Nneka Nwogwugwu, Abuja
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono has reaffirmed its commitment to provide quality seeds for crop production in Nigeria.
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He stressed the necessity of quality seed, saying it is a key input towards enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security, job creation and economic growth in Nigeria.
Nanono made his assertion on Thursday during the National Seed Retreat organised by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC),at the IAR Conference Hall, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
In a statement made available to newsmen,the minister noted that seed is the carrier of the genetic potential of the crop plant that determines the upper limit of yield and the ultimate productivity of fertilizers, agro-chemicals and other inputs including machineries and farming techniques.
He said, “Agric Ministry has the responsibility to provide a conducive policy environment of ensuring the sustenance of a virile National Seeds System and to enable a credible, dynamic, competitive and relevant industry which provides healthy and high-quality planting materials for Nigerian farmers and for export irrespective of their location.
“This is the reason I have called this important meeting for us all to discuss the grey areas that needs to be straightened for seed sector development.”
Nanono emphasised that the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in partnership with all relevant stakeholders is responsible for seed industry development and regulation in the country and has over the years been involved in various activities towards ensuring the development of the nation’s seed sector.
He pointed out that the overall set of policy principles of the Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP), would concentrate on providing an enabling environment for stakeholders at the federal and state level to play their distinctive roles.
He also said that the policy would provide a conducive legislative and agricultural knowledge framework, macro-policies, security enhancing physical infrastructure and institutional mechanisms for coordination, access to adequate inputs, finance, information on innovation, agricultural services and markets.
He tasked the Stakeholders on the need to render services for posterity , “Your presence here as stakeholders is simple but are service to posterity because with a growing population expected to reach above 400 million in few years from now we must plan ahead.
“we are all challenged today to identify, discuss determine the type of interventions needed (technological, regulatory and others) to make quality seeds available to farmers through sustainable systems and construct roadmap, with specific recommendations, to guide a sound and sustainable dissemination strategy for improved crops to resource poor farmers in Nigeria in particular and West in general,” he said.
Earlier speaking, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu stated that there is need to focus more on locally made seed because they have been tested and proven in the Seeds sub sector and assured that the bills before both chambers of the National Assembly would soon be passed into laws.
Also, the Chairman, House Committee on Agric. Production and Services, Hon. Danduste Muntari said that quality Seed is vital in the process of achieving food sufficiency, job creation and would boost the internally generated revenue in the country. He also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda in the Agricultural sector which he said would change the narrative on the economy shifting from oil sector to the Agricultural sector.
In his remarks, the Director General,National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Dr. Philip Olusegun Ojo, informed that ” NASC has introduced/launch the National Seed Tracker, introduced the turn-key electronic Seed Authentication system, developed a Five (5) year strategic plan and up-graded the central seed testing laboratories to meet international Standards”.
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