Association expresses disappointment over government’s importation of seeds

The Seed Producers Association of Ghana has expressed disappointment at the government’s continuous importation of certified seed and said this disrupts its operations.

The Association said though it had the capacity to produce more certified seeds for farmers, the government had deemed it fit to still import seeds.

Osafo Patrick A. Apullah, the President of the Association, told the GNA in an interview that the association sold 20,000 mini bags of seed maize and 30,000 mini bags of rice as grain at the open market this year a due to the government’s interference in the seed industry.

He appealed to the government to refrain from importing seeds and allow members of the association the free hand to undertake the activity to create jobs for the youth.

He described government importation of seed as a waste and misuse of foreign currency that could have been used to improve other sectors of the economy.

Osafo Apullah appealed to authorities at the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to collaborate with the association to produce appropriate seeds for its agricultural programmes.

He said SADA should also consider the construction of irrigation dams for farmers in the northern sector to produce food crops throughout the year instead of them depending on rain-fed agriculture tht is unreliable.

Osafo Apullah commended Parliament for passing the Plant and Fertilizer Bill into Law and appealed to the House to hasten the regulatory processes backing the law.

Source: GNA