Researchers and scientists see low yield per hectare threatening cassava production in Nigeria amid rising Nigerian population.
Despite being grown by more than four million farmers, Nigeria’s cassava yield per hectare has been very low at about 14 tons per hectare as against more than 20 tons per hectare in Thailand and other Asian countries.
This yield gap puts Nigerian farmers at a disadvantaged position, which indicates they may be unable to meet local demand as population rises, industry watchers say.
“This low productivity cannot support Nigeria in the next 34 years,” Claude Fauquet, director, Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP 21) said in a statement made available to BusinessDay.
“By 2050, Nigeria’s population will rise to 400 million, meaning that we will have more mouths to eat cassava. With the current cassava productivity of 12-13 tons per hectare, cassava cannot sustain this huge population,” Fauquet said.
Research across the globe shows that some countries have started using micro-nutrients to upscale cassava yields to about 100 metric tonnes per hectare with starch content of cassava up-scaled to 38 percent in Indian and 40 percent in Malaysia.
According to Fauquet, Africa and Nigeria in particular has the land, youth and climate to achieve the same feat such as Thailand.
Besides the rising population, Fauquet noted that urbanisation would trigger the migration of more than 50 percent of Nigeria’s population to cities which would leave vacuum in the rural areas – a situation that would further exacerbate the problem of cassava production in the country.
He, however, said Nigeria could address the challenges by investing in the research for development of cassava along the value chain. Specifically, he said, investments in improved varieties, weed control, best agronomic practices, and mechanisation could change the outlook of cassava. “Other areas that need attention include access to credit, markets and cooperatives,” he added.
He called on the Nigerian government and donors to invest in research and development to put cassava ahead.
Kenton Dashiell, IITA deputy director general-partnerships for delivery, who represented Nteranya Sanginga, the director general, said cassava is an important crop for Nigeria and it was important that researchers were thinking about its future.
He commended the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation for investing in cassava production along the value chain, and called on the government of Nigeria to consider up-scaling some of the proven technologies such as cassava mechanisation, weed management, improved seeds at IITA, and best agronomic practices to farmers across the country.
Alfred Dixon, project leader for the Cassava Weed Management Project described cassava as a poverty fighter, emphasising that investment in cassava would help Nigeria tackle the twin problem of hunger and poverty, and youth unemployment.
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