Mr Josiah Wobil, the Chairman of the National Seed Council (NSC), has called on key stakeholders to work to advance Ghana’s seed sector. He thus, noted that even though Ghana has made some significant improvement in its seed sector, there is more to be done.
According to the Chairman of NSC, in spite of the fact that Ghana’s seed sector has grown significantly in the last decade, with the development and availability of improved and locally adapted seed varieties, the adoption rate is still marginal, with just about 30 percent of farmers using improved varieties.
Mr Josiah Wobil stressed that there is the need to facilitate the conduct of the seed industry in order to respond to the overall quality seed demand in the country. He noted that Ghana is an agriculture country and that the country’s wellbeing and prosperity depends on a buoyant and productive agriculture.
The Chairman stated that the NSC recognises that to comprehensively deliver on the seed sector needs of Ghana’s agriculture, food and nutrition, there is much more to be attended to. Mr Wobil, in addition, observed that, “the main support to agriculture is seed without which there can be no agriculture”.
Mr Josiah Wobil averred that right from the beginning of time, “seed has continuously metamorphosed until in recent times it has emerged as a specialised farm input that has created immense wealth and been the catalyst of civilisations and advancements”. To him, seed is leading the way to our survival in a world that requires more and more to feed a burgeoning population.
Mr Wobil indicated that many farmers are gradually adopting improved seeds in their farming, noting that “the massive use of hybrid seed even by smallholder farmers, a result of the Planting for Food and Jobs, is an indication that we are on the march”. He also expressed happiness about Ghana’s progress in the areas of Genetically Modified organisms, saying “On the GM front, the recent breakthrough with Bt Cowpea gives us all so much pride that our scientists, long admired for their advances in conventional breeding, are once again delivering for the national good”.
Mr Josiah Wobil made this known at the 3rd National Seed Forum on the theme: ‘Facilitating the seed industry through knowledge, collaboration and strategic planning’. The NSC Chair expressed the hope that the 3rd National Seed Forum will help to address the needs of “our hardworking farmers, agro-industry and the consuming public.”
Quality Seeds, Prerequisite to Successful Agriculture
Mr. Eric Bentsil Quaye, the Acting Director of Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, on his part, said quality seeds are prerequisite to successful agriculture and constitute a major pathway for the achievement of national food security goals, particularly for countries such as Ghana, where agriculture is the prime mover of the national economy.
Mr. Eric Bentsil Quaye is of the view that there is a great need to ensure the availability and widespread utilisation of quality seeds throughout the country.
“It is important therefore that institutions and structures required to support the implementation of a good seed system is streamlined and properly equipped and managed to ensure that the seed sector plays its required role in the country’s agricultural transformation.”
Mr. Eric Bentsil Quaye
The Acting Director of Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate noted that Ghana has made a lot of progress in its regulatory framework, citing Part II of the Plants and Fertilizer Act, 2010 (Act 803), the National Seed Policy, Bio-safety Act, 2011 (Act 831) (Regulates GMO process.), National Seed Plan, ECOWAS seed Regulation (C/REG.4/05/2008), Seeds (Certification and Standards) Regulation 2018, as some of the regulatory policies that have been made so far.
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