AATF Urges Nigerian Farmers To Adopt Hybrid Seeds For Greater Productivity, Food Security
Nigerian farmers must shift from open-pollinated variety seeds to hybrid varieties such as Tela maize to cut production costs and strengthen the country’s food security, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has said.
Sylvia Kyeyune, Vice Chairman of the AATF Board, gave the advice while leading a high-powered delegation on a visit to Kaduna State recently. She observed that Nigeria’s vast land resources have encouraged a mindset that tolerates low productivity, as farmers can plant large areas even with modest yields per acre.
“You’re assuming that you have a lot of land and therefore productivity is not a very big deal,” Kyeyune said. “Someone can produce very little on a very large portion of land because they have the big land. But a country that has very small land must maximize the yield per acre... so in Nigeria because you have big land you somehow overlook productivity. That is why you end up using low yielding open pollinated varieties.”
She explained that hybrid seeds like Tela maize can deliver three to five times the yield currently obtained from OPVs. Using the same labour, land, and inputs to harvest far more output makes economic sense, she added. While some farmers consider hybrid seeds expensive, Kyeyune argued that they are actually cost-effective when the benefits in higher harvests are taken into account. The real challenge, she noted, is insufficient awareness among farmers about these gains.
To achieve the needed change, the AATF is calling for a united effort involving all stakeholders. “We are not going to do it alone as AATF. This is [a] collaborative effort. We need the farmer on board. We need the seed companies. We need the regulators, the inspectors. We need the marketers. Everybody needs to come together,” she said.
The foundation is already rolling out demonstration farms where farmers can see the superior performance of Tela maize for themselves, including through free seed samples distributed to many growers. It is also organising training seminars, running radio campaigns, and working with extension agents from the ministry to ensure farmers receive accurate information. In addition, AATF is engaging policymakers to advocate for stable market prices and reliable markets so that farmers who invest in hybrid seeds are assured of good returns at harvest and are not discouraged by price fluctuations.
Kyeyune stressed that these combined efforts in awareness, education, and policy support are essential to shift mindsets and unlock Nigeria’s agricultural potential.
