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Breeders Bill to protect local Ghanaian plant breeders


August 20, 2014

Source: Crop Biotech Update

Scientists in Ghana are urging the public to support the plant breeder's bill. This was shared at a science workshop for journalists held on August 17, 2014 in Kumasi, Northern Ghana. Dr. Stephen Amoah, a research scientist of the Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) described the Plant Breeders Bill currently before Cabinet as a positive development. "The Bill will help address the interests of plant breeders as well as promote agricultural productivity in Ghana," he said.

Debunking the allegations from certain quarters that the Breeders' Bill, when passed, would give the giant seed companies' monopoly over seeds and denying farmers of affordable seeds, Dr. Amoah explained that the Bill would provide the legal framework for breeders' investment and efforts to be recognized and necessary royalties paid to them. "The Bill, when passed into law will provide an incentive to stimulate new breeding initiatives that will focus on national development, provide a basis for innovative and effective breeding work at domestic level and foster partnerships between the private and public breeding sectors," he added.

In a speech read on his behalf, Dr. Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director of CRI, explained that the main objective of the bill was to establish a legal framework to acknowledge the achievements of breeders of new varieties. "CRI stands to benefit, and have demonstrated their potential to benefit from the system, adding that, "The same can be said for other agricultural research institutes both in the private and public sectors. He noted that the bill promotes the breeding of new varieties of plants, aimed at improving the quantity, quality and cost of food, fuel, fiber and raw materials for industry and will encourage investment in plant breeding and promote the seed industry.

The workshop was attended by 26 journalists from Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. It was organized by the Program for Biosafety Systems, in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Africa Biosafety Network of Expertise of NEPAD and Africa Harvest. The training aimed at equipping journalists with right information on biosafety and biotechnology issues.

For more information on the event, contact Daniel Osei Ofosu, Country Coordinator of the Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) at danofosu@hotmail.com



More news from:
    . Crop Biotech Update
    . ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications)


Website: http://www.isaaa.org/kc/

Published: August 20, 2014



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