From Vanguard via AllAfrica

From production of 600 tons of seed in its first year in 2006, Maslaha Seeds has grown rapidly over the years producing thousands of tons of seed each year for a wide menu of crop varieties, including high-yield sorghum, millet, and cowpea developed specifically for Nigeria’s growing conditions.

“Nigeria has the potential to become one of the world’s great breadbaskets, and giving our farmers access to certified seed for high-yield crop varieties is crucial to fulfilling that promise,” said Ibrahim Abdullahi, managing director of Maslaha Seeds.

The story of Maslaha Seeds is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit percolating in communities across Africa and to the pent-up demand among Africa’s smallholder farmers for improved, high-yield crop varieties.

A new report released at the Grow Africa Investment Forum alongside the World Economic Forum on Africa by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) reveals 80 small- to medium-size African seed companies in 16 countries are on track to produce over 80,000 metric tons of professionally certified seeds in 2014.

Locally-owned African seed companies participating in AGRA’s Program for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS.) to offer high-yield crop varieties to smallholder farmers across the continent have collectively become the largest seed producers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Read more at AllAfrica