By Samuel
Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, in collaboration with American agritech company, AgBiTech, is set to provide Nigerian farmers with Fawligen- a biological tool that prevents Fall Armyworm infestation.
Flour Mills is scaling this partnership through its subsidiary- Golden Agri Inputs Limited (GAIL), as the sole distributor of Fawligen in Nigeria.
Fawligen has been undergoing several regulatory trials across several African countries since early 2018. This is after the FAW was first discovered in Africa (Nigeria) in 2016.
Group Managing Director, FMN, Boye Olusanya, noted that the partnership would play an important part in reducing pest-induced post-harvest losses.
“We will continue to pursue partnerships in all areas of our core competence, particularly in Agribusiness, where we hope to further strengthen our leadership position.
“I believe this partnership with AgBiTech is especially important because it offers farmers an efficient option of pest management products that prevent yield losses.
“Nigerian farmers who are looking to protect their investments will be happy to learn that Fawligen is a terrific addition to a lineup of products under GAIL/FMN that have been developed to do just that”, he said.
Fall armyworm (FAW) is a transboundary insect with a high potential to spread rapidly due to its natural distribution capacity and opportunities presented by international trade.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), this pest represents a real threat to the food security and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.
FAW has spread across all of sub-Saharan Africa, the Near East, and Asia. It will likely soon be present in Southern Europe, according to the FAO.
On his part, Head of Africa & South Asia for AgBiTech, Dr. Shachi Gurumayum, the product has been evaluated by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
This development, he further noted, would be a relief to Nigerian farmers.
He said, “Fawligen has been tested and evaluated by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for two consecutive years in Nigeria.
“Having access to a safe and effective biological control for FAW will be a welcome relief to many of the Nigerian farmers affected by FAW”.