The agricultural development initiative Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) has created enhanced seed varieties to boost wheat production in Nigeria.
TAAT created the seed in collaboration with research institutes in order to improve farmer access to seed, improve the wheat value chain, and encourage export.
Dr Oluwatoyin Adetunji, Value Chain Specialist at TAAT Clearing House, stated this on the sidelines of a two-day wheat training course in Kano on Thursday.
She stated that the effort was aimed to identify obstacles impeding the successful expansion of Nigeria’s wheat seed business and to propose solutions to overcome them.
She stated that TAAT has begun the process of building a healthy sector in order to boost the distribution of high-quality seed at an affordable price to wheat growers.
“Nigeria imports not less than 95 per cent of wheat into the country, a situation that is draining our foreign exchange.
“In the not too distant future, following the intensification of wheat research programmes, Nigeria will commence the exportation of high quality grain to other countries.
“Wheat is important and the most commonly consumed globally, it is used for the production of bread, flour, pasta, wheat grain, among others.
“Following our commitment, we have through intensive research programmes developed heat-tolerant seed, which can survive in Nigeria,” she said.
The expert, however, identified lack of funds and inadequate funding as some of the obstacles militating against effective seed development.
She reiterated commitment of the programme to develop improved seed variety to encourage wheat cultivation to achieve self sufficiency in wheat production.
