NASC holds seed connect

NASC Director General (DG), Dr. Olusegun Ojo during the Seed Connect Press Conference held in Abuja 

*seeks media support

As part of effort by the Federal Government to boost agricultural productivity in the country, using quality seeds, the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) is planning to hold the first ever seed conference and Expo in Abuja tomorrow just as it has craved for media support in the awareness creation for the use of improve seeds to checkmate food deficits.

  This was disclosed by the NASC Director General (DG), Dr. Olusegun Ojo, in a press conference held in the preparation last week.

Dr. OlusegunOjo said that the conference would hold this week ( 5th and 6th) as it is expected to bring together seed companies within and outside the country to brainstorm on how to facilitate the development of the sub sector in a holistic, pragmatic and sustainable manners towards ensuring a roadmap that would strengthen the country’s seed industry.

The NASC DG said that the event would ensure the display of newly released high-quality seeds from local and other neighboring countries for farmers’ choice saying that “The conference is a rebrand of the usual national seed planning event usually organized by NASC, which brings key stakeholders to review activities of the previous year and draw plans for the current year. 

The stakeholders include donors, researchers, policymakers, development partners, academics, farmers’ organization and industry end-users among others.This will, however, improve the national economy because we will be partnering with the private sector to generate revenue for the country and the farmer’’. 

He added that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief AuduOgbeh  is scheduled to launch the seed call centre/farmers helpline saying that the facilities would serve as  platform to address the concerns of farmers and the general public on seed-related matters.

In another development, the NASC has craved for media support in its awareness creation on adoption of improved seeds by farmers towards commercial productivity, and checkmating of food deficit in the country.

This demand was made to the journalists in a speech presented by Director, seed certification and quality control, Mr. Ishiak Khalid on behalf of his DG, Dr. Ojo who said that the planting of grains as seeds was a recipe for crops’ failure in the country saying “no matter the quality of other inputs”

Dr. Ojotherefore called on the media for the urgent sensitization of farmers on the difference between seeds and grains, adding this has been an issue over the years, and it has led to the adulteration being peddled by some merchants who are taking undue advantages of the market potential of the sub sector.

In one of the engagement sessions, the NASC representative Mr. Okelola Folarin attributed fund challenges to the sub sector’s impediment adding that the need for more sensitization for the use of improved seeds has warranted media collaboration so as to help the farmers at the grassroots towards getting the right information on the adoption of improved seeds for commercial agriculture.

The representative of the SEDAN, Mr. Richard Olafare said that the association is currently having “farmers’ friendly program” where issues that are affecting them in terms of improved seeds are resolved in the country.

The media dialogue also had in attendance, Director Seed inspectorate, NASC, Mr. Adebayo Agboola, Sato the Honorable Minister, Quality Control and Standardization, Mrs. Heather Ronke, National Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Salem Saleh, Agrodealers Representative, Sadisu Yusuf and Professor Ari Maikano.