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Ensuring food security
4/1/2009
THE Ministry of Agriculture aims to help farmers achieve world class performance and optimum levels of productivity, through the best application of good agricultural practices.
According to Minister of Agriculture, Senator Haynesley Benn, the research being undertaken by the Ministry is geared towards making the farming community more competitive and providing them with the basis on which food can be offered at reasonable prices.
His comments came as he delivered the feature address at the opening ceremony of the Food Crop Research Seminar held at the Accra Beach Resort earlier this week.
“Changes in consumer expectations and preferences regarding the wholesomeness, production and distribution of foods, renders it mandatory for us to acquire and implement the latest, best and generally accepted agricultural technologies and methodologies,” he said.
Noting that food security is a major priority, he said that the Ministry is working towards seeing that the goal of self-reliance is met and as such, they have identified a list of crops that can satisfy our local needs. He revealed that the growing of these crops will be pursued vigorously.
“We embrace the need for protecting our environment and we offer our fullest support to those growers who are suitably positioned to practice organic farming, the ultimate production system for maintaining the status quo of our biotic surroundings... We will continue to assist farmers by pursuing the available technologies and simultaneously providing an incentive framework that makes it easier for producers to incorporate the best techniques into their operations,” the agriculture minister said.
With that in mind, he stated that there is certainly a need to maintain an active research and development programme at the Ministry and to collaborate with other research institutions, given the volatility of the economic environment and particularly the upward movement of food prices and the costs of agricultural inputs. Through such research, he said, they have sourced over 120 new varieties of crops such as tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions and are assessing the performance of those crops planted at different locations.
Such work, Benn said, is geared towards providing farmers with choices of plant material that adapts well to our environment and facilitates sustainable production. (JRT)
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