President John Mahama has given indication that government’s recent increased investment in the agric sector has already begun yielding impressive results.
The President early on in the year announced plans to invest heavily in Ghanaian products which have the potential for export.
He also hinted of plans to ban the importation of a number of imported goods.
In line with this, government promised to revamp the Komenda sugar factory, Pawlugu Tomato factory and has also extended about GHC 50 million to Poultry and rice farmers to support them increase their production capacity.
$270 million was spent last year on the importation of poultry products while $467million was spent on rice imports.
It is estimated that local farmers are now only producing 10 per cent of Ghana’s poultry needs.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has tasked the local farmers to meet 40% of local demand in the next year.
President Mahama said government was “increasing investment in agriculture to increase production of strategic commodities on which we spend a disproportionate of our foreign exchange. These investments are resulting in a positive increase in local rice production. Support to the poultry sector is already yielding impressive result.”
According to him, government was “pursuing the revival of the Komenda sugar factory to help cut down our huge import bill on sugar. We are also investing millions of cedis in local pharmaceutical companies to augment the local production of products here in Ghana.”
He also said initiatives in aqua culture will also create jobs and increase the supply of fish and “this transformation is the surest security for the socioeconomic development of our nation.”
By: Kwaku Anim Boadu/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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