€90m Agric project commences in North Tongu
The largest agricultural company in Italy, BF, has began a €90 million project at Aveyime-Battor in the North Tongu District in the Volta Region to produce food for the local market and for export.
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The Italy-Ghana collaboration mega farm project will cultivate rice, maize, soya, tomatoes, banana and wheat on 5, 000 hectares and further expand to 25, 000 hectares acquired for the agribusiness.
From a traditional agricultural operator in Italy, BF has transformed into agro-industrial fields, capable of generating value through the oversight of the entire agricultural supply chain from seed to table.
Durbar
At a durbar preceding the sodcutting last Tuesday, a Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo, described the project as timely and suitable as it would readily provide the needed technology to develop agriculture to great heights and create jobs.
“We need technology and human resources to transform agri-business in the country, so we will fully support BF in this endeavour to improve lives,” he added. Mr Addo said Phase II of Planting for Food and Jobs initiative had taken off, and appealed to chiefs to make land available for the scheme to work.
He said without the active involvement of the youth in agriculture, the sector would not make giant strides in future.
Agric devt
The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Daniela, d’Orlandi, said the development of Ghana’s agricultural sector was a priority of the embassy and the Italian Trade Commission in Accra, as well as the Italian Development Cooperation.
“We believe Ghana can greatly benefit from the expertise, know-how, technology and equipment of Italy to develop and transform its natural resources, create value and achieve food security,” she added.
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The envoy also said that the project would contribute immensely to the development, modernisation and diversification of agribusiness in the country. Mr d’Orlandi further said that the BF project was in line with a Mattei Plan, recently launched by the Italian government to promote mutually beneficial partnership with African countries in different priority sectors, including agriculture.
She gave the assurance that the embassy would support the activities of BF in Ghana, saying: “We look forward to an even stronger collaboration between Italy and Ghana in the agricultural sector for the benefit of our people.”
Vision
The Chairman of BF Ghana, Georges Mikhael, said the company’s vision was to create a sustainable enterprise which was socially and economically viable to shape the future of agriculture in Africa.
“We create innovative and sustainable high technology to foster regenerative agriculture,” he added. The Paramount Chief of Battor, Togbe Patamia Dzekle VII, said the agricultural sector accounted for a fifth of the country’s GDP, employing more than half of the country’s workforce.
Therefore, he said, investment in commercial agriculture which the BF project sought to do at Aveyime-Battor was gratifying. “I am looking forward to partnerships between the local communities and the company to ensure that our farmers learn and benefit from modern farming techniques,” the chief said.
The North Tongu District Chief Executive, Osborne Fenu, said the success of the project would also attract other investors to the area. Later, there was an exhibition by the company and its subsidiaries, as well as other Italian companies, of their equipment, farm produce and processed products.