‘FG Gommitted to Diversification of Economy through Food Crops’

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Executive Secretary of Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Garba Hamidu Sharubutu, yesterday said the administration of President Bola Tinubu, is committed to diversify the economy of the country through production of food crops. 

This is just as he called on farmers in the country not to concentrate on production of cash crops alone. 

Sharubutu stated this on the sideline of the International Conferences on Global Okra Round Table 11 and 5F Farming Conference-Breeding for Resilence, held in Ibadan, Oyo state. 

The event was organised by the Foundation for Advanced Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR), Maharashtra, India and the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan.

Sharubutu said the administration of President Bola Tinubu placed more emphasis on the diversification of the economy hence the focus on shifting attention from production of cash crops to food crops such as okro. 

According to him, by concentrating on production of food crops, farmers in the country stand to gain from the various policies put in place by the federal government, stating that apart from helping towards the diversification of the economy it would help in achieving food sufficiency in the country. 

He said: “Mr. President is more than interested in the diversification of the economy. We cannot just concentrate on production of cash crops alone. We need to also support and look at other staple food items. And most importantly, Okro. It can grow anywhere and any season, in the desert or anywhere. 

“What we are doing is to promote production of Okro. It can grow in two cycles, and this two or three cycles will make agriculture more sustainable in the sense that in between the farming of yam you have Okro maybe one or twice. So sustainability of our own citizens are key and this is what this government is doing. 

“The Council has the mandate to regulate agricultural research, training and extension. We are here in Ibadan in view of the global roundtable conference that is taking place under the  promotion of okro. Okro is our food and delicacy. 

“The executive is represented, the Miinister was represented and the Senate was also represented by Senator Akintunde. We are the second largest in terms of Okro production, but we are not yet there because there are lots of things that we need to do as Mr. President has insisted that all Nigerians must not go to bed with empty stomach. We are not just talking about the quantity but the quality of the food.”

On his part, Director of ATPBR, India, Dr. Surinder Tikko, said the conference was organised in order to have inputs of the stakeholders on how to make Okro a global crop. 

“We are here for the conference to make Okro a global crop with the help of ATPBR in India and NIHORT in Nigeria. We are together working towards making it a global crop,” he said.

Present at the conference were: Senator Yunus Akintunde; the Chief Executive Officer, NIHORT, Prof. Mohammad Lawal Attanda, representative of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Tikko,  and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.