THE Federal Government, through the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, as part of efforts targeted at making quality pepper available to Nigerians on Monday, began a two-day training workshop for farmers across the country to boost their capacity on quality pepper seed production.
The training workshop, which began on the premises of NIHORT in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Monday, with theoretical and practical sessions on pepper seed production had in attendance farmers drawn from across geo-political zones of Nigeria, continues today with field visit and participatory selection of pepper.
While addressing participants during the opening ceremony of the training workshop, Executive Director, NIHORT, Professor Muhammad Lawal Attanda, stressed the importance of collaborative efforts among research institutes, seed companies and farmers in addressing the challenges in the agricultural sector.
He noted that: ”Producing quality pepper seed is ensuring sustainable agriculture and when we do that, we can be sure of food security. I want to assure you that NIHORT is committed to excellence at every stage of pepper production. We are bound to empower farmers to achieve higher production that will contribute to sustainability and food production in Nigeria.”
Speaking on the background and overview of the workshop, Assistant Director of Research, NIHORT, Dr Christian Anyaoha, said: ”Pepper is very crucial, not just for the nutritional aspect, but it also empowers youths and women mostly in the rural and semi-urban areas in the country.
“But one of the major challenges they have as of today in the country is being able to access quality pepper seed for their vegetable production. Quality seed is the beginning of any success as far as agriculture is concerned. Now, not only is there a challenge in having those quality seeds, but presently we know the condition of the exchange rate in terms of dollar.
“Over 90 percent of our pepper seed are being imported over the years, but of recent, scientists at NIHORT and World Vegetable Centre have developed new pepper varieties which we are hoping to release to farmers.
“In fact, in the next two months, NIHORT will be releasing about two to three new varieties of pepper to the farmers. When these new pepper varieties get to the farmers, there is the need to ensure that the farmers are able to produce quality seeds; they are not hybrids whereby the farmers need to go back to the seed companies to buy each time they want to plant.
“But with these new varieties that are coming up, we need to enlighten and educate the farmers so that they can be able to manage these new varieties, produce their own quality seeds and if possible most of them who came for this training can also serve as train the trainees whereby they will be able to train their fellow farmers within their axis and at the end of the season, they can be able to produce quality seeds not only for themselves but also for neighbouring farmers.
Speaking on the training workshop, Senior Scientist and Pepper Breeder at World Vegetable Centre, Dr Derek Barchenger, said: ”We are here because we have received funding from the UKAid, the government of the United Kingdom to support pepper seed industry in Nigeria.
“Our goal is to develop and release high-performing, climate-resilient, disease-resistant varieties and strengthen the seed system in Nigeria to ensure that farmers get access to the highest quality seeds possible because seed is the foundation of our success.
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