The federal government has said that the country currently has 89,512.10 metric tons of assorted improved seed varieties for planting by farmers in the 2023 cropping season.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, stated this at the official launching of the Revised National Agricultural Seed Policy, 2022, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the present seed policy document represents the concerted efforts of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) and stakeholders who made valuable inputs and contributions towards ensuring that farmers have unrestricted access to the best genetics to enhance their productivity.

"Let me reiterate that this revised policy has removed the ambiguous areas in the erstwhile 2015 National Seed Policy, strengthened the identified weaknesses and introduced innovations that optimize the regulatory, promotional and protection roles of NASC in ensuring that our esteemed farmers have access to improved quality seeds," he said.

The minister mentioned some of the achievements including "the introduction of SEEDCODEX as a quality authentication tool and traceability aimed at curbing adulteration, participation of third party seed inspectors in the quality assurance process, establishment of satellite and private seed testing laboratories and strategic seed banks to act as reserve and buffer stocks in case of food emergencies and encourage active participation of women and youth in seed business along seed value chain among other innovations embedded in the new policy document."