Madam Louise Paris, the Deputy Director of Operations at the Canadian High Commission in Ghana, has hinted on a CAD$125 million fund from the Canadian government to boost the agricultural sector of Ghana.
Madam Paris disclosed this during her speech at a ceremony to officially hand over refurbished and retooled science and computer laboratories equipment to the Ohawu Agriculture College at the Ohawu North Municipality of the Volta Region.
“The project was funded by the Global Affairs Canada with support from the University of Missouri, USA and the University of Saskatchewan, Canada,” she said.
Madam Paris revealed that, Canadian government was already working in hand with the government of Ghana to improve the agricultural sector especially in the area of rehabilitation, retooling and infrastructure upgrading of the five colleges of agriculture in the country.
According to her, there would be a revised curriculum that would modernize all the five colleges of the agricultural sector. This revised curriculum would support market-oriented, gender sensitive and environmentally sustainable teaching and learning, she added.
“The project in all the five colleges of agriculture was part of the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) program implemented by the Technical Education Development for Modernized Agriculture in Ghana (TEDMAG) and valued at 15 million Canadian dollars.
“The Ultimate outcome of the project was to improve the capacity of agriculture agents in Ghana to provide market-oriented, gender sensitive and environmentally sustainable services to farmers.”
Madam Louise Paris
The Need For Supporting Ghana’s Agricultural Sector
Madam Paris also stated that, the aim of the project was to boost the key agricultural sector actors capacities; like Agric extension farmer-based organization and nucleus farmers working in modernized agriculture production, farm management and value-chain management.
“Through the MAG program, Canada is directly providing CAD$ 125 million to the government of Ghana to help modernize the agricultural sector which has significant potential for reducing poverty and inequality in Ghana.
“This funding will be channeled through government systems, district and regional departments of agriculture, as well as the national directorate of MOFA, the CSIR and the Agriculture colleges. All channels will receive funds to implement their approved activities and to deliver in their respective mandates”
Madam Louise Paris
She further stated that, as part of the MAG program and other initiatives, the two countries had over the past five years been in partnership to advance gender equality.
“Women in Ghana are demonstrating greater empowerment; they have higher level of financial autonomy allowing them to purchase some land, mould some blocks and put up their own buildings to purchase rudimentary Agro-processing machines, to expand their Agro-processing activities and to pay school fees for their children.”
Madam Louise Paris
The principal of Ohawu Agriculture college, Mr. Ernest Abiew, expressed his appreciation to TEDMAG, the Canadian High Commission, MOFA, and other partners for their kind gesture and promised to use the facility effectively and efficiently to improve the outcome of teaching and learning.
Mr. Abiew concluded by saying, the college was faced with several challenges including inadequate classroom blocks and hostel facilities especially for female students and a dilapidated place of convenience, water shortage. He therefore pleaded for further support to address these challenges which he said was being a hinderance to effective academic work in the college.
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