Minister of Agric insists on importing grass seeds

Chief Audu Ogbeh

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Chief Audu Ogbeh has responded to his critics saying his decision to import improved grass seeds into the country to feed our animals is unchangeable saying he never said he would import grass. 

Many media organizations except Food Farm News have reported the story of minister’s importation of grass from Brazil as against his earlier discussion reported in our last January-February edition where it was stated that the FMARD would partner the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) in growing grass at a meeting held at the conference room of Raw Material Research Development Council (RMRDC).

During the press conference held at Sheraton organized by NiMet during the Seasonal Rainfall Presiction (SRP), the minister said that he shouldn’t be misquoted by the media, “ Nigeria is not importing grasses but the seeds” the Minister said.

He added that we cannot just feed the cow with just any grass, the grass for Golf Course is different from the one that is used to feed a cow saying “there are grasses used for feeding cow and it’s the seeds that we are importing, so that we will be able to multiply them for future use, which will also generate income.

Currently Saudi Arabia is importing grasses from the United Kingdom to feed their cows, but here we are not importing the grass but the seed. We need to provide for our cow, so that we will end the importation of milk soon”