Bt-Cotton: Ogbeh commends on-station trial stakeholders

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has applauded the group of stakeholders working on the deployment of Bt-Cotton to Nigeria including the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria, Monsanto Company, MAHYCO and the national Biotechnology Development agency (NABDA).
 
Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
He said if the introduction of Bt-Cotton can lead to the revival of the textile industry, it would be a great achievement for the country. The textile industry which used to be one of the most important sectors in Nigeria’s economy is comatose.

Ogbeh who said this during an inspection visit to the Bt-Cotton on-Station Trial at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) noted that “Bt.-Cotton stakeholders can talk about Bt.-Cotton in the country now. Farmers keep talking about good seeds, they mostly lament that when cotton starts growing, it then literally vanishes.

 “We need to cut down importation and increase export, our country is coming out of recession but there are serious challenges coming up. Our economy is growing at the rate of 3.2 percent but it needs to perform at 6.7 percent otherwise, we cannot say there is growth.

He disclosed that there is no substitute to science research, “we cannot change anything without serious work and I am very happy I am seeing this because there has been a lot of negative talk about Bt., we will join hands with you to demystify the myth around this technology”.

During the tour, Professor Isa Onu of IAR Zaria explained to the minister that the fruiting from BtCotton reaches 80 to 120 fruits which cannot be compared to our cotton which is always grappling to survive the attack of bollworm and thus ends up dropping the fruiting points to survive.

“As a scientist, I am not condemning our cotton but we have to say the truth, you can see, Bt.-Cotton and our cotton is planted here side by side, bollworm is eating up our cotton but you can see that Bt. Cotton is doing well without attack from bollworm”, Prof. Onu.


Similarly, Professor Lucy Ogbadu, Director General of NABDA, applauded the minister for the visit as the visit will encourage the scientists to do more in order to bring Nigeria out of recession. She said she was happy that the minister had personally seen the technology working without being told.

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