From Mohammed Kandi in Cambridge
African journalists and broadcasters were yesterday urged to continue to inform and educate the farmers on the importance of agricultural biotechnology so as to boost food production, as well as eradicate hunger in the sub-region.
Biosciences for Farming in Africa (B4FA) Project Leader, Prof. Brian Heap, made the call yesterday in his welcome address at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, in the UK.
Prof. Heap, who reiterated that the knowledge of genetics was new innovation, advised the media fellows to intensify effort on the need to get farmers to embrace agricultural biotech and facilitate the continent’s drive towards self-sufficiency in food production.
In his presentation on Innovative farm research to B4FA Fellows, Tinashe Chiurugwi of National Institute for Agricultural botany (NIAB) said that agricultural biotechnology was necessary in providing for African farmers quality and disease-free seeds.
According to Chiurugwi, “There is a problem of seed movement within African sub-region.” He also advocated for innovation farms to be set-up in Africa saying “better seed begets better yield.”
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