WorldStage Newsonline– Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono has urged Nigerians to embrace technologies which he said will help in pursuit of food security
Speaking at the 2019 Seed Fair and Farmers’ Field Day, organised by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) at the NASC headquarters on Thursday in Sheda, Abuja, Nanono said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to create a functional input system with a high priority given to seeds. .
The event had as theme: “Making Quality Seeds Available, Accessible and Affordable to Nigerian Farmers”.
According to Nanono, it is indisputable that there is a strong correlation between Nigeria’s quest for self sufficiency in food production and a robust agricultural input supply system.
He said that the recent signing into law of the Seed Act 2019 was a testimonial of the president’s resolve to strengthen Nigeria’s seed system.
“This has repositioned NASC to further enable her play her role in the development and regulation of the nation’s seed industry,’’ the minister said.
Nanono added that in the face of climate change, the world was transiting from breeding to biotechnology.
“The application of modern biotechnology to plant breeding is considered to be more efficient and quicker than conventional breeding techniques in the development of new and resilient crop varieties,’’ Nanono said.
He noted that the Seed fair was an important event, which would showcase proven crop varieties in Nigeria, creating a platform to strengthen relationships among National Agricultural Research Institutes, seed companies and farmers.
Dr Philip Ojo, the Director General, NASC said the event was geared toward creating continuously, the necessary awareness among farmers and farming communities on the need to adopt good quality seeds.
“Today, we are gathered to showcase different arrays of highly improved crop varieties that can enhance our nation’s agricultural productivity and increase national food production.
“Improved seed is the most cost-effective means of enhancing agricultural productivity,’’ he said.
He recalled that the development and adoption of improved seeds was instrumental to the achievements of green revolution.
Ojo said this was made available at profitable prices to producers and affordable for consumers leading to a reduction in rural poverty as in the case in many developing nations.
“The same feat is what NASC is aimed at delivering for Nigerians through ushering in of quality and affordable seeds,’’ Ojo said.
He said when the president appended his signature to the amended Seed Act in June, it had now been officially gazetted as the National Agricultural Seeds Act, No 21 of 2019.
Ojo added that the new Act replaced that of 1992 Seed Act and was more robust with the introduction of provisions which enable the council to perform its mandate more efficiently.
According to him, NASC presently has a five-year strategic plan and operational plan to guide operations which will allow the council track progress and evaluate itself better.
The DG further said NASC had expanded its collaborations to include meaningful partnerships with embassies of Hungary, Israel, India and the Netherlands among others.
Ojo also listed various robust partners, stakeholders and collaborators the NASC was working with and producing significant results.
He said the partners included NASC SeedCodex, National Seed Tracker, Tissue culture laboratory, among others.
Ojo said NASC currently hosted the largest gathering of seed industry actors in Africa through the SeedConnect Africa Conference and Expo.
“The 2019 edition with the theme: “Enhancing the potential of the Nigerian Seed Industry’’, had over 500 in attendance.
“We are receiving greater support and partnership from seed companies, as they continue to submit their elite materials as candidates in the various demonstration plots across the country,’’ he said.
The 2019 Farmers’ Field Day and Seed Fair was organised in collaboration with Seed Entrepreneurs Association of of Nigeria (SEEDAN) and other stakeholders.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of prizes for adopted school demonstration guided tour by three groups.
It also featured the commissioning of Hungarian water retainer technology and symbolic burning of poor quality seeds by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
