At full capacity, the greenhouse has the potential to hold about one million cassava plantlets, which is planting materials for 50ha, and the volume can be repeated two to three times a year, Mr Obasanjo says.
The Olusegun Obasanjo Farms in Owiwi, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, has adopted the Green House Technology for breeding cassava.
Mr Obasanjo said he first noticed the Semi Autotrophic Hydrophonic Facility for Cassava Stem Multiplication technology during a visit to Central African Republic (CAR) last year and decided to introduce it to the Nigerian agricultural sector
Using the technology, he said the farm can produce about three million plantlets of cassava annually.
The project, under the Technology for African Agric Transformation project, is in partnership with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
Speaking at the commissioning of the greenhouse at the farm in Owiwi, Mr Obasanjo commended IITA for bringing the technology to Africa.
“This is a technology that can grow cassava and get maximum level. This particular specie can give you 30 tonnes per hectare and that is what we are on with the consultant,” Mr Obasanjo said.
“At full capacity, the greenhouse has the potential to hold about one million plantlets, which is planting materials for 50ha, and this volume can be repeated two to three times a year. So, this can produce about 3 million plantlets annually,” the former president noted.
A source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com
