Youth advised to venture into hybrid maize production Youth advised to venture into hybrid maize production

By Francis Duku-Boateng, GNA

Konko(E/R), August 26 , GNA – Seed maize breeder at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana, Professor(Prof) Pangirayi Tongoona has advised the youth with passion for farming to venture into hybrid maize production for good returns.

He explained that the yields from the hybrid maize seeds were good and at an average market price, it was easy for investors to get back their investment and make substantial margins.

Prof Tongoona was delivering his closing remark at the climax of a two-day workshop on production of hybrid seeds and the introduction of seed producers to high yielding new hybrid maize seed varieties developed by the WACCI at the University of Ghana in Koforidua.

The workshop was organised by WACCI with support from Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa(AGRA).

He said currently the demand for maize in Ghana was high, but soon the population of Africa would be hitting the billion mark and young maize producers in Ghana needed to reposition themselves to take advantage of the African market in future.

The workshop was attended by 46 participants including; seed growers, representatives of seed companies, seed technicians, researchers and officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the seed sector across the county.

As part of the training programme, three new high yielding hybrid maize varieties developed by WACCI were introduced to the participants of the workshop.

The three new hybrid maize varieties with capacity to produce ten tons per hector included; Abeefo Aburo, Akuafo Aburo and Aburo Legon.

The Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC), Mr Amos Rutherford Azinu, urged the participants to put into practice what they learnt.

He called on seed companies to collaborate with researchers and the government to create a seed production hub, where all needed equipment for seed production would be made available to produce seeds.

Mr Azinu said as the government’s initiative of planting for food and jobs (PFJ) is pillared on availability of seeds, seed growers should have access to land and water to be able to produce more to meet the needed quantity and quality of the country.  

Mr Joseph Amarte,a 46 year-old university graduate, who is now into farming and the Chief Executive Officer of  UVEC Farms in Koforidua who was also a participant of the workshop said the practicals part of the programme had helped him to know more.

He said he hads seen the need to turn from open pollinated varieties to production of hybrid maize seeds to enable him  boost his  business and advised the youth to venture into farming as it was easy and lucrative. ‘Farming nowadays does not need too much effort like some years past due to the introduction of technology’ he added.

Ms Beatrice Elohor Ifie, a lecturer and a maize breeder at WACCI, called on women to get into farming as only eight out of the 46 participants were women.

Ms Ifie urged the society to support women and encourage them when they decide to venture into farming.

GNA

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