Revive grains, legume industry to full potential …Agric Minister to board

A nine-member Grains and Legumes Development Board was on Tuesday sworn into office by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto.

The board is chaired by Mr Alexander Akwasi Acquah, with Mr Samuel Boadu, Mr Seth Osei-Akoto, Mr Francis Kwasi Adzalo, Mr Peter Oteng Darko, Dr Robert Agyeibi Asuboah, Mr Samuel Danquah Arkhurst, Madam Monica Boakye-Kutin and Mr William Oppong Bio as members.

Swearing them in, Dr Akoto challenged the board to revive the grains and legume industry by exploring full potential of the sector.

He said the board should formulate policies and programmes that would increase revenue and benefit farmers.

The Board Chair, Mr Acquah, said agriculture was the backbone of Ghana’s economy, employing about 60 per cent of the workforce, adding that the board would work assiduously to come out with policies and programmes that would augment the Ministry of Food and Agriculture(MOFA)’sagenda to promote agriculture.

“The board will ensure continuous support for the government flagship programme “Planting for Food and Jobs” initiative with the provision of quality foundation seeds of the major staple crops to farmers. Also, the board will support the commodity value chain development process,” he said.

According to Mr Acquah this would ensure sustainable food production and food security in the country.

“Seed, which is the basic unit of plant propagation and very critical to crop production, will be made available to farmers at all times in order to increase their household incomes and reduce poverty,” he said.

He said with the needed support from stakeholders, the importation of seeds from other countries, as happened in the previous years, would now be a thing of the past.

By AGNES OPOKU SARPONG