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One of the strongest seeds producing companies in Nigeria and Africa Managing Director (MD) Dr. Ibitoye Oyewole has called on the country's Apex Bank to be very considerate of inflationary effects its Monetary Policy Rate ( MPR) on commercial banks saying the negative effect will bounce back on farmers in terms of increase in improved seeds prices.
* Releases 23 varieties
* Suggests rename hall after ..
As about 23 new varieties of crops including four transgenic and 8 hybrid maize were among the newly released and registered into Nigerian market, the National Varietal Release Committee ( NVRC) chaired by Prof. Olusoji Olufajo has expressed great concern on how to get these and other candidates into the hands of farmers for increased food production in the country.
The new chairman, Sub Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties (NVRC), Prof. Shehu Ado yesterday chaired the technical session on the new crops submission for approval at National Centre for Genetic Resources And Biotechnology (NAGRAB) Ibadan.
The Federal Government ( FG) has announced it is ready to fight round-tripping of farm inputs and poor validation of farmers’ data in the ongoing dry season farming in few states of the federation.
The Federal Government ( FG) has said that a total of 312,555.96 metric tons of certified seeds in five major grain crops will be needed to produce sufficient food grains of 31 million Metric Tons (MT) just as the National Assembly has raised the need for seed sector development.
The Managing Director ( MD), Premier Seed Nigeria Limited, Dr. Ibitoye Oyewale has advised on the need for proactive climate smart agriculture practices to checkmate $16.9 billion losses being experienced in the last one decade in Nigeria.
Experts have advised that Nigeria needs to work towards getting Plant Protection Right ( PPR) for premium earnings, job opportunities, and food security.
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.
The nation' s major stakeholders on certified seeds production have condemned the selling of fake seeds using a recognized identity to defraud farmers, just as they enjoined both Seeds Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) and National Agricultural Seeds Council of Nigeria (NASC) to become more active in bringing to book defaulters against efficient seeds system.
* Association decries fake inputs
The Federal Government ( FG) has promised to give farmers a total of 89, 512.10 metric tons for the year 2023 planting seasons, just as an association of seed producers wanted the activities of companies selling fake chemicals checked against food security efforts of the Government.
*Stakeholders ask for registration
An official, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Mr. Zidafamor Ebiarede Jimmy has said Nigeria is already building a laboratory whereby DeoxyriboNucleic Acid ( DNA) fingers’ print of users will soon be established to monitor and ensure standard of all improved seeds in circulation.
The Chairman, Technical Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop varieties, Prof. O. O Olufajo has commended the effort of Nigerian and Dutch Governments for initiating a proactive Collaborative Seed Programme (CPS) that will bring about easy way of doing business for more economic earnings and more quality seeds accessibility to farmers especially in view of Plant Variety Protection Act of 2021.
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.
The new Managing Director (MD)/ CEO, Premier Seeds Nigeria Limited Mr. Ibitoye Oyewale Olumide has said the company will not relent in ensuring food security through availability of improved seeds to farmers in Nigeria and cross West African Countries.
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 National president, All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Architect Kabir Ibrahim has called on African Development Bank (AfDB) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to assist the National Agricultural Seeds Council so as to be able to achieve its mandate in ensuring quality seeds supply for agricultural food production to food security. Ibrahim stated this in a release made available us.
