Counterfeit seeds threaten farm output, experts warn                                                       

By Sandra Agyeiwaa OTOO

Ghana’s agricultural sector faces a mounting threat from counterfeit and substandard seeds, with experts warning of serious implications for farm incomes, productivity and food security.

Dr. Yaw Osei-Asare, an agricultural economist at the University of Ghana, said many farmers report germination rates as low as 60 percent despite seed packages claiming rates of 99.99 percent.

“When extrapolated over multiple acres, the losses are significant and directly hit farmers’ pockets,” he said.

Imported seeds, he noted, are often ill-suited to Ghana’s climate – unlike locally multiplied varieties which adapt better to local agro-ecological conditions. He urged greater investment in domestic seed multiplication firms, citing one along the Koforidua highway and calling for stricter border controls to block unapproved imports.

“The private sector is challenging, but sustainable agriculture depends on supporting private seed producers. Globally, subsidies underpin farming – Ghana should do the same,” he added.

Bismark Owusu Nortey, Acting Executive Director-Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, said that while complaints have declined slightly since a 2020 survey showed 60 percent of farmers faced input challenges, three to four in ten farmers still report poor-quality seeds. Some products sold as certified seeds are merely grains, with germination rates as low as 10–20 percent.

He urged the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department (PPRSD) to step up market surveillance, enforce stricter penalties on offenders and accelerate the introduction of QR code labelling for seed traceability.

Both experts warned that without tougher enforcement, improved seed systems and farmer education, counterfeit seeds will continue to undermine yields, waste resources and threaten Ghana’s agricultural economy.

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