Charles Amadi, the director of Tuber Root Crops, National Root Crop Research Institute, NRCRI, Umudike in Abia, says Genetically Modified Organisms, GMOs, are safe for human consumption.
Mr Amadi, who spoke at a workshop organised for journalists in Jos, added that GMOs had been proven to also improve quality yields for farmers.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the initiative is under the ”Global Biotechnology Potato Partnership (GBPP)” project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.
Mr Amadi, the Principal Investigator of the GBPP project, said that the initiative was in partnership with various organisations.
He decried the false claims about GMOs, adding that such claims were only aimed at stagnating the agricultural sector and denying farmers the opportunity to cultivate quality yields.
”There are many groups spreading false claims about GMOs, but GMOs are extensively tested and do not cause cancer or allergies as being rumoured.
”They do not make you sick, they do not make anyone impotent or cause miscarriages in women.
”GMOs offer farmers new options for crop varieties, with the choice to grow them or not,” he said.
Mr Amadi explained that the GBPP project aimed at tackling late blight and other diseases in irish potato by introducing an improved variety.
The principal investigator added that the move would provide small holder farmers with options for quality yields and better market opportunities.
”The GBPP project aims at developing potato varieties that are resistant to major diseases, pests, and environmental stresses.
”Also, to enhance the nutritional quality and yield of potato crops and ensure these improved potato varieties are accessible to smallholder farmers in developing regions.
‘The project also aims to improve food security by increasing potato yields and reducing crop losses due to diseases and pests.
”It seeks to enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by providing them with more robust and productive potato varieties,” he said.
Mr Amadi further said that the project would contribute to sustainable agriculture by reducing the environmental impact of potato farming through decreased pesticide use and better resource efficiency.
He explained that the new variety of potato, already tested in other countries, is currently undergoing trial in Nigeria.
He added that the improved variety of the crop is expected to be released to farmers by early 2027, after the getting the nod of the National Bio-Safety Management Agency, NBMA.
NAN reports that NRCRI is running the GBPP project in partnership with African Agricultural Technology Foundation, AATF, International Potato Centre, CIP, among others.
NAN
