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| Minister vouches support for BT hybrid cotton |
The Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has said that the
two recently released biotechnology transgenic hybrid cottons had been well
tested with no negative health implication on human beings, asking critics to
always provide scientific evidence for any negative opinion just as the
National President of Cotton Association commended the government’s effort to
ensuring approval of the new varieties for commercialization to the economic
use of farmers.
Dr. Onu in company of the Agric Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh at a world
press conference in Abuja, said there has not been any negative report of the
new releases to the effect of health hazard adding that ‘’the newly released
MAHYCO C 567 BGII and MAHYCO C 571 BGII varieties of transgenic hybrid cotton
are safe for the use of farmer’’ with high resistant to drought and pest disease.
The release, said the science minister, was to positively impact on the
well being of farmers who are expected to enjoy the dividend of the high
maturity rates in fibres and oil, high tolerance of these BT hybrid cottons to
drought and pest like bollworm.
His words "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 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’’
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh in his remarks
said that GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) was more pounced in the media
than in science said importation of what we can produce would deepen our
economic challenges adding that ‘’ farmers in the country are right now making
so much profit and money from agriculture that jobs are presently being
provided’’.
He added that we won’t run away
from BT cotton simply because we are afraid. “I think this whole thing about
GMO is more in the media than science’’
Meanwhile, the President National Cotton Association of Nigeria, Mr.
Anibe Achimugu has expressed his members’ acceptability of the newly released
BT hybrid varieties saying it was a welcome development to the Nigerian market
as production would be boosted with increased yield and improvement in fibre
quality for better textile economy.
Achimugu lauded the support of both Ministers saying the breakthrough in
cotton industry would have positive impacts on other agricultural produce
saying “BT cotton is a welcome development because of the intrinsic qualities,
particularly we talk about the yield and quality of the fibre itself. The
textile industry will also get the quality of cotton they require as their
source for primary production.
“If you understand the BT technology, you will understand it is just a
simple way of assisting nature and we cannot say nature doesn’t need help. Our
activities as human beings sometimes stretch nature, so the knowledge God has
given us is to assist nature and that is what BT is all about and especially with
cotton where you don’t even have to eat it” the president said.
He debunked the public fears as regards the safety of the technology
saying it is mere rumour mongering, stressed that there was no record of
harmful effects of BT technology on human beings and the environment.
He cited the example of Burkina- Faso farmers, who earlier rejected the
technology and are presently begging to have them back owing to better
understanding of its application and economic advantages that come with it.
He said with proper enlightenment of farmers on the right application and
cultivation of the improved varieties of cotton, the yearly national output of
Nigerian cotton would improve, stressing that farmers still need to ensure best
agronomics practices and consequently, training.
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