“Enlarge crop base and income for Ghanaian farmers through growing of vegetables”

East
West
Seeds
Other suppliers like mulch etc.
Tikola
Ltd
Private entities/NGO’s/farmer groups farmers

• Commercial run company
• Mission: promote sustainable vegetable growing in Ghana
• Ghanaian/Dutch shareholding
• Shareholders combined > 50 yrs experience in Ghanaian market
• Ample experience in crop growing
• Ample experience in general management in the agri-business
• Strong net work among Ghanaian decision makers
• Supported by mayor hybrid seed producer East West Seed
• Capturing efforts made by others like GhanaVeg, IFDC, Dutch embassy, etc

• Extensive knowledge of African markets and growing conditions
• Varieties adapted to Ghanaian tropical environment
• Own research institute on African continent/Tanzania
• Free sample material
• Extension assistance

• Total area vegetable growing: ? ..mainly small scale
• Huge potential for local market
• Import substitution of e.g. onions
• Initial but growing export potential
• Bottle necks: Good seeds, appropriate growing techniques and market access

“seeing is believing”
• Run Tikola with minimal overhead; keep seeds as cheap as possible
• Form Public Private Partnerships
• Establish demonstration/test fields
• Support with extensive services and free sample seeds
• Demonstrate and promote advantage of hybrid seeds
• Demonstrate and promote advantage of better growing techniques
• Use existing distribution networks (e.g. Dizengoff)

• Test & demo fields: ‘seeing is believing’
• Mouth-to-mouth
• Stands on agric. exhibitions e.g. FAGRO, farmers days, Copal day
• News paper/magazine adverts
• Leaflets at Cocobod/MOFA/private firms/IFDC/dealers
• Radio spots

• Several IFDC/Tikola/East West Seeds fields established
• Monitored by part-time EWS agronomist
• Feedback on crop results very impressive
• Installation of sub-dealers close to test fields (>25)
• High demand from dealers/farmers communities for up-scaling

• Network of IFDC certified distributors
• Direct sales to commercial farmers
• Direct sales to private entities active in farmers communities
• Direct sales to organized cocoa farmers

• Floating of company/MOU seed company July 2010
• Registration/approvals Min. of Agric
• Selection of initial varieties
• First import of sample seeds
• Initiation of research & pilot fields in coop with IFDC
• Recruitment full time sales officer
• Setting up 20 agro-dealers
• First commercial import shipment
• Increase agro-dealers to 25
Feb 2011
Mar 2011
Jun 2011
Jan 2012
Jan 2012
May 2012
Feb 2013
Aug 2013
Needed now to take-off, with help of GhanaVeg grant:
• Establish office in Accra
• Recruitment agronomist
• Increase agro-dealers to 50
• Initiate another 5 testfields
• Reach > 10.000 farmers
Jan 2015
Jan 2015
Jul 2015
March 2015
Dec 2016

EWS extension officer at work

Press attention

Sweet corn near Akasumbo

Instruction on usage of plastic mulch

EWS extension officer in the classroom