The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono said, increase in agricultural productivity is the key determinant for socio-economic transformation and thus livelihood improvement in Nigeria.
He added that improvement in agricultural productivity takes millions of people out of food insecurity and low-income status to food secured and improved living standards.
The Minister made this known during the launching/unveiling of Sampea-20T cowpea seed to farmers at Bristol Palace Hotel in Kano on earlier on Tuesday 29th June 2021.
Alhaji Sabo Nanono who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Garba Hamidu Sharubutu expressed happiness seeing the presence of wide stakeholders in agricultural sector. Adding that “your presence here today, and your commitment to this project is a testament to the vision you share for Nigeria that ‘grows more food and grows better food’.”
He further narrated Agriculture as the singular most important sector that can transform Nigeria’s economy to meet the growing demands for food, nutrition, industry and jobs. Describing the country as one of the fastest growing in the World with a population of over 200 million projected 450 million in the year 2050, Alhaji Sabo stressed the need for balance in agricultural productivity and the population growth rates to avoid civil unrest caused by food insecurity and poverty.
Minister Nanono recounts the event as the result of the outstanding 10 year collaborative research efforts addressing the persistent insect pest damage to cowpea which is estimated to have caused 20-80% yield losses in cowpea. The development and release of Pod Borer Resistant variety of cowpea (Sampea 20T) addresses this problem in a sustainable way, he said.
“I have been reliably informed that during the 2020 cropping season, on-farm demonstration trials of SAMPEA 20-T were conducted in 28 sites across Adamawa, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Plateau states”.
According to him, farmers who participated in the trials confirmed the agronomic superiority of Sampea-20T and the high yield performance of this variety resulted in high demand for seeds by farmers.
This discovery, he said, has keyed perfectly into our desire to promote quick or early maturing crops in order to best the effect of COVID 19 pandemic so as to promote large scale stable food production.
Alhaji Sabo emphasizes the need for steady supply of quality seed of this variety to the overwhelming farmers. “This is because farmers buy seeds for the perceived benefits of higher yield, secured market and resistance to pests, which Sampea 20T provides all”.
He further called on quality assurance at all levels of seed multiplication from the breeder to certified seeds and developed effective marketing and distribution strategy that will ensure the seeds reach each and every prospective farmer.
