‘Nigeria imports about $6bn wheat annually’

The lawmaker said that if Iran, which committed less than 25% of its land mass to agriculture, used to produce about 9 million metric tonnes of wheat annually while Nigeria, with over 50% land mass committed to agriculture, could only produce a little above 100,000 metric tonnes annually, then something was wrong in the sector […]

The lawmaker said that if Iran, which committed less than 25% of its land mass to agriculture, used to produce about 9 million metric tonnes of wheat annually while Nigeria, with over 50% land mass committed to agriculture, could only produce a little above 100,000 metric tonnes annually, then something was wrong in the sector and needed to be fixed.
He suggested the promotion of community seed production as a way of increasing wheat cultivation in Nigeria.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director LCRI Dr. Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanji stated that the seed system was a partnership programme among some African countries, funded by African Development Bank.
He said that the programme is an ambitious national plan, supported by ICARDA through SARD SC, adding that it aimed to expand wheat production in Nigeria, Sudan and Mali.
He said that to meet the demand for wheat in the nation and discourage its importation, there was need for production of the needed seeds that fit in the geographical setting.
He stated that the institute has devised a means of encouraging the production of the seed by subsidisiding the price of fertiliser by up to 50%, and provides free water pumps, sprayer and thrashing machines.
The programme, according to him, was being supported by farmers, extension agents, decision makers, investors and national agricultural research centres.