Biotech Agency Recommends Babachir’s Cotton Farms Initiative To Investors

National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) has expressed satisfaction with the yields from the 235 hectares of cotton farms owned by former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal.

The director of NABDA, Rose Gidado, who led officials of the agency on an inspection tour of Lawal’s four cotton farms, including Gudi Farm, 78 hectares; Uvudu Farm, 27 hectares; Wurobaya Farm, 35 hectares; and Mbilinyi Farm, 95 hectares in Hong local government area, said more of such ventures would contribute greatly to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP).

She recommended the initiative to investors in Nigeria.

The disease-resistant cotton farms, using biotech improved cotton seeds, have high yields.

She said, “We are here as a follow-up visit when the former SGF, Babachir Lawal, visited our office and demanded for improved cotton seeds, that’s biotech improved seeds.

“He got Bt cotton, that’s Bollgard II cotton which is treated to resist pink Bollworm (a moth larva which is disastrous as it damages the cotton plant at its fruiting point).

“We came to see for ourselves the result of what he got from us, to see if he is getting what we told him the improved seeds would give; and we are glad about what we have seen.

“Each plant has so many buds, as many as 70 or 100 per plant. And the plants are perennial.

“As long as there is water from rain or irrigation, they will keep yielding buds.

“Looking at the vast expanses of land in which cotton has been cultivated, I believe he is going to have bountiful harvests.

“For each hectare, with the good agronomy practices that we see here, there is a potential yield for 4.1 to 4.4 tons per hectare and that’s what we are expecting from this. The worst you can get here is 3.5 tons per hectare,” she said.

The manager of the farms, Malam Abdullahi Shelleng, expressed optimism for even higher yields, saying, “There is a great difference between the old variety and this modified cotton variety.

“You will keep spraying chemicals on the old variety and still not get meaningful yield.  From the old variety you may have just two tons per hectare, while with this improved variety, you could get between five and six tons per hectare.”