Harvest plus calls for maize seeds mop-up

 *FMARD commends

A call to mop up vitamin (A) bio- fortified maize variety of 900 metric tons distributed to farmers for multiplications has been made by the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation Harvest plus representative in Nigeria, Mr. Yufus Dollar.

Mr. Yusuf Dollar made this call and asked for more markets during a press briefing held in Abuja.

Dollar stressed the mop up of over 900 metric tons of well bio-fortified maize seeds variety produced by 20 seed companies at the beginning of 2021 wet season would ensure more availability of the improved variety to farmers for planting towards more enhanced nutrient food with vitamin A.

He advocated for ready market that would motivate farmers into more planting of the maize variety saying the experience of the trials across the various agro regions of the country have shown the potential of the bio-fortified vitamin A seeds for harvesting with 80 days of planting.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Dr. Abdulrasaq Oyeleke commended harvest plus on it drives to ensure that crops are fortified to enhance food nutrient with vitamin(A) saying the ministry would not relent in its extensions mandate of getting new improved technologies like this unto farmers.

Oyeleke pointed that food cannot be secured without being well fortified with nutrients of valuable substance to the body adding that vitamin A plays a vital role in the growth and tackling of malnutrition against the development of people.

Speaking, the president of the maize association of Nigeria Dr. Bello Abubakar lent his weight behind getting the maize variety to more farmers for planting and sustainability in the market.