Accra Mayor cautions estate developers …to stay off urban farmlands
The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, has cautioned estate developers in the metropolis, to stay off farmlands which are meant for urban agricultural development.
He has warned that he would cause the demolition of any such structures which spring up in the city.
The Mayor's comments come at a time when estate developers are said to be taking over farmlands, with a resultant effect on crop and livestock farming activities in the metropolis.
Speaking at the durbar to mark the 25th National Farmers Day celebration at the La Bawaleshie Presbyterian School Park over the weekend, Mr. Vanderpuije noted that the time had come to make provision for agriculture and agro-processing businesses, while regulating city planning.
In this regard, he said the Department of Agriculture of the Assembly was poised to protect farmlands from being degraded, and also to increase production in the sector, stressing the need for a review of agro-related bye-laws, to regulate agricultural activities in the Accra metropolis.
The Mayor stressed the need for the country's agro sector to stick to the pace of the developed countries, by adhering to the spirit of hardwork and determination, coupled with government support towards the transformation of Ghana's economy, through agriculture.
As a first step, he said, the country's agricultural sector needs to adopt a global approach to harness the industry, so as to meet its food security needs in the wake of the global economic crisis.
In order for the Accra metropolis to transform and sustain agricultural modernisation, Mr. Vanderpuije mentioned measures being put in place by the government, to create jobs to contain the massive rate of unemployment, include the introduction of a fertilizer subsidy, which has been given to over 1,000 crop farmers in the metropolis within the last six months.
He also talked of a flexible and attractive tractor purchase arrangement, which enables farmers to own their tractors, and noting: “I believe it is high time the trend of subsistence and peasant farming becomes a thing of the past, if we agree that this nation is lagging behind in applying advanced technologies to revamp its agriculture industry. “Again, because we are already lagging behind, I think it is also time to accelerate our steps in developing our agro industry, and Ghana's agricultural sector at this point, needs to be thinking globally, and adopt a global approach to harnessing the industry to meet international standards,” Mr. Vanderpuye said.