An expert at the International Institute for
Tropical Agriculture, Mr. Kenton Dashiell, says
low plant yield and poor agronomy practice is
responsible for the poor status of most cassava farmers in Nigeria,Punch reports.
Dashiell, who is the Deputy Director-General,
Partnership for Delivery at the institute, stated
this during a courtesy visit to the head office
of Punch Nigeria Limited in Magboro, Ogun
State.
According to him, while the average cassava
yield is 25 tonnes per hectare Nigerian
farmers are getting between five and 10
tonnes per hectare.
To achieve good yield, therefore, the expert
advised the country's farmers to get the right
variety of cassava stem, observe right
spacing in planting, carry out good weed
control, and apply fertiliser at the right time.
Using Oyo State as a reference point, Dashiell
said, "We have seen a lot of medium-scale
entrepreneurs coming up with both cassava
production and processing in Oyo State.
On the success recorded by the IITA in
growing cassava and other crops in the
country, Dashiell noted cassava had been
invaded by bugs in the 80s until researchers
from the institute traced the problem to Brazil
where cassava originated from to find a
remedy.
He also recounted that plant growers in the
institute had found solution to maize virus that prevented the crop from growing in the northern part of the country.
The institute, he said, developed maize varieties that were resistant to the virus and the crop started flourishing very well in the North.
"Northerners now prefer maize to sorghum
and millet," he said.
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