World Food Day marked at Kasoa

Kasoa (C/R), Oct. 10, GNA - The government would make agriculture attractive for the youth to sustain national development, Major Courage Quashigah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said at a farmers' forum at Kasoa on Thursday to mark World Food Day.

He said the Ministry would do everything to encourage them to embrace agriculture as a lucrative venture.

Major Quashigah said the programme to construct underground water reservoirs for irrigation was on course to ensure all year round production of food and industrial raw materials.

The Ministry would also ensure that farm food produce, are properly packaged for export to add value for adequate returns. He charged District Assemblies to promote agriculture in schools to inculcate the love and interest in agriculture among pupils and students to encourage the youth to accept farming as a career. The Minister warned that if steps were not taken to sustain the interest of the youth in agriculture, the country could not ensure food security in the future.

He commended school children who participated in the event and urged them to develop greater interest in agricultural science to enable them contribute towards nation building.

Major Quashigah urged the chiefs and elders of Odupong-Ofaakor, custodians of Kasoa lands to put aside their differences with the Awutu-Efuttu-Senya District Assembly to ensure the early completion of the new market in the town.

In a message the FAO assured the government of its continued assistance to achieve food security and solve other agricultural related problems.

During an open forum, some of the farmers called for the provision of more agricultural inputs and tools at affordable prices to sustain farming, while others also called for proper and sustained marketing arrangements for their products to avoid waste.

Nana Abankwa Ababio 11, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), suggested the reintroduction of the kilo-kilo deduction from each bag of cocoa to support the National health Insurance Scheme.