National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) has warned seed dealers to desist from selling poor quality seeds that aggravate food insecurity in the country.

Assistant Director, Quality Control of NASC, Agboola Adebayo, who gave the warning during a seed market surveillance exercise in Kwara State, said proliferation of poor seeds among seed dealers has become a problem threatening food security in the country.  He said the proliferation is encouraged because both the dealers and the companies that supply them find a cunning way to infringe the regulations that only the seeds certified by the NASC go to the market. Agbola however said the council is determined to stop the illegal practice and make sure that seeds being sold to farmers are of good quality.

He stated: "Dealers in seed are supposed to get the seeds from the seed company that is regulated by the council, but you know some Nigerians with their antics.

"Some of them outsmart our officers attached to these companies. Most of the seeds they bring to the market are not actually certified by our men. And when not certified, it is seen to be of poor quality and fake.