MOFA Poised for Action

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has initiated plans to ensure that foodstuff from the remote areas arrive safely at the consuming centres.

In this regard, MOFA in consultation with the Ministry of Roads and Highways is planning to revamp feeder roads linking high agricultural productive areas and consuming centres.

Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday in connection with the World Food Day, Food and Agriculture Minister, Maj. (Rtd) Courage Quarshigah told the press "we would not do any panic construction of road in this country any longer, this time we want to make sure that most of the feeder roads lead to productive areas."

He regretted that while many remote areas produce sufficient food, the means of transporting them to the urban centres to generate income has remained a problem.

On moves to curb hunger in the country and the continent, the minister said it is imperative for developing countries to emulate what is prevailing in the advance country by establishing Strategic Buffer Stock of food.

Also he said the destitute need to be empowered financially by creating jobs and giving economic wages to workers. Further, the sector minister said the government is busy about these arrangements in order to meet the challenges.

Maj. Courage Quarshigah disclosed that this time the agricultural ministry is focusing on packaging to make sure that food is transported safely. He said the move would help sell the stuffs at the right prices, thus the consumer can have access to it at affordable prices. He said recognising the private sector as the engine of growth that sector would be sensitised to go into food processing, storage and marketing. If this is done food would get to places they are needed, he added.

"What it requires is careful integrated planning which must improve essentially in market information to determine whether what we want to produce is needed at all and in what quantity."

World Food Day is celebrated on 16 October as a means of raising global awareness about the problem of hunger and to focus attention on agriculture and food production so that more attention would be given to the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

This year's celebration is under the theme "Fight Hunger to Reduce Poverty."

The regional representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Mr. Bamidele F. Dada said the tragedy of hunger and malnutrition cannot be eliminated through government action alone.