Business News of Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Source: GNA

Gov't supports improved agricultural technology

Government would not relent in its agenda to commit adequate resources and funds to help explore newly- improved technologies to boost domestic food production and security, Mr. Fiifi Kwetey, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said.

He said the nation had the capacity to boost domestic food security with the application of the right technology, citing how such innovations had over the years led to the production of improved new varieties of cassava, maize, rice, yam, amongst others.

The Ministry, he said, for this reason had maintained close collaborations with research institutions and agricultural agencies to achieve the nation’s objectives as food security demanded a multi-disciplinary approach and involvement of all stakeholders.

Mr. Kwetey was addressing stakeholders’ in the agricultural sector at an Open Day organized by the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Fumesua near Kumasi.

CRI showed some of its improved new crop varieties, interacted with industrialists who also went on a trip to its research fields and laboratories. This was designed to allow for the public to appreciate the work of the CRI and challenges with the view to strengthening the Institute to meet its constitutional mandate.

Mr. Kwetey said the Research-Extension Linkage Committees had for instance enabled his Ministry to offer feedback to scientists on farmers’ perspective of technologies that are delivered for adoption.

This, he said, had also created the platform for farmers to present their problems or challenges to the researchers for their interventions to enhance food production.

The Rev Dr. Hans Adu-Dapaah, the CRI Director, advised farmers to adopt technologies and improved crop varieties for their own benefit and sustenance of their livelihood.