Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, Tuesday, has assured farmers across the country of access to improved quality seeds with the newly launched ‘Revised National Agricultural Seed Policy 2022’.
Abubakar gave the assurance during launch of the Policy in at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, while pointing out factors militating against food production and food security in Nigeria, which include economic uncertainty, policy inconsistencies, rising oil prices, population explosion, insecurity and of recent the arm conflicts in many nations of the world.
According to him, the newly launched National Agricultural Seed Policy 2022, will ensure that farmers have unrestricted access to best genetics to enhance their productivity.
He also made it known that it became imperative for the review of the 2015 National Seed Policy in order to bring about progressive and positive changes in the operations of the seed industry.
He said: “It is expected that following the critical review of the 2015 National Seed Policy, the progressive and positive changes in the operations of the seed industry has necessitated the review exercise, especially after the enactment of the National Agricultural Seed Act, No 21 of 2019 and the Plant Variety Protection Act, No 5 of 2021 that has confined new responsibilities and widened the scope of operations of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC).
“The present seed policy document represents the concerted efforts of the NASC and stakeholders who have made valuable inputs and contributions, towards ensuring that farmers have unrestricted access to best genetics to enhance their productivity.
“Let me reiterate that this Revised Policy has removed the ambiguous areas in the esthwhile 2015 National Seed Policy, strengthened the identified weaknesses and introduced innovations that optimized the regulatory, promotional and protection roles of NASC in ensuring that our esteemed farmers have access to improved quality seeds.
“Some of these include the introduction of SEEDCODEX as a quality authentication tool and traceability aimed at curbing adulteration, participation of third party seed inspectors in the quality assurance process, establishment of satellite and private seed testing laboratories and strategic seed banks to act as reserve and buffer stocks in case of food emergencies and encourage active participation of women and youth in seed business along seed value chain among other innovations embedded in the new policy document.”
Meanwhile, the Minister recognized contributions of stakeholders at both the public and private sectors in enriching the contents of the New Policy document, and described it as the Ministry’s investment to build a better future for Nigeria’s agriculture based on the importance of seed towards enhancing farmers’ productivity.
Earlier, the Director General, DG, National Agricultural Seeds Council, NASC, Dr Philip Ojo, in his opening remark, said, “It is my hope that the policy being launched today will further enhance government efforts at ensuring that Nigeria is not only food secured, but a net exporter of agricultural produce among the committee of nations. The NASC will be committed to the full implementation of the policy.”
