By Philip Tengzu/Freda Mwini, GNA
Wa, (UW/R), July 24, GNA – The Seed Systems Group (SSG), an agricultural-centered technical support non-government organisation, has initiated an intervention to promote the production and distribution of high-quality seeds for farmers in northern Ghana to help improve their income fortunes.
The initiative would help contribute to improved seed availability and access, enhance agricultural productivity and food security in northern Ghana.
It was being implemented in partnership with the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and private seed businesses.
As part of the intervention, a three-day training workshop had been organised for some agro-input dealers in the Upper West Region to strengthen their capacity to distribute high-quality cowpea and pearl millet seeds to farmers in the region.
The training covered seed and input management, business management practices and regulatory requirements governing agro-input businesses.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Wa, Dr. Issoufou Kapran, the President of Seed Systems Group, emphasised the commitment of the organisation to supporting the development of sustainable seed systems that guarantees access to high-quality seeds of nutritive and resilient food crops for farmers in remote communities.
Through the project, SSG would support scientists at the CSIR-SARI to produce foundation seeds of targeted crops for selected seed growers to multiply and be promoted by Agricultural Extension Agents to farmers.
“Our approach is to make sure that quality seed is available to farmers through a purely commercial transaction between seed companies and farmers, while ensuring that seeds are accessible within farming communities”, Dr. Kapran explained.
The SSG President described agro-input dealers as critical actors within the seed value chain and that equipping them with the requisite knowledge and skills was necessary to improve farmers’ access to certified seeds and agricultural inputs.
Mr Hamid Seidu Kpiarakor of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department (PPRSD) observed that quality seed is the foundation of agricultural productivity and crop yields.
He said the training was timely and necessary since agro-input dealers served as the first point of contact for farmers seeking agricultural advice and inputs.
Mr Kpiarakor explained that the workshop complemented the efforts of the PPRSD, which was mandated to regularly train and monitor activities for agro-input dealers across the country.
Mrs Barikisu Alhassan Jangu, the Upper West Regional Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD) Officer, described seed and agro-input dealers as the bridge between improved agricultural technologies and farmers.
“The quality of seeds and inputs you (the input dealers) sell determines, to a larger extent, whether a farmer’s season ends in harvest or in crop failure,” she said.
Mrs Jangu expressed optimism that the training would help strengthen participants’ knowledge in seed certification standards, safe storage and handling practices, among others, to secure the farmers’ trust.
Alhaji Antiku Abdulai, the Chief Executive Officer of Antika Company Limited, urged participants to approach the training with open minds and take advantage of the knowledge-sharing opportunities.
He emphasised the importance of understanding seed varieties and the appropriate use of agricultural chemicals to provide farmers with accurate advice.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporters: Philip Tengzu, Freda Mwini, GNA
Photo caption: The participants at the workshop
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