Cultivation and sales of Genetically Modified Cowpea, otherwise known as beans, will significantly impact the country’s volume of trade in the next few years, and will be a major resource that will drive the economic transformation of the country, a Global Fellow of the Cornell Alliance for Science, Mr. Okon Unsung,
has said.
Unsung added that prudent investor farmers would make haste to adopt the modified crop as it would enhance productivity, which would in turn make agriculture to significantly contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Abuja, Unung, who doubles as a Plant Breeding and Bio-Technology Specialist, said the impact of GM Cowpea would be felt by the whole agriculture value chain, from clearing of lands through planting, harvesting, storage, marketing, till it gets to the
consumer.
He explained, “It will stimulate production, right from the input system. Fertilizer and seed companies will come on board to play their role, a response that will create more jobs and activities along the agricultural value chain – meaning business of cultivation, harvesting, storage, transportation and marketing.
“The commercial farmer is in business to maximise profit, so when farming is engaged in as a business, profitability is a goal that can be maximised when GM cowpea is cultivated.”
Discussing how cultivation of GM Cowpea would be more economical than the conventional cowpea, the agronomist said the farmer “sprays so much insecticide while cultivating the conventional cowpea, which accounts for huge costs,” adding that the situation was not the same for GM cowpea, as only a maximum of two insecticide sprays were carried out.
He described the GM technology as a potent approach to address food crisis in the country, especially in view of current challenges facing the country’s agricultural production, such as “enormous incidences of climate change, pests and diseases that continue to drown activities of farmers among other agronomic challenges facing the
sector.”
“GM technology is also a response to increase in food demand as a result of the country’s soaring population growth rate. There is a need to embrace innovative technologies that can meet the country’s food sufficiency,” he said.
He, however, lamented that the GM technology was being needlessly challenged as the public had been misinformed about it as a result of ignorance, a problem that left farmers and stakeholders irresolute as to whether or not to cultivate GM cowpea.
While he said the technology had been globally attested to as safe, reliable and sustainable, the global scientist called on the Federal Government to put in place an effective information flow that would lead to acceptance of the innovation, saying that Nigeria must endeavour to be on a par with other countries in terms of
technology.
“This will enhance food security, quality of the produced food crop, quality of life of an average farmer and will finally translate into the ability of the
agriculture sector to significantly contribute to the achievement of food security and a vibrant national economy,”
he said.
