Agric & Biotech

Kenya plans to promote the use of technology in agriculture in order to boost the country’s food security, a government official on Wednesday, August 15, 2019 said. A Kenyan farmer Jerome Ochieng, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, said this at a region forum in Nairobi. The African Policy Road Show forum was organised by the ...

Nigeria has expanded its biological technology space to accommodate evolving trends, thanks to a piece of legislation that recently received Presidential approval. President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the National Biosafety Management Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 Bill, which is essentially a modification to an existing regulation. The new law, according to the National Biosafety Management Agency ...

Speakers at a science communication forum in New York have lauded Nigeria’s steady but significant progress in agricultural biotechnology especially the development of BT cowpea. Nigeria’s Patience Koku, Chief Executive of Replenish Farms, speaking at the event The event was hosted by the Cornell Alliance for Science (CAS), an advocacy group championing genetically engineered crops or GMOs around the world. ...

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (ATF) says the Pot Borer Resistant (PBR) variety cowpea seeds may likely be commercialised for farmers by 2020 planting season. Cowpea Dr Issoufou Abdourhamane, the Regional Head of Africa of ATF made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 in Abuja. Abdourhamane said this was feasible ...

German chemicals giant, Bayer, is facing 5,000 more lawsuits in the U.S. against its subsidiary Monsanto due to its potentially carcinogenic pesticide Roundup, the company said on Tuesday, July 30, 2019. A farm is treated with a weed-killer The 5,000 additional lawsuits were filed in the last three months, bringing the total number of charges against the company to 18,400, ...

For every time Stanley Meets Mutesa  as described by David Ribadu, from the pre-colonial days till recently, the story ends with Africa opening up her doors to episodes of exploitation. The first is mental exploitation; making us believe we have a problem and the West has the key to solving them with all holy intention. Critics fear genetically modified foods ...

The Presidential Initiative on Cassava, launched in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was designed to promote cassava as a viable foreign exchange earner for Nigeria. Cassava farming Then President Goodluck Jonathan sustained the programme by launching the cassava flour initiative. The progamme was meant to bring to the fore, the potential of cassava cultivation and to ...

Claims that genetically modifies organisms (GMOs) will be the main way to feed the world is mere propaganda. Participants at the Dialogue This was the submission by Nnimmo Bassey, Director of the Health of Mother Health Foundation (HOMEF), during a forum on July 25, 2019 in Benin City, Edo State. At a Dialogue on Food and Farming System in Nigeria ...

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 promised to support farmers to sustain food security in Nigeria to end hunger. Rice farming Mrs Udumma Nwokike, the Environment, Energy and Climate Change of UNDP, said this at a training organised for extension workers in Abuja. The training was organised by UNDP – Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in ...

The Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, on Thursday, July 18, 2019 paid a courtesy visit to the new Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Bala Ciroma, to strengthen the collaboration between both organisations. L-R: Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba; and Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Bala Ciroma Speaking during the meeting, ...