Ghana and the Netherlands have launched a three-year partnership to strengthen the country’s commercial vegetable seed sector, improve farmers’ access to quality planting material and support investment across the vegetable value chain.
The Business Seed Partnership (BSP) brings together public and private-sector organisations to develop Ghana’s seed market, with a focus on variety trials, farmer training, quality systems, business development and investment.
The launch brought together representatives of the Ghanaian government, the Dutch Embassy in Ghana, the World Bank’s Food System Resilience Programme, private companies and other project partners.
The partnership aims to help farmers access vegetable varieties suited to local growing conditions and market demand, while strengthening nurseries, distributors and seed companies supplying the sector.
Farmers are expected to benefit from improved access to planting material, field-based training and market information, while participating businesses will receive support to develop their capabilities and partnerships.
The programme also includes work on variety trials and quality systems to help improve the availability and suitability of vegetable seeds for Ghanaian farmers.
Following the launch ceremony, participants toured farm and greenhouse facilities to observe horticultural activities.
The Ghana-Netherlands Business and Cultural Council (GNBCC) will support cooperation between Ghanaian and Dutch businesses, institutions and technical experts during the implementation of the partnership.
The BSP builds on the Ghana Seed Partnership and is intended to strengthen Ghana’s commercial vegetable sector by improving seed choices, supporting businesses and helping farmers increase the profitability of vegetable production.
