Agriculture sector to pull Ghana out of the woods

Major Courage Quashiegah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has asserted that the agriculture sector bears the singular responsibility of bringing respite to the economy and the populace.

He said a well-organised agriculture sector in which the missing links between production and distribution are well established, strengthened and co-ordinated holds the antidote to food insecurity and high cost of living in the country.

Major Quashiegah, who was addressing workers of the Ministry at Ho on Thursday as part of his three-day tour of the region, painted a gloomy picture of the food situation in the country and reminded the staff that Ghanaians look up to them for a sustainable solution.

He said a country, which cannot guarantee the food needs of its citizenry at affordable prices from internal production, is vulnerable to external forces and prayed that the country would overcome this problem as quickly as possible.

He said the government has taken some initiatives aimed at making the sector the strength of the economy.

Major Quashiegah said the enormity of the problems to be solved seem impregnable but gave the assurance that by the end of the government's mandate positive results would begin to emerge.

The Agriculture Minister said, "it is easy to destroy but difficult to build" but with examples from other places, the resolve of the government and the goodwill of the country's friends the government will chalk the required successes earlier than anticipated.

He said it is time to treat agriculture as business and consciously involve the private sector actively in haulage, processing, storage and marketing.

Major Quashiegah called on staffs of the ministry, who are about to go on retirement, to go into agriculture and bring their expertise to bear on the sector and promised government support to such initiatives.

He said the sector is now in dire need of leaders whose, initiatives can help quicken the pace towards securing the goal of food self-sufficiency characterised by improved incomes, availability of the right varieties of foods at all times and at reasonable prices.

He lamented that in spite of the country's rich agricultural endowments it has for years been grappling with high food prices, shortages and imports while its less endowed neighbours have been able to solve similar problems.

Major Quashiegah promised to provide the leadership required in meeting the challenges in the sector and called for the support of stakeholders.

During an open forum the workers among other things called on the Minister to explore the potentials for the production of fresh milk in the country on a large scale and review the unified extension system.