A consortium of Dutch seed companies has launched the Seeds for Change (S4C) program in Kano State in northern Nigeria.

The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Dutch government, was aimed at helping farmers by introducing resources to promote food security in the region.

A member of the Netherlands-Africa Business Council (NABC is the coordinator of the S4C project), Mr. Mackenzie Masaki explained that there are many opportunities to improve the quality and volume of crops grown in the Kano region. He said that "the S4C program will promote the use of biological protection of plants and hybrid vegetable seeds to increase yields and provide training on growing five vegetable crops such as tomatoes, watermelons, onions, hot and bell peppers and cabbage."

To convince farmers who are accustomed to the old methods, Masaki said: “We have chosen two“ test farms, ”where well-established farmers are going to test with hybrid seeds to make sure that the varieties presented are suitable for the climatic conditions of growth in the North, as well as for marketing.

In parallel, we will work with several demonstration farms, and they will largely mimic the conditions in which local farmers grow and will be used as centers of excellence to educate farmers on how best to use hybrid seeds. ”