Local foods must be preserved for international market

Francis Gasu a farmer at Ashaiman Irrigation Scheme has called for national efforts to preserve the sanctity of local foods in its traditional state for local and international markets.

Mr Gasu who is the Founder of Mawuli Ventures, which deals in local food products explained that traditional foods needed to be protected and preserved in a natural environment to ensure that they transcend from the local to the international market.

He told the Ghana News Agency at Tema in an interview that, through innovative means, fresh tomato paste, canning okro, fresh powder pepper, fresh palm nut paste, tuna flakes, and vegetable mix could be preserved.

Mr Gasu noted that a major constraint facing the farming sector was the source of finance, saying, “farmers continue to encounter difficulties in attracting funding as the uncertainties in the sector served as disincentives to financial institutions”.

Dr John Nynya, Director at the Ashiaman Irrigation Development Authority also told the GNA that the scheme could only facilitate and link farmers to some sources of finance but were handicapped to provide funding support to farmers.

He said apart from providing financial information; “we also facilitate and help them to write proposals and attach a cover letter to assist them to solicit for the funding”.