Agriculture = wealth, but it can’t happen the way our parents practised, IITA says

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Farmer uses a power tiller to prepare a rice farm in Benue. Young farmers are behind a movement using small machines to reduce farm drudgery

Africa needs the right messages and methods to attract young people to agriculture and end rising unemployment across the continent, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) says.

Addressing the food insecurity question in Africa required collective efforts  from the different  institutions operating in Africa, stressing that “IITA  cannot succeed in  isolation,” said Kenton Dashiell, deputy director-general in charge of partnership for delivery at IITA.

His comments came in a message to journalists to mark the 2017 Media Day, part of activities celebrating IITA 50th anniversary on July 24.

He said creativity is crucial to how information on agricultural innovation is packaged and disseminated to young people in a way that would attract them into agriculture and clear illusions about the sector.

“Our message is this—agriculture is the  way to become wealthy.  But this cannot happen if it is practiced the way our  parents did. Fortunately,  IITA has advanced technologies that if used could make  farming very profitable  and fun for farmers,” said Dashiell.

The Media Day is the first time IITA would spend a full day with journalists to showcase its facilities, projects and direction in the next 50 years.

On its showcase are fields where IITA researchers developed strains to defeat Black Sigatoka disease on banana, cassava mealybug and maize streak virus.

From its laboratories have come breakthroughs—including the use of Aflasafe to make maize and groundnuts safer and innovations that have researchers growing yam in the air and new technologies being  developed to control  weeds in cassava.

Journalists  were taken  around the facilities to see research on maize, yam,  cassava, cowpea, banana  and plantain. IITA is also piloting the first ever  Africa-wide youth in  agribusiness initiative (IITA Youth Agripreneurs), which has  received strong  support from the African Development Bank and about 11 heads  of African states.

Dr Kwesi  Atta-Krah,  Chair, IITA50 Organizing Committee and Director, Systems and  Site Integration said  that in the last 50 years, IITA had stood with the people by  providing agricultural  solutions that address the constraints to Africa’s  agricultural development.

“And  because we are  truly people-centric, our goal in the last 50 years has  always been to make  living more fulfilling for even the poorest of the poor  farming households.  Even now, IITA will not stop. The Institute will continue to  join hands with  relevant stakeholders to do its best to transform  agricultural practices to be  able to transform Africa,” Dr Atta-Krah  explained.

The Chair  of the IITA50  Organizing Committee also announced that on 30 June 2017, a  press conference  will be held at IITA’s facilities in Lagos, after which  IITA’s senior  management team will proceed to ring the closing bell at the  Nigerian Stock  Exchange, officially announcing the Institute 50th  anniversary to the public.

Established  1967, IITA  is a leader in agricultural research in sub-Saharan Africa.  Innovations from  the Institute have translated to better nourishment, food  security, and  livelihood-generating activities for millions of  Africans.

The IITA50  celebration  received financial support from IITA staff and the Board of  Trustees, Dangote  Group, Bovas, and Inqaba. Other supporters include Punch and  the Guardian  Newspapers.

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