Bread, Paste Prices Crash Over Launch of Wheat Varieties

Bread, and paste prices have fallen due to the launch of high-yield varieties of wheat.

The development was as a result of the introduction of wheat varieties by farmers in the country.

The development was aimed at introducing high-yield wheat varieties into production as one of ten new crop varieties approved for release by the federal government to address food security, sustainability, and self-sufficiency in the country.

The government on Thursday met with the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries at its 32nd meeting at the National Centre For Genetic Resources And Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Oyo Plantation, Ibadan the state capital.

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

According to reports, the approval was presented at the 36th meeting of the Technical Sub-Committee (TSC) of the National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds, and Fisheries on Thursday.

READ ALSO: 114% Salary Increase For Tinubu, Shettima Report Angers FG

The four new wheat varieties include two bread wheat varieties (Borlaug100 and Neloki) and two durum wheat varieties (Crino and Bayoreca).

The wheat varieties were presented by the Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri, Nigeria, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, Mexico, and Flour Milling Association of Nigeria.

Among the parties involved were 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.

The farmers stated that the high yield of the new wheat varieties would help in a short time to solve the problem of wheat imports, which greatly contributed to the high cost of bread and pasta.