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Nigerian cotton farmers have said that their inability to get access to adequate, secured and timely supply of quality cotton seeds remains a major hurdle to Nigeria’s quest to revive its cotton and textile industry.
“Fundamental to the reforms of the cotton and textile industry in Africa and Nigeria is a vibrant seed sub-sector,” Anibe Achimugu, president, National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) said in an address delivered during the 16th African Cotton Association annual congress in Abuja recently.
“The lack of quality cotton seed and inadequate quantity must be addressed if we are to address the needs of farmers and achieve higher yields,” Achimugu said.
He stated that farmers need long fibre, disease resistance seed varieties that can adjust properly to the vagaries of weather, while calling on seed companies to respond well to the challenge.
“We need to facilitate the establishment of world class seed processing plants in the first instance,” he stated.
Nigeria’s cotton production is put at 51,000 metric tonnes on 253,000 hectares with average yield of 202kg per hectare, while global cotton consumption is put at 24 million metric tonnes, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) 2016 data.
Cotton which used to be one of Nigeria’s major cash crops in the 80’s was not even among the top 15 agricultural commodities exported in 2017, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows.
Nigeria’s cotton production is put at 51,000 metric tonnes on 253,000 hectares with average yield of 202kg per hectare, while global cotton consumption is put at 24 million metric tonnes, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) 2016 data.
Achimugu noted that with adequate financial support for farmers as well as research and development (R&D) on the part of governments will help Nigeria produce a foundation for seed subsector.
He urged government to partner with the private sector, saying that the sector needs the combined strength and synergy between the public and private sector for it to thrive.
“We need to influence decisions in a number of areas, notably on price fixing, quality, modern technology, environment and sustainable production,” he added.
Stakeholders have blamed the failure to increase cotton output on ineffective government structures that do not allow effective and efficient translation of technology between research institutes and cotton farmers.
Josephine Okojie
