News
Deputy Agric Minister lauds non-state actors for partnering government’s transformations agenda drive
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of crops, Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo has lauded efforts by non-state actors to partner government to succeed in its Transformational Agricultural Agenda Drive.
He said partnerships by NGOs such as AGRA focused on agriculture have helped initiated several measures including the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), One Village One Dam, and Rearing for Food and Jobs programmes, to address the challenges confronting the sector.
“It is significant to say that the food crops model under the PFJ chalked a lot of success starting with 200,000 beneficiaries who accessed fertilizers and improved seeds in 2017 and the numbers increasing to 1.7 million in 2021,” he said.
The Deputy Minister was speaking at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – AGRA Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA) learning event.
Held in Accra on Tuesday, the event highlighted key insights and learning from the implementation of the USAID-AGRA PIATA program as well as provided shared outcome stories, best practices and feedback to improve future interventions.
PIATA was launched in 2017 as a strategy for transforming agricultural systems through integrated delivery across economic zones and value chains.
The programme sought to transition Africa’s agriculture from subsistence to sustainable business occupations by enhancing in-country coordination and deepening engagements and collaboration with the private sector
Though Mr Addo said the government’s attempt to make agriculture the driver of Ghana’s economy, the activity was being hampered by low farm productivity, lack of access to quality agro-input and the low adoption of agronomic practices due to limited access to extension services, among others.
Juliette Lampoh, Country Director, AGRA explained that the efficiency of the seed sector of any country greatly impacted its agricultural production sector adding that AGRA was particularly interested in the adoption of quality s fertilizer.
Madam Asseta Diallo, Senior Programmes Officer (AGRA) Ghana said the organisation had over the last five years focused on increasing farmers’ access to and the adoption of quality seeds and fertilizers and for her, the country’s dependence on organic fertilisers for soil nutrients may not help achieve food security.
She explained that Ghana had a poor fertility status where about 65 per cent of agricultural land was depleted or severely degraded due to human activities such as mining.
That situation, she pointed out, demanded the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer in the agricultural production chain to ensure that the country produces enough to meet the food needs of its citizens.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
