Stakeholders in the agribusiness sector, comprising the Coconut Research Institute—Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Science (CRI-CATAS) and the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), engaged in a collaborative effort on Tuesday to enhance the Nigerian coconut value chain with technologies aimed at achieving higher coconut yields per hectare per year.
The Guardian reports that the collaboration is aimed at boosting joint research activities in the areas of oil palm and coconut biology, and exchanging academic personnel and materials.
Speaking during an engagement by CRI-CATAS at NIFOR in Benin, the Acting Executive Director of NIFOR, Dr. Isona Gold, noted that the core objectives of the collaboration are to undertake joint research activities in the areas of oil palm and coconut biology, and to exchange academic personnel and materials.
According to Isona, the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research is a repository of all available oil palm genetic materials globally.
He added that the threat of climate change to the future supply chain of fats and oils has become worrisome, noting that no one needs further explanation of the implications for food production, sustainability, and security.
“Drought and its negative effects on food production are the major concerns of the scientific community globally, and hence the concerted efforts to improve germplasms in different countries to mitigate this threat,” Isona said.
“NIFOR is strategically positioned to provide the germplasm materials for developing drought-resilient planting materials with the capacity for 150-250kg of fresh fruit bunches per palm per year in an environment of 1000mm-1500mm of total rainfall distributed within six months of the year.”
He added that the collaboration is expected, in the near future, to enhance the Nigerian coconut value chain with technologies for higher coconut yield per hectare per year.
“We are aware the coconut value chain is very well developed in China, and we hope that Nigeria can leapfrog in the value chain as a result of this collaboration,” he said.
In her remarks, the leader of the delegation of scientists from CRI-CATAS, Dr. Cao Hongxing, thanked the Acting Executive Director for the warm welcome to NIFOR, expressing optimism about the outcomes of the collaboration.
She commended NIFOR for its significant achievements in oil palm and coconut research and development, expressing hope for a mutually beneficial collaboration that would bridge the existing gaps in the realisation of their research and development objectives.
The event was attended by other management staff of NIFOR.