By Michael Kofi Kenetey
The Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly in collaboration with the Neglected and Underutilized Species, NUS, Network Ghana has commissioned the Abrewankwor Community Seed Bank at Abrewankwor in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The facility is dedicated to helping in the preservation and safeguarding of Ghana’s indigenous seed species, including local varieties such as prekese, alansa, and other traditional crops. It is also aimed at creating room for the safe introduction and adaptation of new plant species from outside the country’s borders to respond to the growing challenge of climate change.
The Yilo Krobo Municipal Chief Executive, Francis Addo Akumatey, noted that indigenous seeds are more than planting materials, however they are living repositories of Ghanaian culture, history, and agricultural wisdom. Mr. Akumatey emphasized that for generations, farmers have relied on these seeds because of their resilience, nutritional value, adaptability to local soils, and resistance to local pests and diseases.
However, lately, many of these indigenous species have been threatened by the over-dependence on imported hybrid seeds, climate variability, and environmental degradation. He mentioned that climate change is no longer a distant threat but rather a daily reality for farmers, adding that unpredictable rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, floods, and soil degradation continue to affect crop yields and livelihoods in the country.
Mr. Akumatey revealed that the seed bank will therefore serve as a strategic safeguard to ensure that indigenous seeds are not lost but rather protected, improved, and made accessible to both present and future generations of farmers.
He mentioned that access to quality seeds is fundamental to food security and the eradication of hunger, adding that by preserving indigenous seeds, improving access to quality planting materials, and promoting climate-smart agriculture, the seed bank will contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s commitment towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal two.
The initiative, he reiterated complements the Feed Ghana Policy, an agricultural transformative agenda initiated by President John Dramani Mahama aimed at boosting local production, modernizing agriculture, and creating jobs, particularly for the youth.
The MCE noted that the Assembly is committed to supporting farmers through effective extension services, the promotion of climate-smart practices, and strong collaboration with research institutions and development partners.
He added that sustainability of the seed bank will depend greatly on community ownership and therefore called on farmers, traditional authorities, farmer-based organizations, and all stakeholders to work together to protect and manage the facility as a shared community asset to help deliver its lasting benefits.
