Author: Sefakor

According to an index by Numbeo’s on restaurants and groceries captured by  Business Insider, Ghana is part of the top African countries where food is expensive to get. Food is a basic requirement that is one of the most essential part of our lives. However, there is no ignoring the fact that food is simply more pricey in some regions than others, and these expensive prices are influenced by a number of factors, including supply and demand, cost of production, processing, transportation, and the cachet of said neighborhood. Since food is the most essential commodity in any economy, considering the…

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing a project on sustainable rice production in Ghana where 11,000 farmers will be trained on the efficient use of water to reduce the emission of methane. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming that is a colourless, odourless gas. It is mainly made up of natural gas, found in small quantities in the atmosphere. The methane project, which is expected to boost yield while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, will gather 20,000 hectares of rice by 2030. The project is the first under the Ghana-Switzerland Article Six Cooperation Approach.…

Officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) last Sunday night impounded 200 maxi bags of cocoa beans on board a heavy-duty truck at Taviefe, close to Ho in the Volta Region heading towards Togo. The Mercedes Benz truck with registration number, BA 265 V, was reported to have travelled from Kade in the Eastern Region through Accra, Sogakope and Ho before Customs officers apprehended them at Taviefe. The driver of the vehicle identified as Felix Tetteh, 30, was arrested and handed over to the police in Ho while the truck was impounded. According to the Daily…

The National Convener of Cashew Watch Ghana, Raphael Ahenu says cashew production can transform Ghana’s economy if the country works towards tapping into the full potential of more than $660 million. According to him, Ghana’s cashew export earnings in 2020 alone fetched the nation $340.7 million. Mr. Ahenu indicated that the cashew sector had huge potential and prospects to transform the economy and appealed to the government to prioritise investments in the industry. His appeal came during the launching of the “Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers (AVFC)” project at Sampa in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region.…

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong has announced his outfit’s plans to embark on an aggressive food programme from June 2023 that will result in food security and its availability for the next five years. According to Mr. Acheampong, the 5-year-plan is entirely different from the Planting for Food and Jobs and is currently in Parliament for approval. “This year, from June [2023], government is going to rollout an aggressive programme that will ensure food security and availability for the next five years.“ “The plan, which is going to move away from the current subsidy programme that we…

The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) PLC is asking government to provide tax incentives, tax holidays, and rebates for institutions engaged in agricultural financing as well as reforms on guidelines in order to help expand the market for providing soft loans to the sector. According to the Managing Director of ADB, Alhassan Yakubu-Tali, the bank has remained the first point of contact for agricultural financing despite the wide-ranging challenges in the sector that has scared many banks away from providing financial assistance. Mr.  Yakubu-Tali made these comments  during a courtesy call on the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong on…

With the world’s population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the need for sustainable and efficient agriculture has never been greater. Traditional farming practices are not enough to meet the demands of the future. This is where vertical tomato farming comes in. Vertical tomato farming is a method of growing crops in vertically stacked layers in controlled environments. It is an efficient way to use space and resources and can be done year-round. Here are some reasons why vertical tomato farming is the future of agriculture. What is vertical tomato farming?Vertical tomato farming is a type of agriculture where…

Rice is an essential crop in West Africa and plays a vital role in regional food security for both rural and urban populations. In 2017, rice imports from Asia accounted for 46% of total rice consumption in the region, indicating a growing demand for rice that has outpaced production. Climate change poses a significant threat to rice production in the region, with increasing variability in climate events disrupting growing season calendars, shortening cropping seasons, and exacerbating dry spells, droughts, heatwaves, floods, and changes in the incidence and geographic range of pests and diseases. As a result, building climate resilience in…

Tomatoes farmers in Tuobodom in the Bono East Region risks losing their investments and are in desperate need of buyers of their produce. According to a resident, Nana Kwame Amoah, there’s bumper harvest of tomatoes in the area but the farmers are struggling to get buyers. As a result, he has resorted to advertising for the farmers on social media in order to get buyers from other parts of the country. Mr. Amoah has been spreading this information for the past week. “Tomatoes is in abundance at Tuobodom (near Techiman). The prices are so cool.Help the farmers before their tomatoes…

COVID-19 had a strong negative impact on the Kusanaba Women’s Group in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region. The group won a significant contract to sell the shea butter they process, but the pandemic depleted their financial resources so they could not purchase raw shea kernel. Thanks to a rural bank with a strategic imperative to lend to more women and support from a local transaction advisor, the women were able to secure financing so they could supply their customers. The Kusanaba Women’s Group is comprised of 500 members, mostly widows. They cultivate maize and groundnut on…