By Ibrahim Kado
Mr Prakash Silwal, Chief of Party, Feed the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, has tasked state governments on sustainability of agricultural development programmes to ensure food security in the country.
Silwal made the call at the 2024 Wet Season Agriculture Inputs Fair in Yola on Tuesday.
The Chief of Party, represented by his Deputy, Mr Olukayode Faleti, said the group in the last five years had trained community seed producers for farmers to get seed that are affordable and closer to them.
“This is a project that we want state governments to sustain and continue to support other agricultural development programmes using all the methodologies and skills we have put in place”, he advised.
According to him, the project is being implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), partners and supported by USAID.
Silwal noted that the fair was an opportunity for seed producers of various crops to display and sell to farmers at affordable prices.
He advised farmers to always plant quality and improve seed for a bumper harvest at the end of the season.
In his remarks, Prof. David Jatau, Adamawa Commissioner for Agriculture, appreciated the partners for their contributions to Agricultural Development in the state.
Jatau, represented by Mr Japhet Shadrack, Director Agriculture Services, warned seed producers against adulteration of seed for farmers to succeed.
He also encouraged farmers to also plant certified seed for bumper harvest at the end of the season, especially with the challenge of climate change.
Alhaji Usman Abubakar, Special Adviser to Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri on Agricultural and Entrepreneurship, appealed to Feed the Future Nigeria to include production of cotton seed in their project, due to its importance to economic development in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some farmers shared their testimony on the significance of planting certified seeds as against traditional seeds
