By Juliana Agbo, Abuja
As part of efforts to boost food production and allow breeders to earn back the considerable costs involved in the long process of variety development, stakeholders in the agricultural sector have put in place structures aimed at implementing the new Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act 2021.
The stakeholders said with the proper implementation of the PVP Act, farmers across the country will witness high yield which will in turn ensure food security for the country.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari on May 21, 2021 signed the PVP Bill into law.
Speaking at the unveiling of the PVP Act 2021 in Abuja yesterday, Director-General of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Dr Philip Ojo said the move would incentivise national and multinational agribusiness investments in the country, adding that Nigeria’s agricultural sector transformation is a significant reason why the country should pay attention to PVP.
Ojo said the Council has commenced actions to set up a functional PVP office to receive and process applications for the granting of rights in Nigeria from anywhere in the world.
He said NASC has made all necessary arrangements to ensure that Nigeria does not only have the PVP law, but to implement it for the impacts to be delivered to Nigerians, particularly farmers.
“We will begin to see on our farmer’s field superior yielding, stress tolerant, disease resistant, climate smart and input efficient varieties which will be introduced by innovative breeders both from the public and the private sector in few years to come.
“In addition, we will begin to witness efficient land use and reduced food cost as a result of the increased productivity from cultivated hectares across the country. We are also working to develop supporting regulations that will help implement the Act,” he added.
In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono said one of the key issues to the development of agriculture is innovation and research.
According to him, all countries of the world that have succeeded in improving their agricultural production were done through innovation and research.
He said: “In spite of all the challenges, we have 35 seed companies in Nigeria, in one of our high level meeting on economy sustainability, some people came with the idea that there is an emergency and we need to import seeds, and I said no. I told them we have enough seeds in this country, but the issue is access to getting seeds or information.
“It is very important that the PVP is diligently implemented, we should engage all the stakeholders in this business.”
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