Exchange of technologies among ECOWAS
A Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, has stated that the exchange of technologies and innovation among members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would improve agricultural technology and ensure food security in the sub-region.
He explained that Ghana and other member countries had benefited from the technology developed by members in the sub-region.
Dr Alhassan was speaking at the opening session of a three-day regional wrap-up meeting for the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) in Accra.
The meeting is being attended by all the 15 ECOWAS WAAPP beneficiary countries.
It afforded the beneficiary countries the opportunity to share their successes and experiences and to present the achievements of agreed actions and recommendations by the World Bank and various Government Implementation Support Missions (ISMs).
Technology transfer
Dr Alhassan said some of the technologies transferred were improved root and tuber varieties such as cassava to Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo; sweet potato to Cote d’Ivoire, sorghum and cowpea to Senegal; yam tissue culture plantlets to Cote d’Ivoire, as well as Thermostable Newcastle Disease Vaccine (NDI-2) to Niger, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire.
He said Ghana had also adopted technologies on Aquaculture Floating Feed and Pelletisers and Mechanical Cassava Peeling Machine from Nigeria, which was helping a number of commercial processors in the country.
The minister said Ghana had received technologies in rice seeder from Mali and complete blocks feed (Livestock) from Niger, as well as sorghum and cowpea varieties from Senegal.
Measures
He said so far, the measures taken had helped in addressing most of the challenges associated with low productivity and low processing capacity among participating countries.
Dr Alhassan noted that agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of the ECOWAS sub-region and contributed significantly to the economic growth of all the member states.
He added that sub-Saharan Africa was endowed with arable land, water resources and skilled manpower for accelerated national agricultural and economic development.
On food security, the minister said African heads of state, through the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), collectively ratified a declaration in Maputo in 2007 to strengthen agricultural research technology generation, dissemination and adoption as a centrepiece for increased productivity.
Insecurity
He urged participants to discuss the issue of insecurity resulting from the destabilisation of communities due to conflicts between crop farmers and nomadic herdsmen, and climatic change to ensure food self-sufficiency.
WAAPP Ghana
The National WAAPP Coordinator, Mrs Azara Ali-Manshie, said the project was designed with a view to addressing food insecurity in the ECOWAS sub-region through increased agricultural productivity.
