Madam, Jenna Tajchman with Hon. Sagre Bambangi and other USAID officials in Tamale
The USAID/Ghana Agriculture Sector Team Leader, Jenna Tajchman has urged farmers in Northern Ghana to use certified seed to increase their yield.
She indicated that seed quality and volume is a major issue in Ghana and the limited availability of certified seeds restricts Ghana’s ability to overcome climate change and agricultural challenges, which threatens Ghana’s food security.
‘We believe improving the seed sector is critical to Ghana’s economic growth so developing Ghana’s seed sector is a top priority for USAID and its partners’.
Madam Tajchman made this known at the 8th Annual Northern Ghana Pre-season Planning and Networking Forum on the theme ‘Quality Seed-necessity for food and jobs’ held in Tamale.
According to her, USAID is committed to working with the government of Ghana and its development partners to help agricultural stakeholders access the tools and knowledge they need to thrive and ultimately end their reliance on aid. These efforts include improving access to seed- one of the most important agriculture technologies.
Last year, the Feed the Future program supported the establishment of 72 private seed producers. Their seeds were distributed widely across the three regions of the north and further provided 22 seed vans to seed producers increasing their reach to the most remote farming communities that cannot access high-yielding seeds.
‘It is our hope that 40 percent or more of maize, rice, and soybeans farmers in Northern Ghana will use certified seed’.
The USAID/Ghana Agriculture Sector Team Leader, Jenna Tajchman observed that agriculture is the engine of growth and a necessary economic activity that can move Ghana beyond aid.
‘USAID’s development goal closely aligns with president Nana Akufo Addo’s Ghana beyond aid vision’.
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Bambangi said seed is recognized as a key input to transforming the agriculture sector in Ghana; a high-quality seed when planted would not only result in high farm yields but also guarantee food and nutrition security, generate employment and offer better livelihoods for Ghanaians in the seed production.
The minister stated that government of Ghana has prioritized seed as one of the pillars in its flagship agriculture sector program dubbed ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ and is working closely with other stakeholders to achieve the overall goal of the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale