The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) recently organized a three-day training workshop on rice seed production. The event emphasized the need for enhanced access to quality rice seeds for farmers in the northern and Savanna regions.
Isaah Sugri, Deputy Director at CSIR-SARI, underscored the vital role of technology in ensuring food security and addressing the challenges posed by climate change and evolving consumer preferences. He pointed out that introducing new rice varieties is a step towards meeting these challenges, but more efforts are needed to increase farmers’ access to viable seeds.
Sugri expressed concerns about the limited timeframe allocated to farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, which he believes is insufficient for producing large quantities of rice. He also noted that the importation of other seed varieties has not benefited the local rice economy.
To address these issues, CSIR-SARI is advocating for expanding distribution networks and adopting a community seed module to increase farmers’ access to rice seeds and boost harvests. The workshop brought together stakeholders from the rice farming ecosystem, including representatives from Africa Rice and rice farmers nationwide, to share knowledge and develop solutions to the industry’s challenges.