Former President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor has lauded the commitment to develop Ghana and Africa’s agriculture sector when a courtesy call was paid on him at his residence to brief him on AGRA’s work in Ghana.
The bond between The John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation and the AGRA necessitated the visit in order to discuss the “Public-Private Partnership for Competitive and Inclusive Rice Value Chain Development: Planting for Food and Jobs-Rice Chapter.” This initiative between the institutions is aimed at promoting efficient strategies and policies that will make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production; thereby, accelerating the growth of Ghana’s agricultural sector which would make the country less dependent on food imports and reduce poverty among farmers.
Mr. Kufuor in a statement said, “AGRA is an instrumental partner with whom we share common goals and aspirations.” He further added that “Our partnership with AGRA is primarily focused on achieving import substitution through creating a self-sufficient rice sector that can compete favorably with the import. If we get our strategies right, we could become a net exporter of rice very soon.”
Reports indicate that Ghana spends an average of SUS 600 million annually importing rice, but the AGRA has pledged its commitment in rescuing this situation.
He admitted that financial intermediaries are needed to make available funding for the sector. “I believe both the Foundation and AGRA can develop a credible strategy in furtherance of increasing access to farmers,” he disclosed.
According to him, his Foundation and AGRA would strive to contribute their quota to build partnerships with other private institutions, so that more capital can be made available to players within the industry. In revealing how the agricultural industry would be in the near future, he said, “We envisage several areas of collaboration in the coming future to totally transform our dear continent.” He commended the role of key Africa-led organizations in achieving a robust agricultural sector in Africa.
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