IITA News

Female youth agripreneurs in the field, gathering data on pearl millet.

ICT adoption can increase crop productivity among young farmers in Tanzania!

Studies have shown that the involvement of Africa’s youth in rural development and agriculture will not only boost food security on the continent but also strategically provide solutions to the prevailing problem of unemployment plaguing African societies. However, youth participation in these areas in most African countries is very low. Many factors are responsible for…

Mbongo Daud Batson explaining the qualities of the new matooke varieties, called NARITA, during the Nane Nane at Mbeya-Uyole.

Tanzania spotlights its first-ever matooke hybrids at the 2020 national farmers’ exhibition “Nane Nane”

The East Africa Highland cooking banana, matooke, is a hugely popular food in Tanzania. With the impending release of the first-ever high-yielding hybrids of matooke on the horizon, researchers took the opportunity to exhibit them at this year’s annual agricultural show “Nane Nane” in Tanzania. The new hybrids created much excitement among the attending farming…

YIIFSWA-II Project Leader Norbert Maroya showing the feeding system and the established roots and tubers of yam plants in the aeroponic system.

Influential yam producer visits YIIFSWA-II for mass propagation of seed yam

The Chief Executive Officer of Napetsa Farms, Joseph Adewale Fosudo, has been growing yam for decades in Epe, Lagos, and in northern Nigeria. The yam producer, considered a top commercial farmer, visited CGIAR-IITA on 4 August to learn about using single-vine seedlings from high ratio propagation technologies (HRPTs) for seed yam tuber production. “I came…

Network makes headway in strengthening gender research at IITA

The gender science network at CGIAR-IITA is making significant progress in its efforts to enhance gender research at the Institute. The network, which comprises IITA social and biophysical scientists, youth program technical experts, and staff from other units, has finalized its working strategy that articulates how it will operate in 2020 and beyond to help…

Project’s screen house at Rubona station

New disease-resistant cassava varieties introduced in Rwanda

Rwandan farmers have lacked improved cassava varieties resistant to the main cassava diseases, namely Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD). The diseases have since 2014/15 affected cassava productivity, hence threatening the incomes and food security of many people in the country. “There are two main diseases that attack cassava in Rwanda…

An extension agent conducting yield assesment in a trial plot managed using AKILIMO recommendations.

National agency to integrate AKILIMO tools into national extension package

Nigeria’s National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) is in talks with the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) project to integrate AKILIMO into the government extension package in Nigeria. NAERLS is one of the 18 national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD). NAERLS is responsible for…

Youth agripreneurs on a field during land preparation

Youth involvement crucial to successful agriculture intervention programs

A study was carried out to evaluate the impact of the N-power Agro program on youth employment and income generation in some parts of rural Nigeria. Adewale Ogunmodede did this research under the IITA-implemented Enhancing Capacity to Apply Research Evidence (CARE) in Policy for Youth Engagement in Agribusiness and Rural Economic Activities in Africa project,…

Digital extension tools thrill dignitaries at annual national farmers’ exhibition in Tanzania

The digital extension tools and other technologies developed by CGIAR-IITA received wide attention in an exhibition at the recently concluded National Farmers’ Exhibition in Tanzania. IITA and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector showcased innovative technologies at the annual exhibition, which took place in Simiyu region, northern Tanzania, on 1-8 August. The theme of this…

DG Nteranya Sanginga making his remarks during the commissioning

African seed system gets a boost with purchase of 18-ton trucks to ease quality seed delivery to farmers

On 7 August, IITA GoSeed, in Ibadan and Umudike Seeds based at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umuahia, jointly commissioned two brand new 18-ton trucks to ease logistical challenges in moving cassava seed. IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga presided over the ceremony at the Agricultural Transformation building of the CGIAR-IITA headquarters in Ibadan,…

Early adopter of YIIFSWA-promoted improved yam varieties enjoys “fantastic” yield

Beaming with pride, Chief Joshua Ojedele showed off his 2-hectare yam field cultivated from improved varieties that he got from the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project. His farm was lush green with healthy foliage, promising a good harvest. All the mounds had at least one yam plant with…