Biotechnology will reduce farmers’ labour, increase productivity - Onu

 The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonanya Onu, said application of biotechnology would reduce farmers’ labour and increase their productivity.
Onu said this on Thursday at a two-day Agricultural Biotechnology and Biosafety Workshop organised by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA).
Onu said that biotechnology would also help to produce high yield seedlings, which could resist disease and pest as well as withstand harsh weather condition.
He said that it had been used to fortify many crops with important nutrient which would in turn solve malnutrition.
``So far, cotton, maize, cassava, millet, sorghum, and others have been successfully fortified with micro-nutrients like vitamins, iron, zinc and in some cases protein.
``This has very important implication in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Nigeria is so blessed with enormous natural resources that no Nigerian should be allowed to go hungry.
``Biotechnology has tremendous potential to help us achieve food security and also protect our health and environment,’’ he said.
The minister stressed the need to produce more to meet the enormous feeding needs of the large population of the country.
``As our population grows, available land for agricultural purpose will continue to decrease, the need to feed ourselves will even become more acute.
``It is in view of this that biotechnology has a critical role to play in enhancing agricultural production and making agriculture a business as against a mere subsistence means of livelihood,’’ he said.
Earlier, Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, the Director-General of NABDA said that biotechnology had become a tool and not a system that would replace traditional agriculture.
Ogbadu described it as a powerful tool to move genes from one specie to another through an artificial means and genetic engineering.
She said that though the species might not be related, a wide specie crossing was possible with genetic engineering, adding this might not be possible under natural means of hybridisation.
Ogbadu said that trans-genetic varieties would increase productivity and overcome the limitations of traditional breeding among others.

She said that the use of biotechnology could alleviate poverty, ensure food security and sustainability.

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