We celebrating 100years of impact to food development, says IAR Director

The Executive Director (ED) Institute of Agriculture Research (IAR) Prof. M.F Ishiyaku has said the celebration of the centenary of the Institute is hinged on its sustainable contribution to Nigerian agricultural development and food security through many improved technologies being released with other partners to the benefits of farmers.

Speaking in a private chat with Food Farm News in his office at Samaru, Zaria, Prof. Ishiyaku responded to the following questions in the order below. Read the excerpts ...

Why are we celebrating the centenary of your Institute?

We are celebrating sustainable contribution to the growth of the Nigeria Agriculture from 1922, during the colonial era before the independent when the Institute spare headed the introduction of exotic species into the economy of the country, and which had made farmers to earn more economically cum positive contribution to our industrial development. Improved varieties like Irish potatoes, different Onions and assorted species of pepper were all introduced by the pioneer of IAR scientists. 

This has become part of our agriculture culture to constantly improve and domesticate our indigenous staples such as millet, guinea corn, groundnut and maize. The method of production by our farmers have improved tremendously, and yield increased  from 800kg per hectare  to 1.5 tons per hectare for Sorghum,  2 tons for maize, for cowpea it has improved from  around 350 kg per hectare to what its currently 2tons per hectare. 

These are great achievements worth celebrating, as additionally our scientists have designed several fabricated technologies that can reduce drudgery in production and processing of crops.

What are the latest technologies to be celebrated?

We have for the first time ever developed a new oat variety that can checkmate imported one that we usually served for breakfast in many five star hotels and restaurants. Also two first indigenous maize crops variety of SAMZ 65 and 66 have been released by our scientists as we are collaborating with other partners to ensure seeds improvement and domestication.

When are we expecting to see adoption of new technologies for commercialization?

We have limited capacity under the dry season irrigation; it usually takes us a year to multiply the seeds to get enough foundation seeds, and another year for the foundation seeds from which certified seeds will be supplied to the farmers, the seed will be in the market by next year around this time.