The Executive Manager, Youth Project, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Aline Mugisho has initiated a deal with Da-AllGreen Seeds Limited a seed company in Kaduna, as part of efforts to boost youth participation in agribusiness.
Speaking during the FNS workshop on Thursday in Abuja, Mugisho said her programme is training 10,399 youths to become scaling partners in Kaduna.
While addressing the issue of farmers’ reluctance to buy improved seeds , she noted that these farmers are reluctant to buy seeds because of ignorance towards the benefit of improved seeds.
“If they actually know how much benefit they could get from these improved seeds, then they would definitely key in.”
Before now, the CEO, Da-AllGreen Seeds Limited, Engr. Stephen D. Yakubu Atar had stated that “Most farmers prefer to get seeds from the edge of their farmers forgetting that seeds alone account for 60% success of their output.
He further decried poor demand of seeds from farmers. He said, “We have improved seeds available for sale, but there are very little or no demand from farmers”
Responding to this the IITA boss offered a deal to link the seed company to the Kaduna State Coordinator and also bring FAO on board in other to reduce the loss of those resources developed, and to also increase youth participation in agriculture.
She said, “This is where the youths fit in. We have the man power(youths), and you have the seeds”.
“We can get these seeds from you try them in smaller places improve the concept, advertise them to other farmers, that way you don’t need to do both the marketing job and the awareness that is required for these quality seeds you have, because we can develop the concept with young people and in the process create employment for youths and develop the industry better.”