Interview: How flour millers help wheat productivity, says Tijani Ahmed

  

An agronomist to Flour Millings Association of Nigeria ( FMAN), Ahmed Tijani Abdullahi has explained how the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), farmers and Lake Chad Research Institute ( LCRI) have benefited from his umbrella body in the growth of wheat productivity in the country.

Mr. T. Ahmed of FMAN in an exclusive interview with Food Farm News said the apex body of Nigeria flour millers has been very supportive to wheat productivity with over Three Hundred Millions naira given to NASC for the development of wheat seeds system, support to out-growers farmers for varieties multiplication and provision of ready made off takers cum partnership with the LCRI the four newly released varieties by the national varietal release committee headed by Prof. Olusoji Olufajo.

Read the full text of his interview below.

 _Can you introduce yourself and the impact your Association has so far made in the development of wheat in the country towards checking import?_ 

I am Ahmed Tijani Abdullahi, an agronomist to Flour Millings Association of Nigeria. FMAN is an umbrella body that comprises all the major milling companies in the country like Flour Mills of Nigeria, BOA, OLAM, Dangote, Honeywell, Danflour etc. All these companies under one body embark on backward integration program towards the growth and development of wheat productivity along all the value chains in order to stem down the national annual import bill on wheat by increasing local production to make availability surplus for bread and other pasta (like spaghetti and marcaroni )bakings. We are into all aspects of wheat value chains development. We are into wheat out-growers program for several years, and last year we were able to cultivate 4,000 hectares across seven states. We are into seeds production and we have supported the seeds program of National Agricultural Seeds Council with grant of almost Three Hundred Millions Naira to improve seeds affordability and quality. We have partnered with several seeds companies with guarantee off takers of whatever quantities they are able to produce. For example, this season alone, we have partnered with six companies including Premier Seeds, Lifted Agro, SowAgritech in Sokoto, Ahalson Seed in Kano, Techni-Seeds, also in Kano and Greenspore seed. These are the companies we are working with to ensure quality seeds of wheat in Nigeria. Also we have supported LCRI in the release of these four new varieties that have just been released. We financially support the research process.

 _With the FMAN interventions, how would you describe the positive impact on the wheat productivity in view of local production and import?_ 

Before the FMAN interventions, almost 100 percent wheat are being imported, but this has been reduced by 5% which I feel the reduction will be soon increased with all these new releases. According to National Beurau of Statistics ( NBS), our consumption is six million metric tons annually and our production is only 300,000 which our interventions had made improved from the initial level of  60,000 metric per annum. Our support to the research process has been very helpful towards these new varieties as we have sponsored all the research work to the release process. We brought these four varieties from Mexico and partnered with the mandated research institute which is LCRI for revalidation of them. Before now, Nigeria has only two Durum wheat varieties which have been made to become four with the approval of another two to make four Durum varieties presently in Nigeria. Also the new two varieties for bread making have all the qualities to complete globally especially the old Boulurg 100 in terms of its milling properties and the yield in the farmers' fields. This is why we are partnering with LCRI to give to farmers for more productivity. With Boulurg 100 you can get 7.2 tons per hectare. These varieties economically will not only improve productivity, but also improve the living standard of farmers.