top ad
Home Blog Page 107

FDA cautions palm oil producers over the use of SUDAN IV.

0

The CEO of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko has cautioned oil palm producers in Ghana to desist from the use of Sudan IV in their oil palm production during the Palm Oil Goes Digital Launch at Mensvic Hotel, Accra.

She acknowledged the good initiative that Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Out-growers Association have put in place to help curb the menace of SUDAN IV in Ghana, however, FDA would continue to work with the association to collect samples of the palm oil and test every year to sanction those who add unwholesome chemicals in their palm oil.

“We would sample and test all palm oil in the market to bring down all those who are using harmful chemicals for production, we are pleading with the producers, wholesalers, retailers, consumers, and the public to refrain from the use of Sudan IV in palm oil for the benefit of our health”, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko added.

She encouraged the members of the Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association to educate palm oil producers on the effects of chemical additives on human health and bring members to the association to help curb the menace of SUDAN IV.

She urged the general public not to panic but to patronize the palm oil because FDA is working sedulously to bring down perpetrators in the sector.

Mr. Paul Amaning, the President of Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association assured the commitment of the association to work hard to assist the government and the FDA to curb the menace of the SUDAN IV.

According to him, agritech is critical to the development of the agriculture sector. The new technology in the oil palm sector that is the App would function to detect if the QR code of the branded palm oil is coming from an approved FDA or not before purchasing.

He added that the app would display information about the producer of the palm oil with their pictures and location for easy identification of the producer by the consumer.

He called on the general public to assist in combating this act by identifying producers who use SUDAN IV for production in their communities.

Ad article

Maize shortage in Ghana: SC719 (Gyemedi) high-yielding hybrid maize seed will contribute to alleviating maize shortage in Ghana.

0

The SC719, Gyemedi in the local dialect is a high-yielding hybrid maize variety with drought-tolerant and stretch needs developed and imported by Seed Co West and Central Africa to alleviate the menace of food security in Ghana.

Maize is one of the staple foods in Ghana and its shortage coupling with price hikes is a critical issue to food security in the country, but with the farmers’ field day event of SC719 under 135 hectares observed at the Volta Region near Juapong indicates that there is hope to alleviating maize shortage in Ghana.

The objective of the SC719 farmers’ field day is to allow farmers to share knowledge and encourage the farmers to share information in order to have as many farmers as possible to improve productivity in Ghana. Having fertile land, and good agricultural practices, the variety of seed is a critical element to consider of which without good seed all effort is proven futile.

“When you look into our catalogues of crop varieties that we have released in Ghana, we have other hybrid seeds that farmers have the option to choose, but the most important thing that I have learned from this field visit is the best practices”, Dr. Solomon Ansah, the Deputy Director of Crop Service Directorate, Ministry of Food and Agriculture said.

According to Dr. Solomon, every seed goes with its own best practices therefore, it is very crucial that farmers comply with the good agricultural practices with regards to a particular kind of seed there are patronizing.

He urged the farm manager to document all the good agricultural practices that were involved in making the SC719 Seed Co seed a flourishing for other commercial farmers to emulate.

Wikus Venter, the Farm Manager said it is achievable for them to harvest 10 metric tons plus per hector of land by using Seed Co SC719 in Ghana. Seed Co seeds are reliable, their germination percentage is 99.5%, they have been treated with Syngenta products and the Seed Co agronomists visit the fields almost every two weeks during the production period making it the first option to choose.

“Seed Co seed we have planted is very strong against wind, there is no problem when the wind is blowing. Normally, the other varieties keep falling down when the wind blows but SC719 does not fall”, he uttered.

Wikus appealed to the Seed Co West and Central Africa to make availability and accessibility of the seed for other commercial farmers to patronize.

“For other farmers, I think the best way is to be close to Seed Co because they have a lot of resources; soil sampling, the type of agrochemical to use, and they have knowledge of growing maize to get the best yield per hector”, he added

To achieve maximum yield to feed Ghanaians, seed care is very crucial. “We believe that to make seed industry booming in Ghana, seed care is very important and we are coming out with additional foliar applications to control the Fall of Armyworms to aid in maximizing the yields potentials of our farmers and make sure that Ghana is a pedestal of feeding Africa”, Kingsley Adade, Country Manager of Syngenta Ghana explained.

Sharing information between and among commercial farmers on options and rightful means of achieving maximum productivity is very key to the development of Ghana’s agriculture, hence, the essence of the SC719 hue field demonstration.

Dr. Takemore Chagomoka, the Regional Manager of Seed Co West and Central Africa said it is very imperative to allow farmers to share knowledge and information to motivate commercial farmers in Ghana to improve productivity to solve food security issues in the country.

He explained that Seed Co West and Central Africa is determined to set up seed manufacturing in Ghana to produce seeds locally.

He called for more farmers and stakeholders’ participation to assist in addressing the maize shortage in the country by patronizing the reliable realistic maize variety SC719.

Ad article

CSOs in agric call for lower usage of fertilizer to protect the environment.

0

Some Civil Society organisations (CSOs), including the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFA) and the Centre for No-Till Agriculture, have advocated for a new policy that will gradually discourage the use of fertiliser while encouraging the adoption of agroecology in farming.

The CSOs argue that the world is moving from excessive usage of fertiliser to the application of agroecology techniques which provide an opportunity for increased food production while protecting the environment and biodiversity.

This, they say, will not just protect the environment but also prevent the instances of Ghanaian farm produce from being rejected during export.

“If you look all over the world the usage of fertiliser is coming down, but the reverse is the case here in Ghana. We have encouraged its usage to the extent that it is being abused,” said the Head of Programmes and Advocacy at the PFAG, Dr. Charles Nyaaba.

Speaking on a survey titled ‘Sustainable Farming and Political Participation of Small-Scale Farmers in Decision Making in Ghana’, Dr. Nyaaba disclosed that there is a general increase in the use of agrochemicals and mechanised farming practices across the country.

He stated that the use of organic fertilisation for soil fertility management is considerably higher in the northern part of the country compared to the south. “Farmers in the north were well aware of the decline in soil fertility, which they acknowledged was as a result of the increased use of agrochemicals,” he said – adding that the difficulty with agroecology farming in Ghana has got to do with getting labour and the high demand for fertiliser due to poor soils.

Providing details on the survey, he observed that key informants raised issues about policy inconsistencies, commodity price instability, and credit insufficiency as major concerns of farmers. He is of the opinion that there is a need to conduct an intensive campaign against the excessive use of agrochemical inputs and practices which degrade the soil’s fertility.

“Policymakers need to acknowledge the issue of commodity price instability since farm-gate prices are low and need to be standardised across production areas. There is a need for intensive research on organic fertiliser and agrochemicals,” he said.

Dr. Nyaaba expressed worry that a lot of farmers in the north are stuck with the usage of fertiliser compared to farmers in the southern part of the country.

He advocated that farmers should be introduced to other climate change adaptation strategies, and must be made to focus on empowering farmer organisations and linking them to strong markets in a value chain approach.

In addition, Dr. Nyaaba said farmers should be encouraged to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services in their communities by avoiding bush-burning.

Highlighting some steps taken by the government to create awareness on climate change, the Head of Environment and Climate Change at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Kingsley Amoako, said Ghana is implementing the Resilient Against Climate Change Project (REACH) which is a component of the EU’s national indicative programme, ‘Productive Investment for Agriculture in Savannah Ecological Zones’ funded by the 11th European Development Fund.

He explained that the overall objective of REACH is to foster a sustainable inclusive agricultural development supporting food security and steady income for communities in the Northern Savannah ecosystem of Ghana by 2025

“The specific objective of the programme is to establish the conditions for the sustainable and inclusive rural economy through the enhanced implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation practices in agriculture at district and community levels,” he said.

Ad article

Lack of National Strategic Planning and Implementation is the result of collapses of Ghana’s Agro-processing industries.

0

The collapse of various agro-processing industries in Ghana is demoralizing making it seems nothing good could come out of the state-owned industries especially in the agriculture sector.

Recently, the series reportage made by most of the media houses has given a clear indication that most of the agro-processing industries in Ghana are collapsing. Notably, a report that the “Ekumfi Juice Factory has not shutdown, drought-affected our production” by the management is a threat to its sustenance.

The major threat of these all is the Mim Cashew shutdown resulting in more than 1,000 employees been laid off. The sector left for sustenance in terms of employability is the agriculture sector, therefore, seeing the collapse of such agro-processing industries in Ghana indicates that there is no strategic plan by the policymakers to sustain these industries for youth employment.

The question is, why are the state-owned agro-industries collapsing but the foreign agro-industries like Blue Skies and others surviving and making huge profits in Ghana?

Experts in the agriculture value chain have it that the lack of National Strategic Planning and Implementation is a result of the collapse of Ghanaian agro-processing industries.

Divine Morny, the CEO of GSM Centre of Entrepreneurship and Technology has bemoaned that Ghana allows anything and everything to operate using the little resources without a strategic focused framework.

“What is our national strategic focus in agribusiness?” he questioned. “We are a poor country and Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of the nations’ theory must guide us”, he quoted.

According to him, the cost of raw material is a key factor in eventual output cost and the price to the consumer. “We must avoid setting up businesses without first of all securing cheap and abundant raw material supplies locally or internationally”, he added

He expounded that the global market opportunities must be focused and the long-term market prospects must be selected with the knowledge of the limited product markets. We marshal the resources to ensure the lead capture in the global share.

In conformity, the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, Anthony Morrison has once said that the agriculture sector needs the establishment of the Ghana Agriculture Regulatory Authority.

“We need to create the Ghana Agriculture Regulatory Authority, this has been long overdue. If we have this authority, we can now go ahead and create the Ghana Agriculture Information Management System. This can be used to coordinate the activities of all the research institutions connected to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture”, he said.

With the establishment of the Ghana Agriculture Regulatory Authority, a proper national strategic plan would be implemented to curtail these menace in the economic system.

Ad article

Trade Ministry to finalize the agreement on Komenda Sugar Factory.

0

The Ministry of Trade and Industry and its Transaction Advisor, Price Waterhouse Coopers are concluding the Conditions Precedent to activate the Concession Agreement, a strategic investor for the Komenda Sugar Factory.

The sector Minister, Allan Kyerematen said the conclusion of the agreement with the Strategic Investor, Park Agrotech Limited would enable them to commence operations at the factory.

Mr Kyerematen said this when he appeared before Parliament to respond to a question by Mr. Samuel Atta-Mills, Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem on why the Komenda Sugar Factory is still closed, and what has happened to the Strategic Investor the country was promised.

Hon. honorable explained that Park Agrotech Limited was an agro-processing company based in Ghana, who together with its India-based technical partner, has significant expertise in the sugarcane cultivation and sugar processing industry.

He referred to the various incentives that Park Agrotech was requesting as part of the proposed Concession Agreement.

He said working with the Transaction Advisors, the Ministry has painstakingly worked through various requirements and requests.

As part of the arrangements, Park Agrotech has applied for and has been granted One District One Factory (1D1F) status by the Ministry.

This he said would enable Park Agrotech to take advantage of the incentives and benefits as approved by Parliament for 1D1F registered companies and to commence operation at the Komenda Sugar Factory expeditiously.

Mr. Kyerematen further stated that the Ministry has instructed the Transaction Advisor and Park Agrotech to ensure that the Conditions Precedent to the Concession Agreement and a road map for the opening of the factory is finalized by the end of August to enable operational activities to commence before the end of this year.

Ad article

New IFAD roadmap in Togo agriculture sector that Ghana could emulate.

0
Gilbert F. Houngbo, the IFAD President.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) led by Togolese Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo wants to further support the local agricultural sector over the next 6 years.

The consultations opened a few days ago in Lomé have enabled IFAD and officials from the Togolese Ministry of Agriculture to agree on the priorities.

Essentially, there are four major projects focused primarily on improving agricultural yields and productivity; facilitating access to finance, and the market for farmers.

Support for actors in agricultural value chains through the acceleration of MIFA S.A; the valuation and transformation of productions via the Adéticopé industrial platform (PIA); the development of the Kara pilot farm; the implementation of the agricultural land law for the securing land transactions are the main pillars of cooperation.

First. This will involve developing inclusive production systems that sustain access for small producers and their organization to technologies and knowledge with macro-resilient performance.

In this context, a number of areas of action have been listed: the development of sustainable solutions in terms of water management and management, the implementation of land reforms and land consolidation processes, the development of new fertilization formulas of soils, access for small producers to efficient and climate-resilient inputs, modernization of agricultural advice and the promotion of digital technologies, support for producer organizations in the agro-ecological transition process.

Second. Facilitating the integration of family farms of rural women and youth into agricultural markets and business partnerships with a view to increasing added value and creating employment opportunities.

The proposed investment actions relate, among other things, to infrastructure facilitating the connection of production basins to different market segments, processing and packaging technologies and techniques for marketing, partnership initiatives, productive activities with agro-SMEs, aggregators, and institutional markets, support for entrepreneurship of young people and women in agro-sylvo-pastoral sectors, strengthening of producer organizations for the implementation of the strategy of the productive alliance.

Third. Institutionalization of dialogue at the sectoral level with the active involvement of producer organizations of local authorities in the private sector in the process of preparing for the implementation of agricultural development strategies and programs in the coordination.

To do so, the investments proposed to relate to the strengthening of peasant leadership, including the female and youth components of producer organizations in order to improve their condition in the processes, support for the improvement of the planning, monitoring, and evaluation system. sector and finally support for initiatives aimed at improving civic engagement.

Basically, IFAD’s portfolio in the implementation of all its actions includes a project in the completion phase (National Project for the Promotion of Rural Entrepreneurship-PNPER), a mid-term project (Promifa), and an start-up phase (PRIMA).

The new IFAD country strategy (COSOP) once validated by the parties will be rolled out over a period of 6 years (2021-2026).

Ad article

CAA partners Ritter, Fuchs & Hoffman, and Ascot to improve cocoa farmers’ lives.

0

Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA), Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co KG, Fuchs & Hoffmann, and Ascot have collaborated to set up an economically viable and resilient cocoa production system to help improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their households.

The 3-year sustainability project seeks to target about 526 members and their households and this would be implemented in Daboase, Aboso, and Bogoso in the Western Region of Ghana.

The collaboration was launched virtually and conveyed representatives from each organization.

The main components of the joint program include Training members and field staff with the innovative Farmer Business Schools (FBS) approach; The implementation of an integrated and supportive Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS); Boosting the household income from cocoa and other agricultural products and enhanced shade trees seedling planting and monitoring program.

The reps explained that the Farmer Business Schools (FBS) pieces of training would build the capacity of the members and their spouses in order to take advantage of the skills and knowledge to improve their incomes and food supplies.

CAA staff would be trained externally to strengthen the service delivery, refreshed knowledge, and skills which go beyond the technical content.

“With regards to the CLMRS component, existing child labour cases and families at risk of child labour and school attendance will be identified, child labour risk assessment which consists of household surveys, community profiling, and awareness-raising will be done at the start of the program.

Data gathered in the first year will be used to develop the model further for subsequent years with a remediation plan and members categorized into a low and high risk to child labour.

This should lead to an increased percentage of children of CAA members and their sharecroppers attending school over a period of 3 years” the reps said.

They further explained that the Living Income component is split into 2 elements where a study would be carried out to identify the status quo, develop targeted activities and measure the progress towards a living income.

“The project would establish a household income baseline for the targeted member households and provide suggestions for cost-effective monitoring of the household income in the following years.

The study would also provide recommendations on improving the household income which includes from cocoa farming and other agriculture-based livelihoods particularly for women” they mentioned.

Ad article

FAO Director-General tells G20: to have healthy food, we need a healthy environment.

0
QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General, at the G20 Environment Ministerial meeting.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today called on G20 Environment Ministers to step up joint efforts, increase investment and work more closely with FAO for game-changing impacts on the planet.

Qu made the call at the G20 Ministerial Meeting on the Environment, which discussed solutions for nature and sustainability – from combating climate change to building sustainable cities.

“Today, humanity faces a triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate crisis, and the impact of the pandemic,” said the Director-General.

“To have healthy food, we need a healthy environment,” stressed Qu in view of the global challenge of having to meet a growing demand for food and other agricultural products whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as conserving biodiversity, sustainably manage natural resources, including water, and protect and restore ecosystems.

Qu made a strong case for increasing water use efficiency and fostering sustainable water management to address water scarcity and improve water and food quality.

The lives of over a billion people are severely constrained by water scarcity or shortages; almost a billion hectares of rain-fed cropland and pastureland are severely affected by recurring drought, and over 60 percent of irrigated cropland are under high to very high water stress.

These water-related challenges could be addressed, argued Qu, with the help of digital innovation, more effective governance mechanisms, and investments.

The FAO Director-General also emphasized the need for stepping up biodiversity-friendly approaches, including more investments in related actions.

“Current levels of investment are highly insufficient,” said the FAO Director-General.

Yet, if we could fully fund the goal to restore degraded land, the target of halting deforestation could be achieved by 2030, added Qu.

The benefits of these would be significant. For example, reversing deforestation will help mitigate climate change and reduce the risk of future zoonotic spill-overs. Reversing biodiversity loss and land degradation can reap $1.4 trillion per year.

“We need to repurpose agricultural subsidies with harmful effects on our climate and biodiversity. We need to invest in the long-term Research & Development to create the innovation and technologies required for producing more with fewer emissions and within our environmental boundaries,” urged Qu.

Agricultural sectors offer key solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises.

To support these solutions, Qu also called for an enabling environment – including institutions, policies, and financial backing for the small-scale producers, family farmers, and Indigenous Peoples, who are the true in-situ custodians of our natural resources.

The recently launched UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, led by FAO and the UN Environment Programme, provided an “excellent opportunity to mobilize our collective efforts”, noted Qu.

He emphasized that FAO’s work was guided by the need to transform agri-food systems, making them more efficient, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable – all with the aim of achieving FAO’s “four betters”: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life, leaving no one behind.

FAO for nature.
The planet is losing biodiversity at an alarming rate, and FAO is calling for urgent action to reverse this trend.

Putting in action what it recommends, FAO is mainstreaming and scaling up biodiversity-friendly approaches and actions – from developing policies, facilitating dialogues to implementing projects and supporting countries doing the same – across the food and agricultural sectors.

FAO, with its Members and partners, is contributing to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to be adopted at the next UN Biodiversity Conference that supports the sustainable use, conservation, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.

As part of the efforts of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, FAO will focus on restoring ecosystems to enhance food security, transform agri-food systems, address climate change and preserve biodiversity.

Ad article

Palm oil goes digital to curtail the menace of Sudan IV.

0

The Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and out-growers Association are introducing digital technology into the palm oil industry to curtail the menace of SUDAN IV. This is to ensure authentic and healthy Palm oil for the global market.

The association has developed an app for both the app store and the play store which would be launched on Wednesday 28th July 2021 at the MENSVIC Grand Hotel at 10 am to enable consumers to track the source of the palm oil and the producers before purchasing for consumption.

Palm oil is one of the most useful and nutritious cooking oils in Ghana. Sudan IV dye is used as a hue of enhancer in palm oil despite the ban as food pigment due to its carcinogenicity and mutagenicity by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). As a food dye, Sudan IV is considered an illegal dye, mainly because of its harmful effect over a long period of time.

Paul Amaning, the President of the Association, said the app called the Artisanal Palm Oil would perform two functions. According to him, the app first of all would allow customers to order palm oil from the comfort of their homes and have it delivered to them.

Secondly, the function of the app is to help customers verify the source of the palm oil with the aid of a QR code to guard customers against consuming any palm oil containing Sudan IV.

The palm oil industry should adopt the technological approach to succor to make sure all producers produce pure and hygienic palm oil to help Ghana meet the world market specification. The industry is currently dominated by small-scale producers who are responsible for the production of about sixty (60) percent of the total palm oil production in the country, which is close to about a hundred and twenty thousand metric tons a year.

Some of the dignitaries to grace the occasion are Prof Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Chair of the program, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekufful, Minister For Communication, as special guest, other invited guests are Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, CEO for NAFCO, Mrs. Kosi Yankey- Ayeh, GEA, Mr. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, Director of Political Affairs at the office of the chief of staff, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko, CEO of FDA amongst others.

Ad article

AGRIFED and WACCI collaborate to build the resilience of smallholder farmers against the negative impacts of climate change.

0

The Agribusiness Value Chain Federation, Ghana (AGRIFED) & Mel Consulting Limited and the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana, Legon have partnered to effectively build the resilience of smallholder farmers to adapt to the negative impact of climate change through research and development.

Climate change has become a pervasive global crisis and its evidence and impacts are becoming rampant in Ghana. The agriculture sector is very sensitive to the impact of climate change due to the heavy reliance on water. Smallholder farmers are predisposed to be impacted by climate change. The goal of this agreement is for the Parties to collaborate in research, development and implementation of climate-resilient programmes and projects that build the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers along the agribusiness value chain.

This partnership will create a bridge to facilitate the creation and interchange of information, as well as scientific, technical, financial and institutional collaboration in the area of agricultural, social and environmental projects development and implementation between the agribusiness sector and academia.

Speaking on the MoU, the executive director of AGRIFED and MEL Consulting, Ms Lucy Akua Kyerede Quainoo stated that in the visible light of changes in weather patterns due to climate change, more have to be done in the adaptation and mitigation strategy space using Agritech. Such pioneering initiatives in Crop growth prediction forecast goes a long way to enhance production and allied activities such as Agrifinance and Agricultural insurance will ensure the success of the agriculture sector in Ghana”

Giving specific roles to be performed by the parties as defined in the MoU, AGRIFED is to provide technical advice to the WACCI in the development, management and financing of programmes and projects, facilitate project financing and together with WACCI, they shall develop a framework for project/ programme development, management, financing and communication.

WACCI’s responsibility is to provide crop research data that might be useful for farmers’ adaptation to the ugly impacts of climate change. Such data will include drought-resistant crop varieties and sustainable agricultural practices.

Prof Danquah of WACCI acknowledged the importance of this collaboration. “The current trends in weather patterns require such synergies to ensure that production activities are taken to the next innovative level in agronomy and meteorology”, Prof said. He added that WACCI’s work in innovative agriculture is brought to focus here and looks forward to a successful project.

Agribusiness Value Chain Federation, Ghana (AGRIFED) & Mel Consulting is an organization with the purpose to facilitate services along with production, processing, and marketing activities, financing, and capacity building of Agricultural Value Chain Actors in Ghana.

West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) is an academic research institution that is working towards eradicating food insecurity in West Africa through the training of the people needed to breed and improve food security crops for farmers who currently cultivate unimproved low yielding varieties

Ad article
1...106107108...167Page 107 of 167
agrictoday.com
Agric Today is a news agency that publishes on Agric and provides vivid update of news and analysis on topical issues of national and international importance in Agriculture. The agency also analyses sectoral issues involving news on Agri business, Crops, Animals etc
Facebook Instagram Twitter WhatsApp

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© 2023 Agrictoday.com.gh