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Agency seek increased funding for the domestication of GMO

February 22nd, 2017 / The Guardian, Nigeria

To fully domesticate the development of Genetically Modified crop in the country, the Nigerian Agriculture Seed Council (NASC) has called for the need to scale up funding for agricultural biotechnology in the country.
The Director General NASC, Olusegun Ojo who stated this during the training of over 20 seed scientists on …

Farmers urged to embrace organic fertilizer

February 15th, 2017 / Sahel Standard, Nigeria

Farmers have been urged to embrace organic fertilisers hence it is superior alternative to artificial fertilizer.
This charge was made in Abuja during the launch of ‘Greenfelt’ organic fertilizer in the market.
Yakubu Yasukuma, who represented the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the product will be subjected …

These 7 wonderful CROPS will put Nigeria’s economy back on the track

February 10th, 2017 / NAIJ.com

Many factors have been adduced for food insecurity in third world countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these determinants are hinged on natural and artificial logic at the expense of individuals’ failure of contributing to food security drive of world’s leaders which requires investments in wide-ranging food and cash crops. …

‘GMOs will not replace conventional seeds’

February 1st, 2017 / Tribune, Nigeria

The Country Coordinator of the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), Rose Gidado, in this interview says genetically modified seeds will not take over from the conventional seeds, and highlights some characteristics of GMOs and how they can help Nigeria in attaining food security. See …

Nigeria ranks low, S/Africa, Malawi highest, among African countries committed to ending hunger

January 31st, 2017 / The Vanguard, Nigeria

Nigeria ranks 37 in its commitment to ending hunger and malnutrition among its people, the Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index – Africa (HANCI-Africa) has indicated. The rankings, produced by the Institute of Development Studies (UK) with the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), was released on the website …

GM crops: between golden harvest and risks

January 5th, 2017 / Daily Trust, Nigeria

Nigeria is set to introduce genetically modified crops into the country’s farming system starting 2017 with the commercial release of the home-grown genetically modified cowpea (beans), which Institute for Agricultural Research, ABU, Zaria worked on in the last 13 years.
Also next year, the country is expecting the research on …

Nigeria refocuses on farming as oil money shrinks

December 16th, 2016 / African Farming, UK

Nigeria is turning to farming as dwindling oil income has driven the economy to the brink of its first full-year contraction in more than two decades.
The government plans to capitalise the state-owned Bank of Agriculture Ltd. with US$3.2bn so it can lend to farming projects at less than half the …

International collaboration receives grant to improve cassava harvests and nutrition for smallholder families in sub-saharan Africa

December 15th, 2016 / Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, US

The Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa Plus (VIRCA Plus) consortium of American, Nigerian, Ugandan, and Kenyan institutions recently received a five-year, $10.46 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop disease-resistant and nutritionally-enhanced cassava varieties to improve the livelihoods and health status of African farm families.
Plant …

How late distribution of inputs affects farming in Nigeria

December 9th, 2016 / AllAfica.com

Farmers, agriculturists and other stakeholders say farm inputs are the bedrock of farming and should not be distributed late if government’s objectives of food self-sufficiency and exportation of farm produce are to be achieved.
The experts say that agricultural activities are time bound and nature dependent, especially in parts of the …

GE cowpea seed to be available for Nigerian farmers in 2019

December 7th, 2016 / ISAAA US

Nigeria’s National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) head announced that genetically engineered (GE) cowpea will be commercially available in the country on or before 2019. Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, NABDA Director General, mentioned this during the November meeting of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB). Prof. Ogbadu said that GE cowpea …