2018 IAR Annual Research Review/REFILs: Funding not in consonant with economic diversification

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The FMARD Minister Representative, Mr. Ime. S. Umoh, Former ED, NAERLS Prof.  Z. Abubakar, Prof Ado on day two of the Cropping Scheme.

  * Stakeholders exhort research monitoring and evaluation.

·     *  IAR recounts achievements.

The 2018 Annual Research Review and Planning Meeting / Extension Farmers Inputs Linkage System (REFILS) held for three days (April10-12) at Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Samara, Zaria were very revealing as funding was very conspicuous as one of the major factors militating against new improved technologies development cum transfer to farmers at the grassroots.

This, many see as being contrary to the Federal Government’s determination towards using agriculture as alternative sector to galvanizing the nation’s economy.

 

Policy makers, researchers, scientists, farmers and agro processors stakeholders cross the North West zone and beyond at the event particularly expressed concern in view of the Federal Government slogan of using Agriculture as a tool to reposition the economy towards checkmating foods import and create job to Nigerians, pointed that the funding to research and extension services must be given serious consideration and upward review that must match words with action.

The theme for this year research review meeting was “Diversification of Nigerian Economy through innovative Agricultural Research and Extension” but what has come out from the field trials may not have reflected the present administration’s promises of using agriculture to galvanize our economy as substitute to crude oil.

 Also the general opinions supported the need for feed-back measurement of the field trials through monitoring and evaluation unit of the Institute saying “the unit must be repositioned to put the scientists and researchers on their toes for performance measurement of improved technologies and transfer to farmers”

 

 Researchers and other stakeholders pointed that Nigeria has not met the Maputa declaration of 10% total budget allocation to the development of agriculture which has negatively impacted on research funding, while some African countries have already exceeded the bench mark, thereby making mockery of the country as the Giant of Africa when our food security situation is in doubt.

Although the speech delivered by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh ably represented Mr. Emoh seemed to have agreed with the need to reposition research saying “ the theme of this year’s workshop “ diversification of Nigerian Economy through innovative agricultural research and extension is apt. 

This is because we actually need to do agricultural research and extension activities in a relatively different manner to reflect the shift in paradigm from subsistence farming to agriculture as a business. Supporting agricultural development activities as businesses along the commodity value chains is critical to any reasonable path of growth that the country may wish to take “

Chief Ogbeh added that “there must be deliberate tweaking of the agricultural and farm practices of the small holders through innovative research and extension activities to facilitate increased agricultural production and diversification of our economy.

 Agricultural research should come up with improved and innovative good agricultural practices (GAP) while agricultural extension must come up with innovative ways of enhancing farmers’ capacity to apply new knowledge to fully exploit the potential of GAP so as to guarantee increase productivity and incomes”

 

Also the climate change resilience to agricultural productivity was never underestimated as the meeting had in attendance the Executive Director, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi who impressed on the stakeholders the need to take weather forecast very serious towards farming activities so as to reduce losses and wastages for produce thereby promising a weather station at all the states of the federation.  “We will fund IAR’s agronomic on meteorology and establish a station each to the 36 ADPs at all the states for our agricultural productivity”

Speaking also on climate change resilience, the Country Director SG2000 Prof. Sani Miko Ahmed advised that the IAR and NIMET partnership must be enhanced to boost agricultural productivity through weather forcast adding that his organization was presently running two programs from AGRA and IFAD which are climate change resilience programme.

Prof. Ahmed emphasized on the need to interject more private agro industries and farmers into the annual Cropping/ REFILS meetings for enhanced feedback on improve technologies adoption, an opinion that was supported by the Special Adviser (AS) to the Governor of Katsina state on Agriculture, Dr. Abba Y. Abdullah. Although, this position was punctured by the Institute for Agricultural Research ( IAR) Executive Director, Prof. I.U Abubarka who said All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and other private stakeholders have always been involved.

In his speech, the IAR Director, Prof. Abubarka commended workers’ effort despite the limited fund being made available saying “ I must commend the dogged determination of our scientists together with their technicians and Technologists, who conducted different researches covering; genetic improvement of our mandate crops, crop protection, irrigation, farm mechanization, crop production management practices, economics and extension throughout the year. These efforts have culminated in the development of the new technologies for the benefit of farmers nationwide”