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AGRICULTURE

EJISU: ReDIAL Project launched

Agriculture Modernization: The basis for sustainable growth and development (Re-DIAL PROJECT)

Date Created : 11/6/2020 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Esinam P. Ibrahim/Ghanadistricts.com

Ghana is widely known to be an agrarian economy and in recent times there has been some massive growth and improvement in some other sectors of the economy such as the oil and gas industry, trade and commerce, mining, sports and recreation, education, health, tourism and all other sectors of the economy in general.

Notwithstanding these growths, agriculture continues to be the backbone of the economy, hence the need to pay much attention to particularly the innovative and revolutionizing agriculture to meet the 21st-century demand.

It is in view of the above demand and in relation to the sustainable development goal two (2) which aims specifically to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition, and to promote sustainable agriculture by 2030 that the European Union is funding two point one million dollars ($ 2.1million) projects known as “THE RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION AGRICULTURE AND LEARNING PROJECT” (ReDIAL Project).

The Project which already started in July 2020 and is expected to end in June 2024 was launched on 28/10/2020 at the conference hall of the Forestry Commission in Ejisu.

The Chairman for the Project launching, Professor Okatakyie Amenfi VII, the Omanhene of Asebu Traditional Area and President of Asebu Traditional Council and also a Senior Lecturer at KNUST in his opening remarks was very grateful to the European Union for supporting the government of Ghana through the ministry of Food and Agriculture and other key implementation partners such as Friends of the Nation, Tropenbos Ghana, Faculty of Renewable and Natural Resources (F.R.N.R)KNUST, SAye TECH and SESI Technologies for initiating this laudable long awaiting agricultural innovative project aimed at improving production up to at least 70% from the current state.

He also urged all farmers within the participating districts and other agencies to play their respective roles to make the project a success.

The Guest of honor, the Municipal Chief Executive of Ejisu, Mad. Beatrice Serwaah Derkyi in a speech read on her behalf by the municipal agricultural director, Mr. Akowuah Patrick applauded the European Union and the central government for the project and also touched on the other complementary projects such as planting for food and jobs, planting for food and export and the rearing for meat and jobs which he said are all programmes targeted at achieving the SDG 2.

He however pleaded to the project consortium to consider the municipality as a beneficiary to the project in addition to the other five selected districts in the Ashanti region since it’s not part yet there are a lot of rice farmers within the municipality.

The project manager, Mr. Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah on his part enumerated in detail the benefits of the project to the farmers which included the use of technology in modern agriculture, soil testing to suit proper plantation, usage of sophisticated machines such as multipurpose thresher, combine harvesters, storage facilities, marketing, reduction of post-harvest losses and improving the entire agricultural value chain adding that since the funding of the project is a grant, the farmers are going to benefit hugely from it.