Harvestplus, an international agriculture organisation would soon release zinc rice, high iron beans and sorghum in Nigeria to diversify the chain of nutritious crops in the country.
The Harvestplus Country Manager, Dr Paul Ilona made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ibadan.
Ilona noted that HarvestPlus with partners were able to successfully use conventional breeding techniques in a process known as bio-fortification to introduce vitamin A into common staple crops such as cassava, maize and sweet potato.
He said this effort was in the bid to ensure that the crops people love were nutritious enough to meet the body’s nutritional requirement.
According to him, 16 varieties of these crops are now available for farmers to plant, as well as the latest automated machines for food processors to make nutritious food products.
On the possible entry points for enterprises in the nutritious food sector, Ilona said the growing consciousness on issues around health presented an invaluable opportunity for Nigerians to generate income from the sector.
“People should now begin to think nutrition as they think business, farmers have the nutritious varieties, processors have the equipment, and for marketers there are consumers.
“If these opportunities are fully harnessed in the next ten years we hope to see women and children, particularly rural households looking well nourished, young people growing to be very intelligent and contributing to growth in GDP,” he said.
The Expert Plant Breeder emphasised that if food did not deliver the right quantity of essential micro-nutrients especially in the first 1,000 days of an individual’s life, there could be irreparable development damages.
He therefore enjoined people to ensure that their daily diets not only cater for the hunger of the stomach but most importantly contain and deliver the right quantity of essential micro-nutrients which the eyes, blood, brain and entire body organs need to function optimally.
Ilona remarked that human body required various micro-nutrients to function effectively, which include vitamin A, iron and zinc.
“The lack of these micro-nutrients in the diets of people is culpable for 100 deaths in children and 6 women of child bearing age every day in Nigeria.
“Of course, the mortality, health and development challenges due to micro-nutrient malnourishment can be adequately averted through proper nutrition,” he said.
The Country Manager further urged government and policy makers to create the enabling environment to support investments addressing nutrition.
He also called on the media to help reinforce the message that “the foods people eat play a key role in the development of the country.”
NAN reports that Harvestplus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting bio-fortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals.
It provides global leadership on bio-fortification evidence and technology; the staple crops are naturally bio-fortified and not Genetically Modified. (NAN)
