Upper East Seed Growers seek government intervention over unsold certified seeds

Seed growers in the Upper East Region are appealing to the government to urgently intervene in what they describe as a growing glut of certified seeds, with large quantities of their produce remaining unsold in warehouses.

The farmers said weak market demand has left significant volumes of certified seeds in storage, threatening their investments and livelihoods.

They made the appeal during a stakeholder engagement organised by the National Seed Council in Bolgatanga, where they called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to purchase the excess stock and create reliable markets for locally produced seeds.

The growers also urged the government to consider restricting seed imports to create more opportunities for local seed producers and help them regain lost market share.

Farmers Raise Concerns Over Weighing and Bagging

Chief Executive Officer of Akandem Farms, Maxwell Akandem, said seed growers had accumulated large quantities of grains that remained in storage because of inadequate demand.

“We have large quantities of grains in our stores. We are appealing to government to come and clear them for us,” he said.

Another seed grower, Doris Adda, expressed concern about what she described as unfair weighing practices by buyers, saying the system was reducing the value farmers received for their produce.

“The way buyers scale our produce is worrying. They use big sacks, like size 5, and buy it for just 360 Ghana cedis. We are losing,” she said.

Chairman of the Seed Growers Association, Hon. Sule Agholisi, called for a policy to regulate the weighing and measurement of agricultural produce, arguing that the current practices put farmers at a disadvantage.

Mark Awini, another farmer, also identified the bagging of maize as a major challenge affecting growers.

“The bagging of maize is also a big problem. It affects us the farmers because we don’t get the right value,” he said.

National Seed Council Responds

In response to the concerns, Chairman of the National Seed Council, Alhaji Bubakar Mumuni, urged seed growers in the region to provide accurate information on their numbers, production capacity and output.

He said reliable data would enable the government to better understand the challenges facing the sector and design appropriate interventions.

Alhaji Mumuni explained that the stakeholder engagement was intended to identify practical measures to revitalise Ghana’s seed industry, tackle the infiltration of fake seeds and improve the production and distribution of quality certified seeds.

He also disclosed that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would review some existing laws and regulations as part of efforts to strengthen the seed industry and create a more sustainable environment for local seed producers.