President John Dramani Mahama has pledged government’s commitment to ensure food security and sufficiency in the country.
The President made the commitment in Kade in the Eastern Region where he witnessed the harvesting of some vegetables cultivated through an enhanced technology called EnviroDome Greenhouse system.
The initiative is a collaboration between the University of Ghana and Stevicksen Ventures Limited.
EnviroDome Greenhouse system uses a scientific method to cultivate crops in a controlled environment without using any pesticides.
While lauding the initiative, President Mahama said government will support such technologies.
According to the President, Agriculture still remains a priority of government hence the massive investments in the sector over the years.
“Government is investing in Agriculture and we are seeing the results of in recent years, we no longer have to import maize that we did in the past”he said
“Ghana is also producing more than enough maize to feed herself and in 2012 we had a surplus of 200,000 tonnes of metric maize in this country,” the President added.
The President also pledged government’s commitment to reducing hunger in Ghana.
Commenting on the specific benefits of the Envirodome Greenhouse System ,President Mahama said he will get the institutions such as GYEEDA and National Service Scheme involved in the project to ensure maximum benefit.
“Government is going to support it in every way possible….. we will get all the institutions involved in this project so that we can recruit young people, train them and send them to other centres of the country,” he said.
About 1.2 million people, representing 5 percent of Ghana’s population, are food insecure. Thirty four percent (34%) of the population are in Upper West region, followed by Upper East with 15% and Northern region with 10%, amounting to approximately 453,000 people.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana