Adaption of high yield cassava takes price high

An agriculturist, Sola Adepomola, says the current price of cassava at N15,000 per ton has justified farmers’ adoption of the high yield cassava stems, which ultimately boosted their earnings.

Adepomola, who made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos, said the result became visible with the sales of the produce of last planting season.

He said the development would entice them to produce more and even for export, saying the high yield quality, disease and pest resistant cassava stems were got from Ibadan-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“We are moving forward as regards cassava production. The price of cassava has gone up to N15,000 per ton this year. This is a good a feat for cassava farmers, especially those who have already embraced the high quality yield type.

“We use both organic and inorganic fertilisers for planting but we attribute this year’s successes to the high quality cassava stems we got from IITA,’’ Adepomola said.

He said cassava could thrive in most weather conditions which was a plus for the farmers.

Farmers have more than doubled their yield of cassava, thanks to the Unleashing Power of Cassava in Africa (UPoCA) project being implemented by the IITA since 2011.

IITA scientists have played a leading role in developing improved cassava varieties, which are disease and pest resistant. The variety is also low in cyanide content (toxic and anti-nutritional substances), drought-resistant, early maturing and high yielding.

The disease-resistant varieties give sustainable yields of about 50 percent more than local varieties.