Pink 96.9 fm your life, your music
Related Articles
A survey by the Agency for Health and Food Security(AHEFS), a non-profit making organisation has revealed that the agriculture in the country has been neglected since independence.
According to AHEFS, Ghana loses 100m US dollars annually on importation of vegetables. These are mostly tomatoes and onions from neighboring countries like Togo, Cote D’Ivoire and Burkina faso.
Director of AHEFS, Mr Kwaku Asante said, the vegetable sub-sector contributed substantially to the country’s revenue. Hence, there is the need for policies to support it’s growth.
He was of the view that the country’s agricultural policies seemed to overemphasize improvement in Cocoa. And also, overemphasis on cereal or legume products. Horticultural commodities mainly vegetables, had been almost ignored in all the agricultural policies.
He added that, the economic benefits of the vegetable sector could not be overlooked. This is because, the sector served as a source of livelihood for many actors in the agricultural value change. It also contributed to job creation, income generation and foreign exchange. Not forgetting food and nutrition security.
“The introduction of standardized weights and measures on our neighboring countries have improved efficiency and transparency in the marketing system. Also improving the horticultural sector”, he quizzed.
He called on the government to focus on improving the safety and quality of vegetable products. So as to meet the demands of buyers in the domestic market. This is because, the consumption of vegetables is low due to the perception of how it is being produced.
Story By: Hilda Sefarkor Adzokpa/pinkfmonlinegh.com
