Food Shortage: AfDB, SEEDAN in GES talk

  

In view of African food shortage with Nigeria being greatly affected as foods import from Ukraine/ Russia and India have dwindled , the African Development Bank ( AfDB) is in partnership talks with Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria  ( SEEDAN) towards how to bring back Growth Enhancement Scheme ( GES) of Agricultural Transformation Agenda ( ATAP) to drive the food security system with efficient accounting of inputs distribution to farmers in the up coming dry season farming. 

The lead spokesman of SEEDAN at the meeting with AfDB officials last week at Abuja, Engr. Yakubu Atar Stephen told Food Farm News in an interview that the African bank is ready to raise 135 million dollars to finance seeds and fertilizers availability through the association  using GES template to distribute inputs to farmers in major three crops.

crops.

Engr. Stephen said the issue of how to mop up  quality seeds in circulation so as to avert scarcity was topmost in the discussion, adding that the AfDB is determined to rescue food shortage in Nigeria through secured seed inputs for the next planting season.

According to him " AfDB has called SEEDAN into a partnership talk about its intention to rescue food shortage in Africa to the tune of $15 billion as about $134 million has been set aside for Nigeria to finance inputs of seeds and fertilizers through the Growth Enhancement Scheme of  Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the bank in rice, wheat and maize for this up coming dry season as we have also pointed that GES must be extended to other crops in the other states of the federation for more wealth and job creations"

Stephen said they have advised that the process of mopping up certified seeds in these three crops must be immediate to avert people eating up the seeds as food thereby creating scarcity at the time of need.

He stated " we have advised that the  first thing to be done is to raise enough finance to mop up available improved seeds against being eaten as foods in order to avert scarcity "

The three crops the program is looking at using the GES process are wheat, rice and maize according to Engr. Stephen of SEEDAN.