(Abuja: October 25, 2024) — A team of plant breeders from the TELA Maize project, coordinated by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), gathered in Nigeria to assess the performance of the TELA Maize variety on farmers’ fields.
The team, consisting of representatives from South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Nigeria, aimed to interact with farmers who planted TELA maize during the 2024 rainy season, address challenges, and explore ways to enhance the variety.
Dr. Sylvester Oikeh, AATF TELA Maize Project Manager, emphasized that the mission provided breeders who have worked on the variety over the past decade an opportunity to see its performance on the ground and gather direct feedback for future improvements.
“We have engaged with farmers who planted TELA, and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Importantly, breeders from across the TELA project countries are present, and what they see here in Nigeria serves as an inspiration,” he said.
He also noted that Nigeria, despite joining the TELA consortium later, managed to expedite activities, achieving significant milestones that are now being celebrated.
Dr. Kingstone Mashingaidze, Principal Researcher and TELA Project Country Coordinator at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South Africa, expressed excitement about the commercialization of TELA maize in Nigeria.
“It is quite exciting to see how well TELA is performing, particularly in controlling Armyworm, a major issue for smallholder farmers who cannot afford costly chemical control,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the health implications of TELA maize, Dr. Mashingaidze highlighted that South African farmers have been growing genetically modified (GM) maize since 2000, with no evidence of adverse health effects. “Despite claims that GM maize can cause health issues, we have not seen any proof. Our farmers have been growing BT maize to control stem borers and fall armyworm, and our citizens have been consuming it safely,” he added.
During the visit, several farmers shared their experiences with TELA maize. Mrs. Patience Koku, Executive Director of Operations at Niger Foods, one of the large-scale companies that planted over 3,000 hectares of TELA maize, described the variety as a “game changer” for Nigeria.
“We are pleased with this variety. It endured mild drought when other varieties struggled, and even when fall armyworm attacked, TELA maize remained unaffected,” she said.
The TELA Maize project continues to focus on improving crop performance and supporting farmers across Africa with resilient maize varieties.
About AATF (www.aatf-africa.org)
Founded in 2003 to address Africa’s food security prospects through agricultural technology, AATF believes that the agricultural sector is a key foundational pillar as Africa consolidates its economic growth and carves out its new position as a major global economic powerhouse and the next growth market in the world. It was formed in response to the need for an effective mechanism that would facilitate and support negotiation for technology access and delivery and formation of appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of innovative technologies for use by smallholder farmers in SSA:
For further information. Photos and video contact: Alex Abutu Communication Officer (West and Central Africa), AATF. +2348068701960 a.abutu@aatf-africa.org
