Seed Council woos Ghanaian farmers to accept GM seeds

An Executive Member of the Ghana Grains Council, Mr. Gideon Aboagye, has wooed Ghanaian farmers to accept genetically modified seeds to improve crop yield and returns.

He gave the high points of such hybrid seeds as having shorter maturation period, high-yielding and being pests and disease resistant, and said these were vital to boost food security.

He was speaking at a workshop held in Kumasi for stakeholders in agriculture to discuss ways of raising food production to improve the livelihood of farmers.

Mr. Aboagye indicated that the farmers would experience drastic upturn in agriculture production if they used those seeds.

The participants were given useful insight into the agriculture supply chain management, supply development and value addition.

He called for substantial investment in the sector to sustain it on the path of growth.

He said it was important to scale up the effort at building the capacity of the farmer, introduce them to modern technologies and best farm practices.

That, he noted, was the way forward for food security and the supply of raw materials to support the country’s industrialization.

Madam Marietta Owusu Asante, a farmer, called for increased public education on the genetically modified seeds to remove any lingering anxiety.

Source: GNA