Nigeria’s quest for food security and self-reliance don receive big boost as ECOBasic Seed, a Kaduna-based seedlings company, flag off demonstration for their high-yielding hybrid maize seedlings. The demo, wey hold for Jaji near Kaduna State, showcase the potential of hybrid seeds to increase maize yields and improve agricultural output.
The Managing Director of ECOBasic Seed, Brighton Kuruma, emphasize the crucial role of hybrid seeds in achieving food security and self-reliance in the country. “Hybrid seeds are the fastest way to attain food security in Nigeria. Our company has developed a high-performance seed called Tela, derived from the Latin word for resistance,” Kuruma say.
According to Kuruma, Tela has been engineered to be drought and pest-tolerant, making it ideal for Nigeria’s climate. He highlight ECOBasic Seed’s consistent research on modern methods to improve foundation seed quality and performance. “Our research has shown that hybrid seeds can increase maize yields from two tonnes to four to six tonnes per hectare,” he say.
Kuruma enumerate the benefits of hybrid seeds, including increased yields, drought tolerance, pest tolerance, and improved disease resistance. He acknowledge the challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector, including banditry, drought, pests, and poor infrastructure.
As a way forward, Kuruma proffer solutions, including embracing hybrid seeds, investing in research and development, providing support for farmers, and improving rural infrastructure. In his remarks, Kaduna House Committee Chairman on Agriculture, Abdullahi Bello, underscore the importance of utilizing technology to improve food production.
“Seeds play a critical role in increasing agricultural output on small farmland,” Bello say. Bello commend Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, for distributing fertilizer and farm implements to farmers. He urge the executive arm of the government to focus on rural development, fixing roads, and providing amenities to make farming activities worthwhile.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the agricultural sector hail ECOBasic Seed’s initiative. A lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University’s Department of Agriculture, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, say “This is a welcome development,” while noting that “Hybrid seeds are the future of agriculture.”
