According to a study by Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the percentage of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa using varieties of improved seed is still less than 20 percent and this signals the need to invest more in seed production systems.
This follows the drastic shortage of seeds, the inadequacy of improved crop varieties, a limited number of seed companies, and low demand for certified seed.
As Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark World Food Day dubbed, “Our actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all” on Saturday, 16th of October 2021, the Founding Director of the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement at the University of Ghana, Professor Eric Danquah urged African governments to invest more in their countries’ seed systems.
He said with this, zero hunger can be achieved on the content, as the UN has raised concerns about the fact that the continent is home to about twenty-five percent of all hungry people in the world and has called for urgent action to feed the hungry.
Speaking to Joy News in an interview, Professor Eric Danquah said there is the need to work with the private sector in order to get seeds to farmers on time to enable them to harvest their crops.
“We are working in partnership with the legacy crop improvement center to develop foundations in certified seeds so that we can get adequate seeds to farmers,” Professor Eric Danquah revealed.
