The Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) has donated a Laboratory – a seed testing molecular diagnostic facility worth N20,000 million to the National Agricultural Seed Council(NASC) which will assist to enhance and upgrade its capacity to meet global standards.
Speaking during the launching of laboratory, the Executive Secretary of the FMAN, Alhaji Olalekan Saliu reiterated that FMAN cherishes its partnership and collaboration with you for the milestone achievement, as we look forward to furthering engagements with the NASC in its quest to bring more viable and vibrant seed culture to Nigeria.
While congratulating NASC, he said FMAN will continue to collaborate with other key players within the Wheat Value Chain. It is our hope that the achievement of increased wheat production in Nigeria would be accomplished through the sustained cooperation and collaboration of all major stakeholders.
“We are not disappointing the farmers, and they are very happy with us. They have the benefits of a guaranteed market, and when you have a guaranteed market, you are happy. We would pay a reasonable price”.
He called on the federal government to revive all the dams that are not functioning and also to rehabilitate all the dams that have broken down. Because the private sector alone cannot do it alone, they have a very little role to play.
“Must have sufficient irrigated land, and this is where the government comes in. The private sector has a very little role to play. The major infrastructure which is required to provide irrigation is water dams.
“Provision of water pumps for farmers, by supporting them with the little we have. When we talk about the sufficiency of irrigated land, we have to talk about the sufficiency of quality seeds, and the question now is, do we have it available in Nigeria?”
Saliu further stated that they have spent up to two hundred million naira on imported equipment to set up these laboratories because some of the equipment you are seeing here is imported. It took us 3 years to finish these laboratories.
“If we really need to develop wheat in Nigeria, do we have the right variety, the high-yielding wheat variety which is heat resistant? If you don’t, you are wasting your time.
“We want to make farming attractive and profitable because they are practical economists. We want the farmers to retain and find the business profitable and sustainable, including seed development.”
In his welcome remarks, the council acting Director General, Ishiak Khalid said the NASC pledges to continue to use this equipment for the Good of our smallholder farmers in our pursuit for Food and Nutritional Security.
He commended the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria FMAN for continuously supporting the NASC to ensure the availability of Good Quality planting materials for food and industrial purposes their work around the wheat value chain, supporting the NASC to ensure the availability of high-quality certified seeds for its wheat out growers.
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