Post by Trade facilitator on Apr 1, 2013 18:57:42 GMT 1
1 million tons cocoa pods to Nigerian farmers by 2015
The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) would distribute one million tonnes of hybrid cocoa pods to farmers by 2015, the Head of the CRIN Crop improvement department, Mrs Anna Muyiwa, said on Friday in Abuja.Muyiwa, a plant biotechnologist, told journalists in Abuja that the distribution was a requirement of the federal government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda to boost cocoa production and export.
She said the country had lost its position as largest cocoa producing country to Cote d’voire, and its annual production had drastically dropped.
According to Muyiwa, cocoa production is below its potential capacity with an annual production of 250,000 metric tonnes in 2010.
Muyiwa stated that CRIN had developed eight new varieties to address the challenges and added that the new varieties were high yielding, moderately resistant and with high butter content.
She explained that the hybrid would take between 18 and 24 months to fruit instead of the conventional varieties that would take between 60 and 84 months.
The varieties would help farmers to produce more and make more money within a short period of time.
CRIN has started the pods distribution to farmers in the 14 cocoa producing states.
She explained that farmers could replant the seeds from the pods in subsequent years even after the transformation agenda period..
“These pods are not genetically modified, they are hand pollinated because if there are genetic-engineered, the seeds will become sterile and the farmers will not be able to plant them again.
“We train farmers on how to do hand pollination techniques so that whenever they need to hand pollinate again, they will just do it on their farms without having to come to the institute,” she added.
Source: en.starafrica.com/news/1-million-tons-cocoa-pods-to-nigerian-farmers-by-2015.html
The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) would distribute one million tonnes of hybrid cocoa pods to farmers by 2015, the Head of the CRIN Crop improvement department, Mrs Anna Muyiwa, said on Friday in Abuja.Muyiwa, a plant biotechnologist, told journalists in Abuja that the distribution was a requirement of the federal government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda to boost cocoa production and export.
She said the country had lost its position as largest cocoa producing country to Cote d’voire, and its annual production had drastically dropped.
According to Muyiwa, cocoa production is below its potential capacity with an annual production of 250,000 metric tonnes in 2010.
Muyiwa stated that CRIN had developed eight new varieties to address the challenges and added that the new varieties were high yielding, moderately resistant and with high butter content.
She explained that the hybrid would take between 18 and 24 months to fruit instead of the conventional varieties that would take between 60 and 84 months.
The varieties would help farmers to produce more and make more money within a short period of time.
CRIN has started the pods distribution to farmers in the 14 cocoa producing states.
She explained that farmers could replant the seeds from the pods in subsequent years even after the transformation agenda period..
“These pods are not genetically modified, they are hand pollinated because if there are genetic-engineered, the seeds will become sterile and the farmers will not be able to plant them again.
“We train farmers on how to do hand pollination techniques so that whenever they need to hand pollinate again, they will just do it on their farms without having to come to the institute,” she added.
Source: en.starafrica.com/news/1-million-tons-cocoa-pods-to-nigerian-farmers-by-2015.html
Attachments:
