The training which formed part of preparations by the Municipal Directorate of MoFA towards the upcoming farming season was to empower the participants to assist farmers in proper selection of seeds.

Mr. Amoh Koranteng, the Municipal Crop Officer of MoFA, said seed selection by farmers was critical to their output in terms of quality and yield produced. He said factors such as disease resistance, early maturity and high yield must always be considered in selecting planting materials.

He underlined the need for farmers to strictly procure their planting materials from certified and accredited sources to ensure maximum returns on their investments.  He recommended certified input dealers, seed growers and research institutions such as the Crop Research Institute (CRI) and the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) as organizations farmers could deal with.

 Mr. Amoh further indicated that since most farmers bought their seeds from input dealers, they should look out for certification stamps on the pack to avoid counterfeit products. Dr. David Anambam, the Municipal Director of MoFA, said farmers were the ultimate target for the training programme and urged the participants to ensure proper and accurate transfer of knowledge acquired as soon as possible.

He said seed selection may be an easy task for farmers but it required the guidance of technical people to point out defects which most often affected their yields.