Inputs to farmers: Seeds and seedlings no longer free

Henceforth, farmers will pay 10% and 20% of the prices of seed and seedlings respectively unlike last year when they were given at no cost to them.The Acting Director-General of the National Seed Council, Anthony Olatokun, stated this in Abuja during a press briefing.  He said 45,000 metric tonnes of rice seed and 47,000 metric […]

Henceforth, farmers will pay 10% and 20% of the prices of seed and seedlings respectively unlike last year when they were given at no cost to them.
The Acting Director-General of the National Seed Council, Anthony Olatokun, stated this in Abuja during a press briefing.  
He said 45,000 metric tonnes of rice seed and 47,000 metric tonnes of maize will be distributed to farmers this year.
Olatokun said the National Agricultural Seed System and the seed council have been repositioned to meet the challenges of the time, noting that seed was the only living farm input on which agriculture strives on.
“The Federal Government is set to implement predictable, reliable user friendly and affordable regulatory environment for flourishing and rewarding seed industry,” he said, adding this would ensure that farmers have access to high quality seeds at the right time, place, quantity and affordable price.
Olatokun enumerated some of the key challenges facing the council as dearth of technologists, seed breeders and seed analysts.
Others include the need to replace testing equipment in the laboratory, non-functioning of State Seed Coordination Committees and participating in internationally harmonised system of the organisation.
Inadequate support for seed activities by various state governments, poor seed marketing network, rampant activities of unscrupulous seed dealers among others, are other challenges, he said..
He announced criteria for accrediting seed entrepreneurs in the country, stressing that companies would not be allowed to operate if they did not meet the required standards.