Organic seeds: Practitioners challenge researchers

Practitioners  of organic agriculture in Nigeria has charged the research institutes in the country to intensify on generation of more organic seeds for farmers in view of the high demand for organically grown foods in the international markets. This position was taken at the recently concluded roundtable business summit on organic farming held in Abuja.

The stakeholders said that for more inclusive agricultural organic productivity in Nigeria to be highly standardised, there is need for researchers to generate more organic seeds that would enhance a robust certification of farmers’ produce in both the local and international markets, adding that the demand for Nigerian produce in the European countries would be short changed if holistic organic produce are not seriously considered from the adoption of improved organic seeds.

Speaking on the occasion, Country Coordinator, Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) in Nigeria, Dr. Adeoluwa Olugbenga said that the African Heads of States’ decision on establishing a sustainable organic farming system with improved seeds quality has necessitated the need for our agronomics researchers to intensify on generation of more organic seeds across crops so as to ensure availability for farmers,  stressed that ‘’ why is it that cowpea cannot be organically generated as improved seeds for planting. This is what this business roundtable discussion should be looking at with aim of proffering solution with organizations or institution that has the mandate for the purpose of contact’’.

Olugbenga stressed that the consciousness of people to what they consume in terms of toxic and chemical contaminations in foods has called for more improved organically generated seeds that would enable small scale farmers across the country to produce more healthy and nutritious foods to the markets, pointing that Nigeria was far behind other countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Sierra- Leone and Ghana in terms of organic farming in Africa.

He said there are demand for more Nigerian organically produced food as our organic ginger are in high demand in Germany, wished that the level of organic agricultural practice in the North be more galvanised because they produce more food crops, and added that African countries need to be well prepared so as to be able to meet the EU organic policy about to be adopted that could give limitation to farmers in terms of meeting export standard.

The President, Association of Organic Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Prof. Victor Olowe emphasised for more availability of improved organic seeds while he requested that stakeholders must come together to enhance the market space for the produce querying why Russia and Morocco are being partnered by Federal Government to provide synthetic fertilizers without such consideration for organic inputs that could give more premium price in the international markets for Nigeria.

Olowe stressed the need for NOAN to expand its partnership with other organizations both in the public and private sectors that could add more value to the promotion of the organically grown foods in the country saying that the media must be well integrated into the process for more awareness creation.

Stakeholders hailed the north east decision to ban the usage of synthetic fertilizers for crops in the region based on its negative chemical reaction effects on the health of people saying other regions should take a leave from this by encouraging organic farming with organic inputs as extension officers are also asked to be trained also with this practice.