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Estate developers’ encroachment on farm lands threat to food security – DAA Centre Manager
The Centre Manager, DAA Fisheries Training Centre at Kokrobite, Mrs Emelia Nortey has disclosed that the ongoing encroachment of estate developers on farmlands in the country has been one of the challenges confronted by rural women farmers.
That, she said has made it difficult for women to have access to land and farmstoo make food available for all.
Mrs Emelia Nortey underscored that, rural women are the backbone of our communities, often working tirelessly behind the scenes, yet their impact reverberates far and wide.
She, therefore, urged chiefs and individual land owners to stop selling farmlands to estate developers in order to reserve farmlands for farming.
She made this observation during the International Day for Rural Women celebration which took place at Kokrobite in the Greater Accra Region on Monday.
The event organised by the Development Action Association (DAA) was supported by the GIZ-implemented Sustainable Employment through Agribusiness (AgriBiz) programme on the theme “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”.
The celebration saw in attendance 400 rural women farmers who strongly expressed the needed support for rural women to ensure good food is made available for all.
To further this, the women advocated for a policy on aquaculture biosecurity to ensure fish farming safeguards the ecosystem.
Ms. Rosemary Abbey, Director, Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, in a speech delivered on behalf of Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson said the Ministry is committed to advancing the agenda of women in programmes and projects.
Highlighting some of the initiatives introduced by the Ministry and its Agencies to address some challenges confronting women in fisheries and aquaculture, she noted that, under the FAO, NORAD funded project “Empowering Women in Small-Scale Fisheries for Sustainable Food Systems” the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines and Good practices have been translated into five (5) Ghanaian languages and distributed to fish processors to create awareness for the adoption of best practices.
The languages are Nzema, Fante, Ga, Ewe, and Gonja.
Additionally, the Ministry and Fisheries Commission in partnership with the Ghana Standards Authority, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing the Safe Fish Certification and Licensing Scheme (SFCLS).
The Scheme, which audits the catching, landing, transporting, processing, packaging, storage, and marketing of fish along the value chain, will guarantee consumption.
She commended women for the tremendous work done to ensure good food is made available for all.
Women contribute about 60 per cent to agriculture development in Ghana, and almost all are smallholder farmers of which about 95% are rural dwellers. To appreciate the contribution of rural women, the United Nations has earmarked 15th October of every year to commemorate rural women, hence International Day of Rural Women.
Mrs. Lydia Sasu, Executive Director of DAA stressed that “the proposal is the need for an aquaculture biosecurity plan to curb business behaviours that damage the ecosystem. The plan should ensure fish farming protects wild species and promotes healthy, productive, and resilient water-use ecosystems, including domestic jobs and services”.
Ms Mabel Simpeh in a speech delivered on behalf of Joseph Nyarni Stephen, MCE – Ga South Municipal Assembly emphasized that rural women play a key role in the development of their communities by preserving cultural heritage while embracing progress and modernity hence it is imperative to recognize the vital role they play in society.
He noted that the conversation about women must go beyond mere words and ensure that rural women have access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities to adapt to the challenges of our rapidly changing world.
Hon Joseph Nyarni Stephen pledged to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to create an environment that is conducive to the growth and development of rural
women.
“We will invest in programs and initiatives that promote gender equality, empower rural women, and recognize their vital role in shaping our municipality’s future”.
The programme saw a display of primary and value-added products of members of the association.
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
