LINK SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAME WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION (OCT 9, PAGE 20)

THE General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) has called on the government to link the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) with agricultural production.
It said by so doing, “agriculture can be used to promote the GSFP, as it would stimulate agricultural growth and industrial development in the country”.
The General Secretary of GAWU, Mr Kingsley Ofei Nkansah, made the call in Wa, in the Upper West Region, at the launch of the 50th anniversary celebration of the union.
He stated that agriculture was the future of the country and must, therefore, be supported with the necessary equipment to enhance its production, adding “we will be deceiving ourselves if we think of export growth without industrialisation”.
Mr Nkansah urged the government to continue to support production of local rice to protect the industry from undue competition from multinational companies which imported cheap rice into the country.
He observed that although attempts were being made to promote rice, it was not enough as it was being done to the detriment of locally produced rice.
“We want our research into building on local rice promotion and production, but not those that support foreign ones”, Mr Nkansah said.
He stated that since May, this year, the union had supported 50 agricultural communities in the promotion of post-harvest management through the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
He gave assurance that the union would continue to promote the interest of its members, since it was the largest union within the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) and had the largest constituency.
Mr Nkansah said although the union was non-partisan, it would not allow the rights of Ghanaians to be trampled upon as it would not hesitate to call governments to order.
“The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) should know that GAWU is older than them and represents a constituency with a number of organised people”, he added.
A research scientist at the Savannah Research Institute in Wa, Dr J.B. Naab, stressed the need for farmers to adopt scientific methods in their farming activities.
He noted with regret that in this era of world technological advancement, farmers continued to use archaic methods in farming.
The Regional Secretary of TUC, Mr Adams Sandu, commended GAWU for its achievements, particularly for producing a number of personalities to the hierarchy of the TUC.