AgroPages-Syngenta/IITA collaborate to boost food production in Nigeria-Agricultural news

Syngenta and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), an international non-profit organization, have entered into partnership to boost the technological know-how of farmers and food production in Nigeria.

Speaking during the official signing of the agreement between the IITA and Syngenta at Shika Farms of the Ahmadu Bello University, the deputy director general for partnerships and capacity development, Dr. Kenton Dashiell said the joint efforts by both leading organisations will improve and promote cost effective production for maize, tomatoes, sweet pepper and cabbage and also increase yields and incomes from cultivating the crops.

The partnership he said is to identify, adapt and make available to Nigerian farmers high-yielding and superior maize and vegetable hybrids.

According to him, “We are working on six crops, maize, soyabean, cabbage, yam, cassava, plaintain, banana, and in each of these crops, we have programme to develop and improve varieties of hybrids towards the farmers.

“Under the agreement, variety trials will be conducted at IITA sites in Nigeria using Syngenta’s hybrid seeds for the selected crops, crop protection packages and standard crop production protocols.