The National Institute of Horticultural Research, under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has distributed pineapple suckers to FADAMA III farmers in Osun State, alongside technical training on cultivation practices.
The distribution follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed to develop disease-free planting material. Executive Director Muhammed Lawal Attanda said the program focuses on scaling improved varieties.
"After the MoU, we informed them that if we are going to come up with a disease-free planting material, which is the output of a biotechnology method, it takes some time, so we gave them between six and nine months to come back. The pineapple planting material we are talking about is precious to us in NIHORT, being that the most common variety of pineapple we have is smooth cayenne.
"The one we are giving out today, about six to 10,000, are basically MD2 and Sugarloaf. They have various utilizations regarding their premium, for example, they are mainly for export, and they use them for concentrate. We have domesticated it, we have it in NIHORT, so we want to scale it out."
Attanda said training and monitoring will accompany the distribution to support crop establishment. "The best way to scale it out is to get it across to the farmers, and that is what we are doing today. We will still give them the training in order for them to get the desired result. We will also follow up with them to monitor the whole process."
He added that MD2 and sugarloaf varieties are used in export markets in the sub-West African region. "This MD2 and sugarloaf are convenient for export because of their size, and the shelf life is longer. We do not have much in Nigeria."
NIHORT previously partnered with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council to introduce the varieties, importing initial material from Ghana. Production is supported by rapid multiplication techniques. "What this means is that if you plant one sucker, it can give you 10,000 suckers within the space of six months."
Attanda said between 10,000 and 50,000 suckers are being distributed, with a target of 50,000 to 100,000 units across MD2 and sugarloaf varieties.
Coordinator of the Osun State FADAMA III farmers association, Benjamin Oyekola, said the material will be utilised. He said the state could become a production base for the varieties in the coming years.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
