Scientists Urge Private Investments in Seed Production
Stakeholders in Ghana’s agriculture sector are calling for increased private sector investment in local seed production. Scientists at the maiden Researchers-Investors Summit in Agriculture emphasized the need for private sector participation to upscale the production of locally developed seeds.
Despite significant strides in local seed production, the private sector has shown low interest in large-scale production of certified local seeds. This has raised concerns about food security. Research institutes like the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research have been leading the charge in producing improved indigenous seeds.
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Director of the Crops Research Institute, Prof. Maxwell Darko Asante, highlighted the urgent need for investments in Ghana’s seed production sector. He emphasized the need for “people with deep pockets to take it as a big industry and invest,” particularly in vegetable seed production.
The summit aimed to bridge the innovation and investment gap in Ghana’s agriculture sector. Director of Agric Eye Consult, Richmond Frimpong, stressed the need for synergy between research and industry, advocating for tax holidays for industries in the agriculture value chain.
CEO of Legacy Crop Improvement Centre, Dr. Amos Rutherford Azinu, emphasized the need for a paradigm shift from smallholder to large-scale farming to boost productivity. He noted that together, stakeholders have the knowledge, technology, capital, and determination to transform agriculture.
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The summit’s theme, “Bridging innovation and investment gap for a resilient agriculture in Ghana,” highlighted the need for collective action to transform the agriculture sector. Stakeholders are urging the government to grant tax holidays to locally manufacturing firms within the agriculture value chain.
