Bussiness
Land litigation, estate developers disrupting food production in Awutu-Senya – Agric Director
Mr Edward Laryea koney, the Municipal Director of Agriculture of Awutu-Senya-East of the Central Region, has stated that land litigation coupled with activities of estate developers, was taking a toll on agriculture production in the area.
According to him, the phenomenon, which continued to cause a reduction in farmlands, did not only disturb food production but also affected the livelihoods of farmers.
“Estate developers are taking over all the lands. Someone will start farming and then somebody from nowhere will come and claim ownership of the land, sometimes, turning into a court case. So, most of the farmers are now ‘perching’ on the farm lands.
“Other times the owners reclaim the land at a time the crops have not mature and they don’t even allow them to harvest before the land is taken away from them”, he lamented.
Mr Koney was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on the sidelines of the Municipality’s Farmers Day celebration and indicated that the Area was now shifting towards non-traditional farming, which required a small area of land to undertake.
He said his office was mobilising the youth and equipping them with the necessary training and logistics for the new farming module.
“What we are doing now is that we are forming groups so that they will go into non-traditional farming like rabbit rearing, grasscutter, and poultry, which actually occupy just a small area.
“There are people who are into mushroom production as at now and so, we are mobilising the young ones to train them to go into this non-traditional farming because of the land issues,” he explained.
Mr Koney said his outfit was negotiating with the Assembly for support to enable them realise that vision.
Touching on other issues, Mr Koney disclosed that the recent case of bird flu that rocked some parts of the country this year, ravaged six farms in the municipality where a total of 3,970 birds were affected between July and October.
Of the number, 1,327 of the birds died before the laboratory confirmation results from the Accra Veterinary Laboratory were received.
The rest, he revealed, were destroyed and a destruction certificate issued while intensive surveillance was also instituted to prevent further outbreak, he added.
The Agriculture Director, disclosed that there had not been any case of bird flu for the past one month and prayed for its complete eradication. -GNA
Bussiness
Charterhouse announces the Business Elevate Series with launch of ‘The Gastro Feastival’
Charterhouse, Ghana’s leading event management and audiovisual production company, is marking its 25th anniversary of delivering top-tier events with the introduction of an exciting new initiative: The Business Elevate Series.
This innovative series is designed to shine a spotlight on key economic sectors through a series of dynamic B2B and B2C events, including industry conferences, seminars, and exhibitions.
Kicking off the series is The Gastro Feastival, a groundbreaking annual food industry festival that will showcase Ghana’s rich and diverse food ecosystem and agribusinesses from production to consumption.
The launch event will take place on Friday, March 7, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Grand Arena (Accra International Conference Centre).
This landmark event will bring together food industry stakeholders, enthusiasts, experts, and organizations to highlight the food industry’s critical role in Ghana’s socio-economic development and culture.
It will also promote food security, digital innovation, women’s empowerment, youth employment in agribusiness, and sustainable practices.
The Business Elevate Series is a game-changing initiative designed to foster growth and transformation across multiple sectors. With Charterhouse’s deep expertise in organizing impactful meetings, the series aims to unlock investment opportunities, drive innovation, and catalyze social and economic change.
The Gastro Feastival will address six major pillars that drive industry transformation: Investment Opportunities; Job Creation; Innovation, Technology, and Digitization; Youth Involvement (entrepreneurship and career opportunities); Women’s Involvement; Environmental and Social Governance (ESG); Export Opportunities
The event will also establish a Resource Bank, spotlighting key growth opportunities and ensuring the effective allocation of resources to transform Ghana’s food industry.
The Gastro Feastival is a Charterhouse initiative, with Kosmos Innovation Centre as the technical partner.
Bussiness
Ghana’s GDP shows economy is fast recovering despite DDEP – Finance Ministry
Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicates a rapid economic recovery despite global challenges and ongoing debt restructuring, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
The Ministry in a statement today indicated that latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), cumulative economic growth for the second quarter (Q2) of 2024 reached 6.9%, a notable increase from the 4.7% recorded in the first quarter of 2024.
The MoF statement further noted that, “The economy’s robust recovery is in response to the macroeconomic stability and growth interventions that government is pursuing under our IMF-supported Post Covid-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG).”
According to them, the overall real GDP growth for the first half of 2024 rebounded strongly, with year-on-year GDP growth averaging 5.8% for the period, significantly higher than the 2.9% recorded in the same period in 2023.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
