Director-General
of the Council, Dr. Abdulai Baba Salifu, rather contends that the challenge is
commercialization and large-scale production of the improved crop varieties to
increase access to such products.
“The
new push now is for greater commercialization and therefore we would very much
like to partner the private sector to ensure that all the nice technologies
that we’ve developed come to good use to that more people can get access,” he
stated.
The
Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the CSIR has developed and released over 90
improved food crop varieties for Ghanaian farmers and consumers since the 1970s.
These include maize, cowpea, soybean, groundnut, rice, plantain, banana, pepper,
yam, cassava, sweet potato and cocoyam.
To
increase awareness of the Institute’s contribution to agricultural productivity
in the country, the CSIR-CRI has held as Open Day in Kumasi to showcase
improved technologies developed to support increased agricultural production
and nutrition in Ghana as well as deepen relationships with major stakeholders
in agricultural research and development.
The
researchers, policy makers, farmers, industrialists and other users of research
results had an opportunity to interact as they visited research fields and
laboratories at the Institute.
The
Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, acknowledged the agricultural
research activities conducted by CSIR-Crops Research Institute provide great
opportunities for long term poverty alleviation and food security in Ghana.
A
statement from the Ministry however says the competitiveness of agricultural
products from Ghana on the world market has been low because the crops are
mostly produced and processed mainly at the subsistence level and not as
commercial products.
“The
public sector’s efforts to commercialize these crops and their products have
been minimal and not quite effective. The challenge now then is how to
commercialize and improve the competitiveness of our crops and other products on
the market to help small-holder farmers who depend on the crops for their
livelihoods,” it said.
Ghana
is self sufficient in roots and tuber crops production – cassava, yam, sweet
potato and cocoyam – which contribute 46% of the agricultural GDP. Ghana
currently produces over 50% of cereals – maize and rice.
The
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) believes with the right policy
environment, the research capacity exists within the CSIR to drastically reduce
the huge annual import bill for rice.
According
to Dr. Baba Salifu noted Ghanaian food crops are comparable to global brands,
especially grain quality.
He
observed that “some market women sometimes do bag our improved varieties, label
them and sell them as imported grain,” due to the public obsession for foreign
products.
“I
will entreat Ghanaian consumers that most of the food commodities that you eat
these days are originated by your Ghanaian scientists… there is no beans that
you’re going to eat or buy from the market that was not developed by the CSIR,”
said Dr. Salifu.
He
added that some agro industries are also using the improved varieties as raw
materials for processing.
The
scientists are also concerned with “healthy seed for healthy plants” and
therefore develop breeder seeds – including other planting materials – and
release them to the Grains and Legumes Development Board of MOFA for foundation
seed production.
“The
process continues until our farmers obtain certified seed for planting,” says Dr.
Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director of the CSIR-CRI.
“We
have played a part in moving the government agenda of achieving food security
and improved livelihood for the people of this country forward,” noted Dr. Hans
Adu-Dapaah, Director of the CSIR-CRI, adding that the Institute “would continue
to put in our maximum effort for the advancement of agriculture and achievement
of food security”.
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