made the assertion on Tuesday when demonstrating samples of Maize Seeds at a farm in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State.
While speaking during the demonstration of the New Varieties of the seeds tagged “Seeing is believing farming field day”, Prof. Adamu said Nigeria needs additional 5 million metric tons, MT, to bridge the gap in maize production demand in the country.
He said the current maize production stands at 15 million metric tons while Nigeria needs 20 million MT, leaving gap of 5 million.
The shortage in the maize production demand was a result of invasion of pests, especially Fall Army Worm that destroyed the crops.
According to him, “That is why the IAR developed the improved maize varieties that are resistant to the Fall Army Worm in order to boost the production to meet the demand.
“This variety would help farmers double their yields as they are resistant to Fall Army Worm. They are also hybrid making the crop grow in not more than three months.
“It will make Nigeria bridge the deficit of 5 million metric tons maize production demand in Nigeria”.
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Director, Institute of Agriculture Research, Prof. Ado Adamu Yusuf, decried the attitude of farmers who had failed to embrace the use of improved varieties.
Prof. Yusuf said improved variety will cut cost of production, improve high yield, be resistant to fall army and be drought tolerant at the long run increasing food production and food sufficiency.
The institute has a mandate for genetic improvement of several crops, especially those crops that matter most to Nigerians and their economy.
It will be recalled that the hybrid varieties were demonstrated on a half-acre farm belonging to one farmer Nasiru Adamu.
However, speaking to journalists, Adamu said he had lost huge amount of money to the invasion of the Fall Army Worm for about five years.
He added that since the introduction of the varieties, which were tried on his farm, he had witnessed rapid growth and higher yields.
He said the maize varieties that were demonstrated on his farm were planted on September 1st, adding that the farm is now set for harvest in the next three weeks.
At the end of the event, the farmers voted for variety A, which got 59 votes ahead of varieties B, C, and D.