African seed system gets a boost with purchase of 18-ton trucks to ease quality seed delivery to farmers
On 7 August, IITA GoSeed, in Ibadan and Umudike Seeds based at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umuahia, jointly commissioned two brand new 18-ton trucks to ease logistical challenges in moving cassava seed.
IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga presided over the ceremony at the Agricultural Transformation building of the CGIAR-IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. The trucks were purchased with support from the Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Seed System (BASICS-I) project.
Cassava has the potential to provide more than twice the amount of food and income it is currently providing to farmers, processors, seed producers, and consumers. The way to maximize the potential of cassava is to strengthen the seed system by ensuring that quality early generation seed of improved varieties is made available to farmers at the right time and quantities. IITA GoSeed was launched under the BASICS-I project to handle the production and commercial sale of certified early generation cassava seed.
