Breeders identify cost management remedy for RTCs challenges

Plant breeders, bio -statisticians and breeding data managers across Africa (DR Congo, Kenya, Niger and Nigeria) have identified effective cost management in breeding programmes as antidotes to achieving targeted genetic gains in Root and Tuber Crops (RTCs).

The experts, who recently converged at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State, to brainstorm on RTCs Breeding Operations Costing, using the Queensland University Breeding Costing Tool, said lack of awareness about proper costing methods can hinder accurate tracking that may lead to resource misallocation, and ultimately slow down genetics gains.

The workshop was a collaboration between the Accelerated Breeding Initiative (ABI) of the Consulting Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the NRCRI, which has Professor Chiedozie Egesi, as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (ED/CEO).

ABI-Transform Lead, Dr Vishnuvardhan Reddy Banda, said in order to address the challenge, it is collaborating with the NRCRI to host the workshop with focus on cost management for root, tuber, and banana breeding programmes, noting that effective cost management in breeding programmes is directly linked to achieving targeted genetic gains.

Participants were drawn from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; National Cereals Research Institute Badegj; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya, Niger and DR Congo with sponsorship from the ABI of the Consulting Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The workshop, which featured presentations on Cassava, Yam, Sweet Potato, Taro, Irish Potato, Maize, Soybean and Cowpea had Olivia Odiyo and Samuel Mutiga of CIMMYT, Nairobi Kenya, and Dr Joseph Onyeka of NRCRI, among others.

While flagging off the workshop, the chief host, Prof. Egesi, said the plant breeders from DR Congo, Kenya, Niger, and Nigeria are gathered at NRCRI to develop breeding metrics/schemes and financial models to implement them thereafter.

“At NRCRI, we seek to use cutting edge technologies to increase agricultural productivity as a means to achieving Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Food Security and pivot to an agricultural-driven economy, which is a strong demonstration of an effective Consulting Group for International Agricultural Research – National Agricultural Research (CGIAR-NARS) partnership in Africa.”

At the end of the workshop, he encouraged the participants to ensure they demonstrate all they garnered in their various institutions by filling up every gap to get along the paths of perfection and by so doing “make excellence a culture that will be helpful to us in projecting our images as the right national programme to be used as an example for the CGIAR-NARS network.”