'Join forces to seek support from government' - Agricultural researcher to florist

Agricultural Researcher, Professor Ofosu Budu has exhorted floricultural business owners to work closely with one another in order to gain help and support from the government.

He has strongly advised florists to collaborate with the necessary stakeholders to press home their demands.

According to him, without any concrete database, the government may not be in the right position to offer any financial assistance to their businesses, hence the need to liaise with their counterparts put things in order.

“No government will do anything without structure, planting for trees is under the Local Government or under the Forestry Commission so if the government does not have these databases, how can the government account for any money given out."

In his words, “it is important for floriculturists to come together under the Ministry of Environment or under the Ministry of Agriculture so that everything is formalized; since these businesses link up with the respective research centers and government agencies, then lobbying comes in.”

Although the government has eased some restrictions, allowing businesses to operate, business entities within the floricultural sector continue to suffer the impact of the COVID-19.

Speaking to UniversNews, some florists bewailed the challenges their businesses are facing.

“After the lockdown, there has been challenges with business; customers are not coming like before and when they come to make purchases too, they complain of the prices of the plants that they are expensive and that there is no money in the system,” they lamented.