AGRIC MECHANISATION HOLDS KEY TO FOOD SECURITY (PAGE 29, MAY 15, 2010)

THE Ministry of Food and Agriculture has identified agriculture mechanisation as the key to achieving food security and efficiency in the country and in view of that, Russian company AJAX-AGRO is in the country to hold talks with the government and key stakeholders in the sector to help move Ghana’s agriculture sector into a mechanised one.
At a press conference organised by the company, the Technical Director, Mr Nikolay Milovanov, said the company was in the country to educate Ghanaian farmers on the need to move into commercial farming and to also supply equipment to the farmers.
He said the company after talks with the major stakeholders in the industry would be willing to offer agricultural equipment to farmers who might need their services.
He explained that the company's technicians would help in accessing the farms and give the appropriate advice to the farmers to help them to improve upon their farming activities.
In an interview, the Acting Director of Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate, Mr Emmanuel Owusu Oppong, said farmers in the country needed more agricultural equipment to enable the country to achieve its objective of increasing income generation and productivity in the country, hence the importation of agriculture machinery and equipment by the ministry to help address the challenges of inadequate agricultural equipment in the country.
He noted that the ministry, in partnership with private organisations, had established agricultural mechanisation centre across the country to provide mechanised services to farmers who could not afford the cost of the equipment.
“Presently, there are 69 of such centres across the country and hope that by 2012 every district in the country will have an agricultural mechanisation centre to help the farmers improve upon their farming activities”.
Giving an insight into the purchasing procedure, he said equipment was given to individuals, organisations and churches on hire purchase basis after sending their applications to the ministry through the District and the Regional Directors of Agriculture.
He emphasised that applicants would be required to make 50 per cent down-payment with the rest of the amount to be paid in instalments over a period of three to five years.
He, therefore, advised farmers to take advantage of the offer by the AJAX-AGRO company to help boost productivity in the country.