The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, has urged NIHORT  to obtain accurate data about the commodities under its mandate. 

This call was made during an official visit to the NIHORT office. 

He stated that data should serve as a guide that indicates the course to follow. 

“The three commodities I would like you to put in the forefront because of their importance to national food security are onions, tomatoes, and peppers,” he said.

“I am not saying others are not as important as the ones earlier mentioned, but these three are essential. The bottom line is that Nigeria is depending on your institute as far as fruits and vegetables are concerned.

“I am happy we have restored the seed planning system, where the research institutes, the National Agricultural Seed Council (NSAC), and all the seed producers in the ecosystem will have meetings to set the target. Also, what is the total volume of tomatoes we expect in the country? As researchers, this is what you need to bring out for us.

“I remember I requested a list of your data analysts, and I think you sent some people. We will look into that because one of the worrisome aspects is that we are poor regarding data.

“A lot of activities are happening, so we want to consciously put in place a framework that will allow us to give agricultural data that will provide an insight into what is happening. As we speak, for example, NIHORT should have been at the top of the game with one touch of a button to tell us what our total demand is, our total demand for banana and all other commodities. Where are they produced? You should be able to tell us the ecosystem where this production is taking place.

“That is the kind of thing we want to start doing. We believe that if we get this information, investors will find it much  easier to want to work with you.”

While stressing the importance of tomato production, the minister said,” Let us see what we can do to support more tomato production. A lot is happening on the West African coast, and I have checked. So many new technologies are being introduced, young Nigerians are being promoted and supported, and we must take that challenge.

“In some other West African countries, I have seen where they are promoting all of these things, and young members of those countries are being supported. We can do the same for Nigeria. I know a few Nigerians have taken up the challenge through simple technology, such as a greenhouse.

“As an institute, you should think about collaborators on how you can domesticate with more local content on greenhouse because greenhouse can be expensive for some farmers to afford. You can look for other local materials that you should start testing, and ensure that, in the long run, you can develop something within the context of more local content for Nigeria.

Executive Director of NIHORT, Professor Muhammad Lawal Attanda, responded by thanking the Minister for his visit and reaffirming the institute’s dedication to fulfilling its mission. Among other upcoming advances, he announced the imminence of new varieties of plantains, onions, and garden eggs.

Before the minister’s visit, the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) released two high-performing tomato varieties, HORTITOM4 and HORTITOM5. The National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries officially registered, announced, and made these varieties available to farmers during its 39th meeting. The National Centre hosted the meeting for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Attanda explained the exceptional qualities of the new tomato releases and emphasised their significance.

“HORTITOM4 and HORTITOM5 are pure line varieties with a determinate growth habit, making them well-suited for open field rainfed cultivation, screen house farming, and irrigated systems. Crucially, both varieties exhibit tolerance to bacterial wilt, a major constraint for our tomato farmers. Furthermore, they boast good fruit quality and are packed with essential nutrients, including high levels of Vitamin C, lycopene, and total carotenoids,” he said.

Source: Tribune Online

Image Credit: Global Upfront News