FG says newly-released cotton to Nigerian market not harmful

The Federal Government has disclosed that the newly released transgenic cotton hybrid varieties into Nigerian market were not harmful as erroneously perceived by some critics.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, and his counterpart from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who jointly addressed newsmen in Abuja, said none of the crops scientifically modified to Nigerian farming system was harmful.

According to Dr Onu, presently, the BT cotton would cause a 24 per cent increase in cotton yield per hectare through reduced pest damages and a 50 per cent gain in cotton profit among smallholders as well as revamping textile industries.

Why I wanted to become a Catholic priest — Charlyboy

“We want those who are against BT cotton to prove to us scientifically that it is harmful to human beings.” He said.

Chief Ogbeh said: “I will like to say we can blame every government that comes, sometimes because of today’s problems with something that happened 20 to 30 years ago, we didn’t watch or were not cautious enough. Importation of everything from toothpicks to fruit juice, pencils to erasers, all of these have really created problems for you and I.

“This release of this variety of cotton particularly cheers my heart. What I am wearing is six metres of material, that’s to tell you how much material we use in this country to clothe ourselves. Having to import all that has contributed immensely to Nigeria’s economy,” he said.

It will be recalled that some critics kicked against the government’s move to introduce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to the Nigerian Market.