Judul : Farmers share experiences cultivating TELA maize
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Farmers share experiences cultivating TELA maize
On January 12, 2024, the Federal Government authorised the commercial release of four TELA maize varieties through the National Varietal Release Committee (NVRC).
The four varieties approved are SAMMAZ 72T, SAMMAZ 73T, SAMMAZ 74T, and SAMMAZ 75T.
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) leads the TELA Maize Project, a joint initiative involving public and private stakeholders across seven African countries - Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, aimed at commercialising transgenic drought-tolerant and insect-protected maize.
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The varieties were developed by a team of breeders at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, led by Prof. Rabiu Adamu. Since their release, farmers across different states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have begun cultivating them.
In Maraba, a town in Nasarawa State on the outskirts of Abuja, Mrs. Hajara Usman, now in her second year of planting the varieties, told our reporter she has noticed remarkable differences compared to the maize she grew before.
She said she was introduced to TELA maize by a neighbour.
'One of my neighbours introduced me to it, and I planted it. I was surprised because pests used to destroy the varieties I planted three to four weeks after sowing, and even when the maize grew big, it would still be affected. But I noticed a difference between my former varieties and TELA maize. So this year, no matter how late, I decided I must plant TELA maize,' she said.
She added that the growth rate impressed her because it takes only about two and a half months to reach maturity.
'My neighbours keep asking me what kind of maize I planted because they know when I planted it and how quickly it matured,' she said.
According to her, the early maturity means she no longer worries about rushing to plant. Even with late planting, she still gets a good harvest. Her yield, she explained, has improved dramatically-rising from two bags to between six and seven bags.
However, she pointed out challenges with the cost and availability of the seed, saying it was difficult to obtain the 2kg she planted.
Another farmer, Danjuma Joseph, who farms in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, told Daily Trust he was initially sceptical about the maize because he feared it might not produce the yield he wanted.
'However, I was surprised because fall armyworms used to attack my other varieties, but with this one, if you look at the leaves, nothing has attacked them.
'My farm changed as soon as I weeded it and applied fertiliser. Everyone in my neighbourhood keeps asking me, 'Where did you get this, my son?' Because if you look at the height, it is the same, and unlike other maize, it doesn't fall over even when the wind blows,' he said.
Joseph described the variety as one every farmer needs, noting that 'within two months, you can start eating TELA maize.'
On concerns raised by anti-GMO campaigners, he said he was not bothered.
'The one I cultivated last year is what my family and I have been eating at home, and there has been no problem. People say it is GMO, but I'm not worried because it hasn't caused us any issue,' he said.
His main concern, however, is the price. At N10,000 per kg, he said, 'it is not for small farmers like us. It's not cheap, but if the government can subsidise it, we'll be happy.'
Mr. Andrew Nanfwang, a farmer in Dei-Dei near Kubwa, Abuja, said he planted 4kg of TELA maize last year and repeated it this year.
'The people that planted in May and I that planted mine towards the end of June cannot be compared. My maize is totally different from theirs,' he said.
The young farmer from Plateau State, who grew up in a farming family, said he has been planting maize since childhood.
'My father is a maize farmer who harvests not less than 300 to 400 bags every year. So I know when I see maize that is different. In fact, when people saw my farm, they said I was using juju because they planted weeks before me and my maize had already grown far ahead of theirs,' he said.
Nanfwang added that he had tried 'many seeds' in the past but never got the same results. He advised other farmers to try the variety, even if it is only 1kg.
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