SEED PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT.
Indeed, leaders scientists, and farmers all over the world agree that good seeds are essential for productive agriculture. Given this importance, it is essential for government to pay serious attention to the development of the seed industry.
Seed production in general entails transforming the efforts of the breeders in to adequate quantities of improved seeds for farmers. This involves the use of routine practices such as good agronomic practices, seed drying, seed processing and quality testing to achieve the objectives of giving the farmer seeds of high quality with all the inherent genetic purity as prescribed by the breeder.
Seed producers in the country are embedded with a lot of problems when going through this routine practices. Access to credit for seed producers is not in existence to say the least. Producers have to struggle through thick and thin to enable them purchase fertilizers for their crops. Land preparation is even worse since tractor services charges are even on the high side, further, labor charges on weed control, rogueing and harvesting is just unbearable. This notwithstanding, processing charges at various units are also high. To buttes this point research has shown that production in the field before harvest represents 20% of the total cost, harvest adds another 15%, so the total field operations represents a third of the final value of product that the farmer eventually uses. Transport to the processing plant, handling, conditioning, bagging, transport to storage or place of sale represents 65% of total cost.
Production chain is not completed when seeds are not distributed and marketed to our various farmers. Seed distribution in the country is poor hence compelling local farmers to plant their own seeds instead of buying certified seeds. Research shows that the cultivation of certified planting seeds yields between 19 – 30% better, compared to seeds saved from farmers own farm. Therefore a well functional distribution system will discourage seed adulteration. The most important element in the distribution chain is seed producers and the farmer. Farmers need to recognize the benefits of good quality seeds, it is therefore important through education and extension programs to create awareness among farmers about the benefits of using good seed; this can go along way to develop the seed market.
SEED INSPECTION UNIT
The aim of the unit among others is to ensure that registered seed growers and dealers produce and deliver adequate seed of acceptable high quality with good genetic purity to meet the demands of farmers in the country. This means a good seed should bare certain attributes in other to be certified for commercial production. Some of the attributes include the germination capacity of the seed, vigor and freedom from disease, freedom from weeds, freedom from inert matter, varietal identify, and purity. Aside these, the seed inspection unit is to monitor and supervise the production of certified seeds right from land preparation through to harvesting and further through the processing systems.
With all this responsibilities, the unit has been poorly resourced in other to undertake it’s duties in the country that is enough funds are not made available to the inspectors to go about their monitoring and supervisory activities. It is important to note that for effective monitoring, the inspector should make at least four visits per grower before processing. The question being asked is whether the procedure is being followed? Further to this, most of the regional seed laboratories lack basic equipments for germination test and purity analysis. Some inspectorates are immobile to undertake their inspection activities.
THE WAY FORWARD FOR SEED PRODUCERS
This can be identified under three major constrains
v Provision of credit for seed production and distribution.
v Policy to involve the ministry or private sector to purchase and distribute seeds to local farmers.
v Specialized training events.
One way of developing the seed industry to its full potential is the provision of credit for seed production. This could be especially effective if special credit lines were setup, making funds more and easily available to seed producers or under more favorable terms. This could be in the form of inputs.
Secondly MoFA in collaboration with the private sector can purchase seeds from the producers to be redistributed to farmers at places where and when necessary. This can alleviate that burden on the producer also being a marketer of his own produce further it can motivate producers to continuously produce seeds throughout the season.
Finally, MoFA should make it a routine of organizing training events such as field trips, tours and short courses before each planting season.
THE WAY FORWARD FOR SEED INSPECTION UNIT
This can be captured under two broad issues.
v Technical assistance and training.
v Provision of logistics to field inspectors
v Equipping the seed laboratories
Technical assistance has been a major constraint encountered at the seed inspectorate. As the number of seed producers in the country keeps increasing, so is the need for an increase in the technical staff. Training on the other hand should be base on the needs of a particular region.
Most of the field inspectors are poorly resourced in terms of logistics to undertake their activities. Logistics could be in the form of providing vehicles, motorbikes, fuel etc.
Updating the seed testing laboratories in the regions should be an utmost importance to the government. Apart from the National Seed Testing Laboratory which is ISTA accredited the rest lack basic equipments to facilitate their work.
I believe this and other suggestions will go along way to achieve government aim in food security through quality seed production process.
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