MOFA READY TO OFFER EXTENSION SERVICES TO FARMERS (PAGE 52)

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Extension Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr John Ayisi Jatango, has given the assurance that agricultural extension services would be provided to farmers who were ready to accept those services with a view of addressing their needs.
He further stated that the ministry would team up with the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the District Assemblies in creating the enabling environment for private sector participation in the funding and delivery of extension services.
The aim of the programme, he said, was to raise agricultural productivity in the region in particular and the country as a whole.
Speaking at an agricultural forum for stakeholders in the sector in Sunyani, Mr Jatango said it was the mission of MoFA to promote sustainable agriculture by ensuring an improved human livelihood through research and technology development.
Mr Jatango who presented a paper on the topic: “Increasing farmers access to agricultural services and improving rural infrastructure: The role of MoFA,’’ said MoFA was pursuing six main functions, including ensuring food security for the Ghanaian population and facilitating the production of agricultural raw materials for industry.
The ministry, he said, facilitated the production of agricultural commodities for export, effective and efficient input supply and distribution and ensured effective and efficient output processing and marketing system.
The regional extension officer stated that, the most important function that was of utmost concern to all Ghanaians was ensuring food security, which covered good quality nutrients food, hygienically packaged and attractively presented, available in sufficient qualities all year round and located at appropriate places at affordable prices.
The Senior Programme Officer in charge of Agriculture and Food Security of ActionAid International (AAI), Mr James Kusi Boama, who also presented a paper, observed that it was the wish of all farmers to produce enough food to feed themselves and family as well as for sale to generate income.
His topic was: “Market access and fair price for farmers’ produce—Key to food security.”
According to him, market access in globalisation was an umbrella term for a number of measures that a country might use to restrict imports.
He said one of the most common forms of such restrictions was tariffs on imported goods.
Mr Boama also explained that market access concerned regulation of imported services, adding that some countries might limit the number of foreign service supplier in a sector or limit the number of service transactions a foreign supplier might perform.