By Victoria Onyisi
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi, has reiterated that TELA Maize is part of President Tinubu’s agenda to improve food security in the country.
The crop becomes more acceptable by Nigerians, government’s massive investment in the crop according to the Minister will help assuage the current food scarcity and inflation.
Abdullahi, who was full of excitement referred to the biotechnology engineered crop which was the outcome of Federal Government’s research investments as: ‘renewed hope maize.
Abdullahi was captured in a video which went viral as he made the disclosure in an engagement with NBRDA/OFAB media team.
The Minister said: “The issue with TELA maize is that it is high yielding. Which means the present yield farmers are making will be more than double.
“From 2 to 3 tons, we are going to get upwards of 9 to 10 tons. That explains why we went into this research in the first instance,
so that we are able to guarantee sustainable production of maize year on and year off.
But now what is challenging is the fact that climate change is now challenging us,
especially in the most productive regions where you farm maize, where you produce maize, he said.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda has food security as a major component, but beyond that, we are also interested in economic growth and job creation.
He explained that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is totally committed to making the crop available to Nigerians, adding: “I would like to say that the President actually understands the value of seed, and that is why in his manifesto he said, feed an entire nation.”