Nigeria Can’t Attain Food Security Without Investing In Research – CRIN Boss

The Executive Director, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Dr Patrick Adebola, has said the country will not attain the desired level of food security without focusing on research to produce new varieties of high yielding crops.and technologies.

Adebola also said Nigeria and the rest of the world had been experiencing food shortage because of the crisis in some regions of the world .

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He called for more support from the Federal Government on sustainable research towards food security in Nigeria and an end to insecurity for farmers to work without fear.

According to a statement on Tuesday, Adebola spoke at the In-house Research Report meeting of CRIN with the theme: ‘National economic empowerment through sustainable research and development of cocoa, cashew, coffee,  kola and tea.”

He also identified lack of  extension services to farmers as an issue that should be tackled with seriiusness.

According to him, there are lots of technologies that can benefit farmers but due to the fact that the farmers are scattered all over the country and dearth of extension officers the technologies remain unknown to farmers.

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The CRIN boss said, “We at our in-house research review meeting specifically chose this topic so as to address the issue of food security.

“Addressing the issue of food security has to be through research because if there is no research focus there is no way we can increase food production, or ensure  that the food we are producing are nutritional, and ensure increased yields by farmers.

“Sustainability in terms of our research because research has to be continuous as we have to keep  producing new varieties of crops to sustain the economy and food production in the  country,” he said.

“To bridge this gap of inadequate extension workers, CRIN from time to time organises lots of training and workshops to reach the farmers.

“But  I will enjoin the government to still  support us so that we will have more extension workers that can take  all the technologies back to the farmers for them to be able to adopt them.”

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The Director, Program Leader in charge of Cocoa Research Program, CRIN, Dr Rasheed Adedeji, said CRIN was doing its best on research and reaching out to farmers but said support was needed to do better.

“CRIN reaches out to farmers to  transfer technology, teach them new methods of cultivation of our crops and give them new varieties that are far better than the hitherto old varieties.

“If the government can support us further by  subsidising planting materials and the farmers are having the training on the new methodology this will reposition Cocoa production in Nigeria.

“We need a lot of funds to do this; reach out to farmers to teach them and provide them with new varieties of planting materials and monitor them. We are going to regain the past glory and generate foreign earnings,” Adedeji said.

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