Accra, Feb. 22, GNA – Ohemaa Nana Yaa Asaa Safoa II, Senior Divisional Queen Mother of Akwamufie, Eastern Region, has called on Government and other stakeholders in the agriculture value chain to provide training centres for women farmers.
She said such centres would serve as rallying point for women who were into agriculture to motivate more women to develop interest in the sector.
Nana Safoa made the call during a panel session on the role of royals and corporates in accelerating peace and development through agriculture.
The session formed part of an event dubbed “Gathering of the Royals” organised by Agrihouse Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in Agriculture, and brought together queen mothers, government officials, among other stakeholders, in the agriculture value chain.
She commended Agrihouse Foundation for providing training and support to women farmers to improve their skills and productivity.
Nana Safoa said women needed to be empowered to go into farming not only on sustenance basis, but on profit and commercial basis.
“We need to train our women to see farming as a commercial activity through, which they can generate enough income and employ others,” she stressed.
Nana Akua Amoah II, Paramount Queen Mother of Tuobodom, Bono-East Region, called on Government to provide interest-free loans to support women farmers.
She said accessing capital was a major challenge most women farmers faced, therefore, they needed to be supported by the Government with soft loans.
The Tuobodom Queen Mother called on the government to address the perennial irrigation challenges farmers faced and urged it to speed up the construction of dams in the villages to support irrigation.
She also called for improved road networks form farming centres to markets to prevent post-harvest losses.
Ms Alberta Nana Akyaa Sarpong, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, said women played important roles in the agriculture value chain, hence, they needed to be empowered and equipped to do more.
“It is important to sustain our community through the acceleration of agriculture for peace and development. Our queen mothers are paramount and it is important we engage them in this regard, as they play pivotal roles in community and in women empowerment,” she added.
Mr Yaw Frimpong Addo, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, said government was doing its best to address challenges farmers, especially women farmers, faced.
He said the Government, through its policies and programmes, such as the Planting for Food and Jobs and One District- One Warehouse, was improving agriculture in the country.
Mr Addo said the issues raised by the queen mothers would be tackled head-on to ensure agriculture productivity and food security.
GNA