Ghana’s private seed industry did not significantly expand its production capacity despite benefiting from substantial public investment under Phase One of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme, Dr. Amos Rutherford Azinu has said, calling for a comprehensive audit of programme expenditures and the performance of beneficiary suppliers.
Dr. Azinu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC), stated that although government support under PFJ was designed to strengthen seed production and enhance national food security, the anticipated structural transformation of the sector did not materialize.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, he noted that government invested approximately 2.8 billion Ghana cedis between 2017 and 2022 under the first phase of PFJ to improve farmers’ access to certified seeds and boost agricultural productivity. According to him, the intervention was expected to help build a competitive and resilient seed industry capable of supporting food security efforts and reducing dependence on imported seeds.
Dr. Azinu stated that while PFJ contributed to increased production of some crops, the private seed sector itself did not undergo the level of transformation required to sustain long-term productivity growth.
He observed that many private seed operators did not channel public support into expanding critical infrastructure such as seed conditioning plants, storage facilities, and quality assurance systems. Dr. Azinu recalled that PFJ, launched in 2017 as a flagship agricultural programme, focused on raising yields through fertilizer and improved seed subsidies. However, weak governance structures and limited accountability mechanisms undermined the programme’s impact on the seed value chain.
He alleged that some beneficiary companies diverted resources into acquiring vehicles and other non-productive assets instead of investing in production capacity. Dr. Azinu stated that this reflects significant gaps in oversight and verification, adding that stronger monitoring systems could have ensured that funds were tied to measurable expansion in seed production.
The agricultural expert indicated that the consequences were felt by farmers, particularly smallholder producers who continued to experience shortages of high-quality seeds. Distribution bottlenecks, delays, and inadequate storage and processing infrastructure persisted in several production zones. He added that these challenges meant that public spending did not fully translate into sustained improvements in productivity.
Dr. Azinu rejected claims that the private seed sector lacked government backing, describing such assertions as inconsistent with the scale of investment made under PFJ. He stated that the programme’s design assumed that private firms would match public support with long-term capital investment, but in many instances, that did not happen.
The Planting for Food and Jobs programme was launched in April 2017 by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the government’s flagship agricultural initiative to modernize agriculture, improve production efficiency, achieve food security, and enhance profitability for farmers.
Official government data shows that the programme distributed 2,000 metric tonnes of certified seeds in 2016, which increased to 36,000 metric tonnes by 2022. Former Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto revealed in June 2022 that 2.6 billion Ghana cedis had been invested into PFJ in six years, with budget statements showing spending of 204.8 million Ghana cedis in 2017, 448.7 million Ghana cedis in 2018, 614 million Ghana cedis in 2022, and 660 million Ghana cedis in 2023.
A 2022 academic review by the International Food Policy Research Institute noted that government spent only 2.3 billion Ghana cedis valued in 2017 prices on the programme over four years from 2017 to 2020, representing 31 percent below the original budget of 3.3 billion Ghana cedis planned for the period.
The review found that while the programme recorded gains in output, it also faced implementation delays, quality concerns, and efficiency challenges that limited its overall impact. Official reports show that the number of farmers receiving subsidized inputs consistently exceeded targets, growing from 200,000 farmers in 2017 to 920,000 farmers in 2019.
However, independent assessments indicate that the implementing agency, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, lacks a system for closely monitoring and reporting PFJ programme impacts at farm level, making it difficult to accurately assess the intervention’s effectiveness.
Dr. Azinu called for a comprehensive audit of PFJ related seed expenditures and the performance of beneficiary suppliers. He said such a review should examine assets acquired, facilities established, and seed volumes produced by participating firms. Where funds were misapplied, he suggested that recovery measures be considered.
For future agricultural interventions, he recommended stronger controls, including milestone based disbursements tied to verified production targets, independent validation of seed volumes, and mandatory investments in infrastructure upgrades and quality assurance systems. He also advocated the adoption of digital tracking systems to enhance transparency and traceability across the seed value chain.
Dr. Azinu said LCIC would continue to support reforms through research, early generation seed production, and stakeholder collaboration to strengthen the sector. He expressed optimism that with improved accountability and better alignment between public investment and national production goals, Ghana could still develop a resilient and efficient seed system.
The agricultural expert stressed that future agricultural policies must prioritize measurable outcomes, including increased availability of certified seeds, improved farmer access, and sustained productivity growth. He said progress in these areas would contribute to enhanced food security, reduced price volatility, and stronger rural livelihoods.
Ghana currently imports significant quantities of improved seeds, with only 11 percent of Ghanaian farmers using improved seeds and local production meeting less than 20 percent of national requirements, according to agricultural sector assessments.
The government launched Planting for Food and Jobs Phase Two in July 2023, shifting from input subsidies to an input credit system with a value chain approach, though implementation has faced challenges. The current administration under President John Dramani Mahama has announced the Feed Ghana Programme as its flagship agricultural initiative, signaling a departure from the PFJ framework.
Tags: Planting for Food and Jobs, Seed Industry, Agricultural Policy, LCIC, Dr Amos Azinu, Ghana Agriculture
