The Managing Director, EcoBasic Seeds Company, Mr Brighton Karume, says the company has produced 10 varieties of hybrid maize seeds that can triple maize production in the country.
Karume made this known while addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna to mark the company’s one year anniversary.
He said that it was time for Nigerian farmers reduce their concentration on Open Pollinated Varieties of Maize and embrace Hybrid varieties.
This, he said, would cut the current eight million tonnes maize deficit in the country.
“Hybrid varieties yield better and has the capacity of leap frogging Nigeria to the attainment of self-sufficiency in maize production,” he added.
According to him, the company will bridge the existing gap in early generation seeds production in Nigeria and drive the seed sector in West Africa with the production of high quality and pure seeds.
“Nigeria can double the size of its maize production, if 50 per cent of maize farmers across the country adopt hybrid maize varieties.
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“Ninety per cent of farmers still focus on using the old methods of seeds while only 10 per cent of Nigerian farmers use hybrid seeds, which makes it impossible for the country to meet the national maize demand,” he added.
Karume said that the company had kept to its plan of bridging the wide gap between foundation and certified seed production in the country.
This, he said, was to give farmers the opportunity to maximize profit and expand their production with the availability of quality and 100% seed purity.
“We have been able to transform into an exciting organization working with Outgrowers to cultivate over 50 hectarage of maize and cowpeas (beans) foundation seeds across Nigeria.
“The company has so far established about 60 different demonstration sites across Kaduna, Niger and Kano states, with about 10 different varieties of hybrid maize including Sammaz 62, Sammaz 63 and Sammaz 68 drought tolerant and high yield.”
The managing director said the seed company has developed a business to business model, transacting directly with registered seed companies in Nigeria.
He said that the seed companies have committed to placing foundation seed orders of various hybrids produced by the company, including the new cowpea seed, ahead of the 2023 planting season.
