Syngeta launches fast acting pesticide, tomato hybrids, rice seed varieties

To help the Federal Government’s agricultural diversification drive, Syngeta Nigeria has launched Ambligo, a new, fast acting pesticide that could be used at any time, against many crop insects, ‘Tuta absoluta,’ a deadly pest, which if not controlled could destroy up to 100 percent of the tomatoes in a field.

Syngeta also launched two new tomato hybrids, Chibli and Kilele, and as well as introduced two local rice seed varieties in Nigeria at an event held on Tuesday in Abuja.

There are records that thousands of hectares of tomato cropping are lost in a matter of hours due to the ‘tuta absoluta’ infestation, and investments worth hundreds of millions on naira lost as a result of this tomato-consuming pest that ravages products, mainly in the Northern part of the country.

At the event, experts who spoke with BusinessDay, affirmed Ambligo’s potency to work against a wide variety of sucking and biting pests in vegetables, potatoes and field crops.

According to them, the product could give up to 21 days protection, meaning that farmers could reduce the frequency that they need to spray their fields, saving time, energy and money.

In addition to Ampligo, Syngetta also launched Chibili and Kilele hybrid tomato variety for farmers who grow for both the fresh and for the tomatoes processing market.

Kilele, a second hybrid tomato variety could be harvested over a 10-week period compared to local varieties that could take four weeks, whereas Chibili boasts of high improved yields and nematodes resistance.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s current 2.9 million tons of rice import is set to be averted with improved seed variety of faro 44 and Faro 52 rice seeds, an improved local variety also launched by Syngetta. As a result, farmers across Nigeria now have access to high quality seedlings with assurance of improved germination and yield.

Shachi Sharma, director, Syngetta Nigeria Limited, said they were working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on best ways of boosting agricultural produce in Nigeria. “We are also working with the seed council, quarantine services, research institutes, root research crop institute in Plateau State, Institute for Agricultural Research in Zaria and other research institutes,” he stated.

He disclosed that a value chain study including seed crops that they carried out in Nigeria found that the country lost about 40 percent of the raw material that was produced internally, due largely to poor transportation and storage infrastructure. “The long shelf life of this variety would assist the country a lot,” Sharma said further.