By Cynthia Ezekwe
In a bid to ensure food security in Nigeria and ensure farmers have access to quality seeds, the federal government has inaugurated the revised 2022 national agricultural seed policy.
Mohammad Abubakar, minister of agriculture, while speaking at the inauguration of the seed policy held recently in Abuja, said the policy would enable farmers to have access to improved quality seeds.
Abubakar explained that changes in the operations of the seed industry necessitated the review of the exercise, adding that the revised policy would remove the ambiguous areas in the previous national seed policy.
He noted that it will strengthen the identified weaknesses and introduce innovation that optimizes the regulatory, promotional and protection roles of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in ensuring that farmers have access to improved quality seeds.
Speaking on benefits to derive from the seed policy he said, “Some of these include the introduction of SEEDCODEX as a quality authentication tool and traceability, aimed at curbing adulteration, and participation of third-party seed inspectors in the quality assurance process.”
Abubakar also noted that the establishment of satellite and private seed testing laboratories and strategic seed banks to act as reserve and buffer stocks in case of food emergencies, will boost the security of food in the country.
The minister of agriculture added that the seed policy would facilitate the active participation of women and youth in seed business along seed value chain among other innovations embedded in the new policy document.
