Below are some current developments on Agriculture in Africa:
Agricultural Issues:
Accra Hosts First Agribusiness Investment Summit
More than 150 stakeholders from leading agribusiness firms and development partners, are participating in the maiden Ghana Agribusiness Investment Summit 2014 in Accra. The list includes commercial, rural and community banks, impact investors, non-bank financial institutions and ministers of state. The key objectives of the Summit are to present concrete information and analysis on agribusiness investment opportunities in Ghana and to connect investors, financial institutions and relevant stakeholders in order to share information and do more business. The summit was organised by USAID, Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project and Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project.
adb is Not Farmer-friendly Traditional Ruler
Naa Robert Loggah, a traditional ruler, has accused the agricultural development bank (adb), of not being responsive to the needs of farmers. He said the bank which was established to help farmers to develop agriculture in the country, is now more interested in the farmers money, rather than meeting their credit needs. Naa Loggah who made the accusation during a regional sensitization workshop organized by the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC) in Wa, said the attitude of the bank is detrimental not only to the productivity of farmers, but to the overall development of Agriculture in the country. He, therefore, urged government to impress upon…
UDS Report Provokes Mixed Reactions Over SADA Trees
A leaked report which says an average of 85% of Savanna Accelerated Development Agency-sponsored trees planted within the Northern Savannah Zone of Ghana survived is provoking a storm of mixed reactions on social media. Public reactions – via social media – to the findings by the University for Development Studies, Tamale, show sharp divisions in public opinion, after citifmonline.com published details of the document. “The average percentage survival of all the planted species in the SADA plantations were very high (85%) with the highest (88%) recorded in the Eastern Zone and the least (76%) in the Southern Zone,” says the “draft final report”.
Minority Vow to Force SADA Scandal Prosecutions
The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament has vowed to bring a hellfire of pressure to bear on the Mahama administration in a bid to compel swift criminal prosecution of officials thought to have mismanaged state funds meant for the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul, stated the group’s intension in an exclusive interview on Citi FM late Monday. He said, “The President should really do something about this SADA thing. People have to be punished.” The Bimbilla Member of Parliament described continuing reports of alleged misuse of state funds at SADA as “very sad”
What Is The Way Forward For Ghanaian Youth In Agriculture?
Agribusiness has the potential to do much more than we think but we are stuck in the mind frame that it is a dirty job and is for the unemployed. If at all that is how you think then I pity you because there is a Kenyan who has made it large through agriculture, he is Chris Kirubi the farmer. We need to stop being narrow-minded and look at the agricultural sector as a lucrative one. We come from the lineage of subsistence farmers who would provide fully for their families. It is the profits from this produce that educated your parents or grandparents and if it were not for them, you would not be where you are today.
Farmers Stop Cutting Down Production|Both commercial and small holders farmers at Atebubu-Amanteng municipal, Ejura municipal, Techiman South and Nkoranza south Municipals : the country largest producers of quality maize, has unanimously rescind their decision to reduce production following well timed intervention of the respective Municipal Chief Executives by passing a resolution that makes it illegal to trade with OVERSIZED SACKS. Now, the only accepted sacks to be use is the ‘SIZE 4 Sacks’ “Anyone caught using the ‘Size 5 sacks’ would be made to pay a penalty of GH10 per bag instantly. ” Hon. Atiso, Chairman of a market committee.
African Farmers Cry Out
The voice of farmers need to be heard to leapfrog agricultural transformation in Africa,” says Director of Programme at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, (NEPAD) Agency Mrs Estherine Lisinge-Fotabong. Speaking at a consultation Forum with farmers’ organizations in Addis Ababa, on the side-lines of an Agriculture Ministers meeting, Mrs Fotabong said that NEPAD values the relationship and engagement with farmers and wants to ensure that there is space for them to contribute to policy making. The meeting brought together, representatives from Civil Society Organisations as well as the Pan African and Regional Farmers Organization (PAFO and RFOs) to ensure that farmers drive and are at the centre of Africa’s transformation agenda.
World Food Programme Supports Implementing Partners
The World Food Programme (WFP) has presented 12 computers and 15 grinding mills (valued at GH¢171,000) to various groups and their project implementing partners in the northern part of the country. The donation formed part of WFP’s overall sustainability strategy to build the capacity of its implementing partners and empower its beneficiaries to become secure in food production. The computers and accessories were presented to the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Food and Agriculture offices in the Northern, Upper East and West, Brong Ahafo and Volta regions, while the grinding mills were presented to 10 mother-to-mother support groups and five purchase-for-progress smallholder farmer groups.
Does Dawhenya Signal Agric Renaissance?
In the 1970s, the government never spoke about agriculture, particularly food production, without the mention of some major irrigation projects. The Acheampong regime anchored its agricultural programme on the need for all-year round farming to produce food to feed ourselves and for export. The Head of State then, General Kutu Acheampong, in his addresses to the nation, never missed the opportunity to mention the Dawhenya, Okyereko, Barekese, Tono and Vea dams as major drivers of the country’s development agenda. Perhaps the focus on those projects provided the catalyst for the success of his government’s agricultural revolution.
Food Security/Crisis
JICA: Japan Committed to Helping Ghana Achieve Food Security
Japan is committed to supporting Ghana substantially to achieve food security, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr. Koji Makino, has said… “Rice is one of the most important staple crops in Ghana and its consumption is quite high,” Mr. Makino said. “We [Japan] are assisting the efforts of the Government of Ghana at ensuring that many small-scale famers across the country are empowered to plant, process and produce rice in commercial quantities. This way, they will be contributing to food security in the country and also improve their own living standards.”