The Federal Government says it will produce 1.50 million metric tonnes of wheat by 2017 and also to reduce importation of the commodity.
The Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Maiduguri, Borno, Dr Oluwasina Olabanji, stated this on Wednesday at Dadin Kowa, Gombe State.
The director was speaking at this year’s Wheat Farmers’ Field day held at the Dadin Kowa Irrigation Dam in Yamaltu/Deba Local government Area of Gombe State.
Olabanji said that the institute had planned to cultivate 150,000 hectares of wheat using 75,000 wheat farmers in 2015/2016 season, while the production would be increased to 300,000 hectares in 2017.
“The wheat value chain aims at increasing productivity of wheat from 2.0 tonnes per hectare in 2013 to six hectares by 2017.
“The national production would be increased from the current 150,000 metric tonnes to 1.5 million metric tonnes in 2017 and would also transform wheat to major high income generation industrial crop for farmers.
“The wheat programme is also exploring the potential for producing wheat profitably under rain-fed condition in the Nigerian highlands of Taraba, Plateau and Cross river states,” Olabanji said.
The director explained that the step taken by the Federal Government was aimed at producing 50 per cent of the wheat requirements in the country.
According to him, about N650 million spent annually on importation of the grain would also be saved.
The chairman of the LCRI Board, Mr Yakubu Tsala, commended farmers for accepting the government’s call to embark on massive production of wheat to reduce importation.
Reports says highlight of the occasion was the inspection of wheat farms at the irrigation site by officials of the institute and other experts (
