The Acting Northern Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr. Steven Yakubu, has observed that the failings of the country's agricultural sector are due to inconsistencies and varied focus of government policies. He observed that any change in political administration brings about a major shift in agricultural policy leading to changes in development focus resulting in the shelving of good polices precipitating increased poverty among the rural poor who rely heavily on farming. Mr. Yakubu was addressing students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) at Nyanpkala at the weekend to launch the 18th Annual Green Week celebration. The week-long celebration was on the theme; "Reducing poverty in Northern Ghana through post-harvest technology, the role of the agricultural and allied science student". Mr. Yakubu said the untimely fold-up of some projects and programmes by donor agencies and NGOs had also aggravated the poverty situation culminating in the slow pace of agricultural productivity in the Northern parts of the country. He said UDS had the opportunity to influence government policies in the areas of research and manpower development to help turn around the fortunes of the Northern sector agriculture. The President of the Ghana Association of Agricultural and Allied Science Students, Alhassan Nuhu Jinbaani, said the purpose of the Green Week was to celebrate the contributions of the UDS agricultural students to society through the village concept project; a project where students impart knowledge to farmers in selected communities. He called on the government to protect local food producers through the provision of potable water, electricity, good roads, hospitals and schools and other incentives that would aid the value chain in the agricultural sector and thus improve the living conditions of farmers who mostly live in pitiful conditions at the countryside.Source: GNA