CRI releases improved varieties of crops
The Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has released new improved varieties of crops capable of withstanding climate change.
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It followed the approval of the National Varietal Release and Registration Committee (NVRRC) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture after its assessment of the qualities of the various varieties.
In all, seven new maize, four new cowpea and one new rice varieties were released.
The Director of the CRI, Dr Stella Ama Ennin, who said this at the official release of the varieties in Kumasi, explained that most of the new cowpea and maize varieties had high vitamin A contents and were drought tolerant and high yielding as well.
According to her, the new varieties would also help the country to reduce its high import bill of particularly rice.
Plant Breeders Bill
Dr Ennin made a passionate appeal to Parliament to pass the Plant Breeders Bill to help the institute to develop more crop varieties to meet the needs of the country.
Aside from helping to develop the new crop varieties, she said, it would also solve the funding challenges facing the institute as it would provide an avenue for it to collaborate with the private sector to develop the new varieties and ensure that they reached the end user through marketing.
She said the main objective of the new variety was to help the country to reduce the issue of malnutrition, particularly issues dealing with limited availability vitamin A, Zinc and Iron.
“And these are qualities we have included in our varieties to ensure that we help improve both infant and maternal nutrition,” she said.
In addition, she said one of the new maize varieties could be used for both poultry and human consumption, and, therefore, would reduce the high importation of yellow maize.
