The Federal Government has unveiled two new chicken breeds, Noiler and Cobb 500, and 14 high-yield crop varieties.
This announcement was made during the 34th meeting of the National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds, and Fisheries, held on Thursday.
Professor Soji Olufajo, Chairman of the National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) during the meeting explained that the registration and release of the two chicken breeds and crop varieties were based on recommendations from the committee’s technical sub-committees.
“The new chicken breeds are Noiler and Cobb 500, the high-yield crops include wheat, barley, maize, cassava, rice, castor, and jute,” Olufajo stated.
NAN reports that the technical sub-committee chaired by Prof. S. Ado during its 38th meeting on Tuesday deliberated on the 19 varieties received. After careful consideration, 14 varieties were recommended to the NVRC for final approval during Thursday’s meeting.
The NVRC also reviewed the findings of another technical sub-committee, chaired by Professor Waheed Akin-Hassan, which met on Wednesday to discuss the two new chicken breeds.
According to Akin-Hassan, “The Noiler is a locally-developed dual-purpose chicken, while the Cobb 500 is a meat-type chicken breed.”
“The release and registration of the crop varieties will enhance food sufficiency in the country,” Okere said.
He urged farmers to adopt these newly-released crops to maximize their production efficiency and yield quality. “Embrace these crops to enable you to produce quality and quantity with little stress,” he added.