NASC introduces new seed variety to Akwa Ibom maize farmers

THE National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) has introduced a new disease-resistant maize variety to farmers in Akwa Ibom State.

The new variety, known as Oba Super 13 can produce between 5,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes of maize per hectare, three seasons a year.

Regional Director of the Council, South-South zone, Mmoeyak Usua, disclosed this during the 2020 Farmers’ Field Day organised by NASC in collaboration with some agro-allied companies.

The companies are: Premier Seeds Nigeria Limited, Du Pont, an American leading chemical company and Bayer Seed Company in Uyo, the state capital.

Usua revealed that the high yielding seed passed through a series of international research tests and it was discovered to be disease and grass resistant.

According to him, the new variety has superior quality over the local seeds.

“They are matured and doing well, because when we planted them; in the whole of August 2020, there was no rain but they survived. It can be planted three times a year,” he explained.

Usua, however, warned the maize farmers to buy seeds from only registered seed companies.

The variety originated from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan and was developed by the Institute in partnership with Premier Seed Nig. Ltd.

It was originally released in 2016 with a maximum yield of 9.7 tonnes per hectare. It is Striga and drought tolerant and thrives better in Southern and Northern Guinea Savanna ecologies.

On her part, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Glory Edet, appealed to the government to continuously support maize farmers to enhance food sufficiency in the country.

The commissioner also lauded the Council and the other companies in partnership for the intervention.

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