Accessing clean and improved cassava planting materials for the 2022 planting season

As farmers begin to prepare for the 2022 planting season, it is crucial to be guided by the popular saying, “you reap what you sow”. Farmers, therefore, need to plant the best seeds to reap the best fruits. For cassava farmers, the stems are the seeds, and the best seeds are the improved varieties. This informed the essence of the first Cassava Matters webinar series for farmers themed, "Accessing clean and improved cassava planting materials for the 2022 planting season." The webinar, organized by the Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase (BASICS-II) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in conjunction with the GIZ-GIAE/IITA Cassava and Maize Value Chain Project, pointed cassava farmers where and how to access clean and quality cassava stems of improved varieties ahead of the 2022 farming season. Attendees learnt about the new and improved cassava varieties available and the benefits of the new varieties. Farmers got answers and clarity to various questions about cassava varieties. They also got the opportunity to place orders for stems ahead of time. They will be linked to sources of certified, disease-free cassava stems of improved varieties nearest to them. Apart from IITA GoSeed in Ibadan and Umudike Seeds in Abia state, several Foundation and Commercial Seed Producers established by the IITA GoSeed, Umudike Seeds, BASICS-II and the GIZ-GIAE/IITA Cassava and Maize Value Chain Project, exist across Nigeria. To make a request for stems, please fill out the form on this link: https://bit.ly/stem-request This video is the full recording of the highly informative webinar. #cassava #seeds #agriculture #agribusiness #farming #2022