[ 2012-09-30 ]

Senators laud IITA’s efforts in improving crop productivity
Nigeria's senators have commended the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA) for excellent scientific research, which
has resulted in increase in agricultural
productivity and improved livelihoods for
farmers.

Also the National Root Crops Research Institute
(NRCRI), Umudike wants stronger ties with IITA to
help serve Nigeria, in particular, and Africa in
general.

Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture who
paid a courtesy visit to IITA were unanimous that
research and development efforts by IITA were
major factors that have made Nigeria a global
leader in cassava, cowpea and yam production.

“I must commend the work that you are doing to
improve agriculture… We are impressed and glad
with the role you are playing— not just in
Nigeria but also in Africa,” the Chairman of the
Committee on Agriculture, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha
said.

Senator Bwacha, who was received by the Deputy
Director General (Partnerships and Capacity
Development), Dr Kenton Dashiell on Tuesday,
called for more support and attention to
international agricultural research, adding that
such efforts were needed to further advance the
dissemination of technological innovations at the
research centre to farmers.

Dr Dashiell thanked the senate delegation for the
visit to IITA. He pledged that IITA would continue
to play the role of improving food security in
tropical nations with the aim of increasing
agricultural productivity, creating wealth and,
more importantly, reducing poverty.

In another related development, the Executive
Director of NRCRI, Dr Julius Okonkwo has said that
a stronger partnership between IITA and NRCRI is
necessary to boost agriculture.

Dr Okonkwo said that past experiences underscored
the necessity for more collaboration between the
two institutions, citing that joint efforts
between IITA and NRCRI led to the release of 41
improved cassava varieties.

“These varieties have contributed in making
Nigeria the world's largest producer of
cassava,” Dr Okonkwo said during a courtesy
visit to IITA in Ibadan.

“Besides cassava, another milestone the two
institutes have achieved over the years is the
development of and release of 17 improved yam
varieties,” he added.

Collaboration between IITA and NRCRI began as far
back as the 1970's.

Dr Okonkwo who met with the Director General of
IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga; and Dr Dashiell said
NRCRI was proud to be associated with IITA.

He noted that scientists from NRCRI had benefited
a lot from IITA's capacity building programs.

As a global leader in crop improvement, IITA
devotes its resources to crop research, natural
resource management, partnerships and capacity
building. Traditionally, IITA's work was
concentrated on cassava, yam, cowpea, soybean,
banana and plantain, maize and cocoa. However, the
refined strategy of the Institute offers the
opportunity to expand to other crops with the
ultimate aim of reducing poverty in tropical
nations.

Source - GNA

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