Agriculture is the backbone of the Ghanaian economy
The Canadian government has been lauded for its immense support to Ghana towards modernising the nation’s agriculture sector.
According to Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, Canada’s support to Ghana was unparalleled and hoped the bilateral relationship between the two countries would be strengthened for mutual benefit.
She was speaking at an agriculture fair held in Sunyani and organised by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which enabled entrepreneurs and small-holder farmers in the sector to showcase their produce.
Madam Owusu-Banahene noted that the Canadian government was doing well in strengthening research and extension systems in the country, saying agriculture played a unique role in reducing poverty and support from the Canadian government and other development partners was in the right direction.
Improvements in agriculture productivity, she explained had a powerful knock-on effect on the rest of the economy by creating jobs in neighbouring sectors such as food processing, input supply and stimulating and wider economic growth and development.
Madam Owusu-Banahene advised farmers to take advantage of the government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PfFJs) programme to engage in commercial farming to better their lots.
She also commended MOFA for the agriculture fair, saying it created a common platform for networking among farmers and marking actors, researchers, policymakers, input dealers, processors and other actors along the food and agriculture value chain.
Mrs Prospera Anku, Deputy Director, Public Extension Services of MOFA, underlined the need to help promote agri-business by establishing new market linkages for the sustenance of the nation’s agri-businesses and improve productivity in the sector.
Agriculture and technology fairs, she explained had become a major vehicle for sharing information on innovations among farmers, input dealers and traders.
The fair was held under the theme, “promoting agribusinesses and market linkages in COVID-19 era; the impact of technology development and dissemination”.
