The Country Program Manager, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFfSA), Mr. Isaiah Gabriel has emphasized that high yielding potential must be part of the criteria for the registration and release of any new variety for easy acceptability by farmers.
Mr. Gabriel gave this suggestion at the December meeting of the Sub-Technical Committee on Crop Varieties chaired by Prof. Olusoji Olafajo at the conference room of the NACGRAB sometimes at Ibadan.Mr. Gabriel
said is very important to bench mark the yield potential of any new candidate
being brought before this committee for release and registration, saying by so
doing farmers will be enjoying high yielding new varieties for more economic
gain and commercialization.
According to
him ‘’ variety to be released must possess a very high yielding potential than
older ones in the past, and adoption must meet 7-8tons per hectare, and by so
doing will help to be easily sold to farmers for more economic earnings and commercialization’’
He added
high yielding potential seed variety will eradicate lengthy discussion or conviction
of farmers to buy improved seeds
saying that ‘’ It is better to allow high yielding seeds variety with benchmark to be approved for release so that farmers can be attracted to such
seeds’’
The chairman
of the Sub-Technical committee on crop varieties, Prof. Olusoji Olafajo called
on all the seeds companies to ensure that any new candidate must have a higher
potential yield than the previously released ones adding that the research
institutes must be ready to support the private seed companies through moderate
charges in order to achieve multiplication.
Also, the
former Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri, Dr.
Oluwasina Olabanji had advised the private seed companies in the country to
ensure constant liaisoning with the research institutes in the process of their
improved seeds for multiplication following the specified guidelines.
No comments:
Post a Comment