In its bid to improve the seed system in the country, the National Agriculture Seeds Council (NASC), has commenced sensitisation of Certification Officers on operations and uses of the ‘National Seed Tracker’.

Speaking during a three-day Sensitisation and Training Workshop on operations and uses of ‘National Seed Tracker’ in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, the Director General, NASC, Dr Phillip Ojo, said it has become mandatory for stakeholders in the seed subsector to be accredited in order to perform its responsibilities.

Ojo while calling on the Certification Officers not to compromise the process, urged seed companies to leverage on it and expand their frontiers in local and international seed trade.

He said the seed tracker which was designed to fit the needs of local farmers, is capable of transforming the National Seed system, improve farmers revenue and uplift their social economics status.

He explained that the App would provide real time information on seed variety, quantity, availability, facilitates trade decisions and timely access to seed markets.

“It is my belief that the National Seed tracker program would help the Seed system in many ways as it would digitally connect, seed producers, seed traders, and seed quality control officers.

“The battle to rid the seed space of unscrupulous seed merchants whose only motive is to short-change our farmers by supplying poor quality planting materials is a priority of the NASC.

“No persons can engage in any seed related activity in Nigeria without the accreditation by the NASC as stated in Section 20,” Dr Ojo said.

The NASC DG informed the audience that President Muhammad Buhari has assented to the National Agricultural seeds Act.

He expressed hope that with the national agricultural seed bill of 2019, the seed industry will experience new reforms to continually position NASC as a hub of seed for the region, allowing for international best practices as leaders of seed industry in west Africa, producing over 60 percent of seeds used in the sub-region.

Furthermore, he said with the new national agricultural seed bill of 2019 in place, NASC can conveniently operate with the current dynamics in global seed trade and create a better conducive atmosphere for private sector participation in the nations seed industry.

Source: Nigerian Tribune