Registrar-General Calls for Improved Access to New Crop Varieties

The Registrar-General, Grace Ama Issahaque, has called for improved access to new crop varieties to enable farmers to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and benefit from innovation.

She said sustained investment in agricultural research, improved knowledge sharing and effective plant variety protection were essential to ensuring that farmers had access to improved crop varieties suited to their needs.

Mrs Issahaque, who is Vice-President of the Consultative Council of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), made the call in her closing remarks at a programme on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland, dubbed “Bringing Innovation to Farmers: New Varieties, New Opportunities.”

She mentioned the importance of Plant Variety Protection (PVP) in promoting agricultural innovation and encouraging the development of new crop varieties that could contribute to sustainable agricultural development.

The Registrar-General stated the need for continuous funding for agricultural research, alongside stronger collaboration among stakeholders, to ensure that innovations in crop development translated into tangible benefits for farmers.

She noted that agricultural innovation could only make a meaningful difference when improved crop varieties reached farmers’ fields and helped improve their livelihoods, as well as the well-being of their families and communities.

Mrs Issahaque also encouraged farmers to regard agriculture not only as a way of life but as a business, stating the need to embrace innovation and adopt improved farming practices to enhance productivity and economic returns.

She urged stakeholders in the agricultural sector to work together to promote sustainable agriculture and ensure that the benefits of research and innovation were accessible to farmers. “Collective efforts were necessary to strengthen food security and build a more sustainable agricultural future for generations to come,” she concluded.

Margaret Adjeley Sowah, ISD