Food Security: Expert Advocates Agric Biotechnology

The clamour for the adoption of agricultural biotechnology in Nigeria, has been re-echoed as agric expert, Engr. Patrick Ughwuegbulam has said that it will boost food production, help achieve national food security and ensure sustainability in the sector.

Engr. Ugwuegbulam, who stated this in an interview with The Tide on Friday in his office in Port Harcourt, recalled that the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umuedike in Abia State, had recorded positive results through the application of modern biotechnology on some crops.

“The use of biotechnology will be a success story in Nigeria because any technology that is tested globally and approved as suitable for human beings, can be applied in any part of the world. Nigeria’s case should not be different and I hope the country will not be left behind in the scheme of things”, he noted.

Ugwuegbulam who is an agric Engineer and Agricultural Consultant on Technical/Mechanical areas, disclosed that more than 3,500 farmers across the six geo-political zones of the country had benefited from NRCRI products, saying that the application of biotechnology enabled Nigeria to become the world largest producer of Cassava and Yam with production at about 33.1 million tones and 19 million tones annually, respectively.

According to him, “cassava production is now 33.1 million tones and yam 19 million tones annually. This track record which has placed Nigeria on the world map, was achieved through the application cost of yam, cassava, sweet potato and cocoyam.