FRIDAY, 7TH JULY, 2006 -- As a follow-up to the discussions held between His Excellency Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe and Professor Miroslav Circovic at the Chancery on Thursday, 8th June, 2006, His Excellency paid a day’s working visit to the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Novi Sad to hold further discussions with the Rector of the University, the Dean and a team of Professors from the Faculty of Agriculture, to consider ways of establishing cooperation between Ghana and Serbia in the field of agriculture. The visit also afforded His Excellency the opportunity of visiting a thirty (30) hectare fish farm owned by Professor Cirkovic which was located some 40km away from the Faculty, which was initiated some twenty (20) years ago by the Faculty on experimental basis, but now serves as a field for practical work for students of the Faculty. Aside of the fish farm serving as a practical ground, it is also being run as a commercial entity where fish harvested from the ponds is sold on the open market. Flanked by his team of Professors the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Professor Milan Krajinovic, expressed his satisfaction about the fact that Serbia and Ghana have taken a bold step towards re-vitalising the once vibrant relations that long existed between the two countries.

The Dean recalled, with satisfaction, the training of four (4) Ghanaian students in Agricultural Engineering at the Faculty some years back, and relished the opportunity to have such cooperation continued in the near future. He also welcomed Exchange Programmes between Students, teaching Staff, and scientists between the two countries in the field of agriculture. Rounding off his briefing, the Dean disclosed that the Faculty has a total of three hundred and fifty (350) employees including Professors and experts from various parts of the world. He was therefore optimistic that the Faculty has the requisite experience by way of expertise to face-up to different challenges in the field of agriculture. In his response, His Excellency Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe reiterated Ghana’s special interest in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia) which has been sustained by the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries. His Excellency noted that the special relations had stood the test of time despite the changes in governments in both countries over the years.

The nearly fifty (50) years of diplomatic relations, His Excellency reiterated, has not been altered in any way by the changes in governments. He recalled the warm and friendly discussions between H.E. Mr. Svetozar Marovic, then President of the now defunct Union of Serbia and Montenegro and himself during the latter’s presentation of his Letters of Credence on 6th April, 2006; the issue of reciprocal Presidential visits was favourably welcomed by both parties. Having acknowledged the hallmark of the Serbian as dedication and competence, which values Coach Djukovic highly exhibited in Ghana, His Excellency proceeded to outline the main areas of Ghana’s fisheries sector and its role in national development. He disclosed, that overall the fisheries sector in Ghana offered employment for an estimated 10% of the Ghanaian population and further underscored the critical roles played by women in on-shore post-harvest activities in the fisheries sectors, as well as their role in the area of frozen fish distribution trade, not excluding their marketing role both within and outside of the country. It was for that recognizable role by women in the industry that a whole Ministry Responsible for Fisheries has been created in Ghana with the head, being a woman. In acknowledging that Ghana certainly encounters some difficulties in her agricultural sector which development compares in no way to the Serbian agricultural sector (highly mechanized), His Excellency welcomed any support from Serbia and for that matter, the Faculty is helping address Ghana’s agricultural difficulties. He hinted that the impending visit by President Boris Tadic to Africa, Ghana inclusive, and a possible reciprocal one by his Ghanaian counterpart, could help boost economic / trade relations between Ghana and Serbia. Reacting to enquiries and contributions from members of the faculty regarding poultry, fish and vegetable production in Ghana, His Excellency noted that Ghana has a fairly developed poultry, fish and vegetable industry and welcomed the idea of a special project on vegetable and fish production in Ghana. He conceded that fish and vegetable farming usually went hand in hand and welcomed such a venture in Ghana. He recalled previous discussions with the Victoria Group of Serbia regarding the building and operation of a bio-diesel plant and oil palm plantation in Ghana, a subject which was still under discussion, noting that Ghana might count on the assistance of Serbia by way of technical expertise in large scale vegetable production. In his contribution, Professor Timofej Furman, an expert on bio-diesel at the Department of Agricultural Engineering, stated that the Department was capable of developing / manufacturing bio-diesel plants with smaller capacities (under 100,000 tons) for purposes of rural electrification, with the view to preventing rural-urban drift in search of such amenities. The Dean of the Faculty concluded with the hope that in the near future, a protocol could be initialed between Serbia and Ghana in areas of cooperation to be identified, shortly.

His Excellency rounded off the day’s activity with a visit to the 30 -hectare Fish farm of Professor Cirkovic located some 40km away from the Faculty. On the farm were several fish ponds which were fed by water pumped from the ground with the aid of water pumps. His Excellency tried his hands on fish hunting techniques at the ponds. 18. In his pre-departure remarks, His Excellency, on behalf of the Government of Ghana and the Staff of the Embassy, expressed his profound gratitude to the Dean and his teaching staff for making time to host him and ensuring a successful trip. He expressed optimism that after the reciprocal Presidential visits by His Excellency President Tadic of Serbia and his Ghanaian counterpart, the two countries could sign the relevant Protocols on cooperation.