‘Our maize varieties are 3-way hybrids’

Aseed company producing different improved varieties of maize at the Gurara Irrigation site, AgriSeed Co Nigeria Ltd (ASCN) said the varieties of maize they grow at the site are three-way hybrids seeds.

Dr Tunde Faturoti, the Managing Director of the company, who spoke to Daily Trust via email said the company produces certified hybrids, adding that “we have six varieties named as follows, SC719 (10-12 tonnes per hectare), SC649 (10 tonnes per hectare), SC645(8 tonnes per hectare), SC651(7 tonnes per hectare) SC510 (5 tonnes per hectare).”

The managing director emphasized that “most of our varieties are 3-way hybrids and have their parents from the largely successful maize revolution varieties of Zimbabwe/South Africa. As such, they have high yield, diseases resistance, high standability, and Nitrogen use efficiency.”

He stated that these varieties have been selling in Nigeria for over 3 years at their headquarters in Kaduna State and all SARO AgroSciences outlets across the country.

According to him, these varieties have good tonnage per hectare and have good disease resistant characteristics, which make them better than most varieties available to farmers in the country.

Although Dr Faturoti did not respond to the question of on how many hectares the company is producing at the Gurara, sources in the area put the hectares at about 17 to 20.

The company said the major constraints facing them at the irrigation site were “theft, low pH and low fertility as topsoil has been scraped off and security.”

SeedCo has been in Nigeria for five years but the parent company has been around for 78 years, particularly in South Africa.

“Our plan is to replicate the South Africa success experience where we will be farmers’ first choice for productivity and gainful farming such that farmers can be proud of bumper harvest,” the Managing Director said.