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Industrialists seek increased investments in crop research

By BusinessNews Staff on October 7, 2013

Industrialists have called for more investments on the research and development of food crops, especially yam.

This, according to experts, will help to unleash the potential of the crop, improve livelihoods, create jobs and enhance food security in Africa.

According to a statement by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture on Friday, recent investments in yam research have been paying off.

Speaking at the first ever global yam conference in Accra, Ghana, the Director-General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, said, the crop was under-researched due to low funding and this had limited the potential of the crop for alleviating poverty.

“Sustaining and enhancing funding support for yam research and development backed by political will are needed to unlock the crop’s full potential,” he said.

He commended the government of Japan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development for supporting IITA on yam research and called on researchers to develop a vision for the crop.

The statement quoted the Ghanaian Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Clement Humado, as saying, “If we attract more investments to advance and expand yam research globally, the anticipated benefits and impacts will be quite enormous.”

In his remarks, the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Ahmed Alhassan, said there was a need to rethink through research-and-development, and invest limited resources to ensure best results.

The Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, noted that in spite of the contribution to food security and incomes, African crops such as yam have not commanded the attention they deserved, and have remained underutilised.

He said, “Yams are unexploited in several aspects: actual yields are lower than potential, utilisation is low for instance in animal feeds and potential for diversification of yam products among others is unexploited.

“The challenge is to mobilise the investment required to conduct research and develop the yam value chain into a profitable enterprise for small and large-scale operators alike.”

While commending IITA for its contribution to yam development, he submitted that the key to unlocking the potential of yam was in science and technology and empowerment of the producers, marketers, and consumers to take advantage of the research.

He explained that the global conference provided a platform for stakeholders to explore recent innovations in yam improvement, share lessons learned, identify research and development needs, and develop global alliances.

The Director for Western Africa IITA, and the Convener of the Global Conference on Yam, Dr Robert Asiedu, said that the event provided a platform for consultation and development of a global strategy for improving the yam sector based on genetic enhancements crop protection and mitigation of risks due to pests, diseases and climate change; crop diversification and improved market access.

“The ultimate goals of the event are to establish a global alliance for yam improvement; gain more investments to advance and expand yam research and development agenda globally, and to contribute to the strengthening of capacity and human resource development for sustainable yam improvement,” he said.

IITA, a non-profit organisation, was founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees.

The organisation, which works on the following crops; cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize, is a member of a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

[Punch]

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