Agric & Biotech

The approval of BT Cowpea for eventual commercial cultivation in Nigeria has been described as “a development that answers the important issue of the production, availability and accessibility of quality seeds in the Seed Value Chain, which includes scientists, researchers, farmers and industry.” Thomas Havor, President of the National Seed Traders Association of Ghana (NASTAG) In an interview, the President ...

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) predicts a below-normal-rainfall, dwindling amount and duration in many parts of the country in 2019. Farming In its 2019 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP), NiMet calls 2019 El-Nino where rainfall deficit with varying magnitude is expected for most parts of the country. Observers, therefore, posit that the pattern of rainfall can affect food production except there ...

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 flagged-off its multi-billion-naira 2019 dry season rice farming. Rice farming RIFAN President, Aminu Goroyo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the flag-off in Abuja that the project was executed under the Central Bank on Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP). The president, however, said that the ...

Joyce Ebebeinwe of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in this opinion article on the planned commercial release of Bt Cowpea in Nigeria, attempts to elaborate on facts about cowpea variety and why she believes that the move for its commercialisation is erroneous Cowpea Currently, Nigeria and indeed Africa suffers pressure to accept modern biotechnology as the solution to agricultural problems ...

The Gates Foundation is said to be funding a campaign to “end world hunger” by promoting genetically modified organism (GMO) technology. The organisation has reportedly hired 400 “science ambassadors” to influence agricultural policy in 35 countries. Bill Gates of the the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation According to an article published by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), the Bill and ...

Civil society groups under the aegis of the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Consortium (NBBC) has said that the development of the Pod-Borer Resistant Cowpea (PBR-Cowpea) is a confirmation of their expertise in Nigeria to be able to provide a home-grown solution to pest and diseases problems in agriculture. Beans come in several shapes, sizes, colours and tastes The group at ...

The Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, has reiterated the agency’s commitment to put safety first in the regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria. Staff of the National Biosafety Management Agency at the workshop He stated this while declaring open a one-day training workshop organised for the staff of the NBMA.  Dr. Ebegba stressed ...

The Director General/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, has said that the NBMA ACT 2015 is strong enough to ensure a robust biosafety system for Nigeria. Officials of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) during the meeting with Clerks of the National Assembly Dr. Ebegba said at an interaction with Clerks of relevant committees of the National ...

Kenyan farmers should adopt seed varieties that are resilient to climatic shocks in order to achieve food security and expand revenue streams, Joseph Mathooko, a UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) official said on Monday, February 11, 2019. Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General of the FAO Mathooko, a field monitoring officer, said during a field trip to the coastal ...

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and farmers has denounced the recent approval for release of Bt cowpea (beans) for cultivation in Nigeria. The group is also demanding a rejection of the application for field trials of a cassava clone, asserting that the processes of making and approving these artificial crops present enormous threat to human and environmental health. A recent ...