Jigawa State Government has intensified its international agricultural collaboration as the management of CornTech Seeds India paid a courtesy visit to Government House, Dutse, to review ongoing partnerships in seed development, crop trials, and agricultural research.
The visit followed a series of engagements between the state government and the Indian-based agricultural company aimed at improving agricultural productivity and strengthening support systems for farmers.
Discussions during the meeting focused on progress recorded in seed trials, technology transfer, research collaboration, and strategies to improve yields of major crops including rice, wheat, maize, and millet.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hamisu Mohammed Gumel in Dutse, Governor Umar Namadi described the partnership as a strategic relationship with significant long-term benefits for Jigawa and the wider region.
The governor expressed optimism over the early results from crop trials already conducted within the state, noting that the reported performance of the seed varieties represented a major breakthrough for agricultural development.
Namadi assured the delegation of the state government’s commitment to sustaining the collaboration through training, capacity building, and technical support for local farmers and agricultural institutions.
He also highlighted Jigawa’s strategic position in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, describing the state as one of the country’s leading agricultural hubs with the potential to extend the partnership’s impact across West Africa.
Earlier, the Managing Director of CornTech Seeds India, Venkateswarlu Yaganti, briefed the governor on the progress of field trials conducted in collaboration with the Jigawa State Research Institute.
According to him, several rice and wheat varieties supplied by the company had shown encouraging performance under local environmental conditions in Jigawa State.
Yaganti also disclosed that local rice varieties from Jigawa tested at the company’s research facility in Hyderabad performed impressively and were being improved for commercial-scale seed production.
He explained that the collaboration extends beyond seed supply and focuses on advancing agricultural productivity through research, technology transfer, and farmer education.
The company further announced plans to support local seed production, establish processing and cold storage facilities, and deploy technical personnel to assist with research and farmer training programmes in the state.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of the Jigawa State Research Institute said several trial varieties had adapted successfully to local environmental conditions, describing the results as encouraging for future agricultural expansion.
Usman Muhammed Zaria
