Agriculture sector to receive major boost

Accra, Dec. 11, GNA - Ghana's agricultural sector is to experience a major boost from early next year, Mr Earnest Debrah, Minister of Agriculture announced at the weekend.

This was contained in an address read for him by Professor Philip Owiredu Yebaoh, a Toxicologist of the Food and Agricultural Organization at the launch of CropLife Ghana, formerly known as Agrochemical Association of Ghana and the official opening of a new agricultural resource Centre - the Ghana Agricultural Associations Business and Information Centre (GAABIC) in Accra.

The Minister urged CropLife Ghana and her ancillary (GAABIC) Centre, an umbrella of 38 professional bodies interwoven with production, seed, soil, marketing, ICT training professionals not to rest on their oars in rendering indispensable answers to see Ghana's agriculture gain enviable heights.

He said improved strategies embarked on by government would manifest for all to see and enjoy and this would serve as a pivotal and potential point to attract the youth into this area, provide employment as well trickle down to other areas on the employment ladder. Mrs Juliet Biney, Executive Secretary of the GAABIC, thanked the government for assisting to ensure the successful take-off of the Centre.

She said the establishment of the Centre was in response to government's call for private sector participation to lead the crusade to get agricultural associations organized to play an active role in revamping the agricultural sector to make Ghana a sustainable country in food production. Mrs Biney said the Centre had come to join government in the realization of its goals of human resource capacity building to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to increase Ghana's standing on the sub-regional and international markets.

She said the GAABIC was also business development oriented to help farmers engage in the best practices of the trade. Mrs Biney added that key players in the agric sector should find GAABIC a point of reassurance where every agricultural transaction would be cost effective as well as revive the professional stakes in unravelling agricultural challenges and finding sound solutions to the problems of the sector. 11 Dec. 06