C/R Minister calls for collaboration among agric value-chain actors

Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, has urged agricultural value-chain actors to work as a team in adding value to their products to guarantee sustainable agriculture and food system in Ghana.

“The concept of value addition presents a good opportunity for additional revenue generation, job creation, foreign exchange earnings and effective post-harvest management,” she stated.

Mrs Assan called for public-private partnership investment in all value chain processes to reduce pre-and post-harvest losses and transform the agriculture sector for the better.

The government was committed to creating an enabling environment to encourage both public and private investments in the sector to grow the economy, she said.

Mrs Assan was speaking at the region’s Farmers’ Day celebration held at Jukwa in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower-Denkyira District, where 30 farmers were honoured and more than 40 others receiving awards at the district level.

It was on the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Chain Addition.”

Twifo-Atti Morkwa, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK), Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA), Cape Coast, and Assin South joined the host district to celebrate the day.

Mr Maxwell Kwame Essibu, a 49-year-old management consultant and administrative director from Twifo-Atti Morkwa, was named the region’s Best Farmer, while Mr Christopher Ackon from KEEA emerged the Best Fisherman.

A farmers’ market created at the grounds to sell fresh foods at farm gate prices was the icing on the cake.

The Minister urged citizens to develop taste for local foods and agricultural products to boost the economy.

She explained that foods produced in Ghana were of good quality, accessible, available, affordable and hygienically packaged for consumption as compared to the foreign products.

“We must know that the more we consume what we produce right here in Ghana, we directly and indirectly create the needed jobs and wealth for our people,” she said.

Mrs Assan announced that the Rice Value Chain Improvement project in the region, sponsored by the South Korean Government, was yielding results and the rice would soon be commissioned for sale on the market.

“The rice is code-named “Central Rice and it has received massive patronage from the people due to its quality and taste. When you see it on your shelves, please buy it,” she said gleefully.

The five-year rice project, expected to end in 2023, covers five districts and involves 514 farmers belonging to 11 farmer-based organisations in nine communities.

The Minister commended all farmers for their hard work and contribution to the development of the country.

“Without the hard work of our outstanding farmers and support of our fishers, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Two, which aims to eradicate hunger by 2030, would not be achieved,” she said.