‘Agric contributes to Ghana’s growth’

STORY BY: EVANS OSEI BAFFOUR

A Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi, has mentioned that the agricultural sector contributes to the overall growth and development of Ghana’s economy.

According to Mr. Effah-Baafi, the agric sector contributes about a third of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as providing employment for about two-thirds of the working population in Ghana.

The deputy minister made this assertion during a three- day workshop organised in Accra by Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), which was aimed at addressing key issues affecting farmers as well as compare skills for the betterment of all member countries.

Mr. Effah-Baafi further disclosed that Ghana has shifted its agricultural development paradigm of focusing on subsistence agriculture to accelerated modernization and the commercialization of agriculture sector. This, he said, will span in the medium term from 2011 – 2015.
He noted that his Ministry is promoting the development and uptake of locally improved technology to increase productivity along the agricultural value chain as a policy to enhance socio-economic development.

On his part, the President of AGRA, Dr. Namanga Ngongi, in his address, mentioned the objectives of AGRA; this he said was meant to open up a safe space for dialogue, identify convergences and divergences between AGRA and farmers priorities as well as discuss ways of strengthening the converging research of farmers and AGRA in West Africa.

He said climate change has over the years been the major problem facing agriculture in Africa, hence the dialogue, to find a lasting solution to the menace.

AGRA is currently operating in 13 countries which include Rwanda, Mozambique, Tunisia, Sierra Leone and Kenya, he said.