Expand your network for greater productivity cassava seeds entrepreneurs told

The need to foster stronger collaboration between cassava seed entrepreneurs (CSEs) and other key stakeholders, including agro-dealers and research institutions to build a more efficient cassava value chain has been stressed.

This is the highlight at a certification workshop for cassava seed entrepreneurs held in Asaba, Delta state where growers were also charged to expand their network and enhance their capacity to distribute high-quality cassava stems to small holder farmers across the Niger Delta region.

The workshop which brought 25 CSEs mainly from Niger Delta region, government officials, agro-dealers, and other stakeholders together was organized by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), in collaboration with the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) and National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike Seeds Company and key partners.

The workshop addressed the challenges of low-yielding and disease-susceptible cassava varieties by empowering small holder farmers with access to high-quality, disease-resistant cassava stems.

This, it was suggested, could be achieved through CSEs who receive training, establish multiplication plots of between 2-5 hactares and receive monitoring support from PIND and partners.

Through this programme, PIND aims to enhance agricultural productivity, improve farmers’ incomes, and contribute to food security in the Niger Delta.

Addressing the participants,  Anas Mustafa, PIND’s Market Systems Development Advisor, opined that through this program, PIND  was aiming to enhance agricultural productivity, improve farmers’ incomes, and contribute to food security in the Niger Delta.

According to him, “by equipping these entrepreneurs with the skills and resources they need, we are not only enhancing cassava production but also contributing to economic growth and food security in the region.”

Mustafa disclosed that over 195 CSEs have been trained and onboarded into the national network of seed entrepreneurs as those operating over two years have larger farms of higher production inputs

In his expose on Cassava Seed Certification in Nigeria, the regional seed certification officer, National agricultural seed certification council southeast region, Mr Igwe Daniel described seed certification as a scientific and systematic process to secure and maintain, multiply and make seeds available to ensure genetic identify of high grade and purity.

Mr Daniel said about 400 seed companies were registered in the country a figure he maintained is far from meeting the needs of farmers nationwide.

More worrisome, he said,  is Anambra state which has no seed company while Abia has one, Ebonyi  5, Enugu 2, Imo 1(import seed to sell) and Delta 1 adding that each state is expected to have at least 20 seed companies.

Production officer at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia state  Mr Peter Chukwu stated that although Nigeria is the highest producer of cassava in the world, yield per hectare compared to other countries like Thailand is low.

According to him, research blamed the yield gap on the use of local varieties that occupy 40 percent of cassava-growing areas in the country.

He however said cassava which is an input for industrial use should not be wasted even as he listed challenges affecting marketing trends in produce to include climate change and environmental impacts, excessive rainfall and drought, fluctuations in market prices and supply chain constraints.

Representative of Kolping Society of Nigeria, Mr Obinna who spoke on best practices of successful multiplication of cassava seed advised that stems that have been used for years should be discarded in order to get a greater yield.

He said land preparation,  effective planting techniques, proper timing for and optimal planting density are key to better growth and yield of the plant.

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