National Committee registers 17 new crops varieties, NASC insist on local production

Prof. Olusoji Olafajo, with National Chairman Varietal registration, Chief Oladosun Awoyomi and CEO NACGRAB, Dr. Sunday Alade

Another seventeen new hybrid crops has been registered this year by the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeders and Fisheries at the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACRAB), Ibadan, Oyo state.

The Chairman of the Committee, Chief Awoyemi said that these new hybrid varieties would add value to commercial production of crops production towards food security just as he observed there was no registration for livestock and fisheries.

The 17 crops approved for naming and registration by the National committee included two (5) potatoes-(Rumba and jelly), eight (8) maize hybrids (DK 234, DK 777, DK818, DK 290, OBA SUPER 11, OBA SUPER 13, SAMMAZ 46 and SAMMAZ 47) and One (1) Maize variety (SAMMAZ 48), Two (2) Sorghum OPVs (SAMSORG 45 and SAMSORG 46), Two (2) Sweet pepper Hybrids (Jupiter and Lafayette) and two (2) Cabbage hybrids (Gloria and Pruktor). All these new hybrids varieties have gone through all processes of farms trails before getting to this stage of registration.

Meanwhile the official of National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) Mr. Agboola has insisted that his organization would not allow importation of any of these registered seeds saying it is against the principle of certified seed production in Nigeria.

The chairman, Technical Sub Committee, Crops, Prof. OlusojiOlufajo In an interview with us buttressed what Mr.Agboola of NASC said that only varieties gazetted in the national catalogue would be allowed for commercial production in the country although many stakeholders observed most companies are afraid of their parental line being stolen without any property right in place for the protection of parental line.

It is observed by the stakeholders that the descriptors format for livestock and fisheries need to be put in place, and until this is done the registration of the livestock and fisheries varieties would still be difficult just as the Chief executive Officer of NACRAB, Dr. Sunday Alade pointed that private people are still apprehensive of bringing up their species.

The CEO of NACGRAB also hinted that the funding for varietal release meeting has been included in the 2016 budget thereby appreciating the financial support of WAAP which has ended.

Other recommendation at the meeting includes

-the Technical Sub- Committee (TSC) appreciated the financial support received so far from WAAPP, National Biotechnology development Agency (NABDA), IAR&T, IAR, Premier Seeds Nigeria LTD and Kaduna state towards the hosting of the meeting.

_the TSC (Crops) also suggested that a letter of appreciation should be written to WAAPP for the finance support WAAP for the financial support received so far.

-the Registrar enjoined all breeders who want to register crops that have not been registered and released in Nigeria before to submit the descriptors for consideration to the committee prior to the preparation of varietal release proposal.