Speaking at the SEEDCO Ground Field Day’s finale that was held recently in Kaduna, Mr. Kolawole Ladan, the company’s managing director, said that in order to increase agricultural production and food sufficiency in Nigeria, the country must boost the availability of high-quality seeds and farm practices. According to Ladan, Nigeria had just recently been able to adopt approximately 6-7% of hybrids output in the country, which is a significant drop in the bucket compared to what it was supposed to be.
Mr. Ladan explained that the feedback the company received from most of the farmers had proven that Nigeria’s topography, although challenging, has proved that the nation is capable of becoming self-sufficient provided the appropriate strategy is adopted in food production. He went on to say that his company, in its capacity, has also been able to face the obstacle that was caused by climate change by creating climate change products that had a high yield.
Lack of Food storage and credit facilities impeding food production.
Although the government is doing its best to make agriculture products more marketable, however, he added that the issue of food storage, as well as providing credit facilities to rural farmers, had been a big concern that had been impacting food production in the nation. He added that the unwillingness of banks to provide farmers, particularly those in rural regions, with long-term loans had been a major obstacle to the achievement of sustainable food production. In order for the nation to realize its full agricultural potential, it requires strong talent that can be democratized.
In addition, Mr. Victor, a staff member of the organization, said that SEEDCO is a Nigerian agricultural allied firm that is built on research so that Nigerians may profit from a higher output. According to him, the company’s ability to manufacture high-quality seeds has helped to alleviate the problems faced by farmers in Kaduna and the rest of the country. He, therefore, urged other farmers to join the agricultural revolution now taking place in order to realize their full potential.
Farmers testify to SEEDCO high-quality seed varieties.
A farmer named Mai Ungwan Ado gave a testimonial in which he praised and attested to the quality of the maize variety seed he got from the company. While searching for seeds, he came across SEEDCO. In July, he planted the seeds that he had collected. He obtained four bags and planted them on a plot of land. The crop will be ready in two months. Because people will get free seeds if they plant on one or two plots, he said that he’d keep using SEEDCO. He suggested the company should market themselves in his neighbourhood, since they can provide individuals with advice on how to conduct their farming through the appropriate agronomists.
Furthermore, Shamsudeen Bello, who was also testifying, stated that he discovered this company toward the end of the previous year. Along the way, they have tried a variety of seeds, but they have decided to end their search at SEEDCO because the seed is superior to the others. They are currently tending to close to 70 hectares of land. More so, Hajiya Binta stated that she has sincere thanks for them. When she first started, she would harvest 13 bags, but after she started planting SEEDCO seeds, it increased to 25 bags.
Agriculture is the primary sector of Nigeria’s economy.
Agriculture in Nigeria is a sector of the economy in Nigeria, and as of the year 2020, it employs approximately 35 per cent of the country’s total population. Despite the existence of oil in the country, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that agriculture continues to serve as the primary sector of the Nigerian economy. It is the primary means of subsistence for the vast majority of Nigerians. Crop Production, Livestock Production, Forestry, and Fishing are the four sub-sectors that make up the overall Agricultural sector.
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