‘High quality, pure seeds key to attainment of food sufficiency, security in Nigeria’

The Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Professor Timothy Adebayo, has harped on the need for farmers in the country to use high quality and pure seeds as part of efforts to help the country attain food sufficiency and security which are central to human’s existence and survival.

He stated this while encouraging the government to give private investors a breeding ground to operate in order to meet the nation’s current demand for high quality seeds.

Professor Adebayo stated this during a sensitisation workshop for farmers in Oyo town and stakeholders on the newly-established agric venture of the university, ACU Seeds Ltd, held at the university campus in Oyo town.

Besides the theoretical knowledge acquired from the conventional classroom, Adebayo who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Muyiwa Popoola, urged other tertiary institutions to push for technocracy, digital literacy and entrepreneurial skills, which will make their students self-reliant.

“However, fine seeds are rare in that they are not easily accessible and not in the right or needed quantity. Farmers have been grappling with using low quality and impure seeds that portend grave dangers to crop production and food security.

“Although farmers could procure high quality seeds from agricultural research institutes in Nigeria, these seeds were barely enough to meet the huge needs which can lead to expected significant economic impacts. Individual companies and private institutions should be allowed to venture into seed business in order for the production to meet the existing demand in the country.

“The government eventually acceded to the yearnings of farmers and farm enterprises on March 3, 2021 by passing into law the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) bill. The PVP law affords private seed breeders the opportunity to brand their breeds of seeds and claim intellectual property rights on them. The breeders can then commercialise their new breeds in large quantities to farmers across the country.

“Throughout the world, the seed business is a multi-million dollar enterprise which can enhance the economic growth of private individuals, businesses and that of a nation. It is just apt for us in Ajayi Crowther University to venture into it, given our ready affection for agriculture and its various businesses,” Prof Adebayo said.

Also speaking at the event, Dean of the Faculty  of Agriculture, Prof Babatunde Akanbi, pointed that while ACU Seeds Ltd has been incorporated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the venture is going through the accreditation process with the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Abuja.

“Let it be on record that IITA gave (free) ACU 350 kg breeder seeds of two newly released maize varieties bio-fortified with provitamin A (PVA). Records showed that this quantity of this class of seed had never been given to anybody or institution in Nigeria. That is how ACU Seeds Business started its success journey,” he added.

While noting that the objectives of ACU Seed business is not limited to production of maize seed varieties, Prof Akanbi listed the items of interest to include legal production, processing, packaging and marketing of certified arable crop seeds of maize, cowpea, soybean, rice; certified stem cuttings for crops like cassava, etc; suckers of pineapple, exotic improved banana and plantain, etc.

Others are tree crop seedlings like cocoa, budded citrus, grafted mango, white jumbo guava, dwarf and local pawpaw, etc; forest tree seedlings like teak, gmelina, soursop, passion fruits, jack fruits, etc; planting propagules of special/spices crops like gingers, rhizomes, garlic, scent leaf, onion, etc and many others that will be added in the course of the seed business operations.

The NASC DG who was represented by Adekunle Adesegba, a regional director in the commission, urged ACU to fund the venture well enough for it to succeed.

“The big market for ACU is the tree and horticultural sector. It has not been tapped into. I encourage you to tap into it and get its benefits. We will collaborate with ACU to export seeds and reduce the proliferation of quackery. We will be with you all the way,” he said.

Wende Mengesha who represented the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Maize Breeder, Dr Abebe Menkir, pointed out that the most important way to succeed in the business is to produce high quality seeds, saying that “there is no plan B to seed quality. We encourage ACU to keep the standard up.”

The ACU plant breeder who spoke on “Seed: A Microcosm of Life and Driver of Jumbo Crop Harvest” called for collaboration from stakeholders to produce high quality seeds to meet the demands of the farmers.

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