National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) |
In
the pursuit of the 2016 improved quality seeds availability for the farmers
within and outside the country, the Federal Government through her minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Chief Audu Ogbeh has promised to
take stiffer action on any registered seed companies that are found wanton in
the delivery of certified seeds to the grass roots just as a National Assembly
member strongly advocated for the need to give National Agricultural Seeds
Council (NASC) an autonomy act that would empower them to operate independently
of the main ministry.
The
Minister of FMARD, Chief Audu Ogbeh speaking the National workshop on rapid
action plan development for quality seed production in the country said the
time cannot be better than now when administration was already diversifying the
economy from mono crude oil to Agriculture and other real sector of the economy
pointed that the strategic nature of quality seeds to growing food crops and
livestock required scientific critical action and implementation process
development with stiffer penalty to any unscrupulous seeds companies and
individuals that would want to short change the process towards achieving food
security of the present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari.
The
Minister said that the gap created in the shortage of quality certified seeds
production in 2015 has been bridged with fake seeds and grains from farmers
themselves thereby called upon seed companies to serve as check to their members
so as to avoid stiffer sanctions.
“It is worth noting that the estimated annual
seed demand in Nigeria for 2016 was about 350,000 MT for rice, maize and
sorghum with an approximate seed industry value of N112 Billion ($216 million).
The 2015 annual production was about 122,000 MT valued at N43 Billion ($216
Million). Presently, the gap is filled through massive use of low quality seeds,
such as farmers saved seed and supplied from unscrupulous seed merchants. In
this regards, Nigeria need a seed industry revolution” said the Minister.
He
expressed that government would be stiffer in her action against any seed
company or individual that refused to comply with getting certified quality
seeds to rural farmers saying “I am a victim of fake seed for livestock
production. Seed Companies of Nigeria (SEDAN) should check themselves against
sub standard through labels and tag numbers which must be properly fixed for
traceability. If you have problem let us know, we will support you especially
now that we are telling the youth to go into farming. Youth will not be happy to buy fake seed as
this is part of the corruption we are talking about, and which can make them to
be discouraged”
Chief
Audu Ogbeh also challenged all the National Agricultural Research Institutes
towards providing more improved hybrid for crops with ensuring partnership to
those that would transfer them to farmers stated that “ let me reiterate loudly
my concern on the low yield of varieties in Nigeria compared to what is
obtained in other countries for which I challenge the Research, especially not
only to brace up and do more, not only to improve and develop better varieties,
but also to partner strongly with stakeholders to ensure that these varieties
get to the hands of Farmers”
However
a National assembly member, Hon. Munir Babba Danagundi was very passionate
about putting in place a new act that would make NASC independent of the main
ministry like its other counterparts in the advanced world saying the lower
house has been working towards ensuring an act to empower them towards
effective performance to service delivery in a shortest time.
Hon.
Munir Danagundi suggested that NARIs should rather be properly funded so as to
concentrate on the massive research into increasing breeders’ seeds from its
present lowest level adding that private seeds companies should only be allowed
to produce certifies seeds. “ Research Institutes should be funded not
encouraging into producing certified seeds. The seed council act of 1992 will
be presented in the next four week to give the council a strong legal backing
as this will enable it to act independently of the main ministry”
In
his address, NASC DG Dr. Philip Olusegun Ojo said that his council would
continue to ensure the sanitization of the industry from adulteration and fake
seeds with continuous enlightenment programmes to agro input sellers for the avoidance
of adulteration being circulated to the farmers saying such activity was
recently carried out in the South West of the Region with positive response at
Agbeni market, Ibadan, Oyo state.
Dr.
Ojo pointed that the need for certified seeds to ensure food security cannot be
wished away saying that “the critical position of quality seeds as key inputs
towards commercial agricultural productivity and ensuring food security as the
carrier of the genetic potential of the crop plant that determines the upper
limit of yield and the ultimate productivity of fertilizer, agro chemicals and
other inputs cannot be over emphasized”.
Dr.
Ojo said that with “ prejudice to some of the steps already being taken by the
council in the Council in the areas of capacity building for the seed
operators, pre-control test, seed market surveillance, seed demonstration, road
shows, sensitization and enlightenment campaigns, re-certification of seed
companies, among others. These you will agree with me have to be carried out in
partnership with all the stakeholders here present”
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