Mr Coen Everts is the Regional Business Head of West Africa for East-West Seed International Ltd. Weekend Trust caught up with him at the 2024 SeedConnect Conference, in Abuja, where he explained the potentials of the sector in the country and what they have been doing since entering the Nigerian seed space.
How would you describe your company’s profile in the seed business?
East-West Seed is a tropical vegetable seed company dedicated to improving the lives of farmers with better seeds and better farming practices. Soon after World Food Prize winner Dr. Simon Groot established the company in 1982 in the Philippines, he realized that seeds alone were not sufficient to significantly enhance farmers’ lives. As a result, we have committed substantial resources for capacity building through our farmer extension services, directing a significant portion of our revenue back into funding these trainings.
East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, a corporate non-profit foundation with a presence in 11 countries in Africa and Asia, began working in Northern Nigeria in 2018, exemplifying our dedication to capacity training. The Foundation receives a portion of its funding from East-West Seed company, and the remaining funding comes from external partners like the Netherlands Government.
In Nigeria, the Foundation has focused on improving farmers’ agronomic practices and crop yields. To date, over 187,000 farmers in Kano and Kaduna states have benefited from the foundation’s intensive training in sustainable and profitable vegetable cultivation techniques.
The company also operates across the six geo-political regions and is actively seeking to expand its business operations, ensuring greater access to quality seeds and reaching more farmers.
What varieties of seeds do you sell?
We specialise in tropical vegetable seeds. East-West Seed operates in tropical regions globally, focusing specifically on vegetables. Our portfolio includes a wide range of crops, from tomatoes and peppers to sweet corn, papaya, and beyond. This specialisation allows us to create seed varieties that are perfectly suited to the unique challenges and opportunities in these climates.
What is your impression of the West African seed sector?
The seed sector in developed regions such as Europe and, more recently, Asia is well-established. However, Africa’s seed sector still requires significant strengthening through government support and stakeholder collaboration. At East-West Seed, we are strong advocates for building a robust seed sector, which is why we are here at SeedConnect in Nigeria, organised by the National Agricultural Seeds Council. We also support the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA), and continue to build strong relationships across the value chain including with the public sector, ranging from academic institutions, to local seed trade and farmer associations, to ensure long-term cooperation and to foster seed sector development across West Africa.
What is your assessment of the opportunities in Nigeria?
The potential is huge in Nigeria. First of all, the population size, of course, 230 million people according to the last statistics, is a vast population largely dependent on agriculture.
We also see a growing interest of people engaged in agriculture to really see it not as a profession of last resort, but as a true means of improving their livelihoods. Of course, good farming with quality seed and quality inputs can be a very profitable business.
With Nigeria’s agricultural potential driven by a growing population, there is an increasing shift towards modern, profitable farming practices. We want to contribute to this momentum by improving access to high-quality seeds that are tailored to local climates and conditions. By expanding operations, we seek to empower more farmers, improve productivity, and contribute to the development of a strong agricultural sector that can meet the country’s growing food demand.
Climate change is a concern in Nigeria; we have several ecological zones, some of which are affected by desertification and increased heat. How resilient are the seeds you offer to the Nigerian market to this type of weather system?
Innovation is at the heart of what we do. For example, in response to the rising heat in northern Nigeria caused by climate change, we’ve developed the Platinum tomato variety. This variety is highly heat-tolerant, thriving in temperatures above 40 degrees. It’s specifically designed to perform in regions experiencing extreme heat.
How affordable are your technologies here in Nigeria?
I’m glad that you asked this question because East-West Seed is very concerned about the purchasing power of the farmer. That is why affordability is a priority for us.
We understand that seeds are an investment for farmers, but we also have strong evidence showing it is a sound one. Seeds typically account for just five to 10 per cent of a farmer’s total expenses, with labour, chemicals, and other inputs comprising the rest. That said, we ensure our seeds are priced within farmers’ purchasing power. While we maintain high quality, our seeds are adapted to Nigerian farming practices and are far more affordable than the premium-priced varieties sold in Europe or the Netherlands.
Aside from selling seeds, how do you help Nigerian farmers get the most out of the seeds you supply?
East-West Seed company is unique in that a significant part of our annual income goes to our not-for-profit organization – East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation, which is solely dedicated to farmer extension training. Through this initiative, we teach farmers essential agricultural practices to improve their livelihoods using high-quality seeds – be it ours or those of competitors. To us, it is all about catalysing the development of innovative agricultural input markets.
Do you also provide extension services to the farmers?
Absolutely. Alongside the training offered by Knowledge Transfer Foundation, our commercial operations run over 400 demonstration plots annually in Nigeria. These model farms serve as hands-on learning spaces where farmers grow crops using our seeds, techniques and guidance. When farmers see the results firsthand, they often share their successes with neighbours, spreading knowledge and improving agricultural practices in their communities. That is why we work with the premise “Seeing Is Believing”.
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