BY ISSAH OLEGOR
New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has raised concerns over heavy dependence on imported vegetable seeds, warning that the situation poses important questions for the country’s food security and long-term food sovereignty.
Dr. Bawumia disclosed that Ghana currently imports about 90 per cent of the vegetable seeds used by farmers in the country, a situation he said requires urgent attention as policymakers consider ways of strengthening the domestic agricultural value chain.
The former Vice President made the observation following an engagement with the leadership of the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG), a private-sector organisation bringing together actors across Ghana’s seed value chain.
The meeting formed part of Dr. Bawumia’s ongoing consultations with identifiable groups, professional bodies, private-sector organisations and other stakeholders as he works with his policy team to gather views on challenges confronting different sectors of the economy ahead of the 2028 general elections.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the discussions with NASTAG focused extensively on the challenges facing seed industry and possible interventions that could strengthen the sector and contribute to greater food security.
He said the revelation about the country’s dependence on imported vegetable seeds was particularly instructive, raising concerns about the extent to which Ghana can achieve food sovereignty while relying heavily on external sources for critical agricultural inputs.
Beyond seeds, the discussions also touched on the challenges confronting farmers who are struggling to find markets for locally produced food.
Dr. Bawumia pointed to what he described as the large-scale importation of food products as another major concern, arguing that imported food has contributed to a situation where local farmers sometimes struggle to sell their produce even when they offer it at lower prices.
Among the crops mentioned were maize, rice and soybeans, which are produced locally but have faced competition from imported alternatives.
The former Vice President said the inability of farmers to secure reliable markets for their produce has wider implications for the agricultural economy because it can discourage production, weaken farmers’ incomes and undermine efforts to build a self-sufficient food system.
The engagement also brought attention to what Dr. Bawumia described as regulatory gaps in Ghana’s National Seed Policy.
He said stakeholders raised concerns about weaknesses within the regulatory framework governing the seed industry and the need to address those gaps to create a more effective and reliable system.
Another issue discussed was the role of what Dr. Bawumia referred to as “political seed merchants” in the procurement of seeds in Ghana.
The issue of seed procurement has become an important component of the broader conversation about agricultural governance, particularly regarding transparency, quality assurance and value for money in the distribution of inputs to farmers.
Infrastructure challenges affecting the seed industry were also identified as part of the difficulties requiring attention.
Dr. Bawumia said the meeting was highly engaging and that NASTAG presented a number of proposed solutions to the challenges identified during the discussions.
He expressed appreciation to the leadership of the association for sharing their expertise and perspectives, stressing the importance of maintaining the engagement as his policy team develops proposals for the agricultural sector.
The meeting comes as Dr. Bawumia continues a series of stakeholder consultations aimed at gathering practical perspectives from sectors that are directly involved in Ghana’s economic development.
The former Vice President has increasingly emphasised the need for policy formulation to be informed by industry players and professionals rather than being developed without adequate consultation with those directly affected by government decisions.
Agriculture remains one of the key sectors of Ghana’s economy, employing a significant proportion of the population and serving as a major source of livelihoods, particularly in rural communities.
Dr. Bawumia said the engagement would not end with the meeting, indicating that the respective teams would continue discussions to explore the proposed solutions and determine how best to address the challenges confronting the seed industry.
