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NATIONAL SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (NASTAG) – 2021 THIRD QUARTER ACTIVITY REPORT
INTRODUCTION
This report provides a summary of activities carried out by the Association during the period July to September, 2021.
ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE PERIOD
As part of the Association’s mandate, the following programs were undertaken (initiated and/or accomplished) within the period under review.
FIELD DAYS - (GREEN FIELD DAYS):
Three (Planting, Green and Brown) field days were earmarked to be carried out on all thirteen (13) demonstration fields set up in the Northern sector of Ghana under the USAID - GIAT Project to promote the use of improved locally produced certified seeds with the application of the right agronomic practices. Within the period, a total of ten (10) Green Field days were conducted which afforded farmers the opportunity to have physical evidence of the use of quality seeds with the corresponding application of the best quality crop enhancement and protection products coupled with the GAPS on your field. The event provided the opportunity to collectively six hundred and forty – four (644) farmers to share knowledge and experiences among themselves.
The seed companies (Antika Company Limited, Ariku Company Limited, Heritage Seeds Company Ltd and SeedCo West and Central Africa) provided various certified seeds of cowpea, groundnut, maize, and soybean whiles Yara Ghana Limited and Rainbow AgroSciences supported all the thirteen (13) fields with appropriate fertilizer and Crop Protection Products respectively.
The Field days, were preceded with a radio discussion to educate farmers on the advantages of using quality certified seeds, agro inputs and crop protection products.
AFSTA ANNUAL CONGRESS
Representatives of NASTAG participated in the 21st AFSTA Congress held in Mombasa, Kenya from the 27th to 30th September 2021. NASTAG was represented by the President, Mr. Kwabena Adu - Gyamfi, CEO, Mrs. Augusta N. Clottey, the USAID - GIAT Project Manager Mr. Michael Mawusi Kweku Dogor.
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Fig 2: AFSTA 2021 Congress ongoing at Mombasa, Kenya |
Showing much enthusiasm, two (2) members, Antika Company Ltd located in Upper West Region and M&B Seeds and Agricultural Services Limited also partly sponsored a staff each from their organization to be a part of this event, offering them the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas on developing their seed businesses back home. The next congress, AFSTA 2022 is scheduled to take place in Tunisia in March 2022.
STUDY TOUR / LEARNING VISIT
The participation in the AFSTA congress under the USAID - GIAT Project was extended to cover a learning visit to selected sister companies in Kenya. The Team accordingly visited the two (2) seed companies (East African Seed Co. Ltd and Kenya Seed Company Ltd). The objectives of this learning visit were to acquire knowledge and learn from experiences of other seed companies; share our experiences and challenges with other seed companies; and learn and study how a matured seed company operates and some of the activities they undertake to sustain the seed sector.
These objectives according to all participants were met beyond expectation with new ideas to help improve on the businesses in Ghana. At the governmental level, linkages have been created between research units of the companies in Kenya and other research institutes like CYMMT /KALRO at the congress to collaboratively carryout research on new technologies in Ghana.
PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS 2020 AND 2021
Members of the Association received payments for the seed supplied under the project for 2020. For the year 2021, 90% of data has been consolidated and submitted for payment for the 2021 certified seed supply under the PFJ programme. As the last batch of the data consolidation is on-going for submission of final documentation for seed supplied for the same period, NASTAG has contracted a consultant to collect data across the country on seeds and seed production and acreages under seed production to determine local capacities for decision making purposes both by government and other development partners.
SENSITIZATION ON THE PLANT PROTECTION AND VARIETY PROTECTION ACT
It is worth nothing that, through a close working relationship with the Attorney General’s Department, the PVP law was passed in parliament and follow up sensitization continue to enhance knowledge on the Act, Act 1050, 2020.
On the same subject, Ghana’s law on PVP has received a positive decision with Universal Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plant (UPOV) Council. That simply means our law is in conformity with the UPOV Treaty and we can accede to UPOV and become a member state accordingly. It is anticipated that stakeholders would be adequately sensitized on the significance of the PVP laws, the regulations and its implication for accelerating the seed sector businesses development to boost food security towards the agenda, “Ghana beyond Aid”.
SEED TRACEABILITY SYSTEM
As part of efforts to reduce seed counterfeiting and adulteration and ensuring quality of certified seeds for smallholder farmers, NASTAG contracted mPedigree (a technology consulting firm) to produce seed traceability stickers and support the rolling out a pilot program with three seed companies (Antika Company Ltd. in Upper West region, IWAD Ghana Ltd in North East Region and M & B Seeds & Agricultural Services Ltd. in Volta region). The project together with other collaborating partners (PPRSD-GSID, GIZ-MOAP, mPedigree and Seed Companies) organized sensitization workshops for input dealers affiliated to the three seed companies selected for the pilot. Expectation of the number of seeds to be labelled, distributed and sold was not met to draw a conclusion and make recommendation to government for adoption. The Pilot programme has thus been extended to the end of the 2022 planting season with strategies put in place to include intensification of education at the retail points for seed retailers to contribute to educating the farmers on the stickers on the seed packages; collaborate with the seed companies involved to carryout radio sensitizations prior to the planting season in 2022; and development and distribution of posters on procedure for authenticating the seed purchased sales points including farmers meeting days by the respective companies.
Some Pictures from the learning visit: Seed Packaging materials with authentication Stickers Acknowledgement: Kenya Seed Company Ltd. |
NASTAG’s target is to ensure that at least 40% of its members get their packages well developed in the next 3 years with an objective to make NASTAG and its members first point of call for premium seed and boost cross border trade of locally produced seeds.
OTHER SERVICES TO MEMBERS
At the Secretariat level, we continue to support members; responding to their concerns and interacting with them to meet their expectation and clarify issues of concern. The Secretariat hosted a number of members within the period under review.
MEMBERSHIP
Two applications were assessed by the Technical Committee of the Executive Council during the quarter, a report on assessment has been submitted to the Secretariat waiting for approval from the EC. Current membership as of 30th September, 2021, stands at fifty- Six (56). Dues paid by members are not encouraging, as at 30th September, 2021, thirty-eight (38) members had paid their dues representing 67% of the total membership.
2nd NATIONAL SEED FORUM
The Second National Seed Forum was expected to be held in November 2019 but was cancelled indefinitely due to Novel COVID- 19 has been rescheduled for November 3 and 4, 2021 under the theme, “Enhancing the Utilization of Quality Seeds by Every Farmers”
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The National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) is an amalgamation of all the seed value chain actors, and was established in February 2016. It currently counts 36 members and expected to grow. The Association is dedicated to supporting the competitiveness of Ghana’s seed value chain through business and technical capacity building of its members
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