GMO |
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OFAB says registration in progress
The high expectation
to register at least two genetically modified industrial cotton and cowpea
seeds with the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop
Varieties domiciled at National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology
(NACGRAB) by the end of 2018 projection for commercialization have been hazy as
proposal towards such has not been received, the Chief executive Officer, Dr.
Sunday Alalade said in a telephone conversation with Food Farm News.
Meanwhile, The National Coordinator, Open
Forum on Agricultural Bio-technology ( OFAB) Nigeria Mrs. Rose Gidado has said
the registration of Bt cowpea and industrial cotton with the National Committee
on Naming, Registration and Release of crop varieties was in progress as on
farm trails for these crops have been carried out.
Speaking with Food Farm News, Dr. Sunday Alade said
the Centre and the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of
Crop Varieties headed by Chief Oladosun Awoyemi have not received any formal
proposal as regards the registration of any GMO, although pointed they are
aware of Bt cotton and a team has visited the five states where the farm trails
are being located for inspection last year October.
When asked the
outcome of the visit, Dr. Alade said it was a success as the sites were visited
with the hope of seeing performance and observations of the bt cotton on farm
saying that the team with Prof. Candidus Echekwu of IAR, Zaria representing the
National committee on registration and commercialization, the members of the National
Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) together with himself had visited these farms
for the purpose of observation of the performance of the crop and farmers’
position.
According to him “ we
have not received any formal proposal pertaining to any GMOs for registration
but we are aware of the ones going through farm trails across the states. We
have as team visited the five states where farm trails are going on industrial
cotton. The states are Gombe, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna, and FCT, Abuja. The visit
was revealing as there was no much problem as the cotton seed oil is not edible
and farmers are very expectant, although we still have our reservations. That is
what we have done just last year. But there have not been any formal request
for registration”
In another
interaction, the National Coordinator, OFAB, Nigeria, Mrs. Rose Gidado told Food farm News that the progress for
official registration of Bt cotton and cowpea are in progress added that the two engineering
modified crops have gone through farm trail evaluations and observation which
were part of the necessary criteria for proper registration with NACGRAB.
Dr. Gidado stressed the need for farmers’ acceptability of the new
improved technologies towards enhancing food security and more economic earning
adding that both Bt cowpea and cotton have gone through farm trails for data
collection for its registration and commercialization with farmers involvement
in the test for character qualities to higher yield.
She also hinted that cotton being a fiber crop has already been sent to
National Bio-safety for proper quality test for its gene safety to the public
use before embarking on harvest.
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