Research Council Working To Enhance Agricultural Productivity- ARCN Boss

The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, ARCN, says it’s working to enhance the growth of Nigeria’s Agricultural sector in line with the current administration’s Food Security agenda.

The Executive Secretary of the ARCN Professor Garba Sharubutu stated this while briefing Agriculture Journalists in Abuja Nigeria’s Capital.

Professor Sharubutu alongside seniour Management staff of the Council reeled out what the council has been doing and what it plans to do to support the country’s Food Security agenda.

CONCENTRATE ON QUICK MATURING CROP

Professor Sharubutu noted that as the current administration’s move to drive food security, it’s important to focus on quick maturing crops to ensure immediate food availability.

“This is taking the subject matter of food security very seriously and since they came on board they decoded that we most refocus our attention to make sure food is placed on the table and if need food to be placed on the table, our advise to the government is to concentrate on quick maturing crops like rice, Yam, Cassava, wheat, sorghum, millet”

According to the Executive Secretary, this does not mean that the cash crops should in anyway be neglected.

SPECIALISATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES

While speaking on the status of the various Agricultural Research Institutes in the Country, Professor Sharubutu said the ARCN came on board to ensure coordination of the Research Institutes to avoid replication of Research.

He said the 16 Institutes in the Country now have specific mandates of crops they specialise in from grains, tree crops, livestock, Fisheries, storages, Mechanisation and Extension Services.

“We had Numerous agricultural Research Institutes spread across the length and breath of the country that were carrying out their activities in isolation, each agricultural Research Institutes was implementing mandate without recourse to what the other is doing”

“so in the wisdom of the government there was need to give specific mandates to each Research Institutes, and therefore the 16 Agricultural Research Institutes in country now have specific mandate of their crop”

RELEASE OF 23 CROP VARIETIES
Professor Sharubutu further disclosed that the council has been able to release crop varieties that are meant to be flood resistant, quick maturing, quick yielding, boost nutrition and pest resistant.

NIGERIA THE CENTRE FOR OF SPECIALISATION FOR AQUACULTURE IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

According to Professor Sharubutu said Nigeria has been duly noted as the Centre for specialisation in Aquaculture in the West and Central region.

A feat he attributed to the Research work ongoing in Aquaculture sub sector in country as the National Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research identified potential areas of sea in the country’s coastal plains.

A discovery he said is awaiting authentication by the International Fisheries and Marine Organisation.

Oyenike Oyeniyi