The 3rd Variety Show is set to be held on August 4th, 2022; with Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC) set to light the way for seed production and seed processing in Ghana and provide tailor-made solutions in addressing constraints that inhibit the growth of the seed industry in Ghana. The third Variety Show, one of the biggest seed industry events in Ghana will showcase the potential of the seed industry and create public awareness of new technologies (varieties).
This year’s Variety Show brings together agribusinesses, farmer organizations, investors and banks, input dealers, government officials including Ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as other CEOs for agricultural solutions for all types of crops in the seed sector to do business.
The Chief Executive Officer of LCIC, Dr. Amos Rutherford Azinu said LCIC’s mission is “to produce and disseminate highest quality technologies and services for the agriculture value chain for increased crop production in Ghana.” By inference, LCIC built a smart seed business center named Legacy Square which is the most robust and reliable state-of-art system for processing seeds in Ghana. It is the first of its kind in Ghana and West Africa.
The spirit behind the establishment of LCIC is to get high technologies (seeds) to farmers through the production and processing of good quality seeds. Accessibility and availability of high-quality, locally adapted, improved seeds have long been recognized as a key part of the solution for increasing the seed adoption rate and increasing food production. Improved seeds therefore can deliver higher yields, disease and pest tolerance, climate change adaptation, improved nutrition, and longer shelf life, he added.
The previous events were well attended and created business opportunities for all stakeholders. This year’s event is looking at making it easy to access high-quality seeds that can revolutionize the seed industry in Ghana. The government flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program designed to increase food production is hoping to rely solely on the Ghana seed industry to become the key supply of input as it tries to meet demand by importing some amount of seed.
In order to create a more robust seed market, more players need to improve their capacities and take advantage of the high demand created. On display at the event will be state of art seed processing devices, drying equipment, and storage facilities among others.
