For years, Ghanaian scientists have worked quietly in research fields and laboratories to develop improved crop varieties capable of helping farmers produce more. But moving these innovations from research institutions into the hands of farmers has remained one of the country’s biggest agricultural challenges.
Dr. Frank Ackah, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s Department of Crop Science, believes government’s recent decision to procure locally developed seeds could help bridge that gap and give Ghana’s agricultural research system renewed momentum.
Speaking in an interview with The High Street Journal, Dr. Ackah welcomed government’s procurement of maize and Agyapa rice seeds developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), describing it as an important step toward strengthening local agricultural innovation.
Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced that government, under the Feed Ghana Programme, had procured 300 metric tonnes each of maize and Agyapa rice seeds developed by CSIR for distribution to farmers.
Dr. Ackah said the move provides much-needed support to research institutions that have spent years developing improved crop varieties but have often struggled to maintain and scale them after release.
According to him, Ghana has significant scientific capacity, with institutions such as CSIR and universities developing improved varieties of crops including maize, rice, cassava, soybean and other staples.
However, he noted that sustaining these varieties and ensuring they reach farmers at scale has remained a challenge due to limited resources.
“When you go to CSIR and look at their catalogue, the kind of varieties they have released for crops such as soybean, cassava, tomatoes, rice and maize is significant,” Dr. Ackah said.
The challenge, he explained, has not necessarily been the ability to develop new varieties, but the resources required to maintain, multiply and make them available to farmers.
He said government’s decision to purchase seeds from local research institutions creates a stronger link between agricultural research and farmers while providing funding that can support further innovation.
“When government buys from these institutions, they get money to improve on their varieties and release more,” he said.
For Dr. Ackah, the significance of the intervention extends beyond the immediate distribution of seeds. He believes strengthening local seed production will reduce Ghana’s reliance on imported planting materials while encouraging researchers to develop varieties suited to the country’s changing agricultural conditions.
He added that continued investment in locally developed seeds could help farmers access improved planting materials that can withstand challenges such as climate change, improve productivity and contribute to food security.
Dr. Ackah believes supporting the institutions responsible for developing local solutions will be essential in ensuring that research moves beyond laboratories and delivers impact on farms across the country.
