Akatsi (VR)-Ghana, Oct. 31, GNA – Mr Martin Kofitsey Nyahe, Municipal Chief Executive of Akatsi South has appealed to a delegation of senior officials drawn from across Ukrainian civil societies in the country to establish a fertilizer processing plant within the Municipality to boost farming in the area.
This request was made during a tour by a team of officials from across Ukraine who visited a number of rice farms within the municipality.
It was aim at ascertaining the disturbances of the recent price hikes of farming inputs in the agricultural sector.
Mr Nyahe said the Municipality was ready to partner with the Ukranian delegation to turn the enclave into the food basket of the nation.
Mr Richard Odzor, Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association in Akatsi South, during an interaction with the Ghana News Agency after the tour, said some farmers could no longer afford fertilizers “and this disturbing situation will have a negative impact on our yields.”
He revealed that most of the farmers have decided to discontinue their farming venture due to their inability to get the needed capital or money to buy the inputs such as fertilizers and their unavailability in the market.
On the challenges, Mr Odzor told the GNA there was the need to have a big dam for irrigation activities apart from the rain-fed farming system.
He also called for the presence of a mechanization centre, warehouse,s, exchange programmes between Ghanaian farmers and Ukraine, among others to mitigate the high post- harvest losses.
Mr Courage Kwashigah, Chief Executive of Kourage Investment Matrix Limited and lead consultant said many factors have been considered and “there was the need to bring such a high-level delegation to the area to determine a positive way forward.”
He said the cost of hiring some farming machines such as combined harvesters and ploughing the farmlands have shown an incremental jump in production.
Dr Oleg Nivievskyi, member of the Ukrainian delegation, who is also the Vice President of Economic Education, Associate Member at the Center for Food and Land use Research at the Kyiv School of Economics, disclosed that fertilizer production levels have saw some huge reductions in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.
“The war in Ukraine challenges international rules of trade. Trade is what is needed to bring fertilizers from other countries to Ghana and this is not happening right now because Russia challenges that,” he said.
The delegation would hold other series of high-level meetings with policymakers, senior government officials, and representatives from the business community and civil society while in Ghana and Nigeria.
They will further discuss the realities of the current situation in Ukraine, it’s impact on Nigeria and Ghana, and explore opportunities for closer association between the two countries.
The delegation further pledged their support to farmers.
Rice production in Volta has increased significantly over the years in Ghana.
Akatsi South, produces over 9,407.8 MT of rice, well over 1, 094.6 ha.
