Project to address food security launched in Accra
Plantwise, an international initiative, led by CAB International, a non governmental organisation, has been launched in Accra to create global plant health information resources to address global food security.
The event also opened a day’s stakeholders review and planning workshop to provide the platform for policy makers, extension and plant protection officers, research scientists and other stakeholders to discuss and exchange knowledge and experiences to expand plantwise activities in the country.
Mr Kofi Humado, Minister of Food and Agriculture, who launched the project, stated that CAB International’s relationship with government had flourished through partnerships with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-Ghana) in various development projects.
He said the Plantwise Programme, which commenced in the middle of last year, had helped to train 29 agricultural extension officers and plant protection officers to become plant doctors.
“This year Ghana is poised to scale-up the establishment of plant clinics to two more regions, Northern and Eastern,” he said and that the ministry would incorporate the establishment and running of plant clinics into its activities with the help of CAB International.
Mr Humado mentioned that further collaboration with the organisation would be supported by government to help overcome the challenges confronting the sector.
“This will also assist us in increasing growth, create employment, increase income, reduce poverty and achieve food security for our people,” he said.
Mr Morris Akiri, Regional Director, CAB International Africa, said the project was a major initiative by the organisation to help farmers lose less of what they grew to plant diseases, pests and other plant health problems.
“It has two interlinked components: setting up a network of plant clinics, and providing plant health information through an online database known as the Plantwise Knowledge Bank. Together these strengthen linkages between different stakeholders and the national plant health system,” he said.
According to him, the initiative would enable farmers to have timely access to reliable and locally relevant information and solutions, new and emerging problems to be rapidly identified and assessed, as well as increased accountability of organisations to farmers.
Mr Akiri mentioned that the clinics were currently operating in 31 countries, 11 of which are in Africa, including Ghana, adding “plant clinics may be run by government departments, National Plant Protection Agencies, and Produce Buying Agencies among others.”
He expressed the hope that the project would help enhance government’s advisory services and improve the livelihoods of poor farmers and food security.
The Plantwise programme began in Ghana in the second half of 2012 on pilot basis in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions and it is expected to be expanded to other regions this year.
Source: GNA