IITA, others strategize to boost maize production

In a bid to close attainable yield gaps and boost maize productivity, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITTA) and other partners are working hard to develop effective knowledge tools for about 600,000 maize farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Speaking at the Annual Review and Planning Meeting of the project known as Taking Maize Agronomy to […]

In a bid to close attainable yield gaps and boost maize productivity, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITTA) and other partners are working hard to develop effective knowledge tools for about 600,000 maize farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking at the Annual Review and Planning Meeting of the project known as Taking Maize Agronomy to Scale in Africa (TAMASA) on Tuesday in Abuja, the Project Leader, Dr. Peter Craufurd, said the project is being implemented in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania to tackle many challenges, which intensify the persistently low average yield recorded by maize farmers.
“Maize is the most important staple food crop for over 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated yield potential of about 10 tonnes. However, majority of African farmers are constrained by many challenges and they barely achieve an average of about 2 tonnes per hectare every season,” he pointed out.
 Dr. Craufurd said the project estimated to cost about $12million in four years and sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will jointly generate decision-support tools for nutrient and crop management with stakeholders; establish open access databases of soil and agronomic data and support capacity for growth of national programmes through training and mentorship.
Commenting on the implementation of TAMASA in Nigeria, Dr. Bernard Vanlauwe, Director for Central Africa Hub and Natural Resource Management, IITA, told reporters that the focus was on maize because maize is an important crop in Nigeria, which is gradually replacing sorghum in the North.
“We want to improve maize yield in Nigeria. We will put together information about improved varieties, fertilizer use, soil requirements and all that and give to the farmers to assist them,” Dr. Vanlauwe said.
Shedding more light on TAMASA Nigeria Project, Dr. Ibrahim E. Mohammed, the Country Coordinator, disclosed that the project is being implemented in Kano, Kaduna and Katsina states with relevant partners in order to reach out to the smallholder farmers.
He said the project targets increasing maize output in the states by 75%, thereby improving the livelihoods of the farmers, processors, service providers, among others in the entire maize value chain.
A member of the project team, Dr. Alpha Y. Kamara, who is a Systems Agronomist with IITA, told reporters that TAMASA will not only improve maize yield, but also generate employment and put more money in the pockets of the farmers and other beneficiaries.The major project partners in the country are Bayero University Kano (BUK), Sasakawa Global (SG-2000), Notore, International Maize and Wheat Centre (CIMMYT) and SeedCo, among others.