The Deputy Director in charge of Seeds Certification at the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Mr. Bulus Sule, disclosed this while speaking during the training of corps members serving in the north eastern states on seed certification and quality control in Gombe.
“Initially, we had only about 34 seeds companies that were involved in production of certified seeds. But because of this agricultural transformation agenda (ATA) programme, there has been increase in seeds requirement, as such so many companies have applied to be licensed to produce seeds.
“Some of the criteria are; you must have facilities for testing and for protecting seeds. You also need to have capital base that will be able to buy back your seeds from the out growers, among others,” he said.
Sule said the involvement of youths corps members in the certification of seeds is as a result of lack of manpower, saying, “currently, one certification officer is manning about 2,000 hectares of land as against the ideal provision of one official to man 40 hectares.”
In a paper presented at the training entitled “Agricultural Transformation Agenda” by the Coordinating Director of NASC, Rev. Anthony Olatokun, said government targeted over 3.5 million jobs within five value chains in rice, cassava, sorghum and cocoa and cotton production.
Corps members numbering 12 in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states, as well staff of the Zonal office participated in the training.
