Sunday, February 12, 2012

Food Security ; Ghana’s agric sector must be transformed

A lot has been said about Ghana’s economy and the need to boost agricultural production to feed the nation, provide jobs for the people, stem rural-urban migration, reduce poverty and enhance the nutritional needs of citizens. Sadly enough, little concerted effort has been made by governments and stakeholders over the years to significantly develop the nation’s agricultural industry.

Ghana has more arable land than most Western European countries yet the country imports agricultural products from these countries. Ghana is a net importer of almost every agricultural product ranging from rice, wheat, soya bean, corn, poultry products (turkey tail, chicken, etc), fish and fish products, beef, pork, pig feet, cow feet etc. The country cannot continue to apply piecemeal approaches to solving this very essential food importation problem. Over the years governments have been in a hurry to implement various intervention programmes different from those implemented by predecessor governments. Interestingly all the interventions are either short termed or not sustained long enough to ensure that results are achieved.>>continue>>