West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE), the body in charge of addressing diseases of root/tuber crops has raised alarm over two emerging cassava diseases that may find their ways to Nigeria.
Dr Justin Pita, Executive Director of WAVE, at the second Annual General Meeting of stakeholders from the West African sub-region in Abuja, identified the two new diseases as begomovirus and brown streak viruses.
He said that the diseases, which originated from East Africa, were moving toward Central Africa and West Africa, adding that Nigeria was not, therefore, immune to its effects.
He said that these viruses had negatively affected cassava production in sub-Saharan Africa, adding that it would be disastrous if the Federal Government failed to initiate urgent measures to forestall their outbreak in Nigeria.
“The diseases are not yet in West Africa or Nigeria, in particular, but we have to create tangible awareness on its existence and its possible impact on the nation’s cassava production if eventually it happens.
“We don’t have it yet in Nigeria; that is a blessing but we have to prevent it from entering the country and that is the reason why we are working on this project,’’ he said.
Pita urged the Federal Government to be aware of existence of the diseases, while striving to train more food scientists to tackle them.
Also speaking, Prof. Joseph Ukpabi, Acting Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, said that the institute was statutorily mandated to conduct research into the genetic improvement, production, processing and storage of root crops in the country. (NAN)
Source: Daily Trust News
