Africa must take advantage of agric to develop continent – S.A High C’ssioner

Agriculture is the new gold for the African continent to attain socio-cultural development, Grace Jeanet Mason, the South African High Commissioner in Ghana, has said.

Mrs Jeanet Mason indicated that the people of Africa could use the available vast lands, many rivers and water bodies, good weather conditions and improved seeds in the continent, to plant more to export more.

The High Commissioner was addressing officials of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) on Monday at Goaso, the Regional capital, as part of her official visit to the region.

She has earlier held a bilateral engagement with the Ahafo Regional Minister, George Yaw Boakye, at his office to discuss areas of investment opportunities in Ahafo by the Republic of South Africa.

Mrs Jeanet Mason noted that her visit was aimed at strengthening the economic, trade, cultural and political relations between her country and Ahafo Region, for an accelerated development.

The High Commissioner stated that she and her entourage traveled from Accra to Goaso by land, to appreciate the lands, rivers, sites and scenes of Ahafo Region, to see areas of cooperation.

” I have realised that Ghanaians especially the people of Ahafo Region, have the full potential and everything to farm in the large scale for feeding and export, to earn more foreign currency” she said.

Mrs Jeanet Mason disclosed that her country would corporate with Ahafo Region in areas of trade, Agriculture, health-related issues especially maternal care, youth and women empowerment.

The Ahafo Regional Minister, George Yaw Boakye, stated that he visited the South African Embassy in Accra, to share the development prospects of Ahafo Region with the High Commission, for economic and business investment.

” Though Mrs Jeanet Mason sent a delegation to Ahafo, after my visit, to see areas of development and cooperation in the area, she has decided to come personally to link her country and Ahafo Region ” he noted.

Mr Yaw Boakye told the High Commissioner that plans were far advanced to roll – out a youth apprenticeship programme, which will target over 1,200 youth with employable skills in the Ahafo region.

The team later paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Goaso Traditional Council (GTC), Nana Kwasi Bosomprah I and the management and staff of Goaso government hospital.

FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, GOASO