Chairman of Agency For Health And Food Security (AHEFS) Mr. Kwaku Asante has advocated increased investment in Ghana’s vegetable sector as is constrained by weak value chain linkages due to uncoordinated actors to boost vegetable l production in Ghana.
He is worried the weak value chain linkages is because it lowers prioritization of issues of vegetables in Ghana’s agricultural policy and consequently limits allocation of resources to support the sector.
Mr. Asante was speaking on the sidelines of training workshop on Strengthening Agriculture Value Chain Economics For Sustinable Development in Sunyani for Alliance members from SDG 2 platform on “How to advocate effectively”.
The workshop which was organized by the Agency For Health And Food Security was focused on Strengthening Weak Agriculture Value Chain in Ghana.
According to Mr. Asante, Ghana has comparative advantage to export more vegetables to the global market yet the non-existence of key agricultural infrastructure and non-application of new innovations makes it impossible for farmers to supply Ghana and the rest of Africa with enough food.
He indicated that South Africa and Kenya exports a lot of agricultural produce to the European market despite their long distance from Europe, and wondered why Ghana can’t do same.
Mr. Asante said these countries are able to make significant impact in the European market because there are efficient and systematic structures such as new innovations, new policies and more investment in agriculture by government and Ghana must do same.
He said as a first step, it is necessary for the government to include Private sector in policy formulation to find systematic structures of investing in the vegetable sector.
“AHEFS as a member on SDG 2 platform to help ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture will do everything possible to contribute to and strengthen the value chain systems within the vegetable sector,” he indicated.
He pointed out that agriculture accounts for about 60 % of export earnings and directly or indirectly supports 80% of the total population economically through farming, distribution of farm products and provision of other services to the agricultural sector, hence the need for it to be prioritised.
According to Mr. Asante, “there is no doubt that good policies is one of the most important inputs in agricultural production in Ghana apart from labour”.
On his part Dr. Anthony Mainoo who is the Deputy Director of Food Security and Natural Resources expressed concern over why some anti-technology civil society groups had sought to thwart the efforts by scientists to help improve agriculture through innovation is undermining the food security efforts of the country
Story by: Nana Yaw Reuben Jnr
