The department has the responsibility for coordinating national seed production networks across the seed value chain to ensure the availability of improved quality seed of the three seed classes recognized in the national seed system i.e. breeder, foundation and certified seeds and seedlings for increase productivity and enhanced standard of living. This is done in collaboration with various stakeholder towards achieving the national seed requirement.

The function of the department involve:

• Liaison with National and International Agricultural Research Centers for cultivar development and maintenance, breeder and foundation seed production to satisfy national seed requirement.
• Collation of seed distribution and redemption by smallholder farmers under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme.
• Participation in the National Variety Registration and Release processes.
• Receipt of mandatory quantity of newly released crop varieties for mini-seed increase.
• Serve as secretariat to the NASC Institutional Biosafety Committee.
• Supervision and maintenance of regional seed processing and storage facilities and auditing of research institutes and private seed companies’ seed processing facilities.
  • Breeder and Foundation Seed Distribution

The council in line with its coordinating role of ensuring equitable distribution of breeder and foundation seeds received some quantities of breeder and foundation seed from the research institutes under the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAPP) and the Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (FMA&RD) support project for distribution to seed companies.