To increase agricultural production as the planting season gets underway, the Federal Government presented disease-resistant hybrid maize seeds on Thursday in collaboration with the Export Trade Group and the Nigeria Agro Inputs Dealers Association, Entrepreneurng report.
The ETG M401 and ETG M601 hybrid maize varieties were shown to farmers in Abuja by representatives of the Federal Government’s Institute of Agricultural Research, the trade association, and NAIDA, who claimed that the new seeds may result in greater yields.
The institute was working with ETG and agro-input dealers, according to Prof. Mohammad Ishyiku, executive director of the IAR, to ensure that farmers were using the seeds to grow early-maturing maize with adequate nutrition and greater yields.
The institute was working with ETG and agro-input dealers, according to Prof. Mohammad Ishyiku, executive director of the IAR, to ensure that farmers were using the seeds to grow early-maturing maize with adequate nutrition and greater yields.
“This is a proper move and it is an innovation that will surely boost the output of our farmers countrywide and offer them increased earnings after harvesting and distributing to the market,” Ishyiku, who was represented by the Principal Investigator, IAR, Dr. Muyideen Oyekunke, stated.”
Good luck Nkemakolam, the Business Development Manager for ETG Nigeria, noted that the organization was collaborating with the relevant governmental agencies to make sure that farmers took benefit of the hybrid seeds.
“We are collaborating with the government because investors need to abide by local rules to prosper in any nation. We are working with the seeds council, IAR, ministry of agriculture, agro-input dealers, and all other necessary organizations.”
We are here, and the government is aware of it. Regarding training, ETG has been present for a while. In terms of inputs, we want to make sure that even the farmers whose products you are purchasing have high-quality inputs that will contribute to a greater crop, he said.
Through its trading branch, he said the company has helped more than 10,000 farmers in Nigeria, and he added that the new hybrid maize seeds will strengthen the company’s position in the nation’s agricultural market.
“As of right now, through our trading component, we’ve connected with over 10,000 farmers in our commodity part. Nevertheless, in the inputs sector, we are aligning, and when the product is issued and the registration procedure is complete, we will involve a lot more farmers, according to Nkemakolam.”
Conclusion
The hybrid maize, according to Ashish Lakhotia, chief executive officer of ETG Inputs HoldCo Limited, is an early maturing, white-grain hybrid with stout stems, low-placed and long cobs, and hard grains.
The cobs are easily harvested and have adequate dry-down and husk coverage. The seeds mature between 100 and 110 days, have a medium height, and have very good resistance to all common diseases. They also have excellent drought tolerance.
Source: Punch
