Developing internal agricultural capacity has been described as the only way of sustaining the nation’s food security.
The Executive Director Institute of Agricultural Research Ahmadu Bello Zaria Professor Mohammed Faguji Isiyaku, stated this during the “Seeing is Believing” tour of TELA Maize Hybrids evaluation for resistance to stem borers and fall army worm On-Station field trial under irrigation, at the Institute for Agricultural Research Station Minjibir, Kano State.
He said the institute was working assiduously through scientific research in producing new seeds which will enhanced food production in the country.
The Executive Director maintained that when the new variety of maize gets released, farmers will save cost of ₦9 billion Naira from insecticide spray of 500hectares of land and drought effects annually.
“We are here to show to the Nigerian public and stakeholders in agricultural production and processing and consuming that the IAR is about releasing a new variety of Maize that is resistant to group of insects that feed on leaves of maize and the growing part of maize, which causes huge lost to farmers “
“The savings farmers will make from this maize variety is estimated to be over 3 billion naira from insecticide spray of 500hectares land and over 6billion naira from drought effects. “
He appealed to the federal government to continue with its policy of according much priority to the agricultural sector geared towards enhancing food security.
In his remark, the Principal Investigator of TELA Maize Nigeria, Professor Rabiu Adamu, explained that the trial started in Nigeria in 2019 with a view to mitigating the challenges of fall army worm and stemborers as well as drought capable of reducing farmers yield by 80 percent if not appropriately managed.
He said With the advent of TELA Maize, farmers will reduce the use of pesticides on maize to the barest minimum thus ensuring a safer environment and healthy populace.
The tour was attended by officials of IAR and other stakeholders.
Abdullahi Jalaluddeen