The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has taken a significant step to enhance sugarcane production in Nigeria by donating high-yielding sugarcane seeds to Golden Sugar Company Ltd. (GSC) for the 2024/2025 planting season.
The donation aims to support mass production of the crop at GSC’s facility in Sunti, Niger State.
The presentation took place at the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI) in Ilorin, with NSDC’s Executive Secretary, Mr Kamar Bakrin, represented by the Director/Interim Coordinator of NSI, Dr Abiodun Adeyemo, handing over 500 stalks (2,500 sugarcane setts) to the company.
Bakrin emphasized the importance of high-performing sugarcane varieties in boosting production and reiterated NSDC’s commitment to assisting sugar estates.
“This initiative is part of our efforts to empower sugar operators, enabling them to increase production and support the implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP) II, particularly the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in sugar production,” Bakrin said.
NSI, as the training arm of NSDC, provides technical support, conducts research, and develops staff capacity for the sugar industry to increase local production.
Bakrin highlighted the benefits of high-performing sugarcane varieties, which include higher yields, resistance to diseases and pests, lower production costs, and environmentally friendly practices.
He also noted that this donation marks the first practical demonstration of NSDC/NSI’s commitment to supporting sugar industries under the current leadership.
“We have provided a promising sugarcane variety, R579. A total of 500 stalks have been carefully selected and packaged into about 2,500 setts. These will be handed over to the company’s representatives,” Bakrin announced.
He urged Golden Sugar Company to adhere to the best agronomic practices to fully leverage the yield potential of the variety.
“Catalyzing the process of yield improvement is crucial. The collection of this variety by GSC for evaluation in their environment will significantly benefit sugarcane crop improvement both now and in the long term,” he added.
In response, Mr. Herman Smith, the Agriculture Manager at GSC, expressed gratitude for the seed cane donation, acknowledging the support from NSI germplasm for multiplication.
He added that the initiative is a testament to NSDC’s ongoing efforts to empower the sugar industry in Nigeria, aiming for a robust increase in local sugar production and advancing towards self-sufficiency.
In a related development, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has taken significant steps towards enhancing agricultural productivity in Nigeria by distributing agrarian inputs to 900 accredited farmers in Ebonyi and Osun States.
The initiative, part of NALDA’s agricultural empowerment program, aims to support farmers in maximizing crop cultivation for improved yields and increased food production.
The beneficiaries, consisting of farmers from both states, received NALDA-branded bags containing high-grade fertilizer, herbicides, and improved rice, maize, and bean seeds.
