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The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has expressed its willingness and readiness to expand existing areas of collaboration with the Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000) to boost agricultural production in the country.
A Seed Systems Specialist at the institute, Dr. Lucky Omoigui, gave the assurance when two Executive Directors of SG 2000 from Japan visited the institute yesterday in Kano.
The SG 2000 programmes have improved the productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers by encouraging the adoption of higher-yielding varieties and enhanced production practices.
Omoigui said expanding the areas of collaboration between the two organisations would not only boost food production but would go a long way in enhancing the socio-economic condition of smallholder farmers in the country. According to him, the visit by the delegation will also strengthen the existing partnership between IITA and SG 2000.
“We have collaborated on several projects but there is need for us to look for more areas of partnership because our collective effort is geared toward improving the lives of farmers,” he said.
The Seed Systems Specialist stressed the need for the two organisations to continue to partner with each other in order to enable farmers to benefit from the new improved seed varieties and farming technologies introduced by the organisations.
“There is also the need for us to explore more areas of the collaboration for the benefit of farmers in the country. Any area you want the IITA to come in, it is ready to do so and support. Most of the technologies we developed cannot reach local farmers without the media. So, we need to also collaborate with the media toward that direction,” he said.
Earlier in her remark, Executive Director, SG 2000, Mrs. Fumiko Iseki, expressed concern over poor community involvement, especially in the distribution of high yield seeds to farmers in the country.
