By Emma Una, Calabar

FARMERS in Nigeria spend N48 billion per annum on pesticides and to stem this trend, the National Biotechnology Development Agency has developed a new specie of beans which is resistant to pests and drought

Professor Mohammed Alkali of the Institute for Agricultural Development ,Ahmadu Bello University stated this in Calabar while delivering a keynote address in a Science Hangout on Biotechnology organised by Alliance for Science in Nigeria.

Professor Alkali said pests affect the yield of crops like beans, cotton, maize and millet and for any farmer to have any significant harvest, pesticides are applied about ten tines during a planting season but with the new beans specie a lot of money and time can be saved and invested in the cultivation of more crops.

“If one hundred million hectres of traditional beans specie is planted, the farmers will spend about 48 billion naira on insecticides annually to spray on their farms to get any meaningful harvest.

He said maize farms have been under intense attack by worms which eat up virtually all the crops causing farmers to spray harmful insecticides on their crops but the new specie developed by the Institute of Biodiversity is resistant to pests attack and can ensure high yield for the farmers.

“Genetically improved crops increase productivity and yield of the crops because they are made to withstand insects, drought, extreme weather conditions and have high nutritional benefits through improved carbohydrates, proteins than the traditional varieties.

“Biotech foods can provide solution to the problem of food shortages, by eradicating constraints in the area of food quantity and quality”

Mr Opuah Abeikwen of Alliance for Science in Nigeria, the organisers of the programme said there is a high prevalence of ignorance on the existence of genetically modified food crops in the country which is the reason efforts are being intensified to carry out enlightenment campaign to encourage the cultivation and consumption of such crops and food.

“Food insecurity is a fundamental crisis that requires urgent attention and the challenges before this nation is how to stop pests from destroying plants and at the same time cope with the increasing prolonged drought that is being experienced in most parts of the country to address the socio – economic needs of Nigerians”

He said biotechnology has provided answers to these challenges with the development of crops that are diseases, drought and weather resistant and yet have increased productivity.

” Nigeria is the highest consumer of beans across the world but due to its inability to meet up with the demand for the production of this staple, the country spends over 16 billion naira to import 500, 000 metric tons this product.”