The Nation Newspaper

Tag: IAR&T

  • IAR&T is 50

    The Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training  (IAR&T), Ibadan, Prof  James Adediran, said his organisation has provided a centre of excellence for farmers to support research in the sector.

    Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to herald the institute’s 50th anniversary, Adediran said the establishment of the institute ushered in a revolution and helps the nation combat hunger and provides ample food security.

    Adediran insisted that the institute has lived up to its expectations as a centre of excellence in agricultural research since it was established half a decade ago.

    He noted that the institute has achieved monumental feats in the areas of soil, crop and livestock research, improved farming systems among others.

    He said: “We then ask ourselves, have we done enough to showcase and even celebrate at 50? I can confidently say yes, in that our breakthroughs in agricultural research are based on the level of resources available for our use. I am convinced that despite the above challenges, IAR&T has lived up to expectation as a centre of excellence in agricultural research.’’.

     

  • Fashion out activities helpful for food – VC

    The Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, has called for activities that can be helpful to farmers and other stakeholders in the business of food and raw materials production.

    Ogunbodede made the call on Wednesday at the 2018 Annual In-house Review of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan.

    Our reporter confirmed that the review had the theme: “Agricultural Research and Innovation for Sustainable Food and Industrial Raw Material Production’’.

    The vice chancellor said that research institutes should fashion out relevant activities for food and raw materials distribution, preservation, product development and food security.

    Ogunbodede said that the institutes should focus researches on renewable energies such as solar and windmill to mitigate climate change effects.

    He said that researches should also focus on crop and animal production with flood, heat, drought and pest resistance.

    The vice chancellor said that research should be farmer demand-driven, market-oriented, problem-solving, industrial-demanded and generally acceptable for high adoption.

    Ogunbodede also said that education on the effects of climate change should form an integral part of school curriculum and be taught at all levels in agricultural science.

    He said that subsidy on agriculture by governments should target farming activities that could stern the effects of global warming.

    “The subsidy should focus on farming activities that can address water, energy and chemical changes of production environment.

    “Nigeria will be food and nutritionally secure if government will promote a guaranteed market to farmers, and the activities of middlemen be removed from marketing of agro-materials and food crops.

    “The Federal Government should legislate against free range of domestic animals that often willfully destroy farms, causing clashes between crop and livestock farmers (cattle herdsmen),” he said.

    Earlier, the IAR&T Executive Director, Prof. James Adediran, said that the institute conducted a number of researches which were demand-driven and market-oriented in 2017.

    “These are mainly in area of development of land information system and integrated soil management, varietal development in maize, kenaf, integrated pest/disease management in cowpea and maize.

    “There was also genetic improvement of pigs, local chicken through artificial insemination, multi-locational trials to develop new technologies, improving diet to reduce incidence of diabetics in human, improving quality of soya products, among others,” he said.

    Adediran said that IAR&T also participated in various externally-funded projects with good outcomes, adding that some improved varieties of maize, cowpea and soya bean seeds had been provided for farmers and other stakeholders.

    He gave the assurance that the institute would continue with ongoing projects and propose new ones, as well as make more impacts on dissemination of research findings to the end users.

    “Finally, we are also focusing on income generation activities that are sustainable, including transfer of improved technologies to promote entrepreneurship in agriculture,” he said.

    In a lecture on “Post-harvest Handling of Food Crops in a Changing Climate: An Outlook on Food Research in IAR&T’’, a food scientist, Prof. Adetayo Ashaye, called for emphasis food fortification.

    Ashaye said that food control systems should be developed and operated in accordance with fundamental principles including a food chain approach, risk analysis, transparency and involvement of concerned stakeholders.

    The food scientist said that marketing companies and cooperatives were essential for handling produce and reducing post-harvest losses.

    “Proper coordination of their activities is very important.

    “In reducing post-harvest losses for vegetables, proper packing is required to ensure that they don’t lose freshness in the process of transportation; for roots and tubers, their processing/harvesting must be done timely and carefully,” he said.

    Representatives of research institutes and other major stakeholders in agriculture attended the event during which awards were presented to some outstanding workers of the institute.

    NAN

     

  • IAR&T holds mid-term project review workshop

    The Integrated Land and Water Management for Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change (ILWAC) Nigerian team has constructed check dams and water pans for farmers.

    The Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Prof. James Adediran, said this during the ILWAC Mid-Term Review and workshop held at  his institute.

    Adediran said since the inception of the project in 2013, the team had made a lot of progress which includes establishment of sustainable partnership for innovations in soil and water management.

    “Appropriate tools for soil resource mapping were developed and promoted while technologies for soil-water-nutrient management were identified and promoted.

    He noted that his institute alongside other institutions in Burkina-Faso and Cote d’ Ivoire won the grant to conduct research on the project titled ‘Sustainable soil-water nutrient management under increasing climatic change and Variability.

    He however emphasized that the project was funded by CORAF/West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD).

    The Director said the objective was to improve agricultural resilience to climatic variability through deployment of improved soil and water management technologies that will mitigate the impact of climatic variability.

    The ILWAC Regional Coordinator, Dr Vincent Aduramigba-Modupe said no fewer than 10,000 farmers including women were empowered with inputs, climate smart soil and water conservation measures.

    He said part of the objective is to provide farmers, especially vegetable farmers with water to use during the dry season.

    “The project is on-going in Nigeria, Borkina-faso and Cote d’Ivoire. We plan to upscale the project to more countries in West and Central Africa.

    “We also plan for production of 5000 training manuals, policy briefs and farmers guide; we have more plans but have challenge of restricted use of funds by donor, World Bank and WECARD,” he said.

    The  Head, Department of Fisheries and  Aquaculture University of Ibadan, Prof Bamidele Omitoyin ,  commended the donor and the stakeholders in the project for improving farmers livelihood through the ILWAC project.

  • WAAPP, IAR&T distribute improved maize, rice seeds to farmers

    The Institute of Agricultural Research and Training ( I.A.R. &T), Moor Plantation, Ibadan has distributed improved maize and rice seeds to farmers in the institute adopted villages and environs to enhance their productivity.

    The Director of the institute, Prof. James Alabi Adediran, admonished farmers to carry-out all the agronomic practices on the crops as it was recommended by the extension personnel.

    He said the varieties of the seeds distributed have been found to be well adapted to the southwest agro-ecologies.

    The I.A.R. &T WAAPP Coordinator, Dr Lucia Ogunsumi, appreciated WAAPP for their good gestures and expressed optimism that farmers in the adopted villages would continue to benefit from the Projects.

    The Southwest zonal coordinator of REFILS, Prof. Akin Oluwatosin educated farmers on the recommended agronomic practices of the crops (maize & rice).

    The farmers expressed their profound appreciation to the management of WAAP and the Institute.

    Earlier, in March, the  institute  had distributed free maize seeds and fertilisers to farmers in the South West.