Bread And Pasta Prices May Fall As FG Launches Four New Wheat Varieties

This is due to the introduction of high-yielding wheat varieties to domestic farmers for production.

Wheat is one of 10 new crop varieties approved for licensing by the federal government in an effort to improve food security, sustainability and thrift in the country.

The Government approved the 32nd National Commission on Nomenclature, Registration and Publication of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries, held at the conference hall of the National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Moor Plantation, Ibadan. Oyo state capital on Thursday.

The 10 newly approved crops include four wheat varieties, four potato varieties and two synthetic corn varieties.

This approval follows a previous request at the 36th session of the Technical Subcommittee (TSC) of the National Commission on Nomenclature, Registration and Publication of Plant and Livestock Breeds and Fisheries. The four new wheat varieties include two bread wheat varieties (Borlaug100 and Neloki) and two durum wheat varieties (Crino and Bayoreca).

Wheat varieties were submitted by the Lake Chad Institute, Maiduguri, Nigeria, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico, and the Nigerian Flour Mills Association.

Stakeholders at the meeting include the Head of Department, Cereal Research, LCRI, Dr Zakari Turaki; an Agronomist, Floor Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), Mr Hamed Abdulahi; Director/CEO, LCRI, Maiduguri, Prof Babagana Kabir; and Registrar NACGRAB, Dr Anthony Okere all agreed that the new wheat varieties are high yield and will in a short time help address the importation of wheat which largely account for the high cost of bread and pasta.