Government has been urged to introduce new and innovative technologies that support food production to improve food security in the country. 

According to Prof Emmanuel Y. H. Bobobee, an Engineering Professor at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the adoption of technology will help improve agriculture practices in the country. 

Cassava production is mainly done by smallholder farmers using organic methods of production. 

It is estimated that the crop production covers about 900 thousand hectares engaging about 70 per cent of farmers.

According to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) report, the sector also contributes 22 per cent of the agricultural GDP.

Prof. Bobobee says improving food security and reducing post-harvest losses are critical for the country's development.

He spoke at a training and demonstration workshop for 20 farmers, tractors operators and processors at the KNUST Anwomaso Agricultural Research Station where 20 elite varieties of cassava have been cultivated. 

The site serves as a multiplication for cassava planting materials, demonstration and training on best practices.

Mechanised cassava production has the potential to provide jobs for the youth by making cassava production efficient and less stressful. 

Prof Emmanuel says if the technology is adopted by the farmers, and those involved in the production of cassava, it would become a multi-dollar product across Africa. 

The innovation was an outcome of an ongoing research programme aimed at improving agricultural production and reducing post-harvest losses. 

The innovations in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction in the Global Food System is being implemented by a consortium of 9 institutions, including KNUST with funding support from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research and the Rockefeller Foundation in the USA. 

Farmers are also being encouraged to adopt the technology for efficient and commercial purposes.