We have drought resistant seeds for North-East – Premier Seeds
Premier Seeds Nigeria Limited, a producer of a wide range of improved certified agricultural seeds, said it has developed maize and sorghum varieties that are drought resistant.
Mr. Afolabi Samson, the company’s Research and Development Manager, who spoke exclusively with our reporter, said the special varieties can do well in those areas with low rain fall.
“For the North Eastern part of the country where drought is a problem, we have maize and sorghum varieties that are drought tolerant and resistant that can do well in those areas,” he said.
“For the tropical rain forest down south, where there is long term rainfall, we also have varieties that are adapted to rain forest that can do well in those areas too,’’ he said.
Mr. Afolabi said they have a department in charge of research and development that develops all the varieties they have. He noted that they have a quality control team and quality control laboratory which tests the varieties before they are sent out.
In terms of certification, Mr. Afolabi explained that seeds production in Nigeria is being monitored by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).
“They monitor all our seed production and we cannot sell any seed unless they certify that these seeds have met the standard that is required for seed production that is why we refer to seeds that we sell to farmers certified seeds”.
Mr. Afolabi added that they sell seeds through Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs), through NGOs like FAO, AGRA and also through the Government Enhancement Scheme (GES) of the Federal Government.
Another platform for selling seeds according to Mr. Afolabi is through village stock or shop.
He noted their seeds are specifically bred in consideration of the ecology of the area that the seeds are going to be grown, adding that they also look at abiotic stresses.
“We have varieties that are striga resistant, and those that are downy mildew resistant,” Mr. Afolabi affirmed.