News
‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ and the challenges of mechanisation
The Planting for Food and Jobs Programme (PFJ) is one of the flagship initiatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and farm mechanisation has a crucial role to play in the success of this initiative.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has recently announced that it intends to invest about $500 million in the sector to revamp the country’s farm mechanisation centres.
Over the years, governments had imported various brands of tractors and other farm machinery into the country with the aim of boosting agricultural productivity.
It has been reported quite recently that since 2017, the government has invested over $269 million worth of farm equipment in the agricultural sector with nearly 5,000 pieces of farm equipment having been distributed to farmers.
Over time some of these equipment are able to survive but majority of them break down and fade out due to poor maintenance and servicing. For instance during 2000-2010, over 3,000 tractors of varying makes and brands were imported into Ghana but within a short time most of them failed and became unusable.
One unsung factor that has a positive impact on the longevity of farm machinery is lubrication, which is usually ignored in farm equipment servicing.
The PFJ can benefit immensely from effective mechanisation if owners and managers of farm machinery will consider the lubrication of their equipment as a critical activity in the maintenance and care of their machinery.
Mechanisation reduce drudgery of farm work, increase productivity and improve the quality of farm work generally.
Modern tractors and other farm machinery which drive the mechanisation processes are expected to be efficient, reliable, comfortable and safe notwithstanding the large loads and high operating temperature conditions they face. To achieve these ends, one needs to look at lubrication in respect of the operation of farm machinery.
Lubrication is a prime requirement for all machines, equipment or plants including farm equipment as it adds to the life and efficiency of the machine or equipment by reducing wear and tear of its components.
This in turn will lead to fewer breakdowns, greater machine availability and utility, lower maintenance costs and longer machine life.
Tractor and other farm machines, by their unique design and functions, have many moving parts than conventional automobiles and so their lubrication requirements are extensive and different. Because of that oils designed for automobiles such as cars, trucks, vans are not advisable for use in tractors and other farm machines.
Modern Tractor Lubricants are roughly classified into two types :
Universal Tractor Transmission Oils ( UTTO), and
Super Tractor Universal Oils (STOU)
The UTTO oil is a single multi-functional oil designed to be used for tractor transmission and hydraulic systems as well as wet brakes, clutches and final drives.
The STOU oil can be regarded as the UTTO having in addition an engine lubrication capability. The choice of any of the above-named categories is dictated by the design make of the machine which can in all cases be found in the Users Manual of the machine.
In our country, it is a fact that farm owners have tended to use lubricants originally meant for vehicles and cars for their farm equipment and continue to do so.
This practice causes irreversible damage to tractor engines and transmission components thereby reducing their productive life and creating high maintenance costs and eventual breakdowns of the machines.
This practice is no longer recommendable for modern tractors and other agricultural equipment and use of lubricants specially designed and formulated exclusively for tractors and other farm equipment must be encouraged and used to ensure that mechanisation plays its expected role in the PFJ programme.
The current practice is that equipment dealers and supplier companies import their lubricants to service the machinery they supply and they don’t come for free. They are very expensive and that is probably why machinery users often tend to resort to using “ordinary oils” for their machines and end up destroying the machines to the detriment of their business and the nation.
Fortunately, Ghana has a local lubricant blending plant which is ISO 9001 certified which is capable of producing high quality UTTO and STOU lubricants locally for farm machinery users to curtail the high attrition rate of farm equipment in the country.
This local Blending Plant in collaboration with its franchise private sector partners is capable of producing and supplying high quality lubricants for the the farming industry as a whole at comparatively lower cost and MOFA must explore the opportunities therein and lend its support appropriately.
Training of mechanics at Tractor Service Centres and individual tractor owners in the choice and use of tractor lubricants is worth considering by authorities at MOFA.
By Dr KA Kwakye
Lubrication Consultant
Goldmark Petroleum Services Ltd
(www. goldmarkgh.com)
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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