The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, on Thursday tasked agriculture experts, research institutes and relevant stakeholders with the promotion of sustainable development of okra breeding programmes.
Kyari gave the charge during a three-day international conference in Ibadan tagged “Global Okra Round Table-11 2024 (GORT 11), alongside 5F Farming Conference”, with the theme “Breeding for Resilience.”
The Minister, represented by Mrs Linda Oje-Imoje of the ministry’s Horticulture Division, also tasked stakeholders with the development of policies which would strengthen crop improvement.
He said the measure would boost productivity and job generation for farmers.
“Also, the measure will improve health and living standards, as well as earn and conserve foreign exchange for Nigeria,” Kyari said.
He commended the programme’s organisers — Advance Training in Plant Breeding (ATPBR), a non-profit foundation in India — for its collaboration with the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT).
The Minister lauded ATPBR and NIHORT for according priority to training/capacity-building, especially in an area that would promote and enhance sustainable development of the okra sub-sector in agriculture.
He described the programme as a step in the right direction “as it will strengthen the breeding of horticultural crops and stemming the virulence of pests and diseases.
Kyari urged all stakeholders at the workshop to make positive contributions and ensure the outcomes were applied to the development and growth of the Nigerian plants breeding industry.
In his address, the Executive Director of NIHORT, Prof. Muhammad Atanda, said the conference represented a significant gathering of experts and stakeholders dedicated to advancing research in okra production.
Atanda urged the participants to engage actively during the conference, saying their insights and expertise were invaluable “as we work collaboratively towards fostering resilience in our agricultural systems”.
The chairman of the conference, Dr Surinder Tikoo, said the programme was organised in order to have the inputs of stakeholders on how to make okra a global crop.
NAN
