Lack of trained Seed Officers affecting NASC operations
By; Sani Aliyu, Zaria.
Director, Seeds Certification and Quality Control, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Mr. Bulus Sule has identified as one of the challenges being faced by the council as limited number of trained seed certification officers to cope with the increase number of hectorage.
He made this known in an interview with Journalists shortly after the opening of a training worship for Quality Control Officers and Seed Companies held at the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS), Zaria, Kaduna State.
Sule explained that the training was meant to provide the trainees with the necessary skills to be able to carry out the quality control activities on both the fields and laboratories such that quality seeds get to the farmers.
According to him, Nigeria cannot achieve its dream of becoming a food secured nation unless the food production is at particular level and it can’t be at that level until the quality of seeds to the farmers is ascertained and properly monitored by the officers assigned.
On challenges, Sule said some of the greatest challenges of the council included inadequate logistics for seed certification officers to enabled them carry out their duty effectively.
In his remark, Mr. Kinde Adelugba Director of Information and Capacity Building observed that the present administration was prioritising agricultural production, hence the need to focus attention on how to encourage seed certification officers to ensure quality seed production only goes to farmers.
He said seed was a very critical input for agricultural production, adding that no matter how much money spent on fertilizers as well as agro-chemical, if the quality of seed that was planted was not good, all that investment would be a waste.
Adelugba observed that the seed certification officers that were primarily involved in the quality control of seed needed to be adequately trained to enhance their capacity and their effectiveness to promote quality seed production among seed companies in Nigeria.
He said about 20 seed companies across the three geo political zone in the North were drawn for the first badge to undertake the three days training.
The North-West Regional Head of NASC, Malam Hudu Ubandoma Mohammed earlier told the gathering that promoting agriculture as an alternative to oil by the present administration would only be achieved with good quality seeds.
Ubandoma charged participants to make effective use of the training opportunity and ensure that they put what they leant to practical use for the benefit of the farmers and the nation at large.
