For poverty reduction, agricultural research is the key

Agricultural experts have called for an investment in agricultural researches in other to have a substantial development in sub-Saharan Africa as a way to reduce poverty among the people of the region.

They came to this conclusion after a recent study authored by Arega Alene and Ousmane Coulibaly of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), who found that agricultural researches have had a positive impact on improving productivity and reducing poverty level among sub-Saharan Africans.

According to the study, investing in agricultural researches and project is very important as this will go a long way in improving productivity and reducing the poverty level among the people of Africa. The study puts the farmers benefit from agricultural researches on an impressive estimated aggregate rate of 55 percent increase in productivity and poverty alleviation.

The researchers were able to establish that agricultural research had contributed significantly to productivity growth in the region. The highest returns to agricultural research were found in Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Intensified action still needed

Though there have been lots of progress recorded in the agricultural research work in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa, especially Nigeria, experts in the sector are not yet satisfied with the rate of research and its outcome.

A report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, earlier this year indicated that developing countries can only curb poverty and hunger by improved agricultural production.

According to the agency, developing countries must increase their public investment in research and development as well as adopt the widespread new technologies, techniques and crop varieties as this is the most effective way to achieve an increase in yield production and growth.

Mure Agbonlahor, a lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Abeokuta, agreed that the country has been under-producing due to the lack of effective infrastructural facilities and research activities to channel the agricultural activities to the right path.

"Most of the research work done in the country just end up on papers and do not get to the farmers to experiment," Mr. Agbonlahor said.

"Unless the government intensifies its efforts on creating a favourable platform for research activities in the country to be disseminated effectively to the farmers, the country will not be able to produce as much as it is meant to do. As of now, the agricultural potentials of the country is still underutilised and it will remain so, if research works are not considered seriously for development."

Other agricultural constraints

Despite the contribution of agricultural research and development in the region, the study noted that agricultural activities are still faced with various constraints, which have not been making the sector develop the way it should.

Mr. Coulibaly said though researchers are trying to intensify efforts on research development, there are many other factors outside the laboratory walls that are hindering the realisation of potential result.

"This includes weak extension systems, lack of efficient credit, poor input supply and poor infrastructural development. For the region to effectively succeed in the reduction of poverty, there is a need to improve the extension credit and input system as this is very necessary in order to achieve the desired goal," he added.