Value Seeds, in partnership with the UK-funded Propcom+ programme, has unveiled new automated seed packaging lines to lower the cost of quality seeds and strengthen food security.

George Zangir, president of Value Seed, disclosed this during the inauguration of the new automatic seed packaging lines and conveyor belts in Bagaddi Kudan local government on Tuesday.

He said that the partnership was aimed at expanding farmers’ access to certified varieties and accelerating the adoption of climate-smart agriculture across Nigeria.

Mr Zangir added that support from the UK-funded programme aligns with efforts to scale climate-smart agriculture in Nigeria, as the improved system enhances the distribution of nutrient-dense, drought-tolerant seed varieties.

He said the initiative was designed to reduce cost, expand access to quality seeds and strengthen climate-smart farming. According to him, the innovations will catalyse wider use of improved seeds and improve food security across farming households. He explained that “for more than 16 years, we relied on manual packaging for our small seed packs, which limited our capacity and increased operational expenses.

Mr Zangir added that Value Seeds announced a 15 per cent reduction in the price of all field crop seeds for the next 12 months to ensure farmers directly benefit from the upgrade. He said that the partnership with Propcom+ further enabled the company to expand its climate-friendly distribution network using clean electric vehicles and stocking distribution centres in 10 states.

Local farmers and community leaders praised the intervention, saying it would boost food production.

A farmer, Umar Sufyanu, said the collaboration would greatly improve access to quality seeds at affordable prices, noting that high input costs have been a major challenge for smallholders.

The 15 per cent reduction, he said, directly addressed this barrier.

Similarly, the ward head of Bagaldi, Sunusi Bamalli, commended the Value Seeds–Propcom+ partnership for driving climate-smart and commercial agriculture in the area, saying the initiative would improve livelihoods and stimulate local economic growth.

(NAN)