Sep 04 2018, 12:59 PMSep 04 2018, 1:19 PMSeptember 04 2018, 12:59 PMSeptember 04 2018, 1:19 PM
New wheat varieties that are customized for the tropics are being planted by farmers in Nigeria, and could help cut imports, which cost $4.4bn annually, according to the country's agriculture ministry. Known as Reyna-28 and Norman Borlaug, the new strains have been developed by a government-owned agricultural research agency, and are said to yield more than triple the output of older varieties, according to the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria. The country has cultivated more than 300,000 hectares, and looks to produce over one million tons per year. The ministry also aims to cut imported wheat shipments 60% by 2025.