2 months ago
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Dr. Agnes Asagbra, Director/CEO, National Biosafety Management Agency
The Federal Government, through the National Biosafety Management Agency on Tuesday, conducted the regulatory trial of biotech tomatoes preparatory to release into the Nigerian market.
The biotech tomatoes, which are resistant to late blight, were developed by cloning three resistance genes found in wild species of potatoes into farmer-preferred varieties.
Dr Charles Amadi, Nigeria’s lead scientist for this project on Tuesday told journalists at Kuru, Plateau State, one of the three locations for the confined field trials that in a previous experiment conducted to compare the resistance of natural varieties and GMOs, the natural varieties were destroyed by late blight while the latter had a resistance to it.
“We’re conducting efficacy trials to see whether the modification removed anything from the original performance of the variety,” he said.
Amadi described the biotech potatoes that were planted in May as a game changer that would halt the rampage of late blight, the most destructive destroyer of potatoes.
He noted that “late blight has led to the untimely death of farmers. We know that people have borrowed money and lost their investment because of late blight. But that will soon be a thing of the past. With these biotech potatoes, farmers can be sure that the blight will not affect their potatoes.”
He also added that once the products are rolled out, all who were in doubt would soon be convinced to try out the biotech potatoes.
Regulators from the National Biosafety Management Agency stated that the inspection of the trials would ensure that the biotech product was safe to go public without causing any harm to human health and the environment.
The agency’s Assistant Chief Scientific Officer, Abisabo Adamu noted, “Based on what we have seen so far there is a high level of compliance by the Institute and we want to ensure that they continue in compliance.
“We want to ensure that the process is well inspected before it passes into the market. The late blight has constituted a serious problem in the potato market in Nigeria.
“Previously, a bucket of Irish potatoes could be sold at 7,000, but now it has skyrocketed to about N35,000,” he added.
Continuing, Amadi pointed out that the modification has ensured that these potatoes are not affected by the late blight, and I am satisfied with the yield. Based on the dossier that was submitted and what was explained in it, it has met the expectations of the agency.”
He stressed that for those who doubted, once they see the output, they will be convinced.
A farmer from Ja’a village, Anna Pam, told Arewa PUNCH that she was excited to try out the new variety of the potato.
“In 2016, the late blight affected my potato business, and I was not able to send my children to school. But now, I am hopeful that I will not experience something like that again. This is a very good move.”
Experimental farming exists in three locations in Nigeria, namely – Kuru, and Bokkos in Plateau State and the Mambilla in Taraba State.
The biotech potatoes project is a USAID-funded project and anchored by the Michigan State University in Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Indonesia in partnership with the Global Biotech Potato Partnership.
It is supported by the National Root Crops Research Institute and the CIP as part of the Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership with support from the African Agricultural Technology Foundation.
According to Michigan State University, the potatoes are undergoing the data collection stage for regulatory dossier submission for general release, and it is hoped to be available for farmer assessment in early 2026.
