Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture Responsible for Crops, has iterated that agriculture and food production in Ghana remains the central focus of the current administration.
According to the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, successive governments have made relentless efforts to make investments, guided by policies and strategies to ensure sustainable agriculture.
Mr Frimpong Addo noted that food remained indispensable for the survival of humans and that science has established that there is limited time beyond which man cannot survive without food.
The Deputy Minister stated that investment in agriculture, with support from education and health, would guarantee sustainable food production and nutrition for citizens globally.
Mr Frimpong Addo averred that the strategic focus of the government on agriculture is informed by the natural endowment, comparative advantage and immense potential of the country’s agricultural sector.
The Deputy Minister noted that all 16 regions of the country were blessed with arable land for growing a variety of food and tree crops, supported by favourable weather conditions. He noted that the Government is not relenting on its efforts to transform agriculture as the sector was the driving force behind the country’s economy; presenting the best opportunity for accelerated industrialisation, job creation and poverty reduction.
Frimpong Addo commended the United Nations agencies, including Food and Agricultural Organisation, World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, as well as allied agencies both International and local, for sustaining the annual celebration of the World Food Day programme.
Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD), in an address read on her behalf, said the celebration called for a shared exploit, noting that the pursuit of development could best be achieved through collectiveness.
Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson added that the Ministry is willing and ready to work with Ghanaians and the international community to ensure that the country met its fish requirements and achieve a nourished population and a better life for national development.
Mrs Koomson noted that the Government has shown continued support to give the fishing industry the needed boost to improve productivity and performance within the agriculture sector of which fisheries is a component. She added the Ministry is willing and ready to work with Ghanaians and the international community to ensure that the country met its fish requirements and achieve a nourished population and a better life for national development.
The Minister said the theme for the event reminded “us of the impact of our actions as government and citizens on sustaining national food security, conserving the environment and general wellbeing in the future”.
“The theme further highlights the need for a collaborative effort by academia, private sector, key stakeholders and Government and the media in the agricultural (fisheries) value chain to develop and sustain our food systems.”
Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry was currently undertaking a review of the fisheries legislation to strengthen the regulatory framework to address lapses in fisheries governance and meet international best practices.
READ ALSO: Improve Governance And Augment Capital Base, Deputy Governor Urges RCBs
