Brazil’s heavy dependence on fertilizer imports is leading to a major upgrade of the nation’s ports, railways and distribution centers.
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Kumbungu rice processing mill abandoned.
A rice mill located at Kpekparigu-Kukuo in the Kumbungu district of the Northern Region – meant to facilitate the processing of local rice produced within the area – has been abandoned for years, checks by the B&FT have confirmed.
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PFJ yields US$6bn worth of food in 5yrs.
The value of food commodities produced under the government’s flagship ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ (PFJ) programme was worth some US$6.1billion over the last five years, Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has said.
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Agriculture is the best option to recover Ghana’s economy rather than going to IMF – Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana.
Interacting with the stakeholders following the recent intention of the government to engage the monetary policy institution to give it an image, help to sustain her fiscal policies, and give it an image that resonates with investors, the membership, and partners of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana are plagued with a mix of expectations.
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Tomato scarcity looms as production sinks in Burkina Faso.
Ghana risks facing a tomato shortage as the former controls 90 percent of the commodity’s imports into the country.
As Burkina Faso battles with one of the worst growing seasons in recent years, Ghana risks facing a tomato shortage as the former controls 90 percent of the commodity’s imports into the country.
The growing season in Burkina Faso, over the last two years, has been facing challenges owing to extremely sparse rainfall in around 20 of the country’s 45 provinces – with experts predicting that the situation could persist, and even worsen in the near-future.
Data from the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL) indicate that Ghana currently imports 90 percent of its fresh tomatoes from Burkina Faso.
Tomatoes, according to GIRSAL, currently have a national consumption demand of 800,000 metric tonnes per annum. Local production however continues to slump, unable to meet half of consumption targets.
Equally, the tomato processing industry in Ghana remains small and relies heavily on imports of raw materials – concentrate and additives.
Meanwhile, processing plants installed in Pwalugwu, Techiman and Wenchi have all been shut down due to unavailability of quality raw materials at affordable prices. Ghana is estimated to consume more than 100,000 metric tonnes of tomato mix annually, apart from the fresh fruit.
Why situations in Burkina Faso may impact Ghana.
The Burkina Faso Ministry of Agriculture has said almost three million people are suffering from food insecurity, as new weather patterns have already turned 50,000 hectares of farmland into barren fields.
Last year, Burkina Faso experienced a 461,000-tonne grain and cash crop shortage countrywide.
Government figures have indicated that more than 450,000 hectares of arable land lay fallow in 2021 owing to rising levels of violence.
In June this year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a statement said: “Thousands of displaced people in Burkina Faso, facing both a major food crisis and an upsurge in armed violence, have come to rely entirely on government and humanitarian organisations.
They are forced to abandon their crops and means of livelihood; these people are now extremely vulnerable”.
The Red Cross however noted that over 32,000 people in the Est, Nord and Sahel regions – both residents and displaced people – were given crop seedlings, notable among which were tomato, onion, millet, sorghum and cowpea seeds in order to grow cash crops at the subsistence level.
These happenings, stakeholders have hinted, must be a guiding path for Ghana to begin the right processes to enhance domestic production with deliberate attempts to reduce imports.
Key issues remain with production in Ghana Low yields continue to remain one of the major challenges for tomato production in Ghana, as most farmers cultivate less than 10 metric tonnes per hectare against the potential of 20 metric tonnes per hectare.
Besides, poor agronomic practices, lack of varieties for commercial agro processing, as well as farmers still planting local varieties – typically with high water content, many seeds, poor colour and low brix level – have all been identified as key production setbacks.
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Government takes steps to improve food productivity.
The Department of Agriculture in the Asutifi North district has distributed a total 111,000 seedlings to farmers in the area from January to June this year.
Mr Paul Boakye, the District Director of the Department, in an interview with Agric Today Media on Friday at Kenyasi in the Ahafo region, said the seedlings included 25,000 economic trees and 86,000 oil palm.
The Director noted that the Department had earlier distributed 30,000 oil palm, 63,000 cashew, 3,000 coconut and 20,000 economic trees summing up to 116,000 seedlings in last year. ” in 2020 alone, we distributed 40,000 oil palm, 3,000 coconut and 50,000 cashew seedlings making 93,000″ he disclosed.
Mr Boakye stated that the seedlings were shared to farmers in Gambia, Ntotroso, Kramokrom, Goamu Camp, Koforidua, Kenyasi, Tutuka, Obengkrom, Amomaso, Bogyampa, Donkorkrom and other distribution centers across the district.
The Director Indicated that the seedlings were nursed at the various centers which were nearer to the farms, for easy access and proper transportation of the items, to ensure the good health of the seedlings.
He reechoed that it was the mission of the Department to promote agriculture development by providing framework, public investment, and support services needed for domestic and export – oriented business enterprises.
Mr Boakye expressed gratitude to the Asutifi North District Chief Executive (DCE), Anthony Mensah, traditional authorities, Religious leaders, Assembly Members and other stakeholders for supporting the activities of the Department.
The District Extension Officer, Anthony Omari – Mensah, said the Department taught the farmers planting, spacing, application of pesticides among other good agronomic practices, to ensure good yield of the crops.
Mr Omari – Mensah disclosed that Extension Officers in the Asutifi North district visited the various farms to monitor the farmers on adherence to experts advice saying that our farmers have cooperated with us.
A beneficiary, Obaapanin Yaa Kyeraa, on behalf of the farmers, thanked the Department and the assembly, for the free distribution of seedlings and inputs adding that farming has been my only source of livelihood.
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COCOBOD scolds multinationals for deliberate price plummets.
The current shortage of cocoa in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire for international market supply, and its resultant low pricing, is creating suspicions of global cocoa and chocolate traders’ deliberate attempts to perpetually keep the price of the commodity at its lowest, COCOBOD CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo has said.
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Education Ministry to provide food supplies to Upper West schools today.
The Education Ministry says it has made arrangements with suppliers to provide senior high schools in the Upper West Region with food.
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REVEALED: An African top fertiliser producer could hold a key to the world’s food supply.
Morocco has a large fertiliser industry with huge production capacity and international reach. It is one of the world’s top four fertiliser exporters following Russia, China, and Canada.
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How sincere and credible are Ghana’s agribusiness private sector players and key stakeholders? Farmer Morrison quizzed.
It’s interesting how constantly players within Ghana’s Agro-Industry have and continue to call on governments to either provide or undertake one form of project or make available financial assistance for Agro-Industry development and growth.
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