In January 2022, the National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds Registration and Release Committee (NVRC) released 49 high-yielding crop varieties of 11 crops submitted for registration and release by Nigerian research institutes and seed companies.
The NVRC chairman, Oladosu Awoyemi, announced the approval of the registration and release of the new crop varieties during the 30th meeting of the Committee.
The released crop varieties include two high protein-rich oat varieties: SAMOAT 1 and SAMOAT 2, two rice hybrids: Arize 6444 Gold and Arize TEJ Gold, three proVitamin A hybrids cassava: UMUCASS 52, UMUCASS 53 and UMUCASS 54, three durum wheat varieties alongside nineteen maize varieties.
The Agriculture Commissioner in Jigawa, Mohammed Alhassan, who sponsored the durum wheat launch, noted that “this is the first time that durum wheat (durum wheat) will be registered and released for use by Nigerian farmers.” Alhassan explained that the benefits of the released durum wheat include its high yield and low fertilizer requirement. He pointed out that Jigawa farmers’ are committed to continually improve crop varieties planted in the state as the vision of the state government “is to make sure that the country’s economy improves through agriculture for the benefit of Nigerians, especially the people of Jigawa.”
The Director-General of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Olusegun Ojo, stated that the 49 crop varieties will be transmitted to NASC, which will arrange for a wide multiplication of the crop varieties for distribution to farmers across the country.
See the National Agricultural Seed Council Act 2019 and the Guidelines for Registration and Release of New Crop Varieties in Nigeria.
