Wheat import: FG promises self-sufficiency by 2020, launches TAAT

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·       Farmers, Millers promise harmony

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has officially launched Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT)in Abuja.

 Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, FMARD Chief AuduOgbeh said that TAAT is an upscale of wheat intervention to increase productivity for youths and women farmers for the purpose of earning more money and increasing production that would keep pace with the growing population and also to checkmate import bill.

Chief Ogbehwho was represented by one of his directors, Alhaji Muyiwa Azeez pointed out that the new intervention was timely considering the rate of growth in human population in Africa as Nigeria alone is being speculated to hit 250 million before 2030 adding that the present administration was well disposed to the AfDB- Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) TAAT partnership that is aimed at proactively  creating wealth for farmers and other stakeholders at the value chain of wheat in a holistic manner towards ensuring enough to feed Nigerians.

He said that the government would be ready to use its agricultural green alternative policy towards best agronomics practice for wheat production so as to be able to bring importation to total stop by 2020 adding that the ministry had made available a world standard milling machines that farmers could use for processing to add value  for more earning.

Continuing, Chief Ogbeh said, “it is the determination of this government to stop wheat importation completely by 2020. We are determining to win the war in partnership with AfDB- NIRSAL TAAT. We will cooperate with International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) to achieve poverty reduction, increase farmers’ income and provide employment for both the youths and women so as to make Nigeria self- sufficient in food production”

The TAAT coordinator for Africa, Dr. Solomon Assefa in his report said that the new project was going to deploy improved technologies at all the value chains of wheat production to create wealth and jobs to both youths and women farmers adding that the Egypt model of  7.1 tons yield per hectare would be replicated in Nigeria for self-sufficiency.

He noted that in 2014 alone, Africa imported 40 million metric tons of wheat valued at 15 billion dollars with Nigeria alone annually incurring 4.3 billion dollars, and that this was expected to triple as a result of demand based on population growth adding that Africa must use TAAT to achieve its green revolution by ensuring that available improved technologies are transferred to farmers for optimal productivity to earn more income.

The Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) Dr. K.W Gwadi said he had no doubt about the success the TAAT project would record saying the achievement of Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC)between 2014-2017 had enabled his Institute to register and release six different varieties of improved wheat seeds that have yield potential of 5-6 tons per hectares for the use of farmers.

Dr. Gwadi stated that “SARD-SC project dealt with technology generation, while TAAT project is now on board to address the extension aspect and other unresolved issues. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved another 10 years Feed Africa Strategy with the goal of driving Agricultural Transformation in Africa (2016-2025), that aims to eliminate extreme poverty, end hunger and malnutrition, achieve food sufficiency, and turn Africa into a net food exporter as well as set Africa in step with global commodity and agricultural value chains”

Speaking on behalf of Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Labour and Productivity at the National Assembly, Hon. Munir Baba Dan-Agundi said that about 15,000 farmers from Kano would be captured in the programme.

He added that the collaboration with other stakeholders was a further step to enhance market and quality seeds for farmers than what we used to have during the SARD-SC project adding that the national assembly would be ready to give any legal backing that would ensure sustainability and success of the project as he also enjoined the ministry to never relent standing with farmers in terms of support.

The  Executive Director, Institute for Agricultural Research/ Regional Coordinator, TAAT, Prof. I.U Abubakar said that Nigeria had the capacity to perform better than 7.1 ton per hectare attained in Egypt saying TAAT would be effectively used to address challenges in the best agronomics practice of wheat productivity in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the President of Nigeria Millers Association, Alhaji Sadiq Usman and that of Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Salim Saleh have agreed to work together for successful marketing of the produce.

Alhaji Usman advised farmers not to over price their produce after they must have enjoyed all the interventions from clearing to planting and harvesting as their job was only to ensure water management to the crop.

Recalled that SARD-SC being replaced by TAAT was a project started from 2012-2017, funded by AfDB with 63 billion dollar in Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa states.

The former ED LCRI, Dr. Olabanji said that SARD-SC wheat project was meant to curb expenses on import and improving food security