Seed companies in trouble as low incentive, insecurity demoralize farming

There are indications that the seed companies are facing hard times on the sales of their certified seeds to farmers, reason being low inputs incentive from government coupled with insecurity situation in the country that had made many to leave farming activities for fear of being kidnapped or killed by armed bandits.

Food Farm News’ finding revealed that many seeds companies without well-structured facilities have folded up while the giants among them are battling with low patronage from government and farmers who have been discouraged from going into production by frequent clashes with the herdsmen and high cost of production.

It was gathered that the high cost of grains production does not commensurate with the market price as a bag of grain sold at between N25,000 and N30,000 before is now going for as low as N9.000 even as there are no incentives to support farmers in terms of improved seeds and fertilizers as cushion for production cost.

 Also it was learnt that the presidential fertilizers that were supposed to be given at a palliative price of N5,000  have been alleged to be of low quality in terms of nutrient composition thereby making farmers to opt for the qualitative ones that are higher in prices between 8,000 and 9,000 naira.

Many of the people who spoke with foodfarmnews as regards seeds’ low sales under anonymity said the inputs support previously given to farmers in terms of improved quality seeds had not been forth coming in recent times even as presidential fertilizers have been described as not being easily available, coupled with insecurity challenges.

A visit to one of the seed companies showed full stock of seed begging for buyers. A store keeper at a particular seed company (names withheld) said that the cost of production is so high now in farming compared to market price saying a bag of maize was N7,400 for white and N7,700 for yellow, while sorghum , soya bean, cowpea and rice goes for N6,000, N13,000, N13,000 and N9,000 respectively .

 ‘’ Tell me how many farmers can afford this price and the quality that will go round his cultivation. This is aside low incentive of certified seeds and insecurity situation that is driving many farmers from the farms and the fear that their crops can even be eaten by cows, and climate change challenges’’ said the store keeper.