Food production must be given needed attention - GAWU

Accra, Sept. 1, GNA - The General Agricultural Workers' Union (GAWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), on Monday attributed the soaring food prices to the inability of the country to give food production the attention it deserved.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra, Mr Kingsley Ofei-Nkansah, General Secretary of GAWU said to reverse the situation the government must put in place support systems. He said the support system would address the needs of the 5.8 million small scale farmers who cultivated 2.5 hecters of land to enable them to expand and increase their productivity.

Mr Ofei-Nkansah said the problem was also due to the sole dependence on rain-fed agriculture and which affected food crop production when it failed.

He suggested large scale irrigation which would help boost agricultural growth and supplement the efforts of the small scale farmers.

Mr Ofei-Nkansah said it was also essential not to exclusively see High Technology Agriculture (HTA) as a means to reduce food prices since the materials it used in terms of pesticides, weedicides, fertilizers and other chemicals were imported, adding, "if the resources are no more coming what would be the fate of HTA. He said steps must be taken to ensure that post harvest losses were resolved and effective market mechanism operated. 1 Sept. 08