Danish Prince cautions Ghana against neglecting agriculture for oil
Prince Joachin of Denmark on Wednesday cautioned the Ghana government not to neglect the agricultural sector against the background of the socio-economic fortunes of the emerging oil and gas industry.
He expressed confidence in the prospects of the agricultural sector stressing that the country had the capacity to produce and “self-supply” enough food to feed the citizenry.
Prince Joachin, who was speaking at a press conference in Accra, said he was impressed with the enthusiasm and hard work of Ghanaian rural farmers, basket weavers, fruit producers and women’s groups engaged in small-scale enterprises.
The purpose of the press conference was to share his experiences and observations on the country’s socio-economic fortunes since his arrival 10 days ago.
Prince Joachin suggested that rural farmers and entrepreneurs should form groups and associations to enable them to access micro financing to increase their purchasing power and production.
He also suggested that farmers could engage in diversity crop farming to reduce the high level of risks associated with harsh climatic conditions such as flooding and drought.
Earlier, at a meeting dubbed “Business to Business” (B2B), where entrepreneurs from both countries were present, Prince Joachin described the Ghanaian economy as impressive saying the forecast for economic growth was extraordinarily positive.
He said the meeting provided the basis for both countries to expand their business relations and to explore new ventures.
B2B is a Danish development NGO which aims at promoting economic growth and social development in developing countries.
Through advisory and economic support, the programme encourages companies in developing countries and in Denmark to establish long-term commercially viable partnerships. This is achieved through transfer of know-how and technology from Danish companies to corporate entities in developing countries.
The Danish Ambassador in Ghana, Mr Stig Barlyng, observed that development co-operation between both countries began in 1958.
He said since 1989 when Ghana became a Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) programme country, the nation had been receiving more than GH¢100 million annually, from the Danish government.
Danish-Ghanaian development co-operation is focused on health, district development, including water supply and sanitation, rural roads, good governance and human rights.
Source: GNA