Since inception in 2007, AGRA has reached over 15 million
farmers in 16 African countries with over $386 million invested in projects.
Ghana is among the four
“breadbasket” countries receiving 44% of AGRA’s resources in support of farmers
with seed and soil health and water management along the agricultural value
chain. Other countries include Mali,
Mozambique and Tanzania.
Today,
the former UN Secretary-General says he has a bigger ambition for farming in
Africa.
Kofi
Annan wants smallholder farmers to become part of the global food security
system.
According
to him, local farmers can produce to feed their families and also for export by
taking a collectively decision at the community level.
“Today
Africa is spending $35 billion to import food and we have all the land around
us; we have the labour, we can encourage young people to go into farming. If they
don’t want to be called farmers, we’ll call them agribusinesses but get it done,”
he stated.
Mr. Annan and Mrs. Nane Annan
met with the International Potato Centre (CIP) to discuss collaboration with
the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) to promote sweet potato for health and wealth in Ghana and West
Africa.
Citing the efforts of
Ghanaian farmers in producing cocoa to feed the world, Mr. Annan noted that
such drive can be extended to other crops like sweet potato.
“As
a continent, some of us have the habit of producing what we don’t eat and
importing what we eat; that has to stop,” he said.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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