After genetical modulated potato trials, GBPP set for commercial release

The Director of Research, Global Biotechnology Potato Partnership (GBPP), Dr. Charles Amadi, said it has done its efficacy trial, but currently on the regulatory trial, which requires doing the mandatory two seasons.
  
Amadi, who disclosed this during the agenda for the GBPP media interactive session, which held at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, in Jos, Plateau State, added that the GBPP did the first trial in 2023 and they are doing the second regulatory trial this year of 2024.
 
He added that after the second regulatory trial, they would submit the dossier for environmental release to the national Bio-Safety Management Agency and if it is approved, they will do the national performance trials, the multi-locational outside confined fields and also the all farms trials.
   
Amadi added that they are projecting that by late 2026, “we should be through with all the required trials needed and submit candidates to National Release Committee for commercial release.”
  
Speaking on the advantages of the potato, he said that the advantage basically is that it is resistant to late blight, adding that late blight is the most damaging disease of potato as they have recurrent outbreak, which has led to the loss of hectares of potatoes and a lot of livelihood.
 
“This is because there are farmers who killed themselves because they lost their harvests. So, we now bring succour to such farmers. They do not have to bother themselves about spraying fungicides. You know fungicides are costly and we know that when they are not properly used, they can be harmful to the environment, they should not bother about that,” he added.
  
Amadi further explained that there is nothing to fear about Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), especially the biotech potatoes because the genes are naturally occurring genes as they were copied from wild relatives of potatoes.

On his part, the Principal Investigator of African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), who also cordinated the programme, Mr. Alex Abutu, said it is his responsibility to sensitise Nigerians about the project and to enable farmers make their findings and to enable the public to understand what the project is all about.
  
Abutu added that then project will be acceptable by the public because it was not the first time that Nigerian are trying the project, adding that farmers are yearning for the seeds as the difference is clear, positing that the issue of acceptance for the variety is not a problem at all as they always carry farmers along.
  
At the technical session, Amadi said the GBPP is a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) feed the future funded initiative focused on the development and deployment of genetically modified organism potato varieties to address agricultural challenges and improve food security, particularly in developing countries.