Bt cotton: Premier seeds yet to take multiplication decision

The Managing Director (MD) Premier Seeds of Nigeria, Prof. A.A Ogungbile in red cap

The Managing Director (MD) Premier Seeds of Nigeria, Prof. A.A Ogungbile has said his organization would tread on the path of market availability before the company would fully engage in the commercial multiplication of the newly released Biotechnology genetically modified cotton (Bt cotton) for the farmers.

Speaking with Food Farm News, in his office at Zaria, Prof. Ogungbile said that the decision on Bt cotton commercial multiplication to farmers was not yet taken as the company would study the marketing situation before taking such action saying that the abolition of cotton marketing board had negatively impacted on the productivity growth of the produce and textile industry in Nigeria.

He said that from the economic point of view “Premier seed is yet to take decision on commercial production of bt cotton new varieties to farmers due to economic reason unlike in the 1980s when it was very profitable as the marketing board was still existing to control prices and quality with British Cotton Ginning Company (BCG) at Funtua in Katsina state serving as off taker. Most textile companies are gone in Nigeria. So if I produce who will pick since the board that usually control the activities are now scrapped. Another issue is illegal importation like what is happening in rice production in Nigeria can hinder local production as well. But unlike rice, maize, groundnut, and sorghum that can be sold at the local market, this is not applicable to cotton, it cannot be sold into local market like rice. This is one great challenge we have to consider”

The Bt cotton varieties were among the newly registered improved seed by the National committee on naming, registration and release of crops, livestock/fisheries at the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) in this year July 2018, and it can now be commercially multiplied for the use of Nigerian farmers by the registered seeds companies after certification by the appropriate authorities as the case may be.

This is the first time two national genetically modified cotton varieties would be released at once into the Nigerian market and its demand according to Premier seeds boss is expected to be a gradual thing more so that the marketing board who would have overseen its coordination had long been scrapped thereby making the marketing of the crop very difficult locally as provision for quality inputs to farmers are no morewell-coordinated to encourage market for off takers.