NRCRI research farms devastated by grazing cattle

As grazing cattle reared by Fulani herdsmen continue to eat up crops in different parts of the country, experimental and research farms owned by National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State have not been spared.

NRCRI Executive Director /Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Julius Okonkwo, stated this at the opening of its three-day 2016 research review and planning said in the past four years, the institute’s experimental crops being devastated by Fulani Cattle.

“These crops are often new breeding lines being developed towards the release of new cassava and yam varieties. Development of one new crop variety requires a lot of resources and rigorous research efforts that may span over 15 years. At any stage within this period, disruption of the process would lead to wasted resources and time, which may never be recovered,” he revealed.

He added that even when the Institute tried to fence the areas, the fences were brought down by the rearers, who allegedly carry arms hence, he urged for solution to be found against these constraints and challenges.

The Executive Director stated that the review workshop, which had the theme “ Strengthening Research and Extension in Root and Tuber Crops for Increased Productivity and Economic Diversification”, provides the forum for reviewing the research results and new technologies developed by the Institute to address the problems of national food security, poverty alleviation and youth economic empowerment.

In a keynote address, Professor Jude Mbanasor of the Department of Agribusiness and Management at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike posited that Nigeria has a well-developed root and tuber research system with adequate technologies capable of stimulating farmers output for increased income and employment generation.

Declaring the workshop open, the State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu represented by the Agriculture Commissioner, Uzor Azubuike, noted that all the agric plantations in the former Eastern region inclusive of Abia State were established between 1952 and 1964, but there has been no attempt since then to replace them or even acquire the land.
He lamented that Cattle menace has become a very serious problem in the country.