The Israeli Trade and Economic Mission in Ghana yesterday organized a stakeholder’s forum in Accra to discuss ways of improving soil fertility through the adoption of new farming practices.
It was organized in partnership with the Israeli Export Institute, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Africa Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) and Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
The objective of the forum was to promote the use of innovative fertilizer’s, soil inoculants and the best soil practices and also influence policy formulation in agriculture production.
Addressing the stakeholders at the forum, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Ms Shlomit Sufa said the agricultural sector remained one sector the Israel state was focused on and had contributed enormously to its growth.
These contributions, she said include the development of advanced technologies in the field of irrigation, water desalination, cloud seedling, combating desertification and waste water recycling.
She further indicated that Israel International Agency for Development Cooperation (MASHAV)
Had played vital roles in contributing to the growth of the agricultural sector, by sharing its expertise and skills to the government.
According to the ambassador about 194 agricultural graduate students are currently studying in Israel Under the Agro studies Training program organized by MASHAV in collaboration with the Government of Ghana
She also expressed Israel’s readiness to work with the government o bring tailor-made solutions in the sector
In his presentation at the forum the director at the Crop Services Directorate of the MoFA, Mr Seth Osei Akoto explained that his outfit anticipated the shortage in the distribution of fertilisers to farmers under the governments Planting for Food and Jobs Flagship program.
“In 2020 we were able to distribute about 423,473 metric tonnes of fertilizers to farmers across the country, but in 2021 it dropped.” Mr Akoto Said
The reason, he said was due to the impact of several crisis in the world which include the ongoing war between Russian and Ukraine as these countries were major suppliers of fertilizers to the country, coronavirus pandemic and high prices of fertilizers.
Mr Akoto said as a way of addressing the likely shortage of fertilizer the MoFA would seek to expand the use of locally and foreign produced organic base fertilizers as its use was very low last year.
In addition, he said the MFA would also organ use educational programs to educate farmers on the use of organic fertilizers as it was a challenge to them.
The Director urged farmers to seek partnership by getting in touch with the MoFA and other relevant stakeholders as the cropping season had just begun and also challenge them to report issues pertaining to their work.