Government has outlined measures to address the deficit in the supply of seeds for the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme, revealing that it will collaborate with the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and the Grains Development Board. 
This was revealed by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who also noted that the next stage of the planting for jobs scheme will engage over 500,000 farmers, an increase from the current 200,000 in the pilot stage.
The minister revealed that government was keen on reducing the dependence on foreign seed supplies and outlined the measures put in place to the country meets its full complement of seed requirement.
“To avoid our dependence on foreign seed supply, we are working very closely with two organisations, the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), in the Northern Region and the Grains Development Board in Kumasi to ensure that there is sufficient production of foundation seed which they can then supply to a selected number of seed producers who have a capacity to be able to give us 8,000 metric tonnes of maize seed next year and at least 6,000 metric tonnes of rice seed and 3,000 tonnes each of sorghum and soya so that we will be able to meet our full complement of seed requirement for the 2018 season.”
A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed with these two organisation, followed by a contract to ensure these quantities of seeds will be supplied by March 31, 2018.
