Agricultural News
Ghana Needs $157M to Develop Tree Crop Sector
Ghanaian Chronicle
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, has announced that Ghana needs $157 million to develop the country’s tree crop sector in the next five years. To this end, a strategic tree crops policy has been developed to help the country achieve its dream in the tree crop-sector. Mr. Awhoi made this known at the launch of the oil palm master plan and the tree crops policy in Accra yesterday. He was optimistic that the policy would be supported by the private sector, especially farmers, Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), small scale processors, investors and development partners. According to him, the tree crops policy provides a complete and holistic approach designed to support the tree crops value-chains. It is also developed by the Ghana government to maintain the tree crops sub-sector. [more]
Land Right and Tenure Security, Necessities to Increase Agricultural Production
Ghana News Agency
It is not a deviation from the fact that agriculture is the bedrock of Ghana’s socio-economic development. Agricultural production and related activities account for more than 80 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, while exports in the sector contribute significantly to the foreign exchange earnings. Agriculture also serves as a source of employment for more than 80 percent of Ghanaians who are engaged in commercial and subsistent production. The contribution of cocoa as the mainstay of the economy has been well known and acknowledged by many people. Non-traditional export crops such as mangoes, bananas and pawpaw, are gaining prominence in the country. Notwithstanding, the sector has been plagued with numerous challenges. One are which has remained a serious challenge despite government’s efforts to address some of these problems, has been land tenure right and security, especially for tenant and caretaker farmers. [more]
Work on Ghana-India Fertilizer Project to Begin at Nyankrom
Ghana
A 1.3 billion dollar fertilizer project would soon be established at Nyankrom, a village in the Shama District of the Western region. The Ghana-Indian Joint Venture, which is expected to boost agriculture and help increase crop production in Ghana, is to be located on a serene grassy 400 acre land at the beach of Nyankrom and work is expected to start in one and a half months time. Madam Emelia Arthur, Deputy Western Regional Minister, said the Indian investors would have a 48 per cent share while Ghana government has a share of 52 per cent, out of which the landowners and some NGOs are partners. She said this yesterday at Nyankrom when the investors held a meeting with the chiefs and people to interact on the progress of the project. [more]
Food Crisis/Security
The G8 Alliance - Gambling On Food Security?
AllAfrica.com
The G8 summit last May ended with a pledge to end hunger in Africa and a plan to inject $3 billion into African agriculture with the aim of "catalyzing private sector investment in African agriculture". This record investment, derived entirely from the private sector, appears to stem from a realization that previous aid commitments have failed, as well as perhaps an assessment of government priorities in an environment of Western austerity. The G8's position represents a significant leap of faith in market-friendly agriculture four years after the 2008 global food crisis when increasing food prices led to unrest in a number of developing countries. For its alleged ability to promote business opportunities in low income markets, offer inputs and links to markets for small-scale producers, agribusiness was recently elevated by the International Fund for Agriculture and Development as a key driver of hunger reduction. The primary objective of the G8's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a shared commitment to increase investment into African agriculture, luring investors to Africa's food markets on the premise of favorable returns and low tax rates. It will initially be launched in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania. [more]
Gender Issues
Women Farmers Petition Ministry On Marginalization of Groundnuts
Some Women groups who are into groundnuts cultivation in the Upper West Region have petitioned the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to include groundnuts in the Block Farming concept to help eradicate poverty. Presenting the petition through the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council in Wa at the weekend, the group said the inclusion of groundnut cultivation in the concept, will address malnutrition among children, reduce rural-urban migration among women, especially those from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, and promote food security in the rural communities. [more]
Reports
Which would work better for improved soil fertility management in sub-Saharan Africa: Fertilizer Subsidies or Carbon Credits?
Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) Triennial Conference, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 18-24 August, 2012.
Why do many smallholder farmers fail to adopt improved land-use practices which can improve yields and incomes? The reason is not always because these practices are uneconomical but sometimes it is because resource poverty prevents farmers from taking advantage of yield and income enhancing agricultural practices. In this study we examine the relative merits of using a carbon payment scheme compared to a subsidy policy to help reduce the cost of specific best management practices (BMPs) with productivity and ecosystem benefits. Using a 30-year crop simulation model, we examine the impacts of different soil fertility management treatments (SFTs) on yields and soil carbon and proceed to compute discounted incremental revenue streams over the same period. [more]
Gender and Institutional Dimensions of Agricultural Technology Adoption: A Review of Literature and Synthesis of 35 Case Studies
Selected Poster prepared for presentation at the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) Triennial Conference, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil 18-24 August, 2012.
This paper reviews and integrates findings from existing empirical studies and case studies received from 35 organizations in various countries to identify demand- and supply-side constraints and opportunities in access, adoption and impact of technological innovations. This review consistently finds that women have much slower observed rates of adoption of a wide range of technologies than men; and these are mainly due to differentiated access to complementary inputs and services. There are limited studies that looked at upstream stages including priority-setting and innovation processes, in which women continue to be underrepresented. [more]
Thank you
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