Nigerian farmers are calling on the government to subsidise seeds and inputs to boost productivity, noting that technology is transformative and improving their livelihoods.
In the face of climate change, surging population and increased cases of communal clashes that have direct impact on food production, the government is bent on exploring technology to feed the population and also to fight malnutrition.
Biotechnology, which has proved to be technology that can aid Nigeria to advance food production, has long been adopted and the results of its potency to address food insecurity are being witnessed by farmers who cultivate these crops.
For food crops, Nigeria has released three transgenic crops, namely, Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea, Bt Cotton and TELA maize.
Cowpea is one of the most important legume food crops in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It constitutes the major protein source for people both in rural and urban centres. Cowpea production is affected by insect pests, especially the legume pod borer, Maruca vitratar, that causes the largest pre-harvest damages, reducing grain yield by up to 80 percent and lowering the quality of the grain.
For the benefit of African farmers, African scientists identified PBR Cowpea (Bt cowpea), with in-built protection against Maruca damage as a solution for Maruca Damage.
Maize is the most widely grown food crop in Africa with more than 300 million people depending on it as their main food source.
Its production is however severely affected by drought and insect-pests, which negatively impact yields leading to crop failure, hunger and poverty.
Nigerian scientists research that yielded TELA maize now grown commercially in Nigeria that is bred to mitigate drought risk, stabilise yields, and encourage small-scale farmers to adopt best management practices such as reduced pesticide use is realizing food security and improving livelihoods for the Nigerian farmers.
Despite the results from the farmers fields, those opposed to the technology continue to doubt the efficacy of the technology with concerns on soil degradation and coexistence with other crops.
To address this misinformation, Nigerian Tribune met with farmers who have been planting GM crops for years to share their experiences on the performance of the crops on their farms.
A 52-year-old and a mother of three, Judith Okpanachi, a beans farmer in Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, said she has been farming GM beans for over three years and she has not experienced land degradation in her farm.
She said instead, she has experienced bumper harvest compared to what she was harvesting when she was still planting the conventional variety of beans.
“I have been planting this GM beans for over three years, and I have never regretted it, naturally, I don’t eat beans because it gives me heartburn, but when I was introduced to these beans, I had a doubt, but I gave it a trial by planting in a small portion of land.
“When I planted, I harvested, cooked it and ate it without getting heartburn. Another thing I noticed was that the beans gave me a bountiful harvest with just a small portion of land.
On the environmental hazards the Anti-GMO had been promoting, Okpanachi explained that with the conventional variety of beans, she used to spray chemicals up to 12 times to control the Maruca Vitrata (Pod Borer insect), but with the GM beans, she sprays just three times to tame other pests.
From findings, one of the major causes of environmental pollution while farming is excessive spraying of chemical pesticides, which is common with planting conventional varieties of beans, but with GM beans, all the farmer needs to do is spray the chemical just three times or less, and the crop will be free from infestation.
The former beans I was planting were not giving me good harvest and planting. It was very stressful because I had to be spraying chemicals to control pests, but this GM variety, I sprayed only three times, it was less stressful to plant and harvest.
When I ate it, the taste was the same as the conventional variety, there is no health implication because I have been eating it for three years now. My relatives enjoy eating it because at the time I harvest, I send to them, she added.
Pastor Olaseinde Idowu Mustapha, the Deputy Director FCT Agricultural Development Project (ADP), explained that apart from insect resistant traits, he prefers the TELA maize variety to the conventional varieties because it is climate resilient.
TheTELA maize variety doesn’t lodge, when there is wild wind. It may bend, but within that day, it will stand again, unlike the other maize varieties, when they bend, their roots will go with them and they will die. Pest does not attack it.”
He also explained that in his farm in Gwagwalada, he planted TELA maize alongside other crops, hence the information that TELA maize exists alone in the farm is totally false.
“People say you cannot plant other crops along GM crops, that is false, I planted other crops along the TELA maize, the crops grew together and did well on the farm.
“As far as I know, this TELA maize should be spread to other African countries. There is nothing wrong with GMO, I have been eating it.”
There is a need for a rigorous campaign for TELA maize, they should engage extension workers through the ADPs because they are closer to the rural farmers. Many farmers do not know TELA maize, he further explained.
Also, Ndama Dantani, a beans farmer said four years ago when he was introduced to GM beans, he entertained fear, but after he attended the ‘Seeing is Believing’ event where he ate the beans, his fears disappeared.
He said the next planting season, he planted the GM beans and discovered that it is just like the other beans, the only difference is that it is high-yielding, insect resistant and early maturing.
Initially, when I was introduced to PBR Cowpea variety four years ago, I entertained fear because some people said it will damage my soil, some said it will be harmful to me but when we attended ‘Seeing is Believing’, they cooked the beans for us, made it into akara, we ate it and we enjoyed it.
“When I planted it, I realized that it is just like the other beans, the difference is that insects do not attack it and it has a very high yield and early maturing,” Dantani explained.
He further stated that while planting the conventional beans variety, he spent a lot of money purchasing pesticides, while he saved money while planting GM beans because it requires less spraying of chemicals.
“The cowpea that we were farming before, will eventually yield well, but you must spend enough money to protect it from insects and pests. You will need to spray chemicals more than six times to be able to get a good yield. But the PBR Cowpea variety requires only three time spraying before you harvest. The PBR Cowpea gives a bigger harvest compared to the conventional variety, “he added.
Cyprian Edeh, a maize in Keffi said his farm became the centre of discussions among other farmers because of the performance of TELA maize on his farm. He said that he harvested 42 bags of maize from his one plot of land.
“Since I started farming in 2017, I have been innovating. I have been following the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), as soon as the issue of TELA maize came up I quickly picked interest, I followed up until it was available.
“When I planted the maize, other farmers admired how it was growing, they asked me to introduce them to the maize variety.
“Unlike what people are saying about the TELA maize, I did weed management on the farm because grass grew alongside the maize. I harvest 42 bags of maize from a plot of land despite the maize being stolen from the farm,” he explained.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with low food production as a result of climate change, insecurity and other challenges, it will be wise to invest in biotechnology which is one of the proven ways to advance food production.
This technology has been deployed in developed countries and it has helped to strengthen their food system.
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