The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) has trained seed producers on the effective hybrid maize and soybean seed production techniques and certification guidelines.
The two-day training, held at Nyankpala in the Northern Region, formed part of USAID Ghana Inclusive Agricultural Transformation Programme (GIAT), supported by USAID Ghana in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, which sought to build the capacities of seed producers and ineffective hybrid maize and soybean seed production.
The training is to improve seed producers’ technical capacity and efficiency in hybrid maize and soybean production in the Northern, Northeast, and Upper West Regions. A total of 37 seed growers comprising 20 males and a female from 17 seed companies, benefited from the training.
Dr. Gloria Boakyewaa-Adu, Project Leader of GIAT, in her opening remarks said the choice of seed to plant is the most prominent decision a farmer has to make during crop production.
She said only 10 to 25 percent of farmers in the country planted the certified seed of legumes and cereals until the recent introduction of the government’s planting for Food and Jobs programme.
She said regardless of the demonstrated advantages of hybrid maize over Open Pollinated Variety, most farmers still cultivated the latter due to the low availability of hybrid maize seed due to the low technical capacity of seed producers in the country to produce decent quality hybrid maize seed.
She urged stakeholders to support the government in improving farmers’ access to high-quality seeds of locally adapted hybrid maize and soybean varieties in the country.
GAP promotes sustainable agriculture, need for a strong Agri-PPPs
Good Agricultural Practices adoption helps promote sustainable agriculture and meets national and international environment and social development objectives. The training has received the applause of many agri-experts and called on other agri-firms to train farmers to adopt good agricultural practices.
With the increasing per capita income, consumers are becoming more and more conscious about their health in this modern era. Production of safe food is crucial for consumers’ health and a sustainable environment and healthy working conditions for those producing agricultural produce. However, while discussing safe food production, the farmers are not exposed to regular, vigorous pieces of training.
In a recent interview, Farmers of Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipality received training at a day’s workshop on good farming practices (GAP) by Messiah Organic Chain Fertilizer to produce more for domestic consumption and export.
The workshop was attended by 50 participants, with some officials from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). It was organized by Nana Dwomoh Doyan, the Chief Executive Officer of Messiah Organics Chain of Ghana. The farmers were trained on soil saving, applying the Messiah Organic fertilizer and pesticides, using microbes to improve agricultural production and the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on human health and the environment.
Many agri-experts have called for increased partnership between the government, farmers, and private sector to drive innovation and economic growth through training. “Strong partnerships help cut costs, improve products, and open new markets. With a lot more Agri-PPPs, farmers in the District will be efficient in production to feed the domestic market and export to neighboring countries”, the agri-expert revealed.
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