The Access to Seeds Index, 2018 has found that famers’ groups and cooperatives are an integral part of seed production in Nigeria, like other countries in Africa, and need to be formalised in order for better standards to be achieved.
Access to good seeds is a nagging issue, which ranks high among factors responsible for many farmers being unable to achieve optimum farm yields, and as a result, continuing to wallow in poverty.
Supported by Agence Française de Développement, the Government of The Netherlands and AgriCord, the study evaluated over 50 seed-producing cooperatives across 20 countries in West and Central Africa. Strong performers were identified in four countries: Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. In eight other countries the situation was qualified as ‘promising’.
