AATF Restates Commitment to Improvement of Farmers Livelihood

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), has says it’s not going back on its promise of transforming farmers livelihood through innovative agricultural technologies that will improve farmers incomes, food, and nutrition security in sub-sharan Africa.

AATF Director of Programme Development and Commercialization, Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin restated the commitment during a training programme organized to equip seed companies with necessary skills to undertaking dry season cowpea production in Kaduna state North West Nigeria.

Dr. Okogbenin said, that the AATF will continue to promote agricultural innovation through public-private partnerships and advised the seed companies to take advantage of dry season production in order to ensure adequate supply of Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea seed to farmers.

According to him, farmers have been educated on the benefits of the product and they are waiting anxiously for more certified PBR cowpea seed from seed companies.

He appreciated the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), for the collaboration which produced the PBR cowpea.

The Executive Director, IAR, Zaria Prof. Ishiyaku Mohammed commended the collaboration with AATF that led to the development and release of Nigeria’s first genetically modified crop.

“Nigeria is now a reference point in areas of biotechnology products in Africa and we must continue to scale up production of this technology to make it available to farmers.

“The Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea is a classic example of how technology can provide solutions to one of the major challenges confronting cowpea farming,” he added.

Prof. Mohammed noted that, for many years plant breeders tried without success to find solution to the ravaging attacks of Maruca but the, “Collaboration between AATF and IAR led to the development of this great technology.”

He said, seed companies were pivotal to the commercialization of the PBR cowpea project and there is need for constant capacity building.

“The PBR cowpea is a huge success in the biotechnology space in Nigeria and more seed companies are eager to take up the product. There are testimonies from farmers in terms of high yield, resistance to pod borer, improved income because of planting the PBR cowpea.”

Professor Mohammed enjoined the participants to fully take advantage of the training which will build their capacity in PBR seed production while also encouraging them to always contact AATF/IAR for further questions and clarifications.

All the nine seed companies licensed to market the PBR cowpea attended the training which saw presentation from Dr Seydou Traore, Regional Energy Advisor, United States African Development Foundation, amongst others.