Agric. experts design strategies to promote partnership

Accra, Nov. 6, GNA - Local and international agricultural partners are meeting in Accra to examine and redefine future programmes of the Technical Centre for Rural and Agricultural Cooperation (CTA) to promote partnership among African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

The partners, comprising, farmer organizations, agricultural policy analysis units, universities and public institutions from the ACP countries would approve and implement strategies to ensure sustainability and ownership of agricultural projects.

The CTA signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, Benin was to strengthen national policy and institutional capacity of ACP countries as well as promote exchanges in innovations, share experiences and ideas in national organizations.

Opening the workshop on Monday under the theme "Farmer's Innovations," Mr Clement Eledi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture in-charge of Crops said it was critical that farmers were supported with new technologies to enable them to increase food production and improve productivity.

He said when improved technologies and innovations were shared it would ensure poverty reduction and sustainability of livelihood. Mr. Eledi said there was the need to re-examine methods and practices in agriculture, particularly, food production in order to meet the challenges of the new millennium. He said only close collaboration between determined policy makers, innovative research officers and development and dedicated organized farmers could confront the challenges in the sector.

Mr Eledi said even though technological advancement was growing at a fast pace to increasing capacity to grow food, there was still "hundreds of millions of men and women and children who go to bed hungry every daily in the midst of plenty".

Dr. Ibrahim Tiemongo of the CTA gave an outline of the Centre and said at presented the partnership portfolio that had grown to more than 80 organizations at the national and international levels.

He said the workshop, which brought together 25 participants was expected to offer a real framework for follow up, exchange and mutual enrichment between CTA and it's partners.

Mr John Awuku Dziwornu, of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF) said they agreed with CTA in choosing the theme and that since the launch of the association's national strategic development plan last year, it had refocused its efforts at creating and managing a computerized database for members.

He said the system had enabled them to categorized and profiled members into commodity groups for effective support services such as information dissemination on input supply and marketing of produce and training for specific commodity groups.