By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, Oct. 01, GNA – The Kwadaso Agricultural College in Kumasi will soon be upgraded into an Agricultural University, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.
He said talks with the Mendel University of the Czech Republic had begun for the realisation of that vision with the expectation that the college would realise its full potential once it became a university.
The President made the announcement when he addressed a grand durbar of students and other stakeholders of the college at its 100th Anniversary celebration in Kumasi.
The anniversary, which was on the theme: “Kwadaso Agricultural College – 100 Years of Agricultural Education in Ghana,” was to celebrate the achievements of the school which has produced about 75,000 professionals since its establishment in 1922.
President Akufo-Addo, the Guest of Honour, said the plan was to create satellite campuses at the Ejura and Wenkyi Agricultural colleges once the university was established.
“The reason why the establishment of this university dedicated to agriculture excites me very much is because it will produce the requisite numbers of human resources to support research, impart knowledge and provide leadership in the sector,” he said.
He said that once established, the university would serve as an incubator for the development of more agricultural professionals in the country.
“I pledge the support of government to make this dream a reality and I charge the Ministry of Agriculture to step up efforts and strengthen the partnership and collaboration with Mendel University to realise this vision,” the President stated.
He said more than 50 per cent of the population were engaged in agriculture with the poorest engaged in food crop farming, stressing the need to revamp the sector to ensure a meaningful change in the lives of the people.
He said the college was central to the transformative agenda of Ghana’s agriculture through the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).
By its design, the PFJ targeted smallholder farmers, modernised all sectors of agriculture, increased overall productivity, reduced import dependency, established a strong linkage with industry, and ultimately reduced poverty.
Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Agriculture, said the Ministry was committed to upgrading the college and would work with relevant stakeholders to achieve that.
He applauded past and present managers of the college for their significant contributions to the development of agriculture in the country.
GNA