Promoting agribusiness in Ghana

One area where Ghana can actively participate in promoting agribusiness is to ensure that as much as possible, the raw materials base is given to the country.

CULTIVATING RAW MATERIALS

We can show this by cultivating raw materials, which will be processed further for others who will need them to serve the needs of the country.

What we have to do as a country is to take a look at the needs and demands of society so as to be able to address the problem of agribusiness.

Agricultural production in Ghana covers a number of areas such as mangoes, pineapples, palm nuts, shea butter, and so many other things.

SPECIALISATION

What we need to do as a country is to encourage our people to go into specialisation of these crops and ensure that they are able to produce them in great quantity.

To be able to do this effectively, we need to use modern scientific methods. We need to also treat the soil very well so that whatever we put in the ground will come up and grow very well unlike others that may not be able to grow very well because of diseases in the soil.

SOIL TREATMENT

Soil treatment is very important here because that is what will keep away pests and others from destroying the crops we put in the soil.

If we pay attention to soil treatment, it will ensure that every thing we are doing comes up very well and that what we produce becomes healthy for consumption.

After being able to produce adequate raw materials – in whatever way we find it – we need to pay attention to transportation. Transportation may take various forms – road transport, air transport (depending on circumstances), and so on.

We may even carry some of the produce on the back of animals, that is, if that will be possible based upon circumstances of the times but if it is not possible, then we need to develop simple transportation systems. We need to get simple systems of transportation – what we may call Aboboya (tricycle) or very simple forms of transportation that may carry these produce from where they are produced to the processing centre.

PROCESSING

When they get to the processing centre, the machines that are available are then used to process them. If it pineapple, we will need to process into pineapple juice and we will do the same thing for mango, orange and other fruits that we may come across in that enclave.

We need to do this very well making sure that the right temperature and the right conditions are applied in all circumstances so that we will never go wrong.

APPLICABLE STANDARDS

In doing all these we will need to pay attention to applicable standards; applicable standards are very important here because any items that are meant for consumption in a human body will have to be produced in line with the applicable standards.

There are standards for all these products, for all agricultural products and it is important that we pay attention to all of them.

Once we pay attention to all of these applicable standards, what we are producing will be right, therefore, going wrong will be minimised. If you go wrong, you will be asked to go back and reproduce what you have done already and that will increase the cost.

So, it is important at all time that we all pay attention to standards right from the beginning, even from the farm and then at the factory to the coming of the foods or the coming of the products as well as bottling of the products.

Again, when these items are produced, we need to make sure that they are transported to the marketing centres in the right way if you have to put them in what we call coolers or refrigerators in small forms, we will have to do that so that along the line what we have produced for marketing will not go bad.

If we are able to do all these, the products processed will get to the market and then the consumer will start making use of them to his or her satisfaction but the point being made is that right from the farm through the cultivation of the products to the processing of their produce to the canning and bottling of the items, we need to make use of applicable standards.

If we make use of applicable standards, it will help us to be safe.

BENEFITS OF STANDARDS

When we make use of standards, first of all, they ensure safety of the consumer. Secondly, it ensures that public health is protected. Thirdly, it makes it possible for the right thing to be done right from the beginning, but if we don’t do this from the beginning things may go wrong and cost of production will go high.

So, as a country, it is possible to encourage agribusiness but everything must be done according to laid down standards so that our people will be fed with what is right.

We need to do this seriously and make sure that we produce to the best of our ability so that quality products will be the end result, which will bring quality life to our people and also bring in more revenue when we begin to export these things to external markets.

Contact email/whatsApp address of author:

Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)

By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako