FG releases two new BT transgenic hybrid cotton

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Audu Ogbeh 

The federal government has released two new biotechnology transgenic hybrids cotton as a step to improving the quality yield produced in the country. This was made known during a press conference held in Abuja.

 

The event which hosted the minister of science and technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and the minister of agriculture and rural development Chief Audu Ogbeh unveiled cotton that tolerates bollworm, high maturity rate fibres and oil.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Onu said that so far, there was no scientific evidence that shows that this variety of cotton can constitute a health hazard to humans and assured that the newly released MAHYCO C 567 BGII and MAHYCO C 571 BGII varieties of transgenic hybrid cotton were safe as his ministry always ensured that whatever was coming out was safe for farmers’ use as against anyone writing on BT cotton being hazardous to provide scientific evidence.

 

He also added that bringing these two varieties of cotton into cultivation would help in fighting extreme poverty in the country and provide job opportunities.

 

His words: "It is important to note that this research was done with our own local variety of cotton, from every available research as of today, there is no disadvantage to the variety because there is what is called the crime protein, which could be hazardous but generally if you touch this BT cotton there will be no effect because for human beings out guts is acidic so even if it is ingested, our guts does not have those receptors that binds and creates those physiological changes that leads to death in insects.

 

Continuing, he said: "We have looked at it because we must make sure that whatever we release to our farmers or the Nigerian market must be safe and we are happy that so far, there is no scientific evidence that shows otherwise so this is essentially a win-win situation where we are going to improve on the yield by planting these two varieties. So anyone writing about it being hazardous to humans should provide scientific evidence. The bollworm that attacks and devastate cotton fields can no longer be effective, the yield of this cotton variety is higher, the cotton and fibre from the cotton is higher and this variety has a higher maturity rate."

 

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogeh in his remarks said that he thought the whole matter GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) was more in the media than in science and that if the country continued to import the way it does the naira would further depreciate.

 

He added that farmers in the country are right now making so much profit and money from agriculture that jobs are presently being provided, adding that “we won’t run away from BT cotton simply because we are afraid. This last hajj, 55,000 people went for the pilgrimage and 90% of them were farmers who paid for their way and that of their wives, farmers in the country are getting richer."