Canada To Support Ghana Grow It’s Agric Sector

The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Heather Cameroon, has reiterated her government’s support to help improve the agricultural sector in Ghana.

Canada is the world’s fifth largest agriculture exporter with significant agro-processing as part of its economy with its global sales increasing with 69.5 billion dollars since 2015.

The High Commissioner gave the assurance when a team from Canada’s Alberta Climate Smart Agriculture program led by Dave Burdek, Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, held a day seminar with key stakeholders in the sector at the Golden Tulip hotel in Kumasi last Monday to among others, establish networks and secure investment opportunities.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Heather Cameroon.

The visit fits into the government of Ghana’s agenda to modernize the agriculture sector and reaffirm the Ghana-Canada partnership.
The province of Alberta accounts for about 20 per cent of Canada’s exports of primary and processed agricultural and food products (agro-food exports) and has a strong history of developing innovation in livestock management.

Ghana is expected to improve its agricultural productivity within the medium term as it collaborates with innovators from Canada.

Participants at the seminar

Ms Cameroon revealed that her government has since 2016 supported Ghana’s agriculture sector with its government injecting 125 million Canadian Dollars to support Ghana’s food security.
She lauded the government of Ghana’s new policies and initiatives to make the agricultural sector very lucrative to help eradicate poverty, create jobs and grow the economy.

Participants at the seminar

“But I understand for many years agriculture in Ghana has not perhaps been successful as many Ghanaians would like, the rate of labor productivity has remained too low, the skills and knowledge have not always kept pace with the growth or the innovation in the sector”, she said.

She added that there’s hope in Ghana’s agricultural sector, with the availability of water, land, quality researchers and students.

The Alberta Innovation and Smart Agriculture mission also toured the Kintampo Municipality in the Brong Ahafo region to identify sites for ranching system at Dawada, with a delegation made up of the Paramount Chief of the Fulani community, Alhaji Osman Bin Ahmed.  The project also seeks to curb conflicts among Fulani’s and yield productivity.

Alberta Innovation & Smart #agriculture Mission tours the Kintampo Municipality to identify sites for innovative #Cattle ranching system @AndersonBlanc2 @CanHCGhana pic.twitter.com/MshDZjvryw

— Peter Fiamor (@PFiamorTCS_SDC) May 19, 2018