The federal government has approved 10 new varieties of genetically modified crops to improve food production and enhance sustainable agriculture in the country.
The government gave the approval through the National Committee of naming, registration and release of crop varieties livestock breeds and Fisheries during its 32nd meeting held in Ibadan.
Experts over the years have attributed low agricultural yields in Nigeria to several factors including outdated farming practices, limited availability
of modern agricultural technologies and inadequate irrigation systems.
To improve agricultural productivity, a group of experts gathered at the national Center for genetic resources and biotechnology to give a nod to some recommended crops for agricultural production.
The 10 newly approved crops by the naming committee include four varieties of wheat, four potato varieties and two synthetic Maize varieties.
The wheat varieties were submitted by the lake Chad Research Institute in collaboration with flour Milling Association of Nigeria.
Stakeholders say it will help address the importation of wheat which largely accounts for high cost of bread and pasta.
They add that this will in turn save Nigeria the billions of naira spent on import of wheat into the country by boosting local production.
The approval followed an earlier submission by the technical subcommittee of the National Committee on naming registration and release of crop varieties livestock breeds and Fisheries at its 36th meeting.
