LCRI Researcher attributes high wheat import on Ukraine-Russia war

A researcher at the Lake Chad Research Institute, Dr.Turaki Zakari has said that the war going on between Ukraine and Russia as having negative effect on Nigeria’s import bill on wheat, the countries being major exporters of the produce to us.

 

Dr. Zakari, a plant breeder scientist through a telephone conversation with Foodfarmnews said that the war has shoot up the import bill even though the national production effort to meet demand availability through improved seeds and best agronomics practices is on going to reducing importation, while totally stoppage is being targeted in a decade from now.

He said his Institute has never relent on making improved seeds available to ensure increasing production of wheat to gradually reducing importation until 2035 when there will be total stoppage of import of the produce, adding that support from other stakeholders like African Development Bank (AfDB), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Flour Millers Association (NFMAN), all producing states government, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and farmers is quite encouraging to achieve sufficiency of  the produce.

On Ukraine-Russia war he said that ‘’ definitely the war has affected availability of wheat quantity that will meet our short fall from these major two countries presently at war with each other. Already we are not folding our hands as research institute in terms of improved seeds availability which had helped our farmers in many wheat producing states. The other stakeholders like the AfDB, CBN, FMARD, Farmers, states’ government and Nigerian Flour millers association who themselves are doing wheat cultivation are very encouraging to reduce import bill towards achieving total stoppage in the next one decade of 2035’’