NAQS asks breeders permit for exotic seeds

The National Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), head of station in Ibadan, Mr. Olufumilayo Akindele has demanded permit for the exotic seeds imported saying dangerous diseases into the country must be avoided through observation of this protocol.  

The NAQS Mr. Akindele raised this issue at the 29^th new varietal release meeting held recently at National Centre for Genetic and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Ibadan recently.

Akindele stressed that it was important that NAQS be carried along in the on farm trials of any exotic seeds from outside the country to ascertain the free disease status of them in view of the wide spread of pest ravaging crops in the world, thereby asking for the import permit to all the exotic seeds that were being registered.

According to him ‘’ Is there any import permit number to all these exotic seeds? Does any NAQS official visit the farms to ascertain the seeds are disease freed? It is important we take all these into consideration for the safety of our nation’’

In his response, IAR Prof. D.A Aba said that the mandate to evaluate sorghum materials in the country belong to his Institute (Institute for Agricultural Institute, Zaria) and all the scientific process to ensure ecological adaptation of the new improved exotic industrial sorghums have been exhausted to arrive at request for the release of them for commercialization.

The IAR scientific team have presented two exotic sorghum varieties with lines from China as candidates to be registered and released because of the industrial potentials in them that can ensure twice in a year bio fuel extraction more than what could be got in sugar cane.

Raw Material Research Development Council (RMRDC) was the one that brought the exotic seeds, and National Sub Committee head by Prof. O.O Olafajo demanded that the RMRDC be joined as the developer partner since they are the one that brought the exotic lines from china. Only one (SAMSORG 51SW) out of the two was presented for approval and release for commercialization.