Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has said that the recent local wheat production in the country will reduce the importation of the commodity by 50 percent. Adesina said this in Abuja at a workshop on ‘Strengthening the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC).’
Represented by Mr Akinbolawa Osho, the Director, Fertliser, Adesina said that the ministry had distributed seven tonnes of breeder foundation seeds to certified seed producers and companies in 2013. He observed that about 33,000 hectares would be cultivated in each of the wheat producing states in the country.
“Special technical training has been carried out across the value chain to enhance local wheat production, processing and quality control. Research institutes in the country and abroad were able to research and develop Nigeria’s own wheat and this has helped increase wheat production in the country.”
Earlier, Rep. Mohammed Moguno, the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, gave an assurance that there would be collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government to achieve the Maputo Declaration.
The declaration was adopted by African leaders during their 2003 summit in Maputo and it recommends the allocation of 10 percent of individual countries’ budgets to agriculture.
