SARD-SC project: Can Africa be sufficient in wheat production?

Wheat

Between 27^th February -2nd March, African countries in Sub- Saharan of West Africa participating in the wheat production under the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) came together under the coordination of ICARDA to take a stock of impact of the wheat project towards ensuring food security and checkmating annual import bill of 50 billion dollar annually in Africa with Nigeria alone spending 4 billion.
Of course, the unanimous decision of the stakeholders was that Africa can feed herself with the experience from SARD-SC as they commended the project, and advised for its sustainability as is gradually winding up to be replaced by TAAT, which will intensify in the improvement and availability of quality seeds to farmers. 

The SARD-SC project funded by African Development Bank (AFDB) with 63 billion dollar in the last five year (2012-2017) attracted bigwigs from the public and private sectors into Abuja from within and outside Nigeria as  all the stakeholders agreed that the innovation platform of the programme has positively impacted in the transfer of improved technologies to farmers and other actors at the value chains of the produce in all the participating countries with remarkable yield that meet millers’ demand in terms of quality for other bakeries and derivatives.

 It is a statement of fact that wheat consumption is bound to increase from the present import level of $50 billion between now and 2050 due to growing population especially at the urban centers if proactive actions are not taken according to the coordinator, SARD-SC wheat project, Dr. Solomon Assefa who advocated  for sustainable policy for wheat and other agricultural produce in Africa saying millers would always need quality wheat for confectionery bakeries with other derivatives pointing out that the quality of seeds still needs to be enhanced for global competitiveness.   

Dr. Assefa noted that there is need for sustainable wheat productivity using holistic scientific innovation platform approach of best agronomics for production and processing to achieving further various derivatives like noodles, pasta and so on which are popular meals in an average African home stressed the need for improvement through the closing of the gap between rain fed and irrigated planting. 

He added that most African countries have irrigation potential to boost food production in wheat as a result of its comparative advantages saying there is need for active policy to enhance adequate infrastructure and market system together with improved access to quality seed, other inputs and mechanized equipment for field operations.He stated that the second phase of the project tagged “Technology for African Agricultural Transformation, TAAT” would give finishing touches to identified challenging areas by the scientists in attendance at the conference saying the issue of quality seeds enhancement for availability is a top priority in the next phase.

For Africa to meet food security and export promotion, AfDB, Dr. Ojukwu Chiji who commended the SARD-SC for its implementation performance which has necessitated 90% disbursement,  believed that key areas must be given priority for Africa to be able to feed herself, and among these are the power provision, feeding Africa with mechanization and integrated commodity value chains pointed that import bill of $35.4 billion per annual can only be checkmated through these means just as he identified urbanization as encouraging food import in Africa. 

Dr. Chiji stated that for his bank to have disbursed about 90% for the project showed that the implementation process in the participating countries was quite impressive which really showed Africa would definitely feed herself if necessary support is put in place saying the next phase of the project would intensify on improved technologies to expand wheat production in the continent.He said: “ Around the corner is new programme TAAT, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation which is under formulation. I believe the current SARD-SC project shall soon translate into TAAT and give us that opportunity to continue to expand wheat production in Africa”

The Kebbi state Governor, Sen Abubarka Bagudu said that itwas obvious in Nigeria that the wheat project has succeeded under SARDC-SC compliance with the innovation platform where improved technologies of inputs (seeds, pesticide and herbicide) with best agronomic practices through training that has increased the yield of many farmers from a paltry 1.5-2.0 tonnes per hectare to about 4.5 tonnes as many farmers in Nigeria who have desertedproduction are now back in about twelve states.

 Sen. Bagudu however wanted scientists to be more proactive in their cost analysis to the policy makers with effective comparative advantage in relation to competitors’ landing cost being compared to local ones in such a way that would be easy for effective decision by policy makers saying,“ as agronomic practice is growing among farmers in Nigeria with scientific innovation, research must inform the policy makers of the comparative advantages of the country they are completing with. Without this, enough funds may not be given to checkmate import as the production cost of wheat is higher than the landing cost of imported food”

The Governor wanted the landing cost of imported wheat to be well computed so as to enable the policy makers know what is really needed in terms ofsupport to local production so as to be able to checkmate lower prices of the imported ones.Wheat is one of the four top priority strategic food crops of the SARD-SC project while the others are cassava, maize and rice. The wheat-based project is implemented in 12 sub Saharan countries in collaboration with ICARDA with objective to enhance food security. 
 

The Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Dr. Oluwasina. G. Olabanji said that SARD-SC wheat project is meant to raise productivity in low income sub-Saharan African countries so as to curb expenses on import and improving food security and livelihood in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, and the project is being funded by AfDB adding the rate at which states and farmers are accepting the production of wheat is quite interesting to showcase with superb increase in terms of yield per hectare (1.5-2tons-5 tons) due to improved seeds given to farmers.

 Dr.  Olabanji pointed that wheat consumption is rising rapidly in Sub Saharan Africa and import accounts for 70% of the region’ needs and that change is needed to protect ordinary Africans from the vagaries of global commodity markets and strengthen the continent’s wheat security adding currently Nigeria imports four million metric tons of wheat spending $4 billion every year that is expected to reach $10 billion by 2030 with consumption increasing to ten million metric.

Present at the recently held meeting at Abuja, Nigeria  include the Kebbi state Governor, Sen. Abubarka Atiku Bagudu, former Governor, Gombe state, Alhaji Sani Tuaraki, AFDB representive, Dr. Ojukwu Chiji, Hon. Committee Chairman, Colleges of Agriculture, Hon. Linus Okorie, Chairman House committee on Agriculture, Hon. Mongunu, Hon, Bello Yakubu, Chairman, Flour Millers Association Nigeria, Nino Ozara, National Assembly Hon. Munir Babba Danagundi, Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research, Zaria Prof. Abubakar, National President Wheat farmers, Alh Salim Saleh Nuhd, Agric Minister’srepresentative, Mr. Azeez, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture’s representative, Dr. Chris Akeem, Sudan’s representative, Dr. Izzat Thair, Ethiopia’s representative, Dr. Tolessa Debele, Tanzania’s representative, Dr. Jerry Ngailo, Zimbabwe’s representative, Dr. Dumisani Kutiwayo, Mali’s representative, Dr. Oumarou Goita, Niger’s representative, Dr. Salami Issouffou, Coordinator SARD-SC  Dr. Solomon Assefa and ED LCRI, Dr. O.G Olabanji among others.