The Lake Chad Research Institute in Maiduguri says it will release two new wheat varieties that can yield six tonnes of wheat per hectare in December.
Dr Oluwasina Olabanji, the Executive Director of the institute, stated this in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday.
Olabanji said the tropical varieties are “Norman Borlaug” and “Reyna-28” which had undergone testing.
The improved varieties have been proven to garner more yields per hectare compared to the one-tonne yield per hectare of the conventional wheat seeds in the country.
According to him, the varieties are suitable for both wet and dry seasons farming, using irrigated agriculture to augment the demand of 3.7million tonnes of wheat consumed in Nigeria annually.
Olabanji, who is also the Team Leader, Wheat Value Chain of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, said Taraba (Mambilla Plateau), Cross River (Obudu) and Plateau (Jos) would be used for the growing of rain-fed wheat
The target states for irrigated wheat production are Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Borno, Zamfara, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, Gombe, Yobe, Adamawa and Katsina.
“In 2010 import bill for African countries was 12.5 billion dollars; Nigeria alone spent 4 billion dollars of this amount.
“Therefore, specific targeted interventions and development of wheat varieties suitable for different agro-ecological zones in Nigeria are necessary to replace excessive dependence on wheat importation.
“We are promoting production of early-maturing, high-yielding and heat-tolerant bread wheat varieties (Norman Borlaug and Reyna-28); the two new varieties will be released in December,” he said.
Olabanji said the institute was collaborating with some international agencies to build capacity for the development of high-yielding wheat varieties with desirable end-use qualities.
He, however, stressed the need for improved input availability, wheat supply system, post-harvest management support, improved storage and processing facilities.
“Provision of inputs at the right time and place such as improved wheat seed, fertiliser, herbicides of the right quality and quantity, is critical to improving competitiveness and profitability of the wheat sector.
“Provision of effective farmer advisory services are also required for better service needs of wheat farmers.
“Strong post-harvest management support is needed to reduce losses in quantity and quality in wheat value chains; its impact is majorly on the quantity of wheat grain for processing and various end-uses,” he said.
The Wheat Agricultural Transformation Value Chain was launched by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in 2012.
Its objectives include sustaining growth in wheat production and exploring the areas under cultivation to meet the nation’s local consumption and industrial requirements.
The others are to promote adoption of improved wheat varieties and processing technologies in the producing states to attain self-sufficiency in production, as well as export to neighbouring countries. (NAN)
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