A study by AGRA has found that the percentage of farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa using certified seed is still generally low.

This, according to the Alliance this signals the need to invest more in seed production systems.

The study follows the drastic shortage of seeds, inadequacy of improved crop varieties, limited seed companies and low demand for certified seed.

Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark World Food Day under the theme, 'Our actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all' last Saturday.

The Director of the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement at the University of Ghana, Professor Eric Danquah, has urged African governments to invest more in their countries’ seed systems.

He said with this; zero hunger can be achieved on the content, as the UN has raised concerns about the fact that the continent is home to about 25 per cent of all hungry people in the world and has called for urgent action to feed the hungry.

Speaking to Joy News in an interview, Professor Eric Danquah said there is the need to work with the private sector to get seeds to farmers on time to enable them to harvest their crops.

“We are working in partnership with the legacy crop improvement centre to develop foundations in certified seeds so that we can get adequate seeds to farmers,” Professor Eric Danquah revealed.

Prof. Danquah also disclosed as part of efforts to fix the challenge, the African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) will host its second continental conference from October 25 - 29, 202 in Kigali, Rwanda, to discuss current research outputs and outcomes in plant-breeding and related disciplines.

It will be held under the theme, “Accelerating Genetic Gains in Plant Breeding for Resilience and Transformative Food Systems and Economic Growth in Africa.”

The conference will feature plenary sessions and panel discussions by leading plant breeders in Africa and beyond.

Among the key speakers at the conference are Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA; Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the AUC, and Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana, Rwanda’s Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources.