GAWU salutes farmers
Gilbert Boyefio
01/12/2006
The General Agricultural Workers' Union has appealed to Government to take a holistic look at the national trade policy and its effects on sustainable agricultural development in the country.
It has further called on Government to address comprehensively the factors that create low and unfair prices for the domestic farmer"s produce, by instituting measures to effectively prevent unreasonable post harvest losses and promote additional value.
These were contained in a press release issued by GAWU and signed by its General Secretary, Samuel Kangah, on the occasion of this year's Farmers' Day Celebration, to extend their unflinching solidarity with all farmers in the country.
Mr Kangah noted that the country's failure to make agriculture, which is the largest contributor to the country's GDP, attractive to the youth is a major setback to our national development effort.
"It is sad that currently, our agriculture continues to be characterised by excessive dependence on rainfall, a reliance on obsolete conventional agricultural methods and unproductive farm implements", he observed.
He said the youth cannot be attracted to undertake agriculture unless there is a radical change in the approach to farming to make it more profitable and safe for the environment and health of the farmers.
Mr Kangah said the youth "will therefore continue to engage in activities like selling dog chains whilst the nation is fed on exotic agricultural products whose safety is questionable."
"The nation?s food security programme is thwarted and the youth are pushed without any source of income to the criminal world, engaging in activities that are a serious drawback to national development and integration."
He noted that it was in line with its recognition of the role of the youth in agricultural productivity that Government, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture declared "The Youth Employment Programme: An Avenue for sustainable development" as the theme for the 2006 Farmers' Day Celebration.
However, Mr Kangah said GAWU is of the view that much as this is a laudable programme, its ultimate goal cannot be achieved without addressing the issues that make farming unattractive, adding, "Government needs to embark on a radical programme that will see the gradual elimination of the Ghanaian farmer?s absolute dependence on rain and the use of rudimentary production techniques".
He said Government's move at developing a proper trade policy regime should look critically at the "crippling international trade agreements by collaborating with other developing countries that are affected by unfair international trade agreements which make it almost impossible for rewarding the efforts of farmers in the country and for farmers to access fair international markets."
01/12/2006
The General Agricultural Workers' Union has appealed to Government to take a holistic look at the national trade policy and its effects on sustainable agricultural development in the country.
It has further called on Government to address comprehensively the factors that create low and unfair prices for the domestic farmer"s produce, by instituting measures to effectively prevent unreasonable post harvest losses and promote additional value.
These were contained in a press release issued by GAWU and signed by its General Secretary, Samuel Kangah, on the occasion of this year's Farmers' Day Celebration, to extend their unflinching solidarity with all farmers in the country.
Mr Kangah noted that the country's failure to make agriculture, which is the largest contributor to the country's GDP, attractive to the youth is a major setback to our national development effort.
"It is sad that currently, our agriculture continues to be characterised by excessive dependence on rainfall, a reliance on obsolete conventional agricultural methods and unproductive farm implements", he observed.
He said the youth cannot be attracted to undertake agriculture unless there is a radical change in the approach to farming to make it more profitable and safe for the environment and health of the farmers.
Mr Kangah said the youth "will therefore continue to engage in activities like selling dog chains whilst the nation is fed on exotic agricultural products whose safety is questionable."
"The nation?s food security programme is thwarted and the youth are pushed without any source of income to the criminal world, engaging in activities that are a serious drawback to national development and integration."
He noted that it was in line with its recognition of the role of the youth in agricultural productivity that Government, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture declared "The Youth Employment Programme: An Avenue for sustainable development" as the theme for the 2006 Farmers' Day Celebration.
However, Mr Kangah said GAWU is of the view that much as this is a laudable programme, its ultimate goal cannot be achieved without addressing the issues that make farming unattractive, adding, "Government needs to embark on a radical programme that will see the gradual elimination of the Ghanaian farmer?s absolute dependence on rain and the use of rudimentary production techniques".
He said Government's move at developing a proper trade policy regime should look critically at the "crippling international trade agreements by collaborating with other developing countries that are affected by unfair international trade agreements which make it almost impossible for rewarding the efforts of farmers in the country and for farmers to access fair international markets."
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