The National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), in collaboration with the National and International Agricultural Research Institutes/ Centers (NARIs/IRCs) have coveyed a National Seed Planning Meeting with the theme, “Quality Improved Seeds for Food and Nutrition Security”.
The Council also revealed that it will be deploying Research Liaison Officers (RLOs) to all NARIs to support the development of their seed units and resume the institution-based targeted seed production planning for EGS while the joint monitoring of EGS fields will be reinstituted.
The National Seed Planning Workshop which assembles all key stakeholders in the Agricultural seed sector according to NASC Acting Director General, Dr. Ishiak Othman Khalid, while welcoming the delegates on Tuesday in Abuja said the workshop was strategically designed for strategic seed production planning to ensure provision of quality improved seeds to meet the National Seed Requirement (NSR) for food production in the country.
Khalid said it was also aimed at ascertaining the immediate needs for quality seed in the country, identify the challenges of inadequate early generation seeds (EGS) by NARIs, quality certified seed and develop a strategic plan for the development of the seed sector in Nigeria.
He also announced Nigeria membership of various international Organizations and protocols like OECD and ISTA saying this gives the country full privilege to participate in international seed trade thereby making Nigeria the hub of seeds in the sub sahara region.
“I wish to inform this gathering that our mission to transform the Nigeria Seed System into a leading seed industry in Sub-Saharan Africa is yielding desired results. Today, NASC is now a member of various international Organizations and protocols like OECD and ISTA. This gives us the full privilege to participate in international seed trade thereby making Nigeria the hub of seeds in the sub sahara region. While we are at the brink of joining the UPOV which is the third leg of the international seeds conventions,” he said.
Also in his goodwill message, theExecutive Secretary/CEO National Agricultural Development Fund(NADF), Mr. Muhammed Abu Ibrahim, said the Fund is keen to partner with the NASC, ARCN and other stakeholders in the sector like seed companies and agro dealers, community-based seed producers to resolve issues associated with research, adulteration, availability, access & distribution, capacity building and information dissemination networks.
He charged the various bodies involved in the implementation of Nigeria’s Seed Policy must coordinate to ensure food sufficiency and food security is attained in a short time.
“The potential in seed demand is increasing, for crop production the country has 92 million hectares arable, 32 million being cultivated annually and over 400,000 metric tons potential annual seed demand with less than 80,000 metric tons of improved seeds is planted annually which implies a huge annual deficit of over 300,000 metric tons of improved seeds is required,” he said.
