Chief Executive Officer of CTA Engineering Limited, Mr. Kwame Amoakohene in his speech at the 2017 Rite FM Agric Forum (RAF), held at the Ensign College of Public Health made a call on authorities to establish mechanization centers in all districts for farmers to access them.
Fortunately, the Ministry of Trade and Industry was reported to establish mechanization centers in all 216 districts across the country to enhance accessibility of farming machinery and equipment.
‘’The ministry of Trade and Industry is to established mechanization centers in all 216 districts across the country to enhance accessibility of farming machinery and equipment,” The Ghanaian Times newspaper reported.
According to Alan Kyeremateng, Minister of Trade and Industry, the move, to be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, forms part of government’s strategy to make farming machinery and equipment accessible to farmers to aid its ‘planting for Food and Jobs’ programme.
“…the plan is to decentralize and make available machinery and equipment for farming and other businesses across the regions. It will bring the machines farmers need to their doorstep and contribute to efforts to reduce the cost of farming and other business operations’’ the publication said.
Host of Rite FM Agrotech talk show, Mr. Edwin Larbi in partnership with the CEO of CTA has been advocating for the idea, pleading witt the Ministry of Agric to consider introducing mechanization since most farmers are not able to afford some of the machines which is impeding the sector’s growth.
According to Mr. Amoakohene, Agriculture as it stands now has migrated from the use of cutlass to technology.
He added that, each ecological zone has its own challenge that farmers encounter, and therefore if authorities consider the district mechanization per the district production, it can boost the agric sector and also motivate farmers grow more.
Mr. Kwame therefore recommend that, stakeholders before proceeding should consult farmers on the grounds to know their need in terms of machines and that can lift Ghana’s agriculture to the international standard.
.Source: Joyce Bedeley/ritefmonline.org
