Ghana is taking a significant step to strengthen its horticulture sector with the launch of the Ghana Seed Partnership (GSP). With rising demand for vegetables and ongoing challenges such as climate change and limited access to quality seeds, this initiative is essential for supporting farmers. Supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ghana Seed Partnership seeks to improve the performance, sustainability, and resilience of Ghana’s horticulture farming systems. Its focus areas include skills and market development, variety testing, and enhancing the enabling environment within the vegetable seed sector.
Figure 1. Launch of the Ghana Seed Partnership with H.E. Jeroen Verheul, Dr. Solomon Ansah-Gyan, Director Crop Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Mr. Charles Nunoo, lead of the GROW24 program
Agriculture is a cornerstone of Ghana’s economy, with horticulture emerging as a key growth area. Rising demand for vegetables, driven by population growth, urbanization, and a shift toward healthier diets, is creating new opportunities for farmers cultivating crops like tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, cabbage, cucumber, and lettuce.
Yet, the sector faces significant challenges. Many farmers struggle with limited access to quality seeds, essential inputs, irrigation infrastructure, and climate-smart technologies, while extension services and technical support remain scarce. These constraints hinder productivity, resilience, and the economic viability of Ghana’s vegetable farming systems.
In response, Ghana marked a major milestone with the official launch of the Ghana Seed Partnership (GSP) on 29 October 2025 at the Agrofood & Plast Printpack Fair in Accra. The launch, organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council (GNBCC) and other key stakeholders, marks a new chapter in Ghana – Netherlands cooperation in agribusiness.
For many years, we have worked together in strengthening the sector. Today we are taking the next step in collaboration - H.E. Jeroen Verheul
Partners and Stakeholders Behind the Initiative
The Ghana Seed Partnership brings together a diverse coalition of 13 major organizations spanning public institutions, private agribusiness firms, and international research and development bodies. The core implementing partners are GNBCC and Advance Consulting.
Key partners include:
- East-West Seed, Rijk Zwaan, Bakker Brothers, Enza Zaden, leading seed companies with global presence.
- Regional and commercial actors such as Truvalu, Simba, IWAD, Profyta, Zasco bringing local and regional market and distribution experiences.
- Knowledge and research institutions, notably Wageningen University & Research (WUR), West Africa Horticulture Innovation Hub at the University of Ghana and SeedNL, offering technical expertise and innovation support.
We must ensure that farmers have access to the right, high-quality seeds and the right environment to thrive - Dr. Solomom Ansah-Gyan,
What the Ghana Seed Partnership Seeks to Achieve
GSP is designed to comprehensively transform Ghana’s vegetable seed sector through a holistic, market-driven, and sustainable approach. Its overarching objective is to build a high-performing seed ecosystem that supports smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, and Ghana’s broader agricultural transformation ambitions.
To achieve GNSP’s objective, four work packages have been created:
- Enabling environment support
Improve the regulatory framework, support the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and advance public-private knowledge and dialogue on vegetable seeds. - Commercial seedling production
Research and establish the first commercial vegetable seedling nursery in Ghana, build capacity of agricultural colleges and growers on seedling production and cultivation. - Variety trials
Test different varieties, perform breeding tests, test different levels of mechanization and build capacity of agricultural colleges on variety trials. - Market development
Develop the market for hybrid varieties through research, demonstrations and a social media campaign.
Figure 2: The four work packages of the GNSP
Contact
The embassy will work closely with the Ghana Seed Partnership. For more information about this partnership or any other agricultural questions feel free to contact us via acc-lvvn@minbuza.nl