The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has asked the low-income, middle-income countries, and international to increase their spending on resilient agro-food systems.
He said this is to support climate-smart innovations and financing of agriculture for healthier crops and the achievement of the sustainable development goal two – zero hunger.
Due to the growing demand for food and other agricultural commodities, there had been a sustainable reliance on the exploitation of resources contained in lands, forests, water, and the environment. The continued use of those natural resources had led to climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss.
For these reasons, I totally support the adoption of climate-smart innovation as a means of mitigating agricultural-related climate changes effects. Hence, the call for international donors, as well as low-income and middle-income countries to increase spending on resilient agro-food systems over the next 10 years to achieve Zero hunger and other SDGs
The minister indicated that the solution for mitigating the direct effects of these low outputs of agricultural produce on low crop yield is the adaptation of climate-smart innovation in Ghana.
He explained that the country has lost about 40% of its agricultural produce to frequent and extreme drought and floods over the years. The situation has resulted in Ghanaian farmers experiencing the effects of climate change, which often rendered the lands unproductive and reduce yields of major crops
He is hopeful initiatives such as the AICCRA smart innovation and climate-resistant agriculture would help in improving productivity and protect the livelihood of Ghanaians.
Crop Research Scientist of the CSIR, Dr. Stephen Yeboah called on the government to provide adequate incentives to farmers to boost their production.
According to him, this together with building farmers’ capacities would result in increasing crop yields to prevent food insecurity in the country as the impact of climate change reduces
“Climate change is affecting food security in Africa, both crops and livestock and there is the need for us to address the issue before our people face starvation”, Dr. Yeboah said.
Climate change is contributing to price hikes of food crops in the country as dams dried up due to harsh climatic conditions, making it difficult for irrigation a veritable process for crop cultivation all year round.
He recommended that farmers should be given improved seeds that could withstand climate change with enough financial and technical know-how to navigate through those unfavorable climate conditions
If farmers become aware of the accidental outbreak of pests and diseases, it would cushion them from unexpected outbreaks that affect their yields, the Deputy Director of Plant Protection and Regulatory Service Directorate, Mr. Christopher Mawuli Gaitu said.
He asked farmers to make pest and disease management practices part of their farming practices and keep diseases at bay.
He urged the farmers to adopt the best biological control practices to manage pests and diseases to avoid too much residue, resulting from excessive use of fertilizers.
