Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, says his administration will partner the United States sponsored International Institute of Tropical Agriculture towards tackling food insecurity by introducing improved seed system for maximum outputs.
The IITA working under the Feed the Future programme had earlier presented National Agricultural Seeds Council Certificates to Community-Based Seed Entrepreneurs (CBSE) Cooperatives in the states.
Following the development the team of specialist led by the Principal, IITA / Chief of Party Feed-the-Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity, Mr Prakash Kant were in the Deputy governor’s office where they emphasised the need for collaboration towards ensuring that quality and certified seeds are made affordable and available for farmers in the state.
The group stated that seed is the major driver of agricultural activity and must be given prominence to avoid planting of treated grains other than the truly certified seed.
They said IITA started work in Adamawa and now in Gombe covering three local government areas of Akko, Billiri and Kaltungo providing training for community-based cooperatives so as to produce certified seedlings for the people of their communities at affordable rates to ensure maximum yields towards food security.
They added that all the necessary processes of training, supervision and certification were duly followed making the seed production certified by the National Agricultural Seeds Council, hence the distribution of the certificates to the community based seed entrepreneurs cooperatives.
They further explained that marketing is one key aspect of the production chain which must not be neglected, stressing that Gombe State have three advantages of it’s central location in the northeast and that involvement of the communities could lead to more generation of Internally generated revenue for the state.
Responding, Yahaya who was represented by Deputy Governor Dr Manassah Jatau, commended the IITA’s contributions to the development of agriculture in the state.
He said the development could not have come at a better time than now when economic hardship is biting hard on the people, and almost everyone has gone to farm. He said all these called for the need to improve seed and every thing that will lead to increased outputs.
The governor explained that their administration leverages on the abundant agricultural resources in the state including vast arable land, dams and other outlets to increasing food production.
Yahaya said, “IITA is working very hard in the state to assist in Agricultural development especially in the aspect of seed improvement towards food security. This programme is coming at the right time when almost every body has gone to farm as a result of the biting economic hardship.
“We have made agriculture a priority after Security, health and education. We have arable land, available water and dams and others but the yields are low because of low quality seeds and climate change.We need the quality seed to overcome some of the challenges of climatic change for us to increase yields.
” We have entered into partnership with African Development Bank on Special Agri-industrial Processing Zones to add value to crops produced in the state. Through this programme,small farmers can be engaged to achieve results and its better than relying on giant companies that can take monopoly over the affairs.”
Jack Tasha, Senior Special Assistant to Gombe Governor on Media and Publicity, Deputy Governor’s office.
