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22.10.2014 General News

DuPont Pioneer Collaborates To Increase Productivity And Profitability Of Farmers

DuPont Pioneer Collaborates To Increase Productivity And Profitability Of Farmers
22.10.2014 LISTEN

Company collaborates with USAID to increase access of Maize Farmers to Hybrid Seed, Improved Seed Distribution System and Post-Harvest Storage in Ghana

Tamale, Ghana, October 22, 2014 - Today, DuPont and the USAID launched a collaborative initiative that will boost maize productivity among smallholder farmers and help to increase their household incomes. The investment of more than US$4 million over the next four years started in July 2014.

The program, called the Ghana Advanced Maize Seed Adoption Program (GAMSAP), is modeled on a similar one undertaken in Ethiopia by ACDI/VOCA, the implementing organization in Ghana. GAMSAP will support the establishment of more than 3,200 demonstrations throughout the country to help enhance the incomes of 43,000 smallholder maize farmers.

During the launch of the program in Tamale, Lystra Antoine, DuPont Pioneer's Global Agriculture Development Director, discussed the challenge of food security in Ghana, “DuPont is committed to collaboratively tackling global food security challenges and we are honored to work with USAID to significantly increase productivity for maize farmers in Ghana." DuPont is collaborating with USAID to improve household incomes of smallholder maize farmers by improving their access to credit, to hybrid seeds, to better agronomy, to secure input and output markets, to improved post-harvest handling practices, and to market linkages with end users.

Ghana currently has an average maize yield of about 1.5 metric tons per hectare, which is significantly below the average 2 tons per hectare of maize yields in Africa and 10 tons per hectare in the U.S. By adopting hybrid seed and using improved farming inputs and techniques, participating farmers will be able to achieve significant productivity gains and increased profitability.

“High quality seed (both local and international) is a key to the modernization and profitability of the agricultural sector. This partnership is designed to demonstrate the benefits of these new varieties and encourage farmers to invest in their businesses with productivity-boosting technologies,” said the USAID Ghana Mission Director, Jim Bever.


About DuPont Pioneer - Science with Service Delivering Success®

DuPont Pioneer (www.pioneer.com) is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. .

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.

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