Research by IITA and local partners is reducing poverty and improving the livelihood of millions of poor farmers in Nigeria, says Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, during a Farmer’s Field Day held at the institute’s station in Minjibir on Wednesday, 9 September.
“The fortunes of many of our farmers have improved in terms of increased crop productivity as a result of the operations of IITA,” adds Shekarau.
Represented by the Director of Livestock in the Ministry of Agriculture, Salisu Ibrahim Gakata, the governor said the adoption of improved seeds was important for agricultural development of the state and called on farmers to tap the improved technologies offered by IITA scientists.
He says the government will continue to support the institute towards agricultural development and will promote programmes that will enhance food security and generate wealth.
The Farmers’ Field Day, which was organized by IITA-Kano, attracted experts from different fields of agriculture, policy makers, traditional rulers and farmers. It also provided a platform for exposing cutting edge farming technologies to stakeholders.
Dr. Paula Bramel, DDG R4D, says the institute will continue to research into areas that will bring about development in the local communities in particular and Africa in general. According to her, the Institute will emphase not only on improving productivity but also creating market opportunities through the development of new and better products.
“This means listening to farmers and getting the kinds of constraints they face and how we can improve our research for them to get the greater impact,” she explains.
Dr. Alpha Kamara, IITA Agronomist, says the technologies developed by the institute in the Sudan Savannah are aimed at tackling the challenges faced by farmers which include drought, low soil fertility and Striga. He lauded the adoption of improved varieties and the enthusiasm of farmers in the zone towards agricultural development in Nigeria.
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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Alpha Kamara, a.kamara@cgiar.org
Agronomist
IITA-Kano
Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (West Africa)
Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Communication Office
IITA – Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria
URL: www.iita.org
About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.
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