Keffi (Nasarawa State) – The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) has distributed 36 million improved fingerlings to farmers across the country in the last three years.
The acting National Project Coordinator, WAAPP, Mr James Apochi, made this known on Monday when he visited the Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Sen. Adamu Abdullahi in Keffi, Nasarawa state.
Apochi said the WAAPP improved variety of improved fingerling can grow to size of a table in 16 weeks
He said the programme had also developed brood stock that produces eggs all-year round and have been eqaully distributed to farmers across the country.
Apochi said the inland waters in the country was enough to make Nigeria to be self sufficient in fish production and also a net exporter of fish.
He said WAAPP-Nigeria is partnering 15 Agricultural Research Institutes, 11 Collages of Agriculture and 14 Federal Universities to achieve its objectives.
He said communities benefiting from WAAPP-Nigeria had increased from 25 to over 500 across the country with over 1.8million farmer as direct beneficiaries.
The coordinator said WAAPP-Nigeria could partner with the senator, who is the Chief Executive Officer, Nagari Freash Farm Ltd.o, to enable small holder farmers in the area benefit from WAAPP-Nigeria interventions.
“We have a lot of technologies on ground, in the area of aquaculture, in area of roots and tubers, we are in yam and cassava, in area of seed, we have maize, sorghum and rice.
“WAAPP is that vehicle that can drive the Government change mantra to increase agricultural productivity in Nigeria because WAAPP is all encompassing.
“We are generating technology, disseminating it and building the capacity of farmers that would lead to increased productivity,” he said.
Responding, Adamu said the farm has a total of five dams and would collaborate with WAAPP-Nigeria in the area of aquaculture.
He said his farm had benefited from WAAPP technologies, saying that he has 35 hectares of maize some of which were WAAPP improved varieties.
Adamu said he has vitamin A cassava and 419 variety on about 70 hectares, adding that efforts are ongoing to commence cassava processing.
The lawmaker said there are plantations of improved mango, oranges, palm, cashew and that efforts were ongoing to process them into flakes and concentrates.
According to him, Nigerians have seen the benefits, and we will work for the continuity of this programme.
“Unless we sustain the little efforts WAAPP is making, the little grounds we have covered could be destroyed.
“‘One of the things we cry about in government is inconsistency in policy; this is a sub regional organisation, they will lead the way to attain the benefits not like a one stop shop but with continuity.
“‘We will do anything within the laws of the land and within the law establishing WAAPP to ensure sustainability,” he added.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WAAPP is a World Bank sponsored programme aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and fostering sub regional integration.
Edited by Felix Ajide
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