By Hauwa Ali and Fatima Saka
To tackle climate change and ensure food security, farmers have been advised by the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) and Global Crop Diversity Trust to adopt crops that are resilient.
The Director of NACGRAB, Dr. Sunday Aladele, made this known on Friday, during a meeting of the Technical Working Group on users’ engagement in Kano.
The “Crop for Resilience” project, which is supported by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, aims to mitigate the effects of climate change in Nigeria by encouraging Nigerian farmers to adopt the centre’s climate-resilient sseeds.
Aladele explained that the meeting was held to engage with the Technical Working Group and ascertain their roles in the user engagement project. He added that both the Technical Working Group and NACGRAB would provide guidance to farmers in selecting the appropriate varieties for cultivation.
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Farmers will be guided by the Germ plasm Users Group (GUG) for sorghum, cowpea, and other crops relevant to climate change in selecting the appropriate variety for cultivation, according to him.
He also advised farmers to multiply the seeds in large quantities and distribute them to others. Dr. Fred Rattunde, a consultant for the Crop Trust, emphasized the importance of conserving crops, which would enable researchers to access various indigenous crop samples from the gene bank for breeding, particularly in the context of climate change.
This, he said, would increase agricultural productivity and ensure food security in the country. Mr. Rattunde praised the project as brave and innovative, urging for synergy and strong ties between farmers and the center.
Similarly, Angarawai Ignatius, the Country Representative of ICRISAT Nigeria, encouraged farmers to adopt NACGRAB’s climate-resilient seeds under the Crop for Resilience project, calling for a shift away from traditional thinking.
He added that the project, which is supported by the Crop Trust, is intended to mitigate the effects of climate change in Nigeria.
During the meeting, members of the Technical Working Group urged NACGRAB to continue to provide support and guidance to farmers in selecting the appropriate seed variety for cultivation.
