Business News of Monday, 23 April 2012Source: GNA The Director of the Crops Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA), Mr Emmanuel Asante-Krobea, has appealed to members of the Seed Producers Association of Ghana (SEEDPAG) to form a strong association to champion the growth of the seed industry.

He said one of the big challenges facing agriculture was the existence of many farmers groups that exist only in name making it difficult for policy implementers to effectively deal with individual farmers because of lack of time and resources.

Mr Asante-Krobea therefore urged members of SEEDPAG to do whatever they could to form a strong association to help solve some of the problems facing the seed industry and its members.

He was speaking at the close of a four-day advocacy training workshop for the members of SEEDPAG on the passage of Legislative Instrument (LI) and Seed Policy to back the new Plant and Fertilizer Act.

The workshop, which was sponsored by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund was attended by over 30 participants drawn from the regional executives of SEEDPAG across the country.

Representatives of Wienco, a seed and agro-chemical company, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana and the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services(PPRS) also attended.

Mr Asante-Krobea said, the economic environment had become complex and dynamic to the extent that it was becoming more difficult for individual business enterprises to succeed, but much easier for group of businesses with similar interest that had come together to fight for their interest.

He said there are companies which are interested in dealing with farmers groups by providing them with hire purchase farming equipments and urged SEEDPAG to take advantage of such facilities and help their members to acquire irrigation equipment.

Mr Asante-Krobea urged the members of SEEDPAG to aim at developing their small scale businesses into big business enterprises.

The National President of SEEDPAG, Mr Patrick Apula, said as stakeholders, it was necessary for the association to be interested in the passage of the LI.**