Government urged to preserve land for agriculture

Hohoe, April 29, GNA- Togbega Gabusu VI, the Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area, has urged government to initiate a national policy backed by legislation on land use to regulate the putting up of residential and institutional buildings.

He explained that this would assist in safeguarding land for agricultural purposes to cushion Ghana against food crisis. Togbega Gabusu in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), at Hohoe on Monday, recommended a new land use regime to ensure the construction of flats for residential accommodation and offices to replace the conventional lateral buildings that required more land. He expressed worry that globalization and urbanization has resulted in the construction of infrastructure and buildings on arable land for the teeming population.

Togbega Gabusu, who is also president of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, appealed to government to evolve prudent policies to ensure all-year-round agricultural activities in Afraim plains, Shai hills plains and the northern part of the country to produce food for local consumption and export.

He also called for the revamping of the erstwhile Ghana Food Distribution Company so that it could buy and store excess agricultural produce for sale in case of shortage. Togbega Gabusu cited that even though Israel had largely rocky landscape that country could produce food to feed its population and export the surplus and urged Ghanaians to work harder to increase food production.

He said beyond the "Accra Accord and Declaration" resulting from the just ended United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XII), member countries, particularly Ghana should make effective plans to ensure increased food production to avert food crisis.