AGRIC MINISTER ON SUSTAINABLE AND PRODUCTIVE AGRIC PRODUCTION

Mr Fifi Kwetey cutting the tape to open the show

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Fifi Kwetey has observed that Africa’s total population is likely to reach one point-five billion in 30 years time. This rather poses a serious challenge to governments and agriculturists and key stakeholders to be proactive in developing the most pragmatic and sustainable means of improving agricultural production to feed that population. 

 According to him, one sure means to achieve food sufficiency and security to feed not just the current generation, but posterity is for all the stakeholders in the sector is to come to terms with the reality of the fact that the old status of agriculture that depended on primitive practices and approaches, has given way to a modern status driven mainly by technology and adequate investment. 

Mr. Kwetey was speaking at the opening the 6^th National Food and Agricultural Show, FAGRO, in Kumasi. The three-day exhibition, which is a private initiative under the auspices of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, has brought together a number of local and international dealers in food products and agricultural inputs including machinery, agro-chemicals, food production technologies and processing. FAGRO, which is in its sixth year, aims to bring together agricultural input dealers, manufacturers and farmers as well as experts in the sector with the objective of encouraging the adoption of modern methods of farming. 

 This year/s show is on the theme: “Sustainable Agricultural Growth and Development-Reducing Risk”. 

The Food and Agric Minister said to ensure agricultural sustainability, food security and economic growth means the present and successive governments as well as industry players must continue to invest significantly in the sector through the improvement of the relevant infrastructure like access roads, technologies while enhancing farmers’ access to credit facilities. 

Mr. Kwetey advised also that farmers need to change their overall approach to agricultural production from the old way to conform to the modern business and profit-oriented approach to the business. 

He  emphasized that fact that agriculture has, and continues to be the backbone of the Ghanaian economy employing about 60 percent of the population while contribution about 30 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. It is for this reason that, government is committed to modern all sectors of agriculture in the country not just for the income, but also as job and wealth creation avenue for the people. 

A Senior Forestry Officer at the Africa Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, Foday Bojang, noted that while about 90 percent of Africans depend on agriculture, bad practices are posing a greater risk to sustainability of the sector and the ability of the continent to ensure food security for the current and future generations. 

He mentioned also weak infrastructure, abuse of the natural environment and poor technology as some of the major setbacks for sustainable agricultural development in Africa. Mr. Bojang suggested to farmers to adopt best and modern practices to increase their levels of production.

There were speeches by the World Best Cocoa Farmer and the Ashanti Regional Minister.

They all spoke about  the importance of agriculture to mankind, challenges undermining  sustainable agriculture and how best to tackle those problems.