Institute Warns Against Outbreak of Cassava Killer-Disease

cassava killer disease

National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State has warned against the outbreak of the deadly Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD).

It gave the warning during the launch of WAVE Project, a campaign against the dreaded CBSD in Umudike, Abia State, attended by agricultural researchers from Ivory Cost, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Togo and Ghana.

The institute advised the Federal Government to arrest the situation, saying the disease could affect the economy if not checked on time. It warned that the outbreak of CBSD, which attacks mainly cassava, could cost the economy about 400 billion Naira ($2 billion) yearly.

National Root Crops Research Institute said it based its loss assessment on the effect the disease had in countries it had attacked, stressing that those who do not learn from history plans to fail.

NRCRI said the crop disease has not reached Nigeria or any West African countries. “There was great need to prepare against it as it is already having devastating effect in some East African nations like Kenya,”it said.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has commenced measures with 3.6 million dollars for research and campaign against CBSD and the fund is domiciled with the University of Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Ivory Coast.

The institute said as an institution with a national mandate for cassava research and development, it was taking a pre-emptive initiative to tackle the CBSD threat in Nigeria.

This, it said, is because its effect could result in complete loss of root yield in cassava thus making it a severe threat to food security in the sub-Saharan Africa.

It said “With symptoms like folia necrosis, stem lesions and root necrosis, it has since emerged as the one of the two most important diseases of cassava, the other being the cassava mosaic diseases”.

NRCRI warned that a CBSD attack would affect Nigeria’s position as the world’s largest cassava production, saying it will not be good to the food production level of the country and also affect its economy.
It continued: “CBSD used to be confined mainly to coastal areas of eastern and southern Africa, but in the past few years it has become substantially more virulent and begun spreading across the continent.”

In his address, the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, noted the importance of the WAVE project, saying that it would help to save the continent from serious embarrassment.

He noted that the institute has made tremendous progress in developing value added products in cassava bread, cakes, donuts, chin-chin, ginger drinks, ginger powder, cocoyam chips and soup thickener.

Launching the project, Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, represented by the Secretary to State Government, Dr. Eme Okoro praised the project, saying that it fits into the government programme of interest in agriculture.

He also praised the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for initiating the research to take proactive position against the dreaded crop disease.