Nigerian farmers will generate 42B naira from wheat production annually, agriculture minister says

Nevin Barich

CAPE TOWN, South Africa , March 12, 2014 (AllAfrica) – The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has said Nigerian farmers will generate N42 billion from wheat production per annum.

He also said government would provide guarantee minimum price for wheat and provide farmers access to processing equipment.

The minister said yesterday while declaring-open the 2014 wheat farmers field day in Kadawa, Kano State. He added that an estimated one million jobs would be created especially in the northern part of the country through wheat production.

Adesina who frowned on the alarming rate of wheat importation and its costs, said a bill would protecting local consumption of wheat as a substitute to imported wheat would be proposed to the National Assembly.

"Today Nigeria wheat import is about four million mt per year and it's estimated to grow by five per cent per year. By the year 2030, Nigeria will be importing 10 million mt of wheat every year. That means Nigeria will be spending $10 billion every year on wheat importation," he said.

He explained that wheat production rate would from 300,000 MT to 1.5 million mt by 2017. "This is not a mirage, that's why we are here, a silent revolution is happening on farms across the northern Nigeria. We have begun the massive distribution of hybrid wheat seeds which gives five to six tons per hectare to our farmers through the Growth Enhancement Support and the E-wallet system," he added.

He stated further that in the 2013/2014 , 9,143 farmers benefited from the dry season wheat farming in the northern states which includes Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Borno, Yobe Gombe and Sokoto.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) Dr. Olusina Olabanji, had explained that the institute produced varieties of wheats ranging from semi dwarf (63-93 cm) resistant to lodging and early maturing with potential yield of 3.0-3.5 per hectare.

He said four varieties of high quality yield including Seri M8, Cettia, Linfen and Atilla Gan Atilla with potentials yield of 3.5 -4.5 per hectare were developed and released to farmers.

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