Technical committee set up to protect smallholder farmers
A THIRTY-TWO member ad hoc technical committee has been set up to seek the interest and provide the needs of smallholder farmers in the country.
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The committee, a support system for these farmers comprising stakeholders and persons related to the agricultural sector, will be grouped into units to provide mechanised farming tools to farmers, enlighten farmers on the methods of irrigation and protect the markets where smallholder farmers sell their produce.
The membership of the committee include Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Ministry of Finance (MoFA), Directorate of Crop Services (MoFA), Women In Agricultural Development (MoFA), District Directors Of Agriculture, Food and Drugs Authority, Chamber of Agribusiness, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Agrihouse Foundation, Aveyime Irrigation Scheme, Ghana Commodity Exchange, The Agricultural Engineering Service Department of (MoFa), National Service Authority and the Regional Agricultural Directors of the sixteen regions.
The rest are Ohawu Agricultural College, Wenchi Agricultural College, We North, Batuisa Ayachaap Cooperative, Song Ta Tieta Enterprise, Marvmay Enterprise, Eco Solutions Co Ltd, Ignitia Company Ltd, Agrokings Company Ltd, Agrisolve Co Ltd, Degas Co Ltd, Newage Co Ltd, Farmerline Co Ltd, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) Shepherd Mills Ltd ,TDX Ltd, Yedent Ghana and IB ZAKIS Ltd.
The committee was announced yesterday at the Daily Graphic-World Food Programme Technical Stakeholders Breakfast Meeting at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.
On the theme: “Transforming Agriculture Productivity in Ghana: Enhancing Incomes of Smallholder Farmers through Reduction in Post-Harvest Losses”, stakeholders delved with the problems and solutions of post-harvest losses.
Focal Point
The Coordinator, Sustainable Food Systems of the World Food Programme, Steven Odarteifio, noted that the committee, while a focal point for agribusiness, would facilitate the needs of smallholder farmers in the country.
He also added that the committee would work with smallholder farmers who constitute the bulk of the country’s agricultural value chain to shore up food production and minimise post-harvest losses.
He revealed that ninety per cent of food consumed in the country were imported, and the country loses 1.2 billion United States dollars annually due to post harvest losses.
“It is a connected interplay of activities by these stakeholders to make sure that we are all creating this and no one is left behind,” he told the Daily Graphic.
He said the constitution of the committee encompassed all stakeholders to avoid any form of sabotage or malicious intent from those who feel left out.
“This committee is supervisory, it is facilitation, it is lessons learnt, it is exchange of ideas, it is a contribution of how we can do this better, it is also accountability and transparency," he noted.
He said the committee would be grouped into many units which would see some groups providing training, while others provide equipment and other units looking at access to markets.
He said the committee would be reviewed annually through the partnership with the Graphic Communications Group Limited at a forum to take stock of what went wrong, well and what could be changed.
Post-harvest losses
A panel discussion on post-harvest losses by three panel members urged stakeholders to take seriously the issue of post-harvest losses and management.
The Business Development and Partnership Manager of Degas Limited, an agri-fintech start-up in Accra, Hiba Debbar, called on stakeholders to mobilise logistics and tolls to curb the debilitating menace of post-harvest losses that hurt the farmer and the country.
“Post-harvest management should be something we must prioritise and never take for granted, we must find solutions to tackle it,” she noted.
Self-Sufficiency
The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd, Ato Afful, called on stakeholders to work towards food sufficiency in the country.
He noted that it was imperative for the country to be strategic at becoming food sufficient and his outfit was ready to support all stakeholders in achieving it.