Stakeholders in agriculture discuss work plan

Stakeholders in agriculture in Western Region attended a day's workshop in Takoradi to discuss the adoption and implementation of a work plan to address various challenges in the agricultural sector.

Researchers, farmers, processors and representatives of financial institutions and NGO's participated in the workshop sponsored by management of German Technical Co-operation, GTZ.

They discussed promotion of cash crop, livestock and fisheries production, development of new products, rural infrastructure and support to urban and peri-urban agriculture.

The rest were, strengthening of intra-ministerial coordination, partnership with private sector, civil society organisations and coordination with development partners.

Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, Western Regional Minister addressing the participants emphasised the importance of agriculture in the national economy and said the workshop would provide stakeholders the opportunity to make inputs into the work plan to boost agriculture.

He said agriculture in Western Region faced peculiar challenges that included effects of mining that had degraded vast hectares of arable lands, poor condition of roads, high rate of rainfall and undulating nature of the terrain.

Mr Amoah said these challenges must be solved if the Region had to increase its contribution to the agriculture sector.

He stressed the need for the provision of small-scale irrigation projects for farmers to take advantage of the abundant water resources in the Region and commended Ministry of Food and Agriculture for establishing Inland Valleys Rice Development Projects in the Region.

Mr Amoah called for the intensification of production of food security crops and increase in the production of poultry and livestock to address food crisis in respect of availability and prices.

Mr David Okine, Western Regional Director of Agriculture said the Food and Agriculture Sector Policy Documents (FASDEP) and Agricultural Work Plan would be regarded as reference books from which the department would draw its activities at the regional and district levels.

He gave the assurance that operations of the ministry would be translated into improved livelihood of the people.