From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A renowned expert in the agricultural value chain and the West Africa Commercial Manager of the Ecobasic Seed Company Limited, Mr Moses Atewogboye, has said that the zero hunger and food security goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will be difficult to achieve in Nigeria unless and until the Nigerian farmers agree to grow improved seeds.
According to him, Nigerian farmers spend more on fertilizers to the tune of 5.2 metric tons per annum but spend far less when it comes to improved seeds that ought to go hand-in-hand with the volume of fertilizers for maximum output.
As the largest employer of labour in its value chain, Nigeria’s agricultural sector maintains the largest sector in the economy, contributing 25.9% to the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with an estimated value of N18.74 trillion in 2021, hence the need for the farmers to key into precision farming practices.
Speaking on the sideline of a two-day training of the operators of seed companies in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria, Mr. Atewogboye noted that a lot of Nigerian farmers today don’t know the difference between planting grains and seed.
“So, we need a massive awareness creation and that is where the media come in. Farmers should be made to understand that the more they plant grains, the more the seed industry will suffer and the less output they will get.
“Unless we cultivate the practice of planting seeds, not grains, we will be struggling to produce enough food for local consumption let alone exporting to contribute to MDGs idea of zero hunger and food security.
“For example, if our population projection is currently put at over 200 million and expected to be about 245 million by 2030, the first question is what will they eat.
“A lot of demand is coming on fertilizers consumption across the country put at well over 5.2m metric tons. So, what is happening to seed which is the primary necessity for agricultural output if people spend money on fertilizer
“So, for us to sustain agriculture and food security in Nigeria, we must cultivate the habit of purity of seed even in planting which is not going to happen overnight. People need to be conscious and deliberate about what type of seed they will grow”, he said.
A Maize Breeder, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Dr. Muideen Oyekunle said, his Institution is working with Ecobasic by providing the breeder seed of quality parental line for them since their responsibility is to produce decent seed for all seed companies in Nigeria.
“The best way to transform agriculture in terms of production is to use improved genetics (varieties) of maize and other crops. Most farmers are using open-processed varieties.
“With the adoption of hybrid, the production of unit per area will increase and once that happens, then there will be food security.
“This company is trying to play a role by way of producing improved hybrid because to achieve that, there must be a foundational parent for hybrid itself which seed companies will use to produce the final products,” he said.