b'Nigeria has approved com- on the nutritional compositionbeta-carotene of Golden Rice mercialization of a biotechof both grain and fodder,aims to provide 30-50% of the cowpea variety resistant tosays Ishiyaku. estimated average require-pod borers. This developmentment (EAR) of vitamin A for places Nigeria as the firstpregnant women and young country ever to commercializeSTATUS PHILIPPINES children.genetically improved cowpea. On December 18, 2019, theThe Philippines now joins The National CommitteePhilippines Department ofa select group of countries on Naming, Registration andAgriculture-Bureau of Plantthat have affirmed the safety Release of Crop VarietiesIndustry (DA-BPI) has issuedof Golden Rice. In 2018, Food approved registration anda biosafety permit to theStandards Australia New commercial release of thePhilippine Rice ResearchZealand, Health Canada, and pod borer resistant (PBR)Institute (PhilRice) andthe United States Food and cowpea at a meeting held onInternational Rice ResearchDrug Administration pub-December 12, 2019 in Ibadan.Institute (IRRI) for GR2Elished positive food safety The approval is a culmina- Golden Rice for direct use asassessments for Golden Rice. tion of more than ten years offood and feed, or for pro- A biosafety application was intensive trials of geneticallycessing (FFP). After rigorouslodged in November 2017 modified (GM) cowpea and abiosafety assessment, DA-BPIand is currently undergoing breakthrough in eradicatinghas found Golden Rice to bereview by the Biosafety Core Maruca vitrata pod borer, anas safe as conventional rice.Committee in Bangladesh. insect that can cause up to 80PhilRice Executive Director percent yield loss. John de Leon welcomed the The new variety, namedpositive regulatory decision.STATUS PAKISTANSAMPEA 20-T, was developedWith this FFP approval, wePunjab Seed Council at by scientists at the Institute forbring forward a very acces- Agriculture House approved Agricultural Research (IAR),sible solution to our countrys25 new varieties of agricul-Ahmadu Bello University, Zariaproblem on Vitamin A defi- tural commodity seeds. In the in collaboration with severalciency thats affecting manymeeting, 10 varieties of cumu-partners under the coordina- of our pre-school children andlative seeds were approved, tion of the African Agriculturalpregnant women. including 9 olive oil and 1 bt Technology FoundationIRRI Director Generalcotton namely FH-444.(AATF). According to theMatthew Morrell says, IRRINew varieties of crops PBR cowpea projects princi- is pleased to partner withare being prepared which pal investigator MohammadPhilRice to develop thiscan resist severe weather Ishayaku, SAMPEA 20-T isnutrition-sensitive agriculturalconditions and have strong high yielding, early maturingsolution to address hiddenimmunity against diseases, and also resistant to Strigahunger. This is the core ofsaid Punjab Agriculture and Alectra, two notoriousIRRIs purpose: to tailor globalMinister Malik Nauman Ahmad parasitic weeds that are asolutions to local needs. TheLangrial. The minister stated major constraint to cowpeaPhilippines has long recog- this while chairing the 53rd production in most producingnized the potential to harnessmeeting of Punjab Seed areas in Nigeria and other drybiotechnology to help addressCouncil at Agriculture. SWsavannah regions.food and nutrition security, The protein and nutrientsenvironmental safety, as well content of variety SAMPEAas improve the livelihoods of 20-T is the same as that offarmers.other conventional varietiesIn the Philippines, Vitamin meaning that the Bt gene thatA deficiency (VAD) affects was introduced into the vari- 20.4% of children aged 6 ety has no negative influencemonths to five years. The FEBRUARY 2020SEEDWORLD.COM /71'