Agriculture stakeholders urged to champion agribusiness

Nii Lamptey Wilkson, the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, has called on stakeholders in the agricultural value chain to champion agribusiness for the economic growth of the country.

He said: “Today’s agriculture should be seen as a business that responds to the economic growth of the country and not just to farm to feed the household.”

Mr Wilkson made the call during the celebration of this year’s Farmers’ Day on the theme: “Ensuring Agribusiness Development under COVID-19: Opportunities and Challenges,” at Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted economic activities tested Ghana’s resilience and food security vulnerability and that the country’s ability to respond to the challenges had vindicated the government for prioritising agriculture.

Mr Wilkson said the government acknowledged the challenges confronting small-holder farmers in the municipality and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture through the Department of Agriculture had rolled out many interventions to support increased food production and agribusiness.

He said 1,380 bags of NPK fertilizer, 400 bags of Urea fertilizer, and 1,975 kilogrammes of seed maize were distributed to farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

He said the Department also distributed 642 cockerels to 109 small-scale farmers through the Rearing for Food and Jobs initiative.

The Chief Executive said 3,000 coconut seedlings and 200 mango seedlings were given out to 55 farmers and 50 residents respectively under the Planting for Export and Rural Development programme to increase the wealth of households.

“All these flagship programmes, including the One District One Factory, One District One Warehouse and the others, are all geared towards the state of agribusiness development in the country and I will like to encourage every Ghanaian to support it,” Mr Wilkson said. Mr Hudu Nobie, 42, the owner of HN Farms at Mayera, near Amasaman was adjudged the 2020 Ga West Best Farmer.

He received a certificate of honour, double-door fridge, a bicycle, fertilizers, and other farming implements.