News
10 Seed Companies Licensed to Produce, Distribute Improved Crop Varieties
In a move to strengthen Ghana’s seed system and accelerate agricultural innovation, the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR–CRI) has licensed 10 private seed companies to produce and distribute improved crop varieties developed by the Institute.
The initiative, led by Dr. Hillary Mireku Botey, Senior Research Scientist and Intellectual Property Officer at CSIR–CRI, is expected to enhance large-scale production, reduce post-development dormancy of varieties, and support the government’s feeding programme.
“This development will ensure that our varieties no longer sit on shelves unused. We are augmenting the work of private seed companies toward profitability and national impact,” Dr. Botey stated.
The announcement coincides with a five-day follow-up training on Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) testing of plant varieties held in Kumasi from November 3 to 7, 2025.
Organized through a collaboration between the Ghana Industrial Property Office (GHIPO) of the Registrar-General’s Department, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, and CSIR–CRI, the training builds on the foundational session held in November 2024.
The DUS training is focused on five key crops — rice, cowpea, yam, tomato, and maize — selected as prototypical varieties for testing. Notably, Dr. Botey explained that yam and cowpea were not widely cultivated or standardized globally, and therefore lack existing UPOV test guidelines. This gap has created an opportunity for CSIR–CRI to develop localized testing protocols that will help update and validate existing varieties in Ghana’s system.
Participants were drawn from leading national breeding and research institutions, including CSIR–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), CSIR–Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), and the Directorate of Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Dr. Ernest Baafi, Deputy Director of CSIR–CRI, expressed confidence that the training would equip national plant breeders and seed scientists to conduct DUS trials efficiently and effectively, in line with the Plant Variety Protection Act, 2020 (Act 1050) and its accompanying Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2463).
The sessions were being facilitated by two international experts from Naktuinbouw, the Netherlands — Dr. Wim Sangster and Dr. Lizah van den Engel — alongside Dr. Botey.
The training features interactive, hands-on modules designed to align Ghana’s plant variety testing with international standards under the UPOV Convention.
By Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
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AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has broken ground on a modern 1,500-seater multipurpose assembly hall and a secured main gatehouse for New Edubiase Senior High School, in the Adansi South District.
The project, being executed by local contractor AA Engineering and Construction, is expected to be completed within 17 months and forms part of the Mine’s 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) — a strategic framework for delivering sustainable development in its host communities.
Beyond the expansive assembly hall, the facility will house a fully integrated administrative complex featuring a dedicated sound room, a 16-seater staff eatery, and suites for the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster, a bursar’s office, an 18-seater conference room, a 24-seater staff common room, six faculty office spaces and ancillary stores and washrooms.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mine’s Director of Sustainability Management, Edmund Oduro Agyei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in host communities through impactful and sustainable investments.
The Edubiasehene, Guahyia Oduropanin Birikorang, commended the Mine for the investment, saying the project demonstrated that the company’s development agenda extended well beyond its immediate operational areas.
The Headmaster of New Edubiase SHS, Mr Christopher Appiah Mensah, described the intervention as timely and transformative, noting it would address longstanding infrastructure deficits, improve conditions for teaching and learning, and create adequate space for academic and social gatherings.
“This will greatly enhance administrative efficiency and improve the overall welfare of both staff and students,” he said.
The facility is also expected to boost the school’s capacity to host national examinations and major events, and strengthen its standing as a centre of academic excellence within the district.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Stakeholders have been urged to help raise awareness and eliminate the stigma often associated with clubfoot, a treatable condition which occurs in children.
Parents are to seek early treatment for the condition while policymakers strengthen support for early detection, disability inclusion, and child health services in the country.
Clubfoot is a condition present at birth in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward. If left untreated, experts say a child may face lifelong challenges with walking, which could affect education, employment, and social inclusion.
In Ghana, an estimated 1,000 babies are said to be born with clubfoot every year.
In commemoration of the World Clubfoot Day, marked on June 3 every year, stakeholders create awareness about the condition and, among other things, celebrate the dedication of health professionals who ensure children receive treatment.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Programme Manager, Ghana Clubfoot Programme, noted that many families were unaware of the free treatment available for the condition in Ghana. 
She observed that the lack of awareness continued to delay treatment for children who could have received prompt and life-changing care at no cost.
Treatment, she said, was provided free of charge for children under age five at Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG–Hope Walks) partner clinics across the country.
More than 9,000 children born with clubfoot had received treatment and care through the programme over the past 18 years.
“The treatment follows the internationally recognised Ponseti Method, which uses a series of gentle casts to gradually correct the position of the foot, followed by a brace to maintain correction and prevent relapse. When treatment begins early, success rates are extremely high,” Madam Adjetey explained.
“For many children, the journey begins with a health worker who identifies clubfoot at birth and makes a referral. A few moments of observation can change the course of a child’s life forever.”
“Clubfoot is not a curse; it is not caused by wrongdoing…it is a medical condition that can be treated successfully. Families should never feel ashamed to seek help.”
The Programme Manager said children born with the condition deserved equal opportunities, dignity, and inclusion, and called on communities to support parents rather than “judge them.” -GNA
