CropLife Ghana, in collaboration with the Chemical Control Management Centre (CCMC) of EPA and Plant Quarantine Officers of MoFA/PPRSD, has organized a one-day anti-counterfeiting sensitization workshop for agrochemical dealers and importers.

The workshop which was held in Kumasi, the Ashanti Region capital emphasized on the identification of illegal agrochemicals and all those vices that affect the quality of agrochemicals that the farmers use.

Participants were also sensitized on the punitive measures from authorities for dealing in fake agrochemicals.

Part of the activities of CropLife AME through CropLife Ghana Association is the provision of stewardship (safe-use training) to farmers, input dealers and the general public including Security bodies and the regulatory agencies.

The Plant Science Industry is committed to promoting practices that encourage the responsible, safe and efficient use of its products and also to sensitize stakeholders on current issues being tackled by the agrochemical industry to curb or minimize issues on counterfeiting.

Activities on the day included: Presentation on Counterfeit & Illegal Products, Sensitization on overview of legal framework for management of Pesticides, Enforcement strategies to improve on pesticide product quality, Strategies adopted to promote only quality approved fertilizers in Ghana, funding pesticide management activities-role of industry and a brief about CropLife Ghana and Importers Association by Mr. Frederick B. Boampong, of CropLife Ghana and Mr. Francis Acheampong respectively.

Opening the workshop, Mr. William Kotey, President of CropLife Ghana said the workshop is aimed at engaging key stakeholders in agriculture in a bid to offer the farmer best product for farming to promote agriculture, adding that for farmers to be profitable and have confidence to invest in agriculture the industry must ensure the provision of quality products including agrochemicals.

Croplife Ghana, he assured will continue to embark on such workshops to sensitize stakeholders on the need to sell approved, registered and unadulterated products for farmers to get quality farm input such as fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides for best farming practices.

Speaking In an interview with the media, the Deputy Director of CCMC/EPA, Mr. Joseph Edmund disclosed his outfit receives several reports on farm inputs which does not give the desired results and based on such feedbacks “we deem it appropriate to partner Croplife Ghana to organize such sensitization workshops to bring sanity as agriculture is the backbone of the economy”

He observed that identifying fake agrochemicals was difficult since a lot of importations were being done as such dealing with such menace was a shared responsibility for all stakeholders in the sector.

The workshop brought together importers, distributors, retailers, extension and technical officers who were sensitized on what it takes to get the farmer good quality farm inputs. Mr. Francis Acheampong who represented the agro-input Importers association in Ashanti Region urged all agro-dealers to be up and doing by applying to all the rules to ensure farmers get the best input for farming.

Organizer of the workshop, Mr. Frederick B. Boampong recalled similar workshop was organized for Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to prevent these chemicals to and from the country through the border posts all in a bid to avert faking, counterfeiting and all those vices that affect the quality of agrochemicals the farmers use.

“CropLife Ghana being a key stakeholder in promoting Agriculture with best practices we will continue to create such platforms for stakeholders to deliberate on issues of improving the sector”, he assured.