FG charges farmers to take advantage of NASC seed technologies

The federal government has charged farmers across the country to embrace innovations and technologies rolled out by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in fostering better utilization of improved quality seeds in Nigeria and overall increase in productivity and yield per unit area.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar while delivering a keynote address at the validation of the revised National Agricultural Seed Policy, 2021 open in Abuja on Thursday.

Abubakar said with the review of the 2015, there would be a lot of changes in the operations of the seed industry that would necessitate the current review exercise five years later, especially in line with the new functions assigned to the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) by the enactment of the National Agricultural Seed Act, No. 21 of 2019 and the PVP Act No.5 of 2021.

“The successful effort of Government towards the attainment of national food security and other goals of agricultural development depends on the performance of the seed industry that sets the limit of yield response of other farm inputs.

“Such policy efforts for seed industry operate in the same policy space that governs the performance of the entire agricultural economy. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, terrorism and natural disasters have greatly disrupted the global food production and supply chain with great impact on global socio-economic activities including the purchasing power to access food as postulated by the World Food Security Committee.

“Within this context, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) adopted a multi-stakeholder approach to develop the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP).

Welcoming the delegates NASC Director General, Dr. Olusegun Philip Ojo said the new National Agricultural Seed Policy which, when validated will invigorate the National Seed System, trigger growth and development and consolidate on the gains and reforms we have made in the industry in recent times.