Council warns seed producers against distribution of fake seeds

Ojo added that all seeds to be imported must be registered and released with a description of the seed’s country of origin for quality assurance checks.

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“This registration is so important because if you don’t get it right, farmers will get very bad productivity. So, it is extremely important that they must get it right as part of efforts to sanitise the seed industry. Already, we have shut down three defaulting seed companies,” he said.

The agency urged local and foreign operators to register their companies or face the consequences of non-compliance.

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Ojo said that any organisation that fails to register its company or seeds will face a sanction of N800, 000 or a 6 month jail term for first time offenders and N1.6 million or 2 years jail term.

According to the DG, the council has approved 157 seed companies of different categories, including four life-scale, nine medium-scale and about 67 small-scale firms.

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Commenting on the Ojo’s statement, Alhaji Olayinka Akinmade, president of West Agro Input Dealers Association noted that even though the council is trying to instill proper measures, they might lack the capacity to monitor seeds brought in.

Akinmade urged the NASC to support, educate, and give funds to seed producers.