Cape Coast, Aug. 12, – Foreign investors should be encouraged to invest in agriculture to help increase production. Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), was unhappy that all attention was being focussed on the establishment of industries and ”nobody is taking steps to improve agricultural production”. Prof Anamuah-Mensah was speaking at a meeting with a team of agricultural experts from the Carter Centre and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), from the United States, on a visit to the UCC today. The four-member team, led by Dr E.T. York of the Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000) headquarters, is assessing the collaborative efforts of SG2000 and the Sasakawa African Association, which financed the establishment of the “Sasakawa Centre” at the UCC to upgrade the training of extension service personnel. The pro-vice chancellor stressed the need for the government to show “more seriousness” towards the development of the agricultural sector by evolving the necessary strategies to boost production. Dr Joe Kwarteng, Acting Head, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension at the UCC, urged the government to evolve strategies that will cushion the effect of the removal of subsidies on agricultural inputs. He called for the provision of adequate storage facilities and the establishment of marketing systems that will provide farmers with ready outlets to sell their products at better prices to enable them to earn more income to improve their living standards. Dr Kwarteng said a research by students of UCC’s School of Agriculture has revealed the removal of subsidies has drastically reduced agricultural production and the income of most farmers,thus placing them in harsh economic conditions. He further urged financial institutions providng credit to farmers to guarantee them inputs at the right time to enable them to derive maximum benefits from the assistance. Dr Kwarteng urged a more effective linkage between the Department of Co-operatives and agricultural extension to strengthen farmers’ cooperatives for increased production. He said a “technology village” will be set up as an extension to the Sasakawa Centre to demonstrate various technologies to farmers to assess their sustainability. Dr York said the team, which had already met with some stakeholders in the agricultural sector, has realised that there is a ”lot of “enthusiasm and potential” for higher agricultural productivity. The team has, however, observed that problems such as the non- adoption of improved technology, inadequate credit assistance and marketing facilities were hampering this potential. He stressed the need for strategies that will ensure increased agricultural production and sustainability.
