Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has suggested that government could consider adopting genetic engineering to fight fall armyworm infestation in the long term.
Prof Boateng revealed this in an interaction with officials and patrons at an Open Day event at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) in Kumasi on Thursday, July 20.
He said government was committed to achieving its promises and they are working assiduously to ensure that the Planting for Food and Jobs as well as the One-District-One-Factory policies among others become a success.
However, he indicated that: “We have one challenge this year with the fall armyworm but I know that we can solve this problem”.
“The CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CRI) has medium to long term plans using science and genetic engineering to produce something that will be able to fight fall army worm, not this year but in the years to come”.
“I’m happy that the minister of agriculture has promised to help us even with the seed development, this year we imported a lot of seeds but I know that in the years to come, we will be importing less so that by four years’ time we will be able to produce all the seeds we need in Ghana”, he said.
Currently, an estimated 112,000 hectares of farm fields have been infected with 1400 hectares destroyed completely.
Farmers have made huge losses as a result of the armyworm onslaught.
The pests continue to attack farm fields in various parts of the country despite repeated assurances by government that the situation is under control, thereby giving rise to fears of possible food shortage.
<<Print>>