Nigerian Government takes harder stance against fake seeds

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”