Assessing the Ghana Seed Sector (The Past, Present & Future)
The agricultural sector is crucial to Ghana’s economy, contributing 20% of GDP and employing 40% of the workforce with the seed sector playing a critical role in the country’s agricultural development, influencing food security, farmer livelihoods and economic stability. However, it has been affected by global crises, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ukraine-Russia war. These negative impacts are still altering the functioning of the food systems in Ghana.
The Past: Traditional Foundations
Historically, Ghana’s seed sector was characterized by informal systems dominated by smallholder farmers who relied on indigenous knowledge for seed selection, preservation and exchange. While these systems preserved biodiversity, they lacked the capacity to meet the growing demand for improved seed varieties. The mid -20th century saw the emergence of formal seed systems through institutions such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), but adoption remained low and was also not inclusive of other crops such as vegetables.
The Present: Progress and Challenges
Today, Ghana’s seed sector is transitioning into a regulated industry, guided by frameworks such as the Plants and fertilizer Act (Act 803). Public institutions, private seed companies and farmer based organizations (FBO’s) are driving improvements in seed production and distribution. Additionally previous Government interventions such as the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) with the goal to make the country self-sufficient and food reliant through its various programs. However challenges like counterfeit seeds, lack of financial support, limited seed production sites, an improper distribution network, low quality seeds and adoption rate persists, emphasizing the need for a more regulated sector and resilient seed varieties.
The Future: Opportunities and Growth
The Ghanaian seed sector has come a long way but requires strategic investments and collaborations to drive agricultural transformation. To unlock its full potential to be an innovative, inclusive and well-functioning seed sector, a recent seed sector assessment (SSA) conducted by Wageningen University explored how to strengthen Ghana's seed industry, particularly for vegetables, root and tuber crops.
The Ghanaian seed sector has come a long way but requires strategic investments and collaborations to drive agricultural transformation.
The assessment, based on primary and secondary data, identified challenges spanning seed production, distribution, service provision, and regulation. Key findings highlight eight areas for intervention, including:
- Strengthening gene bank infrastructure and enhancing production, storage, and distribution networks.
- Promoting the use of quality seeds and developing climate-resilient and pest-resistant varieties.
- Supporting local production of root and tuber crops, alongside training farmers and stakeholders to improve certified seed production.
- Enhancing the enabling environment for seed businesses by combating counterfeit seeds and leveraging technology for seed tracking, education, and market linkages.
These recommendations aim to foster a competitive, resilient, and inclusive seed sector, paving the way for new partnerships and collaborations. Such collaborations will enable Ghana to position itself as a leader in Africa’s seed industry, securing a sustainable future for its agricultural economy.
Read the full report on the study conducted by Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation. This study was funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and carried out with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, SeedNL and IDH.
Contact
For more information about this sector or any other agricultural questions feel free to contact us via acc-lvvn@minbuza.nl.
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