The Director of Agriculture for Tema West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, Mrs. Patience Alloh has encouraged Ghanaians to learn and practice backyard farming under hygienic conditions for home consumption.

Mrs. Alloh advised households to use any available space around their homes to cultivate vegetables under healthy conditions.

She said the agriculture department would intensify sensitisation on climate-smart agriculture and continue to promote “One House One Tree" to help reduce the adverse effects of climate change and enhance nutritional status.

"The department would scale up the sensitisation on alternate livelihoods such as mushroom and snail production, as well as build the capacity of interested individuals in catfish production.

“We would also facilitate group formation of farmers and all other actors along the agricultural value chain to enhance extension (services) delivery,” she said.

Mrs. Alloh reiterated that the global economic challenges call for a concerted approach to the concept of value addition in agriculture in the area of crop/livestock production and aquaculture.

She said value addition in agricultural production presents an opportunity for additional revenue generation, job creation, food security, improved food safety, foreign exchange earnings, and effective post-harvest management, satisfying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) I & II. 

SDG I calls for an end to poverty in all its manifestations by 2030 and SDG II is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030.

She said the agriculture department of the assembly would continue to raise seedlings of economic benefit under the government’s Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) for distribution to households.

"The survival and progress of a nation depend largely on the performance of its agricultural sector. Agriculture can, therefore, not be left out in our developmental agenda as a nation," Mrs. Alloh said.