Nigeria Approves Two GMO Cotton Varieties to Increase Output
- Cotton seeds genetically modified to boost bollworm resistance
- Nigeria currently produces about 60,000 tons of cotton a year
Photographer: Pau Barrena/Bloomberg
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Nigeria approved two genetically modified varieties of cotton for use by the nation’s farmers to help boost supply to its textile industry and cut lint imports of as much as 115 billion naira ($319 million) a year, officials said.
The strains were modified by the Institute of Agricultural Research at the Ahmadu Bello University in the northern city of Zaria in collaboration with privately owned Mayco Nigeria Ltd. to include a gene that makes it pest resistant, according to Rose Gidado, assistant director at the Abuja-based National Biotechnology Development Agency.