Seed Council seeks stronger seed certification, traceability

The National Seed Council of Ghana is pushing for enhanced systems in seed production, certification, and traceability to ensure farmers have better access to quality planting materials. This initiative is part of a regional tour aimed at understanding the intricacies of the seed value chain.

During an engagement session in Wa, Upper West Region, the Council met with seed producers, dealers, and inspectors. Mr. Eric Bentsil Quaye, Director of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Member-Secretary of the Council, stated that the Council's regional tour is crucial for evaluating local seed growers' capacity, the efficiency of distribution networks, and the rigor of the certification framework.

The Council is also addressing infrastructure deficiencies, such as the need for modern seed processing plants and cold storage facilities. Furthermore, it is examining the financial constraints faced by private seed enterprises. Digitization, including electronic seed tracking and authentication, is identified as a key opportunity to strengthen the sector.

Efforts are underway to make climate-smart varieties accessible to farmers and to streamline the release and registration of new varieties. The Council is also working to accelerate the multiplication of breeder seed into foundation and certified seed, promoting newly released varieties among farmers. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, through the Feed Ghana Programme, is implementing supportive measures, including assistance for irrigation and tomato production, and partnering with research institutions to develop suitable tomato varieties.

With support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), three seed facilities are set to receive modern seed-conditioning equipment by 2027. The Ministry is also reinforcing seed traceability to enable better tracking from farm to market.

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The National Seed Council aims to evaluate the capacity of our local seed growers, assess the efficiency of our distribution networks and scrutinise the strictness of our certification framework.