Food Security: Federal Gov’t Unveils Drought, Pest-resistant Maize Varieties

The Federal Government has officially released four varieties of TELA maize, developed to resist fall armyworm, stemborer pests and tolerant to drought.

The varieties are: SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T, and SAMMAZ 75T, which were developed by researchers at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in partnership with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.

The introduction of the maize varieties was expected to significantly improve food security, cut down spending on pesticide imports, foster sustainable and profitable farming while helping farmers to achieve higher yields.

At the launch of the varieties in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, described the achievement as a game-changer even as he called on farmers to embrace the technology.

He 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 two to three tonnes, you are going to get up to nine to 10 tonnes.

“It is resistant to the fall armyworm and stemborer as farmers know it. That is the problem it is out to solve. So I think 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.”

The minister added, “So what we are seeing here is that with climate change, the amount of rain is reducing and farmers will plant and unfortunately the crop will not be able to produce much money because of shortage of rain. But these varieties are drought-tolerant, which means with little water, it will be able to produce something in the future. So, to us, this is a major feat.

“For us, this is a game-changer for this administration and we want to see that farmers embrace this.”

The Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Dr Canisius Kanangire, lauded the collaborative efforts between AATF, the Nigerian government, and other national institutions, describing it as critical for the progress.

“The TELA Maize varieties are a testament to our commitment to bringing advanced, resilient crop varieties to our farmers, these varieties will boost maize yields, providing more food and income for farmers while reducing the environmental and health hazards associated with pesticide use.

“By promoting policies that support agricultural innovation, the Federal Government of Nigeria helped create an enabling environment for the development and use of genetically modified crops that are safe, productive, and beneficial to smallholder farmers and the environment,” Kanangire said.

He added, “We believe that effective regulatory oversight and sustained political goodwill is critical to promoting innovation for development. This is what has ensured timely delivery of the TELA Maize technology to an eager farming community in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, the Executive Director of IAR, Professor Ado Adamu Yusuf, highlighted the significance of the maize varieties in reducing chemical insecticide use by up to N2 billion annually, translating to significant cost savings and environmental benefits.

“Today’s launch is dear to my heart as we are introducing maize varieties that will save Nigerian farmers significant production costs while ensuring sustainable food security across the West African sub-region,” Yusuf remarked.

He further emphasised the institute’s century-long mission to address farmers’ challenges through innovative and environmentally-friendly research.