The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), in collaboration with the Seed Systems Group (SSG) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), has organised a capacity-building workshop for agro-input dealers to improve farmers' access to quality seeds and boost agricultural productivity in northern Ghana.
The training, held in Bolgatanga last Monday, under the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative, with funding support from the people and Government of the United States of America, brought together 50 participants from the Upper East and North East regions.
It aimed to enhance the participants' technical knowledge of seed handling, business management, record-keeping, regulatory compliance and the responsible use of agricultural inputs to boost food production and climate-resilient agriculture.
The President of the Seed Systems Group (SSG), an agricultural-centred technical support non-governmental organisation, Dr Issoufou Kapran, said although scientists had developed improved crop varieties, many of them failed to reach farmers because of weak seed distribution systems.
He said SSG, which has its headquarters in Kenya and a West Africa office in Togo, was working in 15 countries to strengthen seed systems and improve farmers' access to quality seeds.
In Ghana, he said the organisation was supporting the production and distribution of improved pearl millet and cowpea seeds in the northern regions in partnership with MoFA, CSIR-SARI and seed companies.
Dr Kapran described agro-dealers as the critical link between research institutions and farmers, noting that they played an important role in ensuring that improved seed varieties reached farming communities.
He said field demonstrations conducted with farmers showed strong acceptance of the improved pearl millet varieties because of their high yields, early maturity and resistance to bird attacks.
He explained that many farmers had expressed satisfaction with the new varieties after testing them on their farms and encouraged agro-dealers to stock and promote the seeds to improve productivity.
Quality assurance
The Upper East Regional Agricultural Officer of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), Gertrude G. Sazito, said agro-dealers occupied a strategic position in the agricultural value chain because they served as the link between seed producers and farmers.
She said the Directorate was responsible for ensuring that only certified, quality seeds reached the market and pledged its support for initiatives aimed at strengthening Ghana's seed system.
The Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Alhaji Zakaria Fuseini, described the workshop as timely, stressing that quality seed remained the foundation of agricultural production.
"Every farmer deserves quality seed because, without quality seed, there can be no meaningful crop production," he said.
