Fake seeds enter the country under research guise.

One of the reasons for the influx of fake seeds into the country has been identified to importers’ hiding under the guise of research work which thereby give them undue opportunity to bring all sort of animals and crops seeds varieties.

This findings was coming on the heels of unregulated rules or non enforcement of the law or better still non availability of policy especially on livestock and animal production which is mostly affected.

Findings revealed that most private organizations unlike the agricultural research institutes are not responding to the directive of ensuring the registration of the circulated seeds especially in the animals production where there is no breeding policy yet.

Food Farm News’ finding also revealed that this problem might pose a very serious challenge to our agricultural development more importantly in the face of genetically modified materials that is yet to be operational by law as its bill for effective operation has passed the third reading at upper chambers of the National Assembly; but yet to be signed by the President.

 The opinion of the NACGRAB CEO, Dr. Sunday Aladele pointed that importers might have a legal right under whatever reason but argued that an efficient operational system to ensure certification will checkmate their influx adding monitoring and policing of these seeds are not under the mandate of his centre saying there is need for more partnership with the quarantine officials towards ensuring registration.

Dr. Aladele said that “most of the importers of these seeds always claim they want to use them for research but before you know what is happening, the seeds are already all over the places. Maybe, the same way they have come as research materials in crops is what is happening with the animals. But as the country is now, things have to be properly done as there are lot of rules and regulations that nobody is enforcing, and this is where the problem is. I think there is need to move closer to Nigeria Agricultural Quarintine Service (NAQS)”

On measure of control in the area of animal production, the Executive Director, National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Prof. Gefu advocated for Animal improvement act that will enforce registration of species of animals breed in the country together with imported ones just as it is done in South Africa where there is an act supporting the activities of National Technical Livestock Committee on registration, import and export.

According to Prof. Gefu “There is an act from South Africa where the act of parliament is backing the documentation and detail of everything to do with genotype of germplasm of all the animals that are breed or raised within the republic of South Africa to be under the regulation of Technical Livestock Committee but the difference here is that we have no Act of Parliament for animal policy like the South Africa”