[ad_1]
On May 20, 2023, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong (also known as Jospong), chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, made it clear that rice imports must be stopped immediately.
“We (JG) will face the problem when we see it, solve it, and this project we have started, walahi talahi, the (rice) import must stop,” he vowed.
Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, chairman of Jospong Group Corporation, promised that with the implementation of Jospong Group’s rice project, Vietnam’s rice imports will be reduced to a minimum or even stopped completely.
“We (JG) will face the problem when we see it, solve it, and this project we have started, walahi talahi, the (rice) import must stop,” he vowed.
Dr Agyepong was speaking at the two-day Ghana Food Security 2023 Conference held in Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region of Ghana, on the theme “Enhancing Food Security: The Role of Ghanaian Scientists”.
He encouraged stakeholders, especially rice farmers and scientists, not to despair that there were not enough policies to support the initiative, but to be hopeful that when “the fruits start to bear”, policies will turn in their favour.
“Whether the policy is supportive or not, don’t be discouraged, let’s do our part and when we start getting results, the policy will turn in our favour,” he assured.
He further challenged the government to choose hope over fear that Ghanaians will go hungry if rice imports are banned, citing former US President Barack Obama. Instead, he asked the government to have hope in Ghanaian farmers so that they can take up the challenge and have the ability to produce quality rice for the country.
Adelaide Siaw Agyepong, CEO of the Asia-Africa Alliance (AAC), which leads the Jospor Group’s rice project, noted that science, research and development have traditionally been the drivers of innovation and productivity and are at the heart of everything in the world.
She said that if immediate steps are not taken to increase food production, Africa’s annual food import costs could rise from $50 billion to $110 billion by 2030.
“When there is a food crisis, the poor suffer the most because they cannot access food due to rising prices,” she noted.
She said this prompted the Jospong Group and AAC to work with the CSIR to “recognise” the need to address Ghana’s food security issues.
For his part, Professor Paul Pinnock Bosu, Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of Ghana, hoped that the two-day conference would provide direction for Ghana to achieve its goal of food security and self-sufficiency in rice production.
“Ghana already has everything it needs to achieve food security,” he stressed.
He reiterated that CSIR and AAC had recently signed a memorandum of understanding to work together towards the vision of helping Ghana achieve food security.
“We need to support government in achieving its goal of feeding Ghana’s population and earning more foreign exchange,” he appealed to stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the Pentecostal Church, the General Secretary of the Church, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Rabbi, noted that the initiative came at the right time and would help Ghana achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal: “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”.
He noted that the conference theme, “Enhancing Food Security: The Role of Ghanaian Scientists”, was crucial to Ghana’s development, especially during these difficult economic times.
“While we await assistance from the IMF, it is also vital to take local steps to strengthen our country’s economy,” he said.
The Church appreciated the collaboration between India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), whose main mandate is to promote national development and global industrial competitiveness through scientific and technological research, and the Jospong Group.
Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Labi noted that the conference was in full alignment with the five-year vision of the Pentecostal Church, the theme of which is “Occupy the Nation”.
He explained: “The overall goal is to convert more people to Christ by changing every worldview, thought and behavior with the values, principles and lifestyle of the Kingdom of God, thereby raising believers who will have their own nation.”
source: www.ghanaweb.com
[ad_2]
Source link
