NASC warns against importation of fake seeds

In line with its commitment to offer quality seeds to farmers, the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has warned all seed producers against importation and distribution of fake seeds in the country. The agency also urged all local and foreign seed operators to register their companies with the council for certification.

Olusegun Ojo, director general, NASC, said seeds to be imported into the country must be registered and released with distinct descriptor from the country of origin.

“NASC must be notified on the arrival of imported seeds for necessary quality assurance checks and also, the importing companies must have registered with NASC fails to do that will be sanctioned. The first offenders will pay N800, 000 or serve a six months jail term,” Ojo said.

“If the person is arrested the second time, he will be fined N1.6 million or go to jail for two years,” He further said. “We have approved 157 seeds companies of different categories, four life scale, nine medium scale, about 67 small scale and the others are accreditation sellers, that is how far we have gone,” he adds.

According to Ojo, the registration of seed companies for certification is very important, because if farmers get fake seeds it will affect their productivity and which is what NASC is trying to avoid.

In its efforts to sanitise the seed industry, the director of NASC disclosed that the organisation has shut down three seed (erring) companies.

“NASC has built a market-driven seed industry for production and distribution of high quality and improved planting materials that are available, accessible and affordable to all farmers,” he said.

Olayinka Akinmade, president, West Agro Input Dealers Association (WAIDA), however, said that the challenge of his group is from the seed producers. Akinmade pointed out that the seed council is doing the best to ensure dealers and farmers get high quality seed.

According to him there is no good monitoring system in place that can ensure that bad seeds don’t get into the market. Akinmade explained that his group has limited power since they are not seed producers. On the storage of their products he stated that all their members have warehouses.

He urged NASC to support the seed producer by educating them and giving them financial support.

Josephine Okojie