By: Ahiador Catherine:
“A visit to parts of the Eastern, Greater Accra and Central parts of the country would reveal that most people have adopted the European diet, a situation which has resulted in the high demand for the improved and ‘chemicalized’ tomatoes, compared to the local varieties.”
Mr. Nelson Asiedu, former Extensions Officer and CEO of the Annex K. Enterprise, made this known on Rite FM’s Kuapa Yo show. He explained to host Edwin Larbi that the high demand of for ‘chemicalised’ tomato is all due to the fact that that particular variety does not contain too much seeds as compared to the local ones.
On the other hand the demand for local okro far overrides the ‘chemicalized’ ones. Mr. Asiedu noted that Ghanaians prefer the local okro than the ‘chemicalised’ and improved ones, their reason being that the local ones tastes better that the improved and ‘chemicalised’ ones.
Giving some characteristics of the local and chemicalized varieties, Mr. Asiedu explained that the improved seeds do well in growth and quality but the local ones do not do well in quality after planting them. The improved seeds on the other hand need to be planted only once, stressing that replanting of the seeds depreciates the quality of a particular grain, after plantation.
The former Extensions Officer brought further noted that seeds are equally living things which therefore need to be handled with much care. Once a farmer buys a seed from a seed shop, he or she has to plant it straight immediately rather than keeping the seeds in inappropriate temperatures, cautioning that the nutrient quality in the seeds are reduced under such circumstances.
In conclusion, Mr. Asiedu advised that Ghanaian farmers must be educated and also adopt new developmental changes in the agric sector for a proper development in the country.
Source: ritefmonline.org
