Cassava farmers in Oyo State have warned of a deepening decline in cassava production across Nigeria, saying the trend is costing the country millions of naira annually.
The farmers, who spoke in separate interviews, attributed the downturn to weak pest control systems, poor farm management practices, limited access to extension and field training, and increasing climate-related challenges. They added that these pressures have forced many producers to abandon their farms.
The concerns came to the fore during a training programme for 6,000 cassava farmers drawn from seven local government areas of the state.
The initiative, organised by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation in collaboration with the National Crops Research Institute, also included a facility tour of the Fashola Agribusiness Hub in Oyo.
Stakeholders at the event noted that many of the losses could have been mitigated through stricter adherence to existing government agricultural policies. They also stressed the need for stronger collaboration with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to address productivity constraints in cassava farming.
Some farmers, including Funmilayo Aderoju, Olusegun Adewuyi and Ogundare Aliu, called for increased government intervention, particularly through access to soft loans and the provision of inputs such as herbicides to boost output.
Programme Coordinator for Agricultural Mechanisation at AATF, Samuel Ogunleye, said the initiative—launched in 2023—was designed to equip farmers with practical knowledge of good agronomic practices to improve yields.
He described the turnout for the week-long training as encouraging, expressing confidence that participants would apply the skills acquired to enhance cassava production.
Similarly, a Director at NCRI, Adeyemi Olojede, underscored the need for increased funding for agricultural research as a pathway to improving farming practices and boosting yields nationwide.
