Ibadan, Nigeria
March 31, 2009
Farmers cultivating maize are
making profits despite droughts experienced in the northern
Nigeria, thanks to drought tolerant maize.
“The drought tolerant maize varieties have mitigated the effects
of drought on maize production and farmers are having better
incomes,” says Mr. Olumide Ibikunle, Research and Development
Manager, Premier Seeds.
“The seed industry is also better off because demand for maize
has actually increased,” he added on the sidelines of the
“Regional Planning Meeting of the Drought Tolerant Maize for
Africa Project” at the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),
Ibadan.
Over the years IITA, CIMMYT and national partners have released
several drought tolerant maize varieties including Samaz 16,
ZM309 and ZM523 among others in sub-Saharan Africa to cushion
the effects of drought on the crop.
“Investment in drought tolerant maize is a good thing especially
for Africa,” Ibikunle says.
Drought remains one of the most limiting factors to maize
production in sub Saharan Africa.
“Northern Nigeria, where maize production dominates is also
prone to drought,” says Stella Thomas, Managing Director of
Kano-based Seed Project Company Limited.
“To keep production profitable to resource-poor farmers,
research on drought tolerant maize is important,” she says.
According to her, maize farming is profitable especially with
the adoption of drought tolerant varieties.
Researchers and other stakeholders in the maize industry meeting
in Ibadan say developing maize varieties with tolerant of
drought will boost maize production in Africa—a continent where
the crop is among the major staples.
Dr.Abebe Menkir, IITA Maize breeder says the Drought Tolerant
Maize for Africa project will reduce the vulnerability of maize
farmers to drought.
“Rainfall has a perfect correlation with maize production. So
once there is absence of rainfall at the flowering stage, yield
is affected. The solution is getting varieties that are tolerant
of drought,” Dr.Wilfred Mwangi, DTMA project Leader, CIMMYT,
says.
He says the varieties developed by the project aim to create
safety nets for farmers especially in times of inadequate
rainfall.
“What this means is that if there is no rainfall, the farmer
should have some maize to harvest and if there is rainfall let
him harvest bountifully. So, it is a win-win situation,” he
says.
Mwangi says the project is building on the work earlier done by
institutions such IITA, CIMMYT and national partners on drought
tolerant maize.
He commended Nigeria’s seed companies for the interest shown in
maize production, stressing that the success of the project
depended on the level of private sector involvement in the
project.
“This is one effective way through which the improved varieties
will reach the farmers,” he adds.
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