MOFA/GTZ provide agric information on INTERNET

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) has established 11 centres in the country to provide information on agriculture on the INTERNET.

Four of the centres, at Agona Swedru, Assin Foso, Twifu Praso and Mankessim in the Central Region, would be equipped with computers, which would be hooked on to the INTERNET to help sell agricultural products not only to Ghanaians but also on the global market.

Mrs Mary Opoku-Asiamah, Central Regional Director of MOFA, announced this at a workshop on designing a system for facilitating stakeholder collaboration in agricultural services delivery in the Mfantseman District at Saltpond on Tuesday.

Farmers, fishermen, NGOs, financial institutions, extension service providers and agro-input dealers, attended the two-day workshop sponsored jointly by GTZ, MOFA and the District Assembly.

The workshop identified problems, which inhibited collaboration for a common goal and factors militating against agriculture development in the District.

Participants at the workshop formed a committee to coordinate their activities and signed a memorandum of understanding committing them to work for the improvement of agriculture in the district.

Mrs Opoku-Asiamah said MOFA had decided to use a pluralistic approach to get extension services to the farmers adding, "This will help us use each others strength to solve problems of others".

She said the Ministry had decided to work with Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs) instead of individuals, which did not achieve much and urged farmers to form associations to get advice from extension service providers.

The Director noted that, farmers who won national awards were those who took advice by extension service providers seriously.

Mr Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, in an address read on his behalf asked district assemblies to use the decentralisation policy efficiently to transform the living standard of the people.

The Minister who is the and Acting District Chief Executive called for the initiation of policies that would help achieve higher economic growth to reduce poverty.

Mr Hiemo Posamentier, Extension Adviser and representative of GTZ, called on Ghanaians to think about what they could do for themselves and to stop relying on government.

He noted that a lot could be achieved through co-operation and urged the people to do away with individualism.

Mr George Kpoh, District Director of Agriculture, advised people who wanted to go into farming not to wait until they had a huge capital and said they could start on a small scale before soliciting for financial help.

Mr Kojo Ellis, Manager of the Mfantseman Community Bank, said the Bank would entertain loan application only from groups and not individual farmers and fishermen.

Mr Alfred Ahumah, District Co-ordinating Director called for the constant evaluation of extension services to find out whether farmers were practising what they had been taught.