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General News of Monday, 11 October 2004

Source: GNA

MOFA providing computer labs & ICT to all Agric Colleges

Kumasi, Oct 11, GNA - The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is providing computer laboratories and other Information Communication technology (ICT) equipment to all agricultural colleges in the country. This is to ensure that the ministry's extension services and policies are implemented effectively.

Major Courage Quashigah (RTD), the Minister of Food and Agriculture, said MOFA had embarked on enhanced human resource development and institution building.

"Agriculture education in all spheres is prominent in the realisation of this objective by MOFA".

These were contained in a speech read on his behalf at the matriculation ceremony of the Kwadaso Agricultural College in Kumasi at the weekend.

Some 113 students have been admitted to the college this year to do the certificate and diploma courses.

Major Quashigah said in MOFA, agricultural education and extension is the fulcrum on which the ministry rests and it was the desire of the ministry to put in the right structures to make agricultural extension what it was supposed to be.

"In doing so, the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared the ground with equal emphasis on production, agro-business, market research, post-harvest technology and entrepreneurship".

He said plans were advanced for the ministry to employ over 200 graduates from the agricultural colleges as agricultural extension agents.

Mr Edward Martey Akita, Minister of State in-charge of Fisheries, said the government would allocate 15 million cedis to the college to provide a fishpond at the college.

This, he said, will enable the students to know some aspects of fish farming and also use it to generate funds to support the running of the college.

Mr Anthony Appiah, the Principal of the college, said out of the 113 students admitted this year, 59 students were doing the certificate course while the remaining 64 students were doing the diploma course.