Thirteen Ghanaian Agricultural students yesterday left Ghana to begin an 11-month paid intensive internship practical agricultural training in Israel.
The group being the fourth batch brings to 500 the number of students trained under the Ghana-Israel Green House Technology programme.
While in Israel, the students would be attached to co-cooperative farms called “Kibbutz,” where they would work for five days and be in the classroom for one day.
The programme is to help build capacity of the beneficiaries who are expected to save part of their allowances towards establishing their own agri-business when they return.
The Team Co-ordinator, Prince Kwame Boakye told the media at the departure lounge that the group would be attached to various farms where they will be supervised by technical experts to ensure that they acquire the right skills in practical agriculture.
The Chief Director at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr Patrick Robert Ankobiah on behalf of the sector Minister Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto advised the students to see themselves as ambassadors of the country and conduct themselves properly.
According to him “many have gone before them, they are therefore expected to consider themselves among the many that would also be there and be a shining example to mother Ghana and the many friendly and peace loving Israelis.
“You are expected to use the capital and knowledge gained in that country to help promote best farming practices to help modernise the agricultural production in the country.
Mr Ankobiah stated that both countries have put in place a lot of measures to make their stay in Israel a memorable one as that country has a good reputation when it comes to agriculture and urged them to take advantage of the opportunity and return with brighter ideas that would transform the country’s agricultural sector through sharing the knowledge in order improve the socio-economic status of other compatriots.
Dr Akoto at another fora at the ministry said the group was expected to work on vegetable farms and will be paid and urged them to save part of their allowances in order to establish their own agri-businesses.
The green houses he explained was another module under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme adding that “another batch of 200 are expected to leave by the end of this year.”
“You are expected to become the core of the country’s vegetable production which has a huge potential to rake in huge financial reward for the farmers and the state,” he said.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU