Food import bill too high – Agric Minister

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna has expressed worry about the country’s high food import bill.

According to him, the import of food in large quantities had led to the loss of foreign exchange and jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the agriculture sector.

Speaking at the official handing over of a fully-furnished three-bedroom house to the 2014 National Best Farmer, the Food and Agriculture Minister called on Ghanaians, especially those in the corporate sector, to focus on the agric sector.

The $100,000 luxurious house, sponsored by ADB, went to James Asamoah Amankwah. It was constructed at Manso-Nkwanta, hometown of the winner in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

The Minister praised ADB for its heroic efforts that have changed the awards since 2001, intimating that the awards had improved over the years.

Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon said, “Our best farmers are not those who have studied agriculture. They are mostly men and women who achieved their feat out of ambition and hard work.”

Mr. Ackon implored farmers to always seek assistance from agriculture extension officers to improve their yields and reduce post-harvest losses.

Food security is an indicator of a country’s development and every effort must be made to ensure that farmers are motivated to produce more and export to attract foreign exchange earnings, he added.