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FOOD SECURITY IN GHANA:THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFUSION OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES

FOOD SECURITY IN GHANA:THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFUSION OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES. By Sylvester Gyamfi Ghana Statistical Service Nov. 2006. Introduction. Right to food , a fundamental human right Households must have reliable supply of food to maintain good health

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FOOD SECURITY IN GHANA:THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFUSION OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES

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  1. FOOD SECURITY IN GHANA:THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFUSION OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES By Sylvester Gyamfi Ghana Statistical Service Nov. 2006

  2. Introduction • Right to food , a fundamental human right • Households must have reliable supply of food to maintain good health • Over 800 million people worldwide are food insecure • Ghanaians, no exception though the economy is endowed with numerous natural resources • In effective production techniques, low yielding crop varieties, inadequate supplies of water, etc constraints to the achievement of food security • These factors coupled with bushfires resulted in severe famine in the country 1983 • Concerted action became imperative to improve food security in Ghana.

  3. Action by various Governments • Successive Governments shown interest at improving food security • National Liberation Council (NLC) Government – Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) • The leadership of the National Democratic Congress – Pledged support for the World Food Summit (1996) Plan of Action --Coordinated efforts at ensuring food security at the individual, household, national, regional and global levels --Eradicate Poverty to improve accsess to food -- Ensure Peaceful and Stable Environment, a condition for the attainment of sustainable food security • The ruling government, the New Patriotic Party Government, commissioned a joint FAO/WFP mission to assess food supply situation in Northern Ghana in 2002.

  4. Activities undertaken to improve food security in Ghana • Realisation to move away from traditional to modernising agriculture through the application of science and technology • Activities concentrated on: • Increased production of selected food crops • Production and preservation of fish • Livestock production • Prevention and management of crop and animal diseases • Increased production of selected food crops • Major staple crops selected as starting point • Maize • Rice • Millet • Sorghum • Cassava

  5. Activities on selected crops • Ministry of Food and Agriculture link up with research institutions • Research Institutions produce breeder seeds through the application of science and technology • Foundation seeds produced from the breeder seeds through various multiplication projects • Teams of crop protectionists inspect planting materials before they are coppiced for distribution to farmers • Field trips organised for farmers to research-managed demonstration fields as part of technology transfer • Effective use of low cost irrigation techniques (23 Chinese irrigation experts deployed to rehabilitate dams) – ADB/FAO-SPFS • Currently piloting Urine Technology – Urine as liquid manure to fertilize maize, rice, sorghum, plantain, paw paw and other crops on pilot basis

  6. Results of application of science and technology • New hybrids of major staples developed • Local names given as follows: • Maize Mamaba • Sorghum Kapaala • Cowpea Akpaabala • Soya bean Salintuya • National yield improved considerably under improved technology eg. Cowpea, yield under traditional management practices is 0.3 metric tonnes per hectare whereas yield under improved technology is between 1.8 – 2.0 metric tonnes per hectare

  7. Release of improved crop varieties for cultivation • A Committee, The National Varietal Release Committee, announces the release of the improved crop varieties into public domain • Procedures and Processes followed before certification and release • Fieldtrips to sites/farms • Measurements taken • Size of field compared to yield • Time for maturity

  8. Prevention and Management of Crop Diseases • Establishment of Seed Testing and Health Laboratories • Healthy and resistant crop varieties cultivated • Farmers trained in simple methods of preventing and controlling diseases • Use of approved chemicals

  9. Fish Production, Support and Preservation • Improved fishing methods devised • Construction and stocking of fishponds ( Production of fingerlings) • Fieldtrips organized to well established research-managed fish farms as tool for technology transfer • Observation and participatory approaches adopted • Government ‘s support to the fishing industry: • Supply of pre-mix fuel • Provision of outboard motors and other fishing gear • Construction of fish harbours • Development of the chorkor smoker • A whole ministry, Ministry of Fisheries has been established to see to the development of the fishing industry

  10. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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