Malaysia is now awaiting consideration from source countries, namely Indonesia, in relation to the mechanism to bring in foreign workers for the oil palm plantation sector, said the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC).
Beetroot is a rich source of nutrients and is extremely beneficial to our health. Many people include beetroot in their diet in the form of salad. It is rich in nutrients like potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6 and it eliminates the problem of blood anaemia, but The Health Site reports claim that it can also cause side effects. Some people who suffer from particular diseases must not include beetroot in their diet.
Here are five drinks that you can make from simple kitchen ingredients that can help you boost your immunity so your body builds up the strength to put up a fight against foreign pathogens.
Local soya bean producers and processors have lamented that a lack of attention from the government has resulted in the collapse of the industry-leading to the total export of raw soya beans produced in the country.
This, they pointed out, can be blamed on the high cost of poultry feed in the country, since soya is an important ingredient used in the preparation of poultry feed.
Data from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) show that soya beans are not only important in poultry feed production but can also be processed to produce (assuming the beans are non-GMO and organic) vegetable oil, tofu, meat-substitutes like soya-mince and chunks, milk, ice-cream and a host of other healthy, vitamin-E and protein-rich foods – creating thousands of jobs for Ghanaians while affording them access to relatively cheap nutrition.
The CEO of soya processing company Taipana Limited and Convener of the Rice Millers Association of Ghana, Yaw Adu Poku, said local processors have lost the market to Indian investors who buy all the raw beans and add value to them before re-importing them to Ghana.
“All of us who went into soya processing are on our knees,” Mr. Adu Poku said – recounting that a solar plant he invested in over a decade ago that could produce 50 tonnes of vegetable oil is no more because the government only concentrated on producing the beans without proper policies for off-takers.
“Government policy was only to create a job for the farmers. So, the farmers produced and there was no buyer. We stepped in to buy, but there was no deliberate policy to support the processors and so the Indians took advantage of the loopholes.”
Mr. Adu Poku said proposals and lobbying have been carried out by soya bean processors to convince the government it should be included in its flagship programme One District, One Factory – but to no avail. “With soya bean processing, you can kill 20 birds with one stone. Exporting the raw beans is not in our interest. Processing it right here will support our poultry industry, and Ghana will not have to import eggs from Burkina Faso.”
The main challenge
Mr. Adu Poku explained that some Ghanaian processors in the initial stages had a challenge with extracting 90 percent of the oil from beans when producing the poultry feed.
Even though this was a challenge with some local processors, he maintained that such processors needed government support to upgrade their operations and also buy new equipment. “But because there was no policy to support the local processors, the Indians saw an opportunity there and created a market for the raw beans to be exported without processing.”
He stated that the move killed local processors as poultry feed and vegetable oil from Indian flooded the market, forcing local processors to shut down their companies.
Mr. Adu Poku narrated that he had to lay off tens of his workers as production capacity began to decline. “I do not have any grudge with the Indian investors. I am rather speaking to our government that we are losing millions of dollars from importing vegetable oil and expensive poultry feed.”
Way forward
Mr. Adu Poku stated that with the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) in existence and operating, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. He appealed for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to include revamping soya bean processing plants in the One District, One Factory policy.
He is optimistic such a move would enable processors to access cheaper funds to make their products competitive. “We can do it here in Ghana. Why should we produce raw soya beans for export, then we go and import it back with added value at a high cost? Look at the amount of foreign exchange used to import oil into the country,” he noted.
In West Africa, shea butter production is traditionally a women’s vocation. An estimated 600,000 women depend on the industry for income. To increase streams of income for women shear farmers, an American company that sources shea butter and beeswax in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) mission in Ghana, and USAID/ West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) to train Ghanaian women shea farmers in beekeeping.
The partnership project with the title “SheKeeper” is to train 1,200 Ghanaian women shea farmers in beekeeping to be able to diversify and substantially increase their income.
“This partnership with Burt’s Bees will increase private investment and demonstrate that shea collectors can profitably produce and sell beeswax, shea, and honey to meet the growing demand for these commodities. Additional private investment by Burt’s Bees will create greater economic opportunities and a better quality of life for more of the 16 million women collecting and processing shea across 21 African countries,” the USAID/Ghana Mission Director, Sharon Cromer said.
Burt’s Bees is leveraging its grant from USAID/Ghana through the Trade Hub to introduce beekeeping and create efficiencies by supporting honey, beeswax, and shea production.
The partnership will upgrade a shea processing facility outside of Tamale, Ghana, that will significantly increase its capacity to produce hand-crafted shea butter and reduce its need for firewood, improving health and safety conditions for workers and mitigating environmental impact.
According to Shannon Hess, Burt’s Bees Director of Responsible Sourcing, the USAID Burt’s Bees SheKeeper activity will foster community and commercial partnerships with shea-producing women’s groups by introducing the multi-generational practice of beekeeping.
“Beekeeping opens opportunities for greater economic empowerment of women and youth and increased biodiversity for future generations,” she expressed.
Burt’s Bees will select at least three women’s groups from within its shea supply chain to pilot this beekeeping project, providing equipment, training, and export market linkages. Burt’s Bees’ suppliers will purchase and export all shea and beeswax sourced from these groups, giving farmers a reliable and sustainable buyer.
Through this project, USAID/Ghana and the Trade Hub expect to see the value of shea and beeswax exports, including to the United States, increase by at least $1 million through 2024.
USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. USAID’s activities and strategic partnerships support Ghana’s journey to self-reliance through an integrated approach to development, advancing accountability, sustainable systems, and inclusivity.
The West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) is a USAID-funded initiative that catalyzes economic growth through co-investing with the private sector to generate new investment, create new jobs, and increase the value of regional and international exports from West Africa.
Burt’s Bees is a dermatologist-approved natural skincare brand, offering clean and consciously crafted lip balm, skincare, makeup, and more designed to work with skin and uplift the spirit. Formulas are over 95 percent natural origin, with responsible sourcing, recyclable packaging, and no animal testing.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga East Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region Hon. Elizabeth Kaakie Mann has lauded the Planting for Food and Jobs programme as a tool to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.
Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to achieve zero hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
“Ghana, through Planting for Food and Job Programme is working tirelessly to achieve the sustainable development goal (SDGs), the goal 2 that enjoins Nation to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by the year 2030”, Hon. MCE said.
She said this during the 37th National Farmers’ Day celebration at the Ga East Municipal with the theme: “Planting for Food and Jobs; Consolidating Ghana’s food systems”.
She emphasized the need to network and strengthen the actors along the agricultural value chain, farmers, processors, marketers, transporters, import dealers, agricultural service providers, researchers, extension agents and the assembly.
She acknowledged the farmers for their immense contribution to achieving food security and encouraged the farmers to continue with the noble work and assured them of government support to make agriculture lucrative.
The Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya constituency, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo pointed out that the government’s vision to transform and modernize agriculture is anchored in the flagship programme playing a pivotal role in the development of Ghana.
She explained that agriculture has moved from being subsistence to agribusiness for the youth aiding in achieving food security.
She encouraged the youth to venture into farming, change attitudes towards agriculture and add value to the produce to maximize profit.
The overall best farmer at the Ga East Municipal Farmers Day Celebration 2021, Maurice Baffoh Addai a 34-year-old young man encouraged the youth to change their perception of agriculture and venture into agribusiness.
National Farmers’ Day is celebrated to honour and recognise the immeasurable contributions of farmers to the country’s food security and socio-economic growth. The event is celebrated every first Friday of December each year.
The importance of a farmer would is not felt if the products do not get to the final consumer, therefore, it is very important to acknowledge the value chain actors during such national awards celebration.
“We the market women, as well as the Farmers, fishermen, intermediaries (direct marketers), food processors are critical actors in the agricultural value chain, therefore, we should be recognized during the National Farmers Day Celebrations”, the Queen mother of Dome Market, Abena Fosua bemoaned.
Speaking to Agric Today Media the Queen mother said that it is the market women who directly buy farm produce from the farmers in the hinterlands to the cities for consumers, without their intervention the produce could rot at the farm, therefore, they should be recognised when awarding farmers for their contribution to the economy.
She expressed her disappointment for exempting the market women, aggregators, and other stakeholders in the value chain from the national awards.
Zakari Gariba a butcher lamented that the National Farmers Day Celebration does not give true reflection because the celebration leaves out critical players that complete the sector.
Butchers play important role in the livestock sector making every size and quantity of meat and other livestock products available for the consumers.
He appealed to the government to consider and reform the criteria for selection of the Farmers’ Day Awards to include the sector players. These will encourage the youth to do the direct marketing of farm produce.
The Upper West Region has over the years provided large quantities of cereals, shea butter, yam, mango, and a host of other fruits and vegetables to feed the country.
The government has supported more than 500 poultry farmers in parts of the Central Region to expand their farms and create jobs.
The Minister for Agriculture has reassured that the government is leveraging on its digitalisation drive to spearhead technology-driven agriculture to empower farmers through e-agriculture.
