By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, Abia State, has released additional root crop varieties for Nigerian farmers.
A director at NRCRI, Godwin Asumugha, who spoke to Daily Trust, described root crops such as cassava, yam, tumeric and sweet potatoes as the engine of economic growth, and stressed that Nigeria must take advantage of their economic potentials.
Asumugha said that as the rainy season approaches, the institute is looking at injecting new varieties of root crops into the market.
For cassava, he said the varieties are TME419, TMS13F1160P0004 (Game Changer), IBA980505 (Fine face), IBA961632 (Farmer’s Pride), IBA070593 (Sunshine), and TMEB693 (Poundable) among others.
The director said about 10 varieties of yam are widely cultivated around the world, but three species (D. rotundata, D. alata, and D. cayenensis) account for 93 percent of the global yam production.
However, he noted that root crop production in Nigeria has some challenges such as poor seed, disease infestation (late blight), inadequate storage facilities and mechanization among others that must be addressed at both the federal and state levels.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to explore the opportunities and resources available to support subsequent initiatives that would boost root crop production and processing in the country.
