The Ambassador for European Union (EU) to Ghana, H.E Diana Acconcia, has reiterated the need for Ghana’s agricultural sector to be fueled by sustainable agricultural practices.
She said, without sustainable agricultural practices, the whole of the West African region is fragile and subject to climate change, therefore, “to support agriculture, we have to support those who eat from the land,” she stressed.
H.E Diana Acconcia expressed these comments in a goodwill message, as part of a sponsorship package towards the Pre-harvest Agribusiness and Conference Event, annually organized by Agrihouse Foundation.
Highlighting her impressions about the event, H.E Diana Acconcia, said the Pre-Harvest Agribusiness and Conference is a great platform that brings together agri-buyers and sellers, “it is a very crucial event because it does exactly what we need to see. It connects producers to buyers. I encourage you to continue, and keep the spirit up of enthusiasm” she added.
Touching on the EU’s contribution towards sustainable agriculture, she noted that, without agriculture, the EU will not be recognizable, because, “agriculture is the life and landscape of the European Union,” she noted.
She said the EU will continue to work with Ghana, to help farmers in the country live in dignify; to help them take care of their children, in order to halt cases of rural-urban migration.
“In the Northern part of Ghana, we are working with the typical value chains, that is, the cereals, sorghum, millet, and fruits and vegetables. We are also supporting a few others for export, like the cassava and sheabutter,” she said.
Dinner interaction with Agri-women
During a dinner get-together with some selected women agri-processors and farmers, she urged the agri-women, to instill confidence and hard work in their daughters, and teach their sons to respect women.
She described her interactions with the agri-women as the best moments of her visit, “I really appreciate their commitment and efforts. Most of all I appreciate the fact that the women were not only farmers; they were community organizers. So, they are not working for their own profit, but also to help the other women in the community,” she said.
She was glad that in spite of their socio-economic challenges, the agri-women were very aspirational and wanted to achieve great feats in their chosen fields, “they woman to improve their businesses; produce more and better,” she noted.