Rastafari Conference highlights agribusiness opportunities in Kumasi
Participants at the 11th National Rastafari Conference in Kumasi have been encouraged to embrace agriculture as a viable business venture capable of improving livelihoods and strengthening the country’s economy.
The call was made by the Director of the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA), Dr. Peter Boamah Otukunor, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Mr. Emmanuel Owusu, a Programmes Coordinator at PIAA.
Addressing the conference, Dr. Otukunor urged members of the Rastafari community, particularly the youth, to take advantage of opportunities within the agricultural sector and view agribusiness as a sustainable pathway to economic empowerment.
He outlined several initiatives currently being implemented by the directorate to support farmers and encourage youth participation in agriculture. According to him, the directorate has so far distributed more than three million coconut seedlings to farmers across the country as part of efforts to boost production.
He further revealed that new programmes aimed at engaging young people in agriculture will soon be rolled out. These include the Youth in Cocoa Farming, Youth in Aquaculture, and the Youth Agriculture Estate Programme, all designed to attract young people into commercial farming.
Dr. Otukunor also disclosed that PIAA has entered into a partnership with Maphlix Trust Ghana Ltd to implement a vegetable outgrower scheme expected to cover about 6,000 acres of farmland in selected regions.
Under the initiative, participating farmers will receive farm inputs, technical assistance, irrigation support and structured access to markets. The programme is expected to enable farmers to produce vegetables throughout the year for both local consumption and export.
He noted that the initiatives form part of broader efforts to accelerate economic transformation and strengthen food security in the country.
President of the Rastafari Council, Ghana, Ahuma Bosco Ocansey, said the theme for this year’s conference, “Sustainable Agribusiness: Support and Access,” was carefully chosen to encourage economic empowerment within the Rastafari community through ethical and sustainable farming practices rooted in Ital principles and self-reliance.
While commending government for passing legislation allowing the cultivation of hemp for industrial and medicinal purposes, he called for a review of the current licensing system to make it more accessible to ordinary farmers.
According to him, the council supports a legal action filed by Techiman-based farmer Mariam Alhassan, through her lawyer Amanda Clinton, seeking a court directive for government to replace the current licensing regime with a tiered system that would allow smallholder farmers to participate in hemp cultivation.
Mr. Ocansey argued that simplifying the licensing process would remove bureaucratic barriers, unlock the export potential of hemp and ensure that local farmers benefit from the crop’s economic value.
Also speaking at the event, New York-based attorney Empress Marina Blake encouraged participants to uphold strong family values, stressing that strong families are fundamental to building a strong nation.
The conference was preceded by a tree-planting exercise at the Rastafari Unification Foundation Camp at Lake Bosumtwi and the Rastafari Repatriation Camp at Mpataase. The two camps were represented by their leaders, Nana Antwi Bosiako and King Yankee, with Rastafari members from across the country attending the gathering.
