The federal government has said that despite Nigeria’s potential in cassava production with an estimated 60 million metric tons production potential, yet the average yield of the crop is still much lower than the production in Asia and other cassava production countries.
This, it said, can be attributed to several biotic and abiotic factors such as pest and diseases.
The Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Engr. Abdullahi Abubakar, disclosed this during the workshop on capacity development for cassava farmers on good agricultural practices, control/management of whitefly on cassava farms.
Abubakar noted that the workshop was necessary to sensitise farmers and other stakeholders along the cassava value chain through to spread the basic concept of agricultural best practices on whitefly and disease control in cassava production.
The workshop, he noted, is to ensure that cassava production system is aimed toward sustainable agriculture and ecologically safe, so as to obtain harmless products of high quality, and to contribute to food security and income generation.
According to him, the strategies to manage the whitefly on cassava farms include the use of resistant cassava varieties; application of appropriate pesticide` to control the pests; and
observing of the farm operations such as planting, weeding, supplying, manure application, and harvesting at appropriate period during production.
While explaining that the importance of cassava as both food and source of foreign exchange earnings is unprecedented, he said there is a need to continually promote and develop the crop to achieve its potentials.
He noted that the commodity also has widespread industrial applications and a huge potential to drive economic growth in the country.
Notable among the industrial derivatives of cassava, he said, include: starch, ethanol, cassava chips, pharmaceutical and confectionary industries.
He however added that the Ministry is committed to promoting the agricultural sector through collaborative efforts with relevant stakeholders by unbridling its potentials to drive health, food and nutrition security as well as economic growth, job and wealth creation.
In her remarks, the Regional Director of the Ministry, South West Zone, Mrs Omolara Oguntuyi said the Ministry is assiduously working towards achieving food and nutrition security through its various activities by using a combination of policies and appropriate agricultural technologies that would lead to job and wealth creation as well as improved standard of living.
One of the ways, She said the Ministry is working to achieve this objective, is through the promotion of crops such as cassava in which Nigeria has comparative advantage in production.
She said: “Pest control is vital to crop cultivation because of the negative impact caused by pest such as decreased yields, increased production cost, transmission of secondary diseases, interference with harvest and lower product quality.
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