From Our Correspondent
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has tasked agriculturists, research institutes and relevant stakeholders towards developing new breeding programmes for Okro.
TheNewsZenith reports that Kyari gave the charge at the opening of a three-day international conference on Okro cultivation, on Thursday in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The theme of the conference is “Global Okra Round Table -11 2024 (GORT 11)”.
This is held alongside the 5F Farming Conference with the theme “Breeding for Resilience”.
Mrs Linda Oje-Imoje of the Horticulture Division in the ministry represented the minister at the twin conference.
The minister also tasked stakeholders to develop policies that would strengthen crop improvement.
“The measure will boost productivity and job generation for farmers,” Kyari said.
According to him, the measure will improve health and living standards. It will also earn and conserve foreign exchange for Nigeria.
The minister commended the Advance Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR) for organising the conference
ATPBR, a non-profit foundation in India, collaborated with the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) to organise the conference.
Kyari lauded ATPBR and NIHORT for according priority to capacity building.
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He specifically commended them for delving into the area of promoting and enhancing the sustainable development of Okra cultivation in Nigeria.
The minister described the programme as a step in the right direction.
“It will strengthen the breeding of horticultural crops and stem the virulence of pests and diseases,” he said.
He urged stakeholders at the workshop to make positive contributions and ensure the outcomes apply to the development and growth of the Nigerian plant breeding industry.
Earlier, the Director of ATPBR and Chairman of the conference, Dr Surinder Tikoo, remarked that the programme aimed to get inputs from stakeholders on how to make Okra a global crop.
Tikko said the collaboration with NIHORT “is to collaborate on modalities for making Okra a global crop.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of NIHORT, Prof. Muhammad Attanda, said the conference represented a significant gathering of experts and stakeholders.
The participants, Atanda said, are dedicated to advancing research in Okra production.
He urged the participants to engage actively during the conference.
“Your insights and expertise are invaluable. Let us collaboratively work toward fostering resilience in our agricultural systems,” TheNewsZenith quotes Atanda as saying.
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