By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Nov 4, GNA – The Ministry of Foods and Agriculture (MoFA), Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) and Agrihouse Foundation, together with various stakeholders have opened the National Farmers’ Day Agrifest 2024 in Accra.
The event, which commenced on Monday, is a five-day National Agricultural Fair, which seeks to showcase the diverse agricultural heritage of Ghana, while providing a platform for knowledge sharing and innovation among farmers and stakeholders.
It is being attended by about 190 exhibitors, who have been grouped into zones, namely: Machinery and Livestock, Inputs and Fertilizers, Agrifood Village, Food Bazaar, and many more.
The fair forms part of activities to commemorate the celebration of the 2024 National Farmers’ Day.
The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Sustainable Food Security.”
Mr Paul Siameh, the Acting Chief Director, MoFA, said the event had traditionally been a one-day occasion dedicated to honouring deserving commodity groups across various categories.
He said however, this year, they were excited to continue the pattern established in 2017 with the five-day exhibition, culminating in a grand awards ceremony.
“We commenced today and will continue through tomorrow and Thursday. On Friday, we will host the regional awards presentation, during which regional ministers will recognise the best farmers from their respective areas.
“This will be followed by the National Awards ceremony, where the President of the Republic will present awards to the national winners in various commodity categories,” he added.
Mr Siameh said prior to that there would be a farmers’ forum that would be facilitated by the Agriculture Development Bank, where pertinent and topical issues in agriculture would be discussed.
He said Ghana’s poultry production currently fell short of meeting the demand, such that the ministry recognised the challenge and was actively addressing it through various projects and interventions supported by the government to enhance poultry production.
“We are providing support to a number of farmers through the distribution of day-old chicks, as well as medication and feed.
“Recognising that feed represents a significant cost in poultry production, we are also implementing various measures in collaboration with the government to address this challenge,” he added.
Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Minister for MoFAD, in a speech read on her behalf by Madam Marian Kpakpah, Chief Director, said the theme for the celebration was apt considering the impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture sector globally.
She said fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the operators in the sector, were considered to be among the most vulnerable to climate change, negatively impacting fish production and the livelihood of coastal communities.
The Minister therefore said, creating occupational alternatives to reduce fishing pressure, and increasing the adaptive capacity of fishers and fishing communities to climate change was very critical to minimise impacts.
She said the rise in sea water levels had resulted in frequent occurrence of sea surge and subsequent destruction of landing sites, making it unsafe for artisanal canoes to land after a fishing trip.
Mrs Koomson said the Ministry was implementing the Alternative Livelihood Support Programme for coastal fishing communities to help reduce fishing pressure and enable them to engage in alternative livelihood economic activities like sewing and hairdressing, among others.
She said in addition, the USAID’s sponsored Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity in collaboration with the Ministry was also rolling out Supplementary Livelihood programmes in the fishing communities.
The Minister said the Ministry would continue to create the necessary working environment and extend the needed infrastructure and technical assistance to support their operations.
GNA