See agriculture as a business – Cecelia Erzuah

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE

Mrs. Cecelia Erzuah, Director of Finance and Administration, Ministry of Food and Agriculture addressing government officials, media and agriculturists at the launch of FAGRO 2011 in North Dakota, USA

Madam Cecelia Erzuah, Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture says, Ghana can only move its Agriculture to a highly commercial stage if she sees it as a business, science and art.

She said, farmer based organisations and associations should co-operate with each other and develop initiatives, structures, regulations and policies that will foster growth, development and prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing nation.

She also encouraged the Ghanaian youth to see agriculture beyond planting and harvesting but as a lucrative business sector.

Madam Erzuah made these remarks following a meeting with Roger Johnson, President of the National Farmers’ Union in Washington DC, recently during the launch of the National Food and Agricultural Show (FAGRO) and Farm Channel in the USA.

According to Mr. Johnson, America’s agriculture has for the past hundred years been dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of farmers and the youth through empowerment, leadership programmes, teamwork, personal growth and career success through agricultural programmes.

“Our Association is also well structured with good policies and laid down principles and this is what has made us. We have developed unions or corporatives for each crop or products, making each farmer- based union stronger and powerful as they are able to negotiate for good costs for their products.”

He mentioned that, the Farmers’ Union is well structured and this has helped develop exciting educational programmes all year round, making the sector more attractive to the youth. 

He also spoke of their “New Growth Path”, which links the consumer directly to the farmer, and which enables farmers to begin with the end in mind as they already know their consumers before they start planting.

The “New Growth Path” is a weekly open market for various kinds of produce for consumers to purchase directly.

For her part, the Exhibition Director of the National Food and Agricultural Show (FAGRO), Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa said, “this is the time for Ghana’s agriculture to experience a new revolution with quality initiatives that will target the new generation of agriculturists, if we are to attain the same heights.”

She pledged her secretariat’s support to develop new programmes in partnership with the Ministry of Food Agriculture and key stakeholders and urged farmers associations in Ghana to look for the interest of their Associations and not personal interests, to make the sector stronger and competitive.