By Agrobroadcast Team
The National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) has approved the release and registration of a new locally developed chicken breed, Moorbeta, alongside 57 high-yield crop varieties aimed at boosting food production and agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
The approvals were announced during a meeting organised by the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Chairman of the NVRC, Soji Olufajo, who presided over the meeting, said the approval of the new chicken breed and crop varieties followed recommendations from the committee’s technical sub-committees on crops and livestock.
Olufajo noted that the newly approved varieties would significantly improve food production, increase farmers’ yields and enhance agricultural development in the country. He urged farmers to take advantage of improved seeds and adapted agricultural materials for better productivity.
He also called on agricultural extension agents to ensure farmers are properly informed about new agricultural technologies and improved crop varieties that can increase production nationwide.
Olufajo further charged research institutes, breeders, geneticists and other stakeholders to sustain efforts toward improving agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria.
Moorbeta Chicken Breed
The technical sub-committee on naming, registration and release of livestock breeds and fisheries, chaired by Professor Waheed Akin-Hassan, reviewed and recommended the new chicken breed, Moorbeta, for approval.
Akin-Hassan described Moorbeta as a locally developed meat-type chicken with strong production potential, adding that mass production of the breed would begin due to its economic value.
Reports that the Moorbeta chicken was developed by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan.
Newly Released Crop Varieties
The NVRC also approved the release of improved varieties across 14 crops including soyabean, yam, potato, onion, tomato, rice, pepper, eggplant, plantain, banana, maize, groundnut, sorghum and cotton.
Among the newly released varieties are:
Plantain varieties: HORTIPLAN 1 and 2
Banana varieties: HORTIBAN 1 and 2
Soyabean variety: YSJ001
Yam varieties: UMUDr37 and UMUDr38
Potato variety: Connect
Onion varieties: HORTIONI 1–6
Tomato varieties: HORTITOM 6 and 7, SP TOM 1–3
Rice varieties: FARO 73, SG Rice 1 and 2, MIP 5803 and 4802
Pepper variety: SP PEP 1
Eggplant varieties: HORTICUM 1–3
The rice varieties were developed by the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Abuja, and other partners, and were approved for their long grains, drought tolerance and high yield potential.
Other approved varieties included 15 maize varieties, four groundnut varieties, one sorghum proprietary variety, four cowpea public varieties and six proprietary cotton varieties.
Purpose of the New Varieties
The committee explained that many of the new crop varieties were approved based on:
Early maturity
Disease resistance
Heat tolerance
High yield potential
Good processing qualities
Long shelf life
High nutritional value
The meeting, which held at the conference hall of Lafia Hotel in Ibadan, was attended by agricultural researchers, scientists, geneticists, breeders and stakeholders from research institutes and universities across Nigeria.