Agric School

THE Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr E. A. Debrah, has reiterated the fact that large imports of rice as a result of shortfalls in local rice production are negatively affecting the country’s trade balance.
“Rice is increasingly becoming an important staple cereal due to rising population, rapid urbanisation and increasing per capita consumption”, he said.
In an address read on his behalf at the 31st graduation ceremony for 38 participants at the Bok Nam Kim Agricultural School and Farms at Akuse last Friday, he urged all Ghanaians and other residents to patronise locally produced rice to support the ministry’s efforts to reduce rice importation to save the country’s foreign exchange.
He said the ministry was glad to acknowledge the fact that the farm had considerably improved the diplomatic ties between Ghana and South Korea and that the ministry would strive to strengthen that bond.
“We also appreciate the establishment of a scholarship scheme to support the training of the participants at the school”, in a bid to support the government’s drive to boost rice production.
According to him, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) seeks to spearhead national efforts to improve food security and emergency preparedness through its Food and Agricultural Sector Policy II.
“To this end rice has been selected among other four staple food crops, namely maize, cassava, yam, and cowpea for the Ministry’s support to enhance production along the whole value chain”, he stated, adding that the attention being given to rice under that policy reflected the critical role rice assumed in food security in Ghana and at the global level.
He stated that the weak institutional linkage among the operators in the local rice industry was being addressed by the Ghana Rice Professional Body (GRIB), an association comprising producers, processors and brokers in the rice industry.
“GRIB’s effort at enhancing farm productivity and profitability are driven by an elaborate programme that seeks to improve the quality of local rice”, he added.
He said MOFA’s strategic thrust also recognised enhanced human resource development as a prerequisite for sustainable agricultural development.
He advised the graduands not to wait for the ministry or donor-sponsored projects before they put the knowledge and skills acquired to good use.
“Gather enthusiastic and resourceful farmers wherever you are and start rice production. For in the crusade to liberate Ghana from the chronic rice shortfalls no effort is too little”, he admonished.
The South Korean Ambassador, Mr Wi Keyei-Chul, said under the Korean Initiative for African Development signed in 2006, the Korean government had tripled its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa in just three years due to the fact that Ghana was Korea’s main ODA partner in Africa.
“Specifically last year both governments launched the E-consul and E-government project to enhance government’s administrative efficiency and effectiveness by providing the Ghanaian government with cutting-edge information technology system”, he stated.
He noted that this year two additional projects amounting to about $5 million were underway to improve basic education and maternal healthcare.
He said the Korean Development Agency and the Korean government had invited more than 30 Ghanaian government officials, engineers and researchers for various training courses under a technical assistance programme.
Mrs Young Ok Kim, the Chairperson for AFKO Group of Companies, co-sponsors of the training programme observed that the school had trained a total of 1,109 students comprising 949 males and 160 females.
She said that the late Bok Nam Kim established the Agric School to demonstrate the scientific method of rice cultivation used in the Republic of Korea for adoption in Ghana in a bid to boost rice production in the country.
The participants went through an intensive five-week training programme covering topics including rice cultivation and livestock production.
As part of the programme they were also taken through some tae kwon do lessons to improve their self-defence skills.