The National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, Oyo State, has trained 67 farmers under the Agric Mate Farewell to Poverty Association of Nigeria on rapid multiplication techniques and orchard management of its newly developed plantain and banana varieties – HORTIPLAN and HORTIBAN.
The recently developed improved varieties, registered and released by NIHORT, have the ability to combine high yield potential with strong suckering ability, tolerance to nematodes and weevils, and extended shelf life. They are also suitable for boiling, frying, roasting and flour production and adaptable to a wide range of agro-ecological zones across the country.
Training in Ile-Ife
The training, held in Ile-Ife, Osun State, brought together stakeholders across the plantain and banana value chain, including men, women and youths drawn from farming communities in the area. Participants were taken through both theoretical and practical sessions facilitated by a team of NIHORT scientists and technologists.
Key modules covered rapid multiplication methods, orchard establishment and management, pest and disease control, production economics, record keeping and marketing strategies.
Executive Director's Remarks
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of NIHORT, Prof. Muhammad Attanda, represented by the Head of Farming Systems and Extension Department, Dr. Iyabo Adeoye, said the initiative was designed to strengthen the ongoing Federal Government efforts in agriculture, enhance productivity in the plantain and banana subsector, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve rural incomes.
She noted that plantain remains a major food security crop and a reliable source of livelihood for smallholder farmers, stressing that it requires relatively lower capital investment compared to many other cash crops. According to her, almost all soil types in Nigeria are suitable for plantain cultivation, making it a strategic crop for both food security and agribusiness development.
She added that the crop also serves as a key raw material for value-added products such as confectionery flour, infant food and processed chips. She further emphasised the need for sustained capacity building and stakeholder engagement to drive adoption of improved varieties, including HORTIPLAN1, HORTIPLAN2, HORTIBAN1 and HORTIBAN2, in order to scale up production, value addition and market access within the horticultural value chain. Participants were urged to apply the knowledge gained to improve productivity and enhance their agribusiness outcomes.
Association's Appreciation
In their remarks, the Chairman of Agric Mate Farewell to Poverty Association, Chief Isaac Omidiora, and the Secretary, Mr. Abdul Haleem Sulyman, commended the Federal Government and NIHORT for the intervention, describing it as a timely boost to plantain and banana production in the state. They also lauded the institute for the development of improved horticultural varieties aimed at strengthening national food security.
At the end of the training, participants received certificates of participation, training manuals and suckers of the newly released varieties. The initiative forms part of NIHORT’s ongoing public engagement efforts in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda on food security and job creation.
