The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: Maize

  • FG approves cultivation of genetically modified Maize

     

    The Federal Government has granted environmental approval for the evaluation and open cultivation of TELA Maize, a new variety of genetically modified maize developed by researchers at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

     

    Approval for the cultivation of the crop was announced in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, jointly signed by the Communications Officer, West and Central Africa for African Agricultural Technology Foundation; and the Information Officer, IAR/ABU, Yakubu Dodo.

     

    According to the statement, the genetically modified maize would resist fall armyworm, stem borers, and tolerate moderate drought.

    The government decision was contained in a certificate issued to IAR by the National Biosafety Management Agency, the agency mandated to regulate genetically modified products across the country.

     

    The certificate dated October 8, 2021, with permit code no. NBMA/CM/003, was issued to IAR for general/commercial release of TELA maize genetically modified for drought tolerance, resistance to stem borer and fall armyworm.

     

    “It comes into effect from October 8, 2021, to October 5, 2024,” the statement read in part.

     

    A decision document accompanying the certificate from NBMA stated that in arriving at the decision to grant the permit, the agency took into consideration the advice of the National Biosafety Committee, the National Biosafety Technical Sub-Committee, and the risk management report provided by the applicant.

     

    The statement added, “The agency was convinced that there are no known adverse impacts to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, taking into account risk to human health.

    “The permit, pursuant to this decision, is without prejudice to other extant legal requirements.”

     

    It stated that this approval would authorise the permit holder and persons covered by the permit to commercialise the TELA maize genetically modified for drought tolerance and insect resistance.

     

    Reacting to the decision, the Executive Director, IAR, Prof. Ishiyaku Mohammed, said it was inspiring for the institute to secure NBMA approval for the commercial release of the drought-tolerant and  insect-resistant maize.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • CBN: 50,000 metric tonnes of maize to be released to 12 major producers

     

    The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of maize to 12 major producers from strategic maize reserve under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

     

    According to the CBN, the release of maize to the companies, which is the third of such releases, will reduce the price of grain in the market by checking the activities of middlemen who are hoarding the product and causing artificial scarcity.

     

    A statement issued by the apex bank on Monday read, “The Central Bank of Nigeria, in its bid to moderate and control the prices of maize in the Nigerian market, has approved the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of maize to 12 major producers, from strategic maize reserve under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

     

    “The release of maize to the companies, which is the third of such releases, is also intended to check the activities of middlemen aimed at causing hoarding the product and causing artificial scarcity.”

     

    The statement was titled, “CBN releases 50,000 MT of maize to 12 coys…to check activities of middlemen.”

     

    The Acting Director of the Communication of the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, who confirmed the development, reaffirmed that the move would crash the price of maize, reduce pressure on the market, and make the product directly available to feed producers, thereby reducing the price of poultry feed in the country.

     

    He added that as part of its financing framework, the bank would continue to fund maize farmers and processors through its various initiatives.

     

    “As part of the Bank’s financing framework, Nwanisobi said the CBN would continue to facilitate the funding of maize farmers and processors through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme Commodity Association, Private/Prime Anchors, State Governments, Maize Aggregation Scheme, and the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme.”

     

    On his part, the National President of the Maize Association of Nigeria Dr Bello Abubakar urged middlemen to desist from leveraging the supply gap to hike the price of the grains.

     

    He also assured that farmers in Nigeria would maintain reasonable pricing of the products.

     

    The listed recipients of the grains include Premier Flour Mills, Crown-Olam, Grand Cereals, Animal Care, Amobyn Hybrid Feeds, Obasanjo Farms, Zartech, Wacot, Sayeed Farms, Pandagri Novum and Premium Farms. It would be recalled that the CBN, in a bid to address the rising cost of food prices in the Nigerian market collaborated with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria to distribute 27,000 metric tonnes of rice paddies directly to millers nationwide, earlier this month.