Forum warns of harmful effects of herbicides on environment

 

Dr. Rose Suniso Maxwell Gidado is the Assistant Director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Department at the National Biotechnology Development Agency

Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology [OFAB] has warned of the harmful effects of application of herbicides and pesticides to the environment. Coordinator, OFAB, Nigeria Chapter,Dr. Rose Gidado gave the warning at an event in Abuja.   

   

She noted that 70 per cent of the farmers’ activities were devoted to weed control and that herbicides and other dangerous chemicals were used for the purpose.

She cautioned that these chemicals were not only hazardous to the environment but also could cause sicknesses and diseases to the farmers.

                

She noted that apart from health hazards, the application of these chemicals lowered the value of farm produce, adding that Nigerian beans were rejected recently by European Union due to their chemical contents.

She explained that to mitigate the impact of this ugly incident, the application of agricultural biotechnology or genetically modified technology remains the only solution to soil/environmental degradation and hazards.

She pointed out that the only viable approach to ensuring environmental sustainability and increasing food production was through agricultural mechanisation and improving quality of seeds using plant breeding techniques or biotechnology.

The country Coordinator of OFAB asserted that agricultural biotechnology would enhance crop yields, increase income for farmers, reduce pesticide use, leading to improved health for farmers as well as improved nutritional content for crops with vitamin A, iron and zinc.

She pointed out that the use of biotechnology would ensure tolerance to environmental stress like drought, flood and salinity.

Gidado who spoke on “Achieving Food Security, the Role of Biotechnology,”  said biotechnology or genetically modified technology had huge potential to making Nigeria to be self -sufficient in food production.

Said she, “Nigeria has the potential to catch up with Asia and other developed countries”, adding “we have the human capital, environment and all it takes to be like Brazil, Asia and others.We must embrace science and technology for the wind of change to be realised. We are already behind. The evolving technologies are getting more complex.Let’s think of agricultural biotechnology. The future is very bright.”