Ghana must overhaul its seed sector to break persistent dependence on food imports and strengthen resilience against climate shocks, Seed Scientist Dr Amos Rutherford Azinu says, describing quality seed as “the cornerstone of agricultural self?sufficiency.” 

In a detailed analysis shared with the GNA, Dr Azinu, founder of Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC), said Ghana’s food system cannot achieve stability without transforming the seed value chain from research to distribution. 

“The seed occupies the most foundational position,” he said. “It is the genesis of every harvest, the origin of every meal, and the bedrock of every farming economy.”  

He argued that despite Ghana’s labour force and favourable conditions for farming, the country continued to import staples because the seed system remained “fragmented, underfunded” and unable to meet the needs of millions of smallholders. 

“A vibrant, smart, and well?regulated seed sector is not merely a component of Ghana’s agricultural strategy; it is the very cornerstone of the country’s path to self?sufficiency,” he stated. 

Ghana’s agricultural sector employs more than 40 per cent of workers and contributes roughly one?fifth of gross domestic product, yet the nation continues to rely on imports of rice, wheat, sugar, poultry and vegetable oils.  

For Dr Azinu, the missing link is clear. “The answer, in large part, lies in the seed,” he said.  

“Improved seeds, high?yielding, disease?resistant, drought?tolerant and adapted to local conditions, can increase productivity by 20 to 50 per cent or more compared to traditional varieties,” he added. 

When poor-quality seed is used, he noted, “every other input, fertiliser, irrigation and labour, yields diminishing returns.”  

But a high?performing seed, he added, “multiplies the effectiveness of every other resource deployed on the farm.” 

Ghana’s formal system involving Council for Scientific and Industrial Research institutes, Ministry of Food and Agriculture agencies, as well as private companies and farmers, he indicated, has made progress in developing improved varieties of maize, rice, sorghum, cowpea and soybean.  

Still, Dr Azinu noted that “a significant disconnect persists” between released varieties and those planted. 

“The majority of Ghanaian farmers, particularly smallholders in remote rural areas, still rely on saved seeds or informal systems,” he said.  

Such seed, although shaped by tradition, is often “of declining genetic quality” and “not optimised for maximum productivity.” 

He described distribution as weak and “unable to reach the last mile,” with agro?dealers concentrated in urban and peri?urban centres, and that substandard and counterfeit seeds also remained common.  

“Counterfeit and substandard seeds enter the market with disturbing regularity,” he warned, undermining trust in certified seed. 

Limited private-sector investment in seed research, he said, leaves Ghana dependent on a narrow range of varieties and vulnerable to climate?related outbreaks of pests and diseases. 

For Dr Azinu, vibrancy reflected a dynamic ecosystem driven by innovation, private capital and equitable access. 

He called for a stronger, more active private sector capable of carrying out large?scale multiplication, processing, packaging and distribution.  

“Private sector energy is essential to scale up seed production to meet national demand,” he said, urging tax incentives, affordable credit and simpler regulatory pathways. 

He emphasised inclusive access, saying, “Vibrancy must be measured not just in volumes produced but in reach achieved.”  

A woman farmer in a remote Northern Region village, he noted, should access the same high?quality seed available to producers near Accra. 

He also insisted that public research institutions be funded to develop varieties suited to Ghana’s varied agro?ecologies and to new climatic conditions, using modern breeding tools “where appropriate.” 

If vibrancy represents energy and scale, Azinu stated, smartness captures the system’s intelligence, its use of technology and data. 

He further argued that Ghana must expand digital traceability tools using QR codes, mobile applications and blockchain?based registries to eliminate counterfeit seed, strengthen quality assurance and track national seed flows. 

He urged accelerated development of climate?smart varieties, stressing, “Ghana is deeply vulnerable to climate change.”  

Early?maturing, drought?tolerant and flood?resistant varieties, he said, were “not a luxury; they are an existential imperative.” 

He noted that regulators such as the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate need real?time information to guide decisions on standards, farmer demand, market behaviour and inspection resources. 

He also called for integrating farmer knowledge, adding, “A truly intelligent seed system integrates indigenous knowledge with modern plant science,” encouraging participatory plant breeding where farmers help shape varieties. 

A stronger seed sector drives broad economic benefits, Dr Azinu said, adding improved yields reduce post?harvest losses, boost rural incomes and increase demand for transport, processing and storage services.  

He further stated that higher local output reduces pressure on foreign exchange. 

“Every dollar invested in agricultural research and development, including seed research, yields return of between six and twenty dollars,” he said. “The seed, quite literally, is Ghana’s highest?leverage economic investment.” 

Transforming the seed system, Dr Azinu said, required sustained commitment and coordination across ministries, research agencies, companies and farmer groups. 

He called for sharply increased funding for plant breeding and variety development, saying the current allocations were too small to sustain the needed research pipeline.  

Ghana’s commitments under the Kampala Declaration, he said, “should be taken seriously,” with a meaningful share directed to seed research and development. 

He urged stronger regulatory enforcement, including more seed inspectors, upgraded testing laboratories and robust penalties to deter counterfeiting.  

“Farmer confidence in the certified seed system is foundational,” he said. 

He stated that the current variety release system remained slow and bureaucratic, and that digitising and streamlining it would attract more private investment without lowering scientific standards. 

He also recommended a new National Seed Sector Development Plan, an integrated multi?year strategy with clear targets for certified seed production, adoption and farmer productivity. 

No country can build a resilient seed sector in isolation, Dr Azinu noted  

He cited the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Alliance of Bioversity International, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as key sources of improved germplasm and scientific expertise. 

He said ECOWAS seed regulation harmonisation can expand the pool of available varieties by recognising releases from neighbouring states.  

Harmonisation, he stated, lowers business costs and draws investment into the wider West African seed market, benefitting Ghanaian farmers directly. 

For Dr Azinu, a strong seed system must serve women and youth, who form the backbone of Ghana’s agriculture. 

Women, he said, produce much of the country’s food but often have less access to improved seed, credit and extension.  

He called for female?led community seed banks, women’s agro?dealer networks and gender?sensitive extension. 

He also warned that Ghana’s farming population is ageing.  

The seed sector, he said, holds “genuinely exciting career and business opportunities” for young people, from breeding and quality assurance to distribution and agri-tech. 

Ghana has the land, climate, institutions and farming heritage to feed itself and export, Dr Azinu said. “What it lacks is a seed system capable of unlocking that potential.” 

“A vibrant seed sector brings energy, investment, innovation, and access,” he said, “A smart seed sector adds intelligence, technology, climate?resilience and data.”  

The choice, he said, “is clear: accept a fragmented system and rising food insecurity or invest decisively in the foundation of agricultural transformation.” 

“The seed is small, but the harvest it promises is transformative. Ghana’s food future begins with a seed.”