Accra, Oct 8,GNA - Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture, on Wednesday said government was making substantial investments in agricultural research to facilitate the achievement of food security.
He said, " My Ministry is making sure that the requisite investment is made in research in order to realize the dream of Ghanaians in food sufficiency".
Major Quashigah said this when presenting 17 Nissan Pick-Up valued at 3.5 billion cedis to the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and four research institutions at the CSIR offices in Accra.
Beneficiary institutions were, the Crops Research Institute (CRI) in Kumasi, Forest Research Institute in Ghana (FORIG) in Kumasi, Animal Research Institute, Pong-Tamale and the Water Research Institute in Accra.
The rest were, University of Ghana, Legon, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the University of Development Studies (UDS).
He said most economically successful countries such as Malaysia were able to export processed agricultural products to Ghana because they prioritised agricultural research and gave it the needed attention.
The Minister, said it was in line with such development that on assumption of office the government set up The Tissue Cultural Laboratory at Kwabenya to undertake more research into plant, seedlings and tubers.
He said much had not been done to add value to agricultural by-products, therefore, a committee had been set up to undertake research into that sector to add value to agricultural by-products. Professor Kassim Kassanga, Minister of Environment and Science said the donation bore testimony to government's commitment to research institutions in the country.
Professor E. S. Ayensu, Chairman of CSIR Council, who received the vehicles on behalf of the institutions, said the donation showed government's commitment to ensure Ghanaians had enough food to eat and export the rest.
