God will destroy all who destroy the environment – Prof. Frimpong Boateng cautions.

July 10, 2023

Accomplished Cardiothoracic Surgeon and former Minister of Environment Prof. Frimpong Boateng has sounded a word of caution, calling the judgement of God on all persons destroying rivers, forests and natural habitats.

The former Minister made the emphatic pronouncements backed with scriptures at a breakfast meeting held by the Kumasi Chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship to mark its 40th anniversary in the Ashanti Region.

“Revelations 11:18 says the nations are angry because your wrath has come. The time has come for you to punish the dead and to reward your servants the prophets and saints who revere your name.”

“The last line is, ‘and to punish those who destroy the earth. That is what God says. He will destroy people who destroy the earth.” He asserted.

Professor Frimpong Boateng’s report on activities of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining which revealed alleged involvement of politicians and influential persons in government, the media and the presidency, has generated a swell of both praise and vilification.

Prof Frimpong Boateng cautioned, “When we are destroying our environment, we must know we are not alone. All the other creatures are very important. God created us to do His will. To cater for the last, the least and the lost.“

Buttressing his point, he described how destroying one tree caused a significant ecological imbalance and disrupts a whole symbiotic chain of natural habitats and organisms created in the infinite wisdom of God.

“When we take machines into the forest, pull down trees; there may be a dozen birds with their nests there as their home. We might find lizards, termites and other things there as their habitat. When we take it down it is like an earthquake to these organisms. For these animals, there are thousands of earthquakes in Ghana everyday destroying their habitats, water and food sources.”

Professor Frimpong Boateng chided, “They will not survive, and God is not happy with that.”:

He asked, “When was the last time you saw a vulture in Ghana? Vultures need tall trees and if you destroy their habitats, their food and sources of water, they will die.”

Prof. Frimpong Boateng challenged the gathering to imagine the scenario where a more powerful being came to the earth pulling down homes and taking away all the food and water that humans survived on.

In an astute memory of verses, he pointed to the story of Jonah’s mission to Nineveh and explained how God was not only concerned about saving the lives of the 120 thousand residents but also spoke about the animals that lived in the land.

The Kumasi Chapter President of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship Gideon Tei was elated Prof. Fimpong Boateng shared valuable keys for living a life that mirrored the Grace of God.

He told reporter Ivan Heathcote – Fumador, “Listening to him, he has come this far by grace. If we look at his age, those of us coming up can only look up to God to help us attain this honor.”

Ghana is this year hosting the world conference of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship which comes off from the 13th to the 15th of July in the capital Accra.

This will be the second time the conference has come to West Africa after Nigeria Hosted the conference in the year 2003.

Ghana further holds a notable position in the Fellowship as a Ghanaian, Francis Owusu, was elected the current international President of the Full Gospel Business Mens’ Fellowship, on February 9th, 2023 in Malaysia.

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Cocoa farmers to receive the biggest intervention that will change their life – Agric Minister.

July 10, 2023

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The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Bryan Acheampong says the government will soon roll out an unprecedented policy that will seek to change the welfare of the Cocoa farmers.

Without giving any hint about the nature of the intervention, the Abetifi Member of Parliament said the programme, which will be announced before the next cocoa season, will be the biggest intervention that will discourage farmers from trading their Cocoa farms for illegal mining.

“I don’t want to take the wind out of the president’s sail. There’s a big announcement coming for Cocoa farmers in this country. It is unprecedented. There’s going to be a big, big, big announcement for Cocoa farmers” he reiterated.

Cocoa farming is going to change in this country because we know it is an important crop, and we know the toils of farmers” he stated

In an interview aired concurrently on three Nkawkaw-based radio stations, the Minister stated that the aim of the government is to reverse the the trend where Cocoa farmers are tagged poor.

“I don’t think the money the ‘galamsey'[illegal miner] person will give you if you aggregate it over ten years, it will beat what cocoa will give you” he argued.

“Yes, if you compare what you will get from Cocoa to that of what the galamsey person will give you, maybe the galamsayers money will be so much for this year, but what happens next year, next five years and next ten years. You may be coerced to give out your property but in the long-term, you will lose”he explained

Cocoa is the largest agricultural export of Ghana, and Ghana’s main cash crop.

However, farmers over the years have bemoaned over the lack of support and low income from their sweat despite their vital contribution to the Ghanaian economy.

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I solved problem with food suppliers, but they resurfaced with Minority for show – Bryan Acheampong.

July 8, 2023

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The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong has explained that his confrontation with members of the Minority Caucus at the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) on Friday, July 7, was out of shock.

He said he had visited the aggrieved suppliers on Thursday, July 6, and that he had a fruitful engagement with them, and they agreed and vacated the Buffer Stock Company premises only for them to resurface through alleged machinations from the Minority Caucus.

Mr. Acheampong told Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News on Citi FM that he was later informed on Friday, July 7 that the members of the association had regrouped and were meeting the Minority which came to him as a shock.

“We discussed a roadmap to a solution and the people agreed and left. I drove past the Buffer Stock Company at 12 am [Thursday, July 6] and I saw only two of the protesters. When I went there this morning, I saw the same two because they were supposed to go home and have a meeting on Monday.”

“Around 3 pm, I had information that they have regrouped and that the Minority had gone there with food and other things and so when I got there, I told the Minority Leader that what they were doing is not right, and so I confronted them in my state of shock.”

“I am saying that when I went there yesterday, I solved the problem with them, and they were to go home, and they did, and I was going to tell them how they were going to get paid and there is a meeting coming on Monday and so that was the end of the matter and so for them to all of a sudden come back to meet the Minority with cameras was a show,” Mr. Acheampong added.

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GOLD in the SOIL Awards receives 96 nomination in the Eastern Region.

July 7, 2023

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The Agrihouse Foundation’s Gold in the Soil Awards has garnered significant attention and participation this year, as it has received a record-breaking 96 nominations from 33 districts in the Eastern Region.

This remarkable achievement highlights the growing recognition of exceptional women farmers and farmers with disability in the agricultural industry, along with their invaluable contributions to the sector.

As anticipation builds for the upcoming awards ceremony, let’s explore the categories that received the highest to the lowest number of nominations. This will showcase the diverse talents and accomplishments within each category across the districts of the Eastern Region.

Scheduled for July 26-27 in the Eastern Region, under the theme “OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS TO WOMEN AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS,” the Gold in the Soil Awards comprises 15 categories that represent a diverse range of achievements.

These categories highlight the exceptional accomplishments of women along the entire agricultural value chain, from farm-to-market excellence and innovation-driven solutions to community impact and sustainable practices. Each category holds its own significance, reflecting the multifaceted nature of women’s contributions to agriculture.

PASSION FOR THE FARMS AWARD:

This award pays tribute to an individual woman who exhibits boundless enthusiasm and a deep passion for agribusiness. Whose commitment to the growth of her community, job creation, mentoring young girls, and promoting agriculture on both small and large scales sets her apart as a true inspiration.

This category received the highest number of nominations, with 29 nominations from women in Farming,Processing , packaging Poultry and Livestock in Akuapim North District, Afram Plains South District, and Ayensuano District.

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN EXTENSION SERVICES AWARD:

Recognizing women in the public or private sector, this award commends women who tirelessly contribute to agricultural development through training, capacity building, and advocacy.

Their efforts empower farmers with best practices, leading to socio-economic development and empowerment at both the societal and national levels. This category received sixteen (16) nominations from Fanteakwa North District, New Juaben North Municipal, and Yilo Krobo District.

GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARD:

This prestigious accolade acknowledges the remarkable accomplishments of a woman who has made a significant impact along the entire agricultural value chain. From production and processing to branding and marketing, this outstanding individual has not only achieved excellence but has also positively influenced her community. Extra recognition will be given if she has successfully exported her products.

This year, this category received eleven (11) nominations from woman farmers in cocoa, rice, livestock, poultry farming in various districts including Akuapim North, Afram Plains South, Kwaebibirem, Akyem Krobo, Ayensuano, Anum Apapam, and Fanteakwa North.

SHE INNOVATES AWARD:

This esteemed award celebrates a woman who demonstrates the power of innovation in her agribusiness. By identifying challenges within her community and the agricultural value chain, has developed innovative solutions that add value to her business and positively impact the industry as a whole. The She Innovates

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CAG paid a courtesy call on the new Turkish Ambassador to strengthen the agribusiness trade between the two countries.

July 6, 2023

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The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana CAG has paid a courtesy call on the new Turkish Ambassador. The visit was to officially introduce the Chamber to the Ambassador, discuss the opportunities in Ghana’s agriculture sector and collaborative strategies aimed at promoting and strengthening agribusiness trade between Ghana and Turkey.

Chief Executive Officer of CAG, Farmer Anthony Morrison in his introductory remarks congratulated the Ambassador and his government on wining their election, and expressed his condolences on the earthquake that struck the country, claiming thousands of lives.

Farmer Morrison noted that though a cordial relationship exists between the Chamber and the Turkey since 2015, which has led to some trade tours to Turkey engaging several Turkish businesses with the prospects of engaging in businesses in Ghana, there is the need to properly profile these businesses for proper due diligence checks.

He noted that due to Turkey’s high technological capabilities, the Chamber’s focus will be on finding ways to develop trade in areas of skills and knowledge transfer under agricultural technology, agro processing among others. “In areas of industry, we are opened to embrace a lot of Turkish companies, government has One District One factory, as one of its projects, so there are lots of opportunities for Turkish agro processing companies to tap into our agro processing industry and other value addition ventures” he added.

He mentioned Ghana’s cashew, mango, coffee , cocoa and citrus, as some of the strongest industries in Africa, and areas that should be tapped into for development whiles exploring Turkey’s strong poultry, livestock and wheat bran industry to improve on Ghana’s agricultural sector.

Farmer Morrison advocated the design of a more deliberate and strategic trade summit that is geared towards connecting and bringing together businesses and investors from both countries to promote and deepen trade between Ghana and Turkey. In this light, he added that the Chamber will set up a trade facilitation desk to promote information sharing and trade between Ghana and Turkey.

The Turkish Ambassador to Ghana, Hüseyin Güngör who received the team mentioned agriculture and technology as the two key areas of partnership his outfit will be focusing on.

According to him, discussions are underway with the University of Ghana, School of Agriculture for a capacity building program for students.

He commended the Chamber for the visit so reiterate the importance to continuing partner with the embassy on Agribusiness to promote the economy.

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CSIR/Crops Research Institute prioritizes climate resilient technologies under new strategic plan.

July 4, 2023

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Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI), has prioritized the development of superior consumer-acceptable climate-resilient technologies under its 5-year Strategic Plan.

The 2023–2027 strategic plan is targeted at commercializing agricultural research and innovations to support agricultural growth and industrialization for improved livelihoods.

“We have not gotten the kind of support that we have been expecting from industry. Our main support has been coming from donors, but within this strategic plan we are going to make a very conscious effort to bring in industry,” said Dr Maxwell Asante, Deputy Director of CSIR-CRI and Chairperson of the implementing committee of the strategic plan.

The CSIR-CRI broad research mandate covers food and industrial crops; including cereals, legumes, roots and tubers, tropical fruits and vegetables.

The production of these crops is under the threat of climate change as farmers experience erratic rains in recent times.

Projections by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggest that warming scenarios risk having devastating effects on crop production and food security, especially for Africa where agriculture accounts for the majority of livelihoods.

Key risks to agriculture include reduced crop productivity associated with heat and drought stress and increased pest damage, disease damage and flood impacts on food system infrastructure, resulting in serious adverse effects on food security and on livelihoods at the regional, national and individual household levels.

The CSIR-CRI supports farmers to adopt new agricultural technologies.

Dr Asante observed that without access to irrigation, improved seedlings and agronomic technologies, farmers are unable to be climate resilient.

“The whole idea is to equip breeders with new technologies to breed varieties that are for this current environment because if you bred a variety 30 years ago and farmers are cultivating it now, it was not bred for that environment,” he noted.

“We have equipped our breeders with modern tools, DNA, markers, speed breeding so that every two years, they can generate new varieties and those varieties will be tested in this current environment and therefore it will work for our farmers in their field.

Farmers, traditionally, are inclined to clear new fields for crop production, in which process they contribute to deforestation and depletion of carbon sinks that eventually lead to climate change.

The crop researchers are already encouraging farmers to plant on continuously cropped fields, especially in the production of yam. This means they will not open up new areas to have the carbon sinks intact.

According to Dr Foster Boateng, Management Board Chair of CSIR-CRI, “research is coming out with varieties that are drought-tolerant because now you know that climate change has set in… research must come out with varieties that can command genetic advantage. That can withstand drought. That can withstand diseases and pests. Otherwise, there’s nothing we can do.

“And we can’t put more land under cultivation. Because when you put more land under cultivation, we know that agriculture also speeds up deforestation. So once you research and get genetic materials that command that advantage, we can go on vertical expansion in production rather than horizontal expansion in production”.

The adoption of climate smart agricultural practices is the way to go for Ghanaian farmers.

The farmers will need resilient crop varieties and farming technologies, increased diversification of agriculture systems, promotion of simple irrigation facilities, and training to change from the old ways of farming.

“Our agronomists are also doing a lot, they are doing things like new irrigation technologies so that we don’t use a lot of water in the field; we are looking for technologies that use less nitrogen so that there is less emission of greenhouse gases. The varieties, the agronomy and training, a lot of training in farmers are part of the strategy,” said Dr Asante.

He believes the partnership with industry will help finance research and make technologies accessible to farmers.

“We have products we can launch to industrial people who want to pay a little for us to plough back into our research; show them different varieties and technologies associated with it for them to invest in the technologies,” noted the rice breeder.

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QU Dongyu of China re-elected FAO Director-General.

July 3, 2023

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Qu_Dongyu_-_7_October_2019_4 — Photos from the World Cotton Day photo gallery may be reproduced provided attribution is given to the WTO and the WTO is informed. Photos: © WTO/ Roxana Paraschiv

Overwhelming support confirms second term as head of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

QU Dongyu was yesterday re-elected to a second term as Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In ballot by FAO member countries, Qu received a total of 168 out of 182 votes deposited.

Nominated by China, Qu was the only candidate to FAO’s top position in today’s election. His new term will run from 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2027.

The election took place on the second day of the FAO Conference (1-7 July).

Since being elected FAO Director-General for the first time in 2019, Qu has championed a wide range of reforms and initiatives to overhaul the Organization’s business model, improving efficiency and implementing best practices that support programme and administrative effectiveness.

FAO’s transparency, visibility and reputation has continued to increase over the last four years, amid major global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other protracted conflicts, economic downturns, and the intensifying climate crisis.

Qu has strongly advocated for the transformation of agrifood systems to make them more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable, with the ultimate goal of helping Members achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

For that, FAO has focused on boosting science and innovation and launched some important strategic initiatives. The Hand-in-Hand Initiative, for example, supports the implementation of nationally led, ambitious programmes to accelerate agrifood systems transformations. It uses advanced geospatial modeling and analytics, as well as a robust partnership building to raise incomes, improve the nutritional status and well-being of poor and vulnerable populations, and strengthen resilience to climate change.

In the emergency and humanitarian response, FAO has been advocating for greater investment in medium and long-term resilience building, livelihood protection and disaster risk reduction support alongside humanitarian actions, especially in fragile contexts. In this sense, the Organization has stepped up its work in prevention and anticipation with the aim to address the root causes of food crises.

Another highlight of Qu’s leadership was the creation of the World Food Forum (WFF) in 2021. Over the past two years, the WFF has identified powerful ideas, scientific and evidence-based knowledge, innovations, policies and solutions, while forging new partnerships and investment opportunities to transform our agrifood systems.

The WFF will continue to expand its reach in 2023, and draw a clear connection to the theme of climate action, while the global events in October will again encompass three pillars: the Global Youth Forum, the FAO Hand-in-Hand Forum and the FAO Science and Innovation Forum.

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QU Dongyu of China re-elected FAO Director-General.

July 3, 2023

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Overwhelming support confirms second term as head of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

QU Dongyu was today re-elected to a second term as Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).