Seeds for Resilience Project: Researchers distribute quality indigenous leafy vegetable seeds to farmers

Farmers selected under the Seeds for Resilience (SfR) Project have received quality seeds of indigenous leafy vegetables, made up of Amaranth (Aleefu), Corchorus (Ayoyo) and Roselle (Sule), for planting.

The Seeds for Resilience Project is being implemented by the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute (PGRRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with funding from the Crop Trust.

The project, had between 2022 and 2024, organized two participatory varietal selection events to enable some selected farmers from the Ashanti and northern regions to make selections of these three local vegetables, based on vegetative (leaf yield) and reproductive (flowering and seed yield) characters.

The focus of the user group engagement work plan of the SfR project, culminated in the selection of 10 accessions of Amaranth, eight (8) of Corchorus spp. and 12 of Roselle for seed multiplication by the CSIR – Crops Research Institute and the CSIR-Savannah Agricultural Research Institute.

In all, the field multiplication resulted in the production of good quality seeds of Amaranth, Corchorus and Roselle in the Northern and the Ashanti regions.

Dr Patricia Pinamang Acheampong, a Principal Research Scientist, at the CSIR-CRI and Focal Person of the SfR Project, at the final event to distribute multiplied seeds to farmers from the Atwima Nwabiagya North and Oforikrom Municipality in the Ashanti region, noted that, researchers would be providing technical backstopping in making sure farmers produced the crops in large quantities to make them more accessible to consumers.

She reiterated the high nutritious value of indigenous leafy vegetables, fortified with iron, phosphorus, zinc, folic acid and other antioxidants, and therefore, highly recommended for children and pregnant women.

Dr Acheampong indicated that since “these crops are indigenous to our soils, they are able to withstand drought, and also easy to cultivate.

It is for these reasons that researchers are encouraging farmers to grow them in large quantities to enhance food security and address climate change issues”, she stated.

Dr Lawrence Misa Aboagye, the immediate past Director of the CSIR Plant Genetics Resources Research Institute, said the hope was that, the farmers would use the seeds to expand their farms and more importantly, for other farmers to get access to good quality seeds.

In effect, it would improve the livelihoods of the farmers through the sale of indigenous leafy vegetables.

Dr Aboagye advised farmers to continue planting good quality seeds in order to achieve high germination rates and obtain high plant populations.

Baba Rauf Abdullai, a vegetable farmer at Oforikrom, believed that the distributed quality seeds would result in higher yields and maximize his profits after sales.

He pleaded with the Ministry of Agriculture for commercial storage houses for vegetable farmers to reduce post-harvest losses.

Madam Afia Wirenkyiwaa, a farmer from Barakese Ataase, urged researchers to be constantly engaging farmers and also come out with new varieties that were drought tolerant and high yielding.

Source: GNA