Enough ‘noise’ about cassava, we should start making big news about soybean, maize - Prof. Omueti

By Seye Adeniyi- Updated: Tuesday 25-03-2009

Maize can also generate more income for
farmersHonestly to me, much has been said about cassava and how to use it for commercial and industrial purposes. In fact, everywhere you go, the “noise” is all about cassava. Although cassava is a crop that can yield good income, but I think there should be “more noise” about some other crops as well, especially those that can yield more income for farmers, supply the body with the necessary nutrients needed by the vital body organs for growth and unhindered development, especially infants and young children.

“Not only that , there is the need for more public awareness and serious sensitisation of our farmers on what is called quality crops from which human beings can get quality nutrients. A good example of such an important nutrient-rich, fast-income-yielding agricultural crops is soyabean.”

These were the words of Professor Olusola Omueti during an interview with Tribune Agriculture shortly after she delivered an inaugural lecture entitled: “Quality Nutrients: The Embedded Glory, Vitality And Gold In Food Crops” recently at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.

According to Omueti, who is also a senior lecturer/researcher at the Institute of Agriculture Research and Training (IAR &T), Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Oyo State, “we have to train our farmers to grow quality crops if we need productive or profitable agriculture.

“Farmers should also be trained and made to realise that apart from cassava, which they have been made to see as a money spinner, there are other golden crops that could make them millionaires, change their lives for good within the shortest period of time, give them and their children good, quality nutrients when consumed,” she emphasised.

Giving examples of good quality crops which she would want farmers to invest on, the professor of nutritional biochemisty explained that soyabean is not only a golden crop, but a premier crop, which, if planted on a large scale, is capable of providing solutions to the problems of malnutrition, break the cycle of poverty in the country, as well as tackle other food-related diseases among the children in the country.

“What is wrong in training or empowering our farmers to grow crops like soyabeans on large hectares of land since the crop has multipurpose advantages/benefits even better than many agricultural crops. For example, it can provide big profit for farmers and can also be used to solve some socio-economic and industrial problems of the country.

“We all know that poor intake of quality nutrient in young children exposes them to different diseases apart from malnutrition. Therefore, soyabean is a crop of glory based on the quantity and nutritional qualities of its protein which is put at 40 per cent and oil (21 per cent),” she stated.

Also its role in the sustenance of good health, restoration from malnutrition state was emphasised by the don, adding that its popularity in human nutrition could not be overlooked or relegated to the background.

“It is, however, not surprising that soyabean is being given accolades such as a golden bean, miracle bean, crop of the planet etc,” she further stated.

Speaking further, Prof. Omueti said another quality crop which farmers should invest on and increase its production, apart from cassava, is maize. Zea mays as maize is often referred to is ranked third among the world largest grain crops and this was even buttressed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

In Nigeria, the estimated harvested land area of the crop had increased from 1.5 to 5.0 million hectares according to the research done on the crop between 1961 and 2006, while its production for the same period increased from 0.9 to 6.0 million tonnes going by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008 statistics.

Asked to explain some of the reasons farmers should go into the large scale planting of soyabean and maize, Omueti said the nutritional characteristics of maize and soyabean were very high and apart from this, farmers need to diversify in order to make good profits and increase their knowledge.

Therefore, public awareness on the importance of quality nutrients is at a low level in most developing countries like Nigeria and in view of this fact, it is essential to create more “positive noise” on what to eat and what would be the end of the journey as regards one’s health,” she stated further.

Farmers’ knowledge about the significance of quality crops, the don stressed, should receive urgent attention of the policy makers so as to encourage them to plant such crops. They should also be trained to ask questions from the extension agents on the methods to use to plant the crops in order to have bountiful harvest and good profits..