National Horticultural Seed Roadmap launched to strengthen Ghana’s vegetable seed sector

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in partnership with the Dutch Embassy, has unveiled the National Horticultural Seed Roadmap, aiming to bolster Ghana's vegetable seed sector. This initiative reveals the sector's existing challenges and outlines strategic measures to bolster the production, distribution, and utilization of superior vegetable seeds and seedlings.

Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, highlighted the roadmap's collaborative development, involving government bodies, researchers, seed enterprises, farmer unions, and development allies. He emphasized the pivotal role of quality seeds in enhancing agricultural output and promoting farmer confidence. Mr Dumelo underscored the significance of seed systems for horticulture, given their impact on nutrition, employment, agro-processing, and affordable vegetable supply.

He specified tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other indigenous vegetables as examples of crops that necessitate responsive seed systems.

The roadmap offers strategic guidance for the next three to five years, building on Ghana's 2024 seed sector assessment, stakeholder dialogues, and validation processes. Mr Dumelo stressed that successful implementation requires integrating research with farmers' realities, considering crop variety evaluation under local growing conditions, farmers' preferences, climate resilience, disease resistance, and market demand.

The Deputy Minister also stressed the need to strengthen Ghana's capability to develop, test, multiply, and distribute quality seeds tailored to local conditions. This entails enhancing the ability to create, test, multiply, and supply locally adapted seeds, fostering productive partnerships with international seed firms and research institutions.

He tasked the Directorate of Crop Services, in collaboration with the Technical Working Group on Seeds, and other partners to translate the roadmap's strategic pathways into a prioritized work program with defined responsibilities, schedules, and financial requirements.

Inge Tenniglo, the Agricultural Counsellor at the Kingdom of the Netherlands' Embassy, celebrated the roadmap as a significant stride towards fortifying Ghana's horticultural seed sector. She noted that the initiative isn't just about seeds but the broader sector and the prospects it could offer for farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals.

Ms Tenniglo emphasized that the roadmap lays out a strategic framework for enhancing access to quality vegetable seeds and seedlings, promoting evidence-based policies, strategic investments, research, and improved cooperation among stakeholders.