National Root Crops Research Institute
NCRI
About
The National Root Crops Research Institute is an agricultural research institute in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. It conducts research into the genetic improvement of root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, cocoyam, sweet potato and Irish potato, as well as their cultivation, storage, processing and utilization, with a focus on the needs of farmers in Nigeria's south-east zone. The institute also trains middle-level agricultural workers, awarding National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas, and provides specialized vocational training to farmers. It has received funding for a modern laboratory for cassava genetics research and collaborates with regional research centres through the Southern Africa Root Crops Research Network.
History
The institute's origins trace back to an experimental farm established at Moor Plantation, Ibadan on January 1, 1923 by the Nigerian Department of Agriculture. The School of Agriculture was established in 1955, and in 1956 the two establishments were combined as the Eastern Nigeria Agricultural Research and Training Station (ARTS), with headquarters at Enugu. In 1972 the institution assumed federal status as the Federal Agricultural Research and Training Station (FARTS). In 1976 it was renamed the National Root Crops Research Institute, coming under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria. In 1995 the training wing was split off as the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu.