AGRA grants 13 million
dollars to improve agriculture in Ghana
Tamale, Aug 20, Ghanadot/GNA – The Alliance for Green
Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is providing a grant of 13
million dollars to the agricultural sector of Ghana.
The amount is out of 400 million dollars set aside to
improve agriculture in 13 African countries to make them
self sufficient in food production.
Part of the grant is to help train more agricultural
officers, improve seedlings, develop new varieties of
crops and make them available to farmers and also
sponsor agro chemicals shops to deliver chemicals at the
door steps of farmers.
Dr. A. Namanga Ngongi, President of AGRA, said this in
an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale after
he and five executives from AGRA toured farms in the
region.
AGRA is sponsored by Mr Bill Gates, founder of
Microsoft, Rockefeller Foundation as well as some
individuals and organizations.
He said he was satisfied with progress of the projects
and expressed the hope that the successful start of the
programme gave good signals that the food security
situation in Africa was improving.
Four countries in West Africa are benefiting from the
programme out of 13 countries in Africa and spans seven
to 10 years.
The quantum of money is expected to increase from the
initial capital of 400 million dollars with the
participation of more donors in the near future.
Dr. Ngongi said Savannah Agriculture Research
Institution (SARI) and Savannah Seed Services Company
and other organizations including some agro chemical
shops were the implementers of the projects.
He said these organizations would make improved seeds,
fertilizers and chemicals available at the doorsteps of
the farmers while the agriculture officers sponsored
under the programme would develop new varieties of crops
for distribution to the farmers.
Dr. Ngongi said 18 students were on sponsorships at the
University of Ghana to pursue masters’ degrees and PHDs
in agricultural science while others are also in the
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for
similar programmes.
Mr Patrick Adingtingah Apullah, the Managing Director of
Savannah Seed Services Company, commended AGRA for its
good initiatives to boost agriculture that would ensure
Africa’s food sufficiency.
He told the GNA that the country stood a greater chance
of improving food security in the next few years if the
project progressed.
He said Savannah Seeds Services had produced 200 tones
of seeds for distribution to farmers at accessible and
affordable rates to farmers in the three Northern
regions and some parts of the Brong- Ahafo Region.
Mr. Sylvester Adongo, the Northern Regional Director of
Agriculture, expressed concern that government did not
readily pay attention to the implementation of ideas
that would be to the benefit of farmers.
He said lack of vision and focus made most agricultural
policies suffer progress at its implementations.
Mr. Adongo said with AGRA’s involvement in the sector,
he hoped there would be improvement in agriculture.
GNA
