NAN-AE-12
Seeds
By Tukur Muntari
Akko (Gombe State), Aug. 18, 2017 (NAN) The Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000) is to introduce two new maize seed varieties to farmers to boost productivity of the crop in the country.
The new varieties are: Quality Protein Maize (QPM) or Sam maz 14 and Vitamin A fortified variety.
Mr Idris Garko, the officer in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation, SG 2000, disclosed this while addressing women farmers at one of the model adoption farms in Maiganga village in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe on Friday.
Garko said the agency would focus on mass production of the two seed varieties in all its demonstration farms in the country .
He said the agency would also acquire a large farm in Maiganga village to produce the variety in appreciation of the farmers’ resolve to embrace the new production technology, particularly for rice and maize.
According to him, the two maize seed varieties were developed by the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
He explained that the QPM or Sam maz 14 variety was developed to provide quality protein while the other variety “which is Vitamin A fortified, helps in strengthening eye sight”.
“From 2018 we will use all our demonstration farms to produce the two varieties for distribution to farmers.
“We need to produce these varieties to feed our families because they are good for our health, “ the officer said.
A farmer who spoke on behalf of others, Mr David Jidda, expressed satisfaction with the new production technology introduced by the organisation, saying it had increased crop yields.
Jidda, however , called on the Gombe State Government to provide farmers with fertilisers and other inputs early enough to enable them to procure the commodity in time.
The News Agency of Niogeria (NAN) reports that the SG 2000 team had also visited some farms at Pokwanglin village in Kaltungo Local Government Area where the farmers adopted the new planting technology of SG 2000 in the production of ‘Sam maz 15’ maize seed variety.
A cross section of farmers who spoke during the visit solicited the support of the agency in providing improved seeds and other inputs to enhance food production in the state. (NAN)
MTM/AMY/AMY
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Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf