The Global Biotech Potato Partnership (GBPP), a USAID’s ‘Feed the Future Initiative’ that focuses on the development and deployment of potato varieties resistant to diseases and late blight would soon be made commercial.
The Principal Investigator of GBPP in Nigeria who is also the Director, Root Crops Research of National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, Dr. Charles Amadi, disclosed this at the GBPP Media Interactive Session, held at National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Jos, the Plateau capital Saturday.
The Principal Investigator said, “the Biotech Potato are the genetically modified potato varieties that are developed and are resistant to major
diseases, pests and environmental stresses which are farmer’s preferred potato varieties.
“We have done the efficacy trial in 2022 and we are doing this regulatory trial which requires mandatory for two seasons. We have done the first year in 2023 and are doing second which is the regulatory trial this.
“After that, we will submit the dossier of environmental release to the National Management of Biocetrice Management Agency and if it is approved, we do the national performance trial and grow multi locational outside confined fields and do on-farm trials.
“So, we are projecting that by late 2026, we should be true with all the required trials needed to submit candidates to National Variety Release Committee for commercial release”, the root crops expert disclosed.
Amadi, therefore, cleared doubts that the Biotech Potato which is officially known Generally Modified Organism (GMO) was safe and was extensively tested and do not cause cancer or allergy as falsely speculated.
However, Streetbell findings revealed that some chemical dealers were not comfortable with the new invention for the fear of being kept out of market, hence the corresponding creation of falsehood to discourage farmers.
On his part, Mr. Alex Abutu, of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), stated that they have worked with different partners to develop other varieties like PPR cowpea (beans) that was developed in 2019 saying, “in fact, till today as I am speaking with you today, farmers are yearning for the seed.
“The demand is so high that we cannot meet their needs because they see the difference between the protected and non-protected varieties. The issue of acceptability is not a problem because we have carried farmers along in all the stages and they are participating”, he explained.
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