Government has been urged to double efforts in the seed sector as Ghana spends over $1.5 billion on importation of basic foods each year.
Speaking at the maiden seed business management meeting facilitated by Agri Impact Consult for seed producers in Ghana, Dan Acquaye, the Executive Director of Agri-Impact said Africa imports over $50 Billion of foods annually.
As a result, he said there exist enormous opportunities for joint business growth and development in Africa if governments double investment in the seed sector and adopt innovative technologies and support policies that will create space for the private sector to improve productivity and provide opportunities for the youth and thereby reduce unemployment in Africa.
He said the time is ripe for innovation in the seed sector, and called for the creation of private sector space, the provision of seed business incentives and the development of practical options for public-private partnerships in agribusiness trade and seed value chain financing.
The gathering saw the maiden competency-based seed training of the Entrepreneurship for Commercial Seed Incubation Business (ECOSIB) which is aimed at increasing access and availability of superior quality seed to smallholder farmers in Ghana.
Funded by AGRA, the Purpose of ECOSIB will be to build the technical & managerial competencies of SMES in seed business and develop a cadre of seed business entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to engage in commercial seed production and distribution of quality seeds in Ghana.
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa-FARA, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Ghana Grains & Legumes Development Board and Crop Research Institute are key partners.
