Agricultural Expert Warns Government

Ghana will continue to stay HIPC if it continues to rely on the production of roots and tubers such as cassava and yam alone.

There is therefore the need for new agricultural policies that will encourage more people to invest in the production of fruits, seeds and vegetables.

The general manager (GM) in charge of Agric Division of Dizengoff Ghana Limited, Mr. Aviram Tal, made this observation in an interview with Chronicle in Kumasi. According to him, Ghana could export new fruits and vegetables to earn more income if proper attention and focus is shifted to its production.

Asked about his views on Agriculture in Ghana, he observed that agric in the country today, is an improvement over the previous years.

He commended the government for his bold initiative on the mass cocoa spraying exercise and described it as an excellent and effective decision any government could take.

Aviram Tal however pointed out that lack of knowledge and access to good source of information on the part of the farmers are some of the problems associated with agriculture in Ghana.

"Ghana is suffering from a lot of fake agricultural materials smuggled from Cote d'Ivoire," he revealed.

The GM explained that most of the chemicals that are smuggled into the country from neighbouring countries, particularly Cote d'Ivoire, do not contain the right proportion, rendering them ineffective for agricultural activities.

These smugglers he said, tend to cheat the farmers and impede the government's agricultural sector developmental policies, leading to a perennial failure in achieving agricultural target by the state.

He described as unfortunate the fact that despite his numerous notices served to the appropriate quarters; the necessary intervention has not been made.

Aviram Tal stressed the need for farmers to be educated on agricultural materials in order to identify the right ones to use to ensure effective farming.

According to him, it is the objective of the Dizengoff Ghana Limited to standardize agricultural activities in the country to maximize the production of food and cash crops, adding, it is also their aspiration to look for specific inputs to solve specific problems in the agric sector.

The group therefore aims at providing enough fungicides to help curb the numerous cases of fugi diseases which is the biggest problem confronting Agriculture in West Africa.

As a means of ensuring effectiveness in agriculture, Dizengoff Ghana Limited has been organizing a series of workshops for farmers throughout the country to educate them on better product protection and uses