Cotton stakeholders advocate RMRDC empowerment, demand quality seeds and market.

cotton

The National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOSAN) in a meeting organized by the umbrella body Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) has strongly advocated for more funding to Raw Material Research Development (RMRDC) based on its strong commitment to ensuring intervention for mass production of agricultural raw materials for industrial uses through quality inputs provision through other mandates agencies or any private sector with ingenuity capacity which it has exhibited in cotton, tomatoes and many other crops. 

While the RMRDC was noted for its contributions to locally produced local raw  materials for  industrial uses to checkmating the import bills running to billion  on agricultural materials alone for further industrial foods and other products for further manufacturing and production with evidence of positive impact in the many crops, especially in cotton quality production for textile industry according to spokesmen of NACOSAN) in a meeting organized towards ensuring standard to prevent rejections in the global markets.

Commending RMRDC, the Chairman of NACOSAN, Ondo state, Mr. Ogungbe Richard said the passionate effort of representative of RMRDC towards encouraging cotton farmers in the south through provision of quality seeds saying its activity in this regards is very encouraging and disserved more government financial support for her to continue in making local raw materials availability for industrial uses through research intervention of quality seeds and processing materials.

Mr. Richard pointed that the South West cotton market potential in the world market’s demand is increasing day by day as more foreign textile companies abroad are showing interest as off takers thereby asking for more potent, improve and ecology adaptable variety quality seeds for this region stressed that there is need to researching into long stable variety of Samcot 11 for the use of farmers.

According to him “At a conference held outside this country which I attended, about 12 companies in China identified with South West cotton and that is what brought Arewa Company into the South. I want to commend the effort of officers of the RMRDC and also solicit for FG more funding for the council because of their passion for development of locally produced raw material to checkmating imports through supply of quality seeds for standard produce; otherwise many of us would have quitted farming in the region. But I must say there is need to establish cool room for prevention of improved seeds quality because cotton in the region can give 500,000 job if properly positioned”.

The Edo state NACOTAN, Rev. Moris supporting the view of his colleague from south west said that there is need for more logistic for cotton and other crops’ production in the region adding that farmers need to replicate more foundational seeds for more multiplication