Paris Agric Summit: Kano Rules Out GMO Seeds, Plans Climate-Smart Rice Initiative
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — The Kano State Government has ruled out the introduction of genetically modified seeds as it moves to improve rice production through climate-smart agricultural practices.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Danjuma Mamud who hosted newsmeninhisoffice on Friday, said the state will instead focus on improved, non-GMO seed varieties capable of boosting productivity for farmers.
Mamud disclosed this after participating in the Salon International de l’Agriculture held in Paris, where Kano officials held discussions with global agricultural stakeholders.
According to him, the state is exploring collaboration with CIRAD to introduce climate-resilient rice varieties and modern farming techniques.
“We had engagements with CIRAD on how to improve rice productivity per hectare using climate-smart seeds,” Mamud said.
“However, GMO seeds were ruled out for Kano farmers during the conference discussions.”
He explained that the planned initiative aims to significantly increase rice output while reducing pressure on land and other resources.
“At the moment, some farmers harvest between 50 and 60 bags per hectare,” he said. “With improved seeds and better practices, we believe production can increase up to three times.”
The commissioner said the state government plans to establish demonstration farms where the new seed varieties will be tested and showcased to farmers.
“The demonstration farms will allow farmers to see the performance of the seeds themselves before adopting them,” Mamud said. “This will help build confidence and encourage wider acceptance.”
He added that the state already has crop-mapping data that will guide the rollout of the programme across different farming zones in Kano.
“We have itemised our needs and shared them with the research institute,” Mamud said.
“Our next step is to translate the crop-mapping data into practical programmes that will directly benefit farmers.”