The Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) has supported the use of community
based seeds to curb adulteration in the system just as it urged the Federal
Government to ensure the passage of the revised seed Act without any further
delay saying this would enable more effective running of the industry by the
private sector.
FAO’s Country Representative in
Nigeria, Ms Louise Lobisa gave the advice at a stakeholders’ consultative
workshop in Abuja. She said that the passage of the revised Seed Act would help
develop the private sector and the community-based seed systems and by
extension guarantee food security in the country wondering why the Act is still
being held in the Federal Ministry of Justice after many delays with the
legislation before approval.
Ms Louise Lobisa said that the
essence of the workshop is aimed at designing a draft strategy that would
strengthen and support private and community seed operation in the country
adding the farmers need to know the importance of using improved quality seeds
for agricultural production while government should face the business of
efficiency system in the country.
She stated that FAO was interested in building the
capacity of government institutions with seed certification, seed quality,
upgrading skills as well as strengthening agro-based laboratories as they are
ready to make sure the private sector playing its roles in the seed system in
Nigeria pointed that “ seeds should not
just be made available, but those, who are providing the seed should also make
profit and make a living out of it”
Dr Okelola Oluwole, FAO Consultant
and agricultural economist in his lecture “Draft Strategy to Strengthen Private
Sector and Community Seed Systems” said that the country had witnessed the
collapse of many seed companies.
He said “after witnessing collapse
of many seed companies as far as 1984, but the number increased from 36 in 2011
to 164 in 2014.Certified seed production rose from 6,109 tons in 2012 to
149,844 tons in 2013. Access to credit by seed companies increased from N1.8
billion in 2012 to N6.02 billion in 2014. Seed distribution by companies also
rose from 9,455 tons in 2011 to 59,000 tons in 2013”
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