Lake Chad Research reinstates readiness for improved crops productivity in the North east

Executive Director of the LCRI, Dr. Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanji

The manifest hope of peace become obvious In the last four years of insurgency that has paralyzed economic activities especially in agricultural productivity in the North East as Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) played a five days in- house Review Meeting and REFILs host to other scientists, extension officers and farmers in the region towards ensuring accelerated food production to boost food production with improved method of farming and technologies.

The stakeholders from far and near commended the dauntless effort of the Institute to ensuring improved technologies to the growth of the nation’s agricultural activities despite the hostile environment occasioned by the Boko Haram activities that have driven  away farmers from about twenty four local governments  leaving just five to food production.

Opening the ceremony, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Dr. Shehu Ahmad ably represented by the Director, North East Region, Mr. Ibrahim Arabi commended the resilience of the Lake Chad Research Institute towards checkmating shortfall of food imports gulping billions of dollars in which one of its mandate crops which was wheat.

The FMARD permanent secretary Dr. Ahmad in his speech stated that both wheat and millet are very strategic to food security saying the responsibility of the two important national crops rest on the shoulder of the Lake Chad Research Institute and other stakeholders who are farmers and extension officers.

Dr. Ahmed noted with commendation the achievement the institute recorded despite the hostile environment created by the activities of the insurgency pointing that “ I want to specially commend the sacrifice, resilience and toughness of the management  and staff of LCRI, who have despite the insurgency that devilled the North East where the activities of the Institute is largely domiciled have continued to make giant strides in its mandate”

He stated further “ the FMARD has noted with deep appreciation the recent breakthroughs of the Institute particular the release  of two irrigated wheat varieties, Norman and Reyna 28 with up-scaled yield of up to 6 ton/ha, and the first rain-fed wheat varieties in Nigeria, Reyna 15 and crow ‘s’ . Today’s workshop marks yet another commitment of the Institute by providing yet another avenue for scientists, extension staff and farmers to brainstorm and plan for the agricultural development of the North East and the whole country”

In his speech, the Executive Director of the LCRI, Dr. Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanji who  welcome his visitors said that the journey has not been that easy due to poor funding with  security challenges added that  activities of the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in the zone is nothing to write home about.

Dr. Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanji “ I have just mentioned how paucity of funds and security challenges affected our performance in research activities in 2015. I wish to say that the case of the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) in the Zone was worst. REFILS activities were at very low ebb. This is what informed me to invite all Honourable commissioners for Agriculture to this occasion for us to rub minds on how to forge ahead in terms boosting agricultural production in the zone. With the current global economic meltdown and global falling of oil price, it becomes obvious that if we must rise above the tide, we need to revitalize the agricultural sector of the economy”

He further stated that “effort will be geared towards training of farmers with the technologies on the production of millet, wheat, sorghum, cowpea, groundnut, rice, and vegetable which are popular crops grown in the North East zone. I will like to encourage the state governments of the North East to resuscitate extension services delivery system through deliberate recruitment of extension personnel to reduce the extension farm ratio that is presently disproportionate to the acceptable ratio of 1 extension staff to 1000 farm family. In addition, mobility for extension staff of the ADPs as well as provision of affordable farm inputs such as fertilizers, improved seeds and seedlings/ improved breeds of livestock are needed to accelerate agricultural production in the zone in particular and the entire nation”

All the states in the zone complained of no fund to carried out ADPs  activities with less numbers of the extension workers just as farmers now realized the importance of the their services  support to agricultural productivity in terms of new technologies transfer. Also the FADAMA activities were reported to be hindered due to insurgence and lack of counterpart payment.

The communiqué at the meeting stated that the funding of the ADPs must be taken very serious in the region and the entire nation for the effort towards repositioning the nation’s economy using agriculture to be fruitful.