Obasanjo Farms commissions 3m annual cassava plantlets tech in Ogun

Nigeria’s agricultural sector has received a major boost with the commissioning of the new cassava breeding technology (Green House Technology) at the Olusegun Obasanjo Farms, Owiwi in Ewekoro local government area of Southwest Ogun State.

According Kehinde Akinyemi, the Special Assistant on Media to former Nigerian President,  Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the new technology can produce about 3m plantlets of cassava annually.

It places Nigeria, second behind the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), lin Africa to have such new farm technology.

The project; Semi Autotrophic Hydrophonic Facility for Cassava Stem Multipication, under the Technology for African Agric Transformation project is in partnership with the IITA. It was first introduced to the DRC government, of which it had accepted and adopted into practice.

The idea to implement the new cassava green technology in Nigeria was during the visit of the former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to the President of the Central African country, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi in 2022.

At the commissioning ceremony, chief Obasanjo commended the IITA under the leadership of its outgoing Director General, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga for his foresight in bringing the technology to Africa.

The former Nigerian President gave assurances that, “As we can see that it is evolutionary, we are taking the product of research and we are bringing it to commercial to produce for our needs and others.

“This is a technology that can grow cassava and get maximum level. This particular specie can give you 30tons per hectare and that is what we are on with the consultant,” Obasanjo said.

The Executive Director of Obasanjo Farms, Dr Adeyemo Jamiyu extolled the former President for his vision for agriculture, “Baba has at today seen Agriculture as an agric business and what we are witnessing today, is just part of that vision that for an agric business to create wealth and employment, elements of science should be incorporated.

“Baba has linked cassava production with science by his investment in this project to further empower millions of cassava farmers in the country.

“And to have that come to past, there must be that part of Science, which is being incorporated into Agriculture. So today, we are seeing that aspect of the breeding operation in the crop sector with cassava as a point of reference,” Adeyemo said.

At the tour of the facility, guests were shown how pathogen free cassava stems are multiplied and emphasis on its genetic potential as well as its stress free in handling with respect to transportation.

“At full capacity, the screenhouse has the potential to hold about One million plantlets, which is planting materials for 50ha, and this volume can be repeated 2 to 3 times a year. So, this can produce about 3million plantlets annually,” Obasanjo said.