Monday- 9th August, 2021: Prof. Veronica A. Obatolu, the Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR & T) Moore Plantation has said that seed is perhaps the most important input that enhances crop production.

Obatolu made the statement in her welcome address at the opening ceremony of the 6th annual conference of Association of Seed Scientists of Nigeria (ASSN).

The  conference with the theme: “Seed: A Strategic Input in Achieving Food Security in a Changing Agricultural Environment” was held on 3rd August, 2021 at Prof. E.A Adebowale Training Hall of the Institute

Prof Obatolu who was represented by the Deputy Director, IAR&T Dr Olaide Saka said utilization of quality seeds is one of the most effective approach that can assist any nation to achieve the most desired high agricultural productivity, without necessarily increasing land area of cultivation.

She further stated that the Federal Government in realization of the importance of quality seed in the agricultural development, has over the years implanted various initiatives to establish and strengthen the national seed system programme targeted at promoting the production of improved seed for Nigerian farmers

The Executive Director further reiterated the stance of the institution in the pursuit of a changed agricultural environment.

She said, “Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) is one of the university-based research institutes in Nigeria. The institute has been contributing to the realization of the expectations of the government through development of early generation (breeder and foundation) seeds.

“The paradigm shift in the Nigerian economy to agriculture base economy is hanging on a pedestal supported by quality seeds. It is therefore worth mentioning that this association and her members are relied upon if this thought will come into reality.”

In his speech delivered during the conference, Prof. Adebisi Moruf Ayodele, President of Association of Seed Scientists of Nigeria, called on the Government and other relevant organizations to encourage farmers to imbibe the use of high, quality seeds in their farms.

“There is need for them to strengthen their Agricultural extension sections in order to sensitize the farmers on the need for them to use high quality seeds in their farms.

“I want to appeal to Presidents in African countries to develop programmes that will aid seed development in their countries.

“As a request, I also want to appeal to the Nigerian Government to strengthen seed development in Nigeria by increasing financial provisions for seed development to encourage an effective seed system and put in place other seed input initiative programmes and providing soft loans with single interest rate to farmers so that the potentials of seed in crop production can be realized,” he stated.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Fakorede, M. A. B., who is a professor of plant breeding and genetics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, emphasized on the strategies farmers can employ to ensure food security.

According to him, said seed improvement is an important area of crop improvement which involves the incorporation of the durability and storage, acceptable seedling figure and ‘near perfect to perfect’ stand in the field.

He said, “Improved seed is vital, it increases production for a successful national food self-sufficiency programme

“We as crop scientists want to use seed as an input in planning, to keep people from the danger of failing and keep Nigerians free from worries because of food in the presence of known and yet to be known biotic and abiotic stresses - a changing agricultural environment indeed.

In the course of deliberation, several challenges were identified. Some of which include inadequate seed technologists, analysts and technicians; lack of appropriate government policy to back up public and private investment in seed sector; need for meeting food security in the context of population growth and climate change; obsolete laboratories equipment for seed processing and testing, rampant activities of unscrupulous seed dealers, non-functioning of the State Seed Coordinating committees, lack of enabling environment for production, processing and distribution of improved seeds viz-a-viz deplorable condition of feeder roads, poor storage facility and lack of budgetary provision and fund mobility for monitoring, seed certification, quality assurance, and seed law enforcement purposes at all levels of government.

Prof. Samuel Olakojo, the Local Organizing Chairman of the conference, urged individual scientists to be sincere in doing  their work d so that the production atmosphere will  once again be peaceful like it used to in years past.

In his words, “Every stakeholder in the business of seed; seed production, seed discharge, marketing, distribution, certification and other agencies regulating the seed system have a lot of work to do to put things right.

“Fortunately for us, we are now in a production changing environment where climate change is putting pressure not only on production, but on distribution and Agriculture generally.

“We must put all hands-on deck if we really want to achieve food sufficiency, food sustainability, nutritional quality and food availability as at the right time. Therefore, no one is exonerated from all these problems that are looming, except if drastic steps are taken.”

The 3-day conference was impacting and interesting event as major actors in agricultural value chains from public and private sectors were in attendance including Executive Directors Prof Veronica Obatolu ably represented by Dr Olaide Saka, Deputy Director and representatives from Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, (I.A.R.&T), Ibadan, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), National Bio safety Management Agency (NBMA), Corteva Science and Nigeria Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Federal college of Agriculture, Ibadan and Federal College of Animal Health and Crop Production, Ibadan.

It was a productive session for farmers and stakeholders in the seed business to fashion out ways  to ensure food security, sufficiency and sustainability in the country .

The deliberations and resolutionsof the 6th annual conference left an indelible mark in the hearts of farmers and other stakeholders present at the event such that there is hope of attaining food security, food sufficiency and sustainability in Nigeria.