By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The Crops Research Institute has made a giant step towards wheat production in Ghana as an ongoing research into the viability of commercial production of the crop has shown a very positive prospect.
The crop is on a field trial in three of Ghana’s ecological zone and doing very well.
What is now required is for an approval by the National Varietal Release and Registration Committee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for the grain to be formally introduced to farmers in Ghana for upscale production to boost Ghana’s food security.
The eventual large scale production by farmers in the country will help reduce the Ghana’s annual 200 million Dollar wheat import bill.
Ahead of this, a Field Trip has been organized at Fumesua in the Ejisu Municipality of Ashanti for farmers, research scientists and other stakeholders to familiarize with the status of the study as part of the launch of the ‘Ghana Wheat Initiative’.
Picture: Dr. Solomon Gyan Ansah(in the middle) closely observing the wheat during the Field trip
Until now, even scientists in Ghana doubted the suitability of the ecological and environmental conditions to support wheat production in the country.
This is against the fact that, wheat and its food products have become a staple in Ghana and very common on the dining table from breakfast to dinner with wheat flour being the main ingredient of foods prepared from wheat flour including bread, pastries, puff loaf, porridge, pan cake, pie and chips with the chaff being a rich component of feeds for poultry.
Ghana currently imports 200 million Dollars’ worth of wheat every year thereby impacting seriously the economy in terms of import bill and contributing to a weak local currency.
Ghana’s research into the viability of wheat production has been spearheaded by the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in partnership with ARIMA Farms of India origin.
The team of researchers, have in the past two years, being studying seeds from many different wheat growing countries including the 21 lines now under trial at Fumesua.
The study has established that the wheat varieties under research in Ghana can do well across all the ecological zones from Coastal through the Transition, Forest Zones to the Savannah belt.
The study has established that, wheat is climate resilient as it is tolerant to drought and also does well even on upland land.
The Lead Researcher for the Wheat programme, Dr. Felix Frimpong, told Correspondent Nicholas Osei-Wusu further that, the varieties being studied “have ranging from 60 days to 120 days to mature. These materials are fortified with Zinc and Iron and high protein if used for flour”.
Additionally, the varieties are resistant to some common diseases.
Some participating Farmers in the Field Trip expressed excitement that, Ghana now has an opportunity to produce her own wheat.
“But for what I’ve witnessed, I never believed what could be grown in Ghana. I’ve as well observed that, the crop thrives well not only in low land but upland too”, Opanin Teye Kusi, Rice Farmer from Nobewam told GBC.
Mad. Joyce Foriwaa said “my objective was to see the research work being done on wheat. I now know that wheat can be cultivated here in Ghana. I’ll get involved in the commercial production.”
At the launch of the ‘Ghana Wheat Initiative’, the Deputy Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Professor Marian Quain, noted that, with the break through, Researchers at the CSIR have proven their worth in Ghana’s development as the wheat adds to the many milestones achieved by the Council.
“CSIR has taken some initiatives, made some differences in areas such as rice. We’re contributing to tomatoes. And today, we’re here on wheat story. We might have been misled that we cannot grow wheat here in the tropics and in Ghana. But our researchers have unearthed that we can produce wheat, here in Ghana.”
The Deputy Director General of the CSIR expressed worry that, Ghana’s over reliance on wheat importation makes the country highly susceptible to global food volatility citing the negative impact of the Russia-Ukrain war as a strong case in point.
The Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Solomon Gyan Ansah, who is also the Chairman of the National Varietal Release and Registration Committee commended research scientists at the Crops Research Institute for the achievement pledging his support and cooperation of the Committee to enable them come out with the best of the varieties for commercial production in Ghana.
“As the Chairman of the National Revietal Release and Registration Committee, I’ll make sure that, my team will work hand in-hand with Crops Research Institute so that due process is followed, that is the protocols will be followed so that, the best wheat varieties will be churned out in Ghana for our farmers to produce”, Dr. Ansah assured.
He emphasized that a successful commercial production of wheat portends significant socio economic benefits for the country including the creation of more employment opportunities along the long value chain of the grain, supporting the country’s quest for food security while reducing the huge import bill on wheat.
Dr. Ansah called for a mutual partnership between the Crops Research and and the private sector to guarantee the success of the Ghana Wheat Initiative.
