Minister's visit: Seeds DG cries out for facility support

The Director General (DG) National Agricultural Seeds Council ( NASC) Dr. Philip Ojo has called on the Federal Government (FG) to provide needed facilities that will help the council to perform its improved seeds availability mandates very effectively.  

Dr. Ojo cried out the council's facility challenges to Agric Minister, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar during his visit to the office complex at Sheda, Abuja last Tuesday.

Ojo lamented that the deplorable condition of the council needs urgent facilities support for it to perform effectively its provisional mandates, saying many of the equipments in the council are obsolete to meet global standard service delivery.

He decried impact of the hoodlums' activity during last year Endsars vandalization that led to 400 metric ton of seeds loss along with other equipments vandalized at the council, thereby stressed the need to replace the current seed plant for substandard performance in seeds production services.

The DG mentioned that many spare parts of the machines equipment in the council cannot be gotten for replacement as they are no more in the market for long years of installation.

Ojo also complained on lack of monitoring vehicles for the staff as he demanded that the replacement would enhance the council's work.

According to him ''the issue of vehicles have been an issue for the seed certification officers due to the fact that most of the farms are in the  remote areas in the bush"

He pointed that the last time the seed council had access to new vehicles was during the time of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina,  former minister of Agriculture, now the current president of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

He said that seed policy of the agency is currently undergoing repositioning in view of the PVP already signed into law.

 

The seeds boss  stressed  that the industry is not going to be an all commerce affairs again, but rather now a sector that people will have to do the right thing to avoid being delisted.

Responding, the Agric Minister, Abubakar  tasked the council to ensure access of improved seeds to farmers through law enforcement that will chase out adulteration in the system, adding this has been the bane of our produce rejection in the international markets.

The minister gave his words that the ministry would do something to support the council in terms of vehicles for monitoring, while he appreciated the council's so far.