Farmers in Ghana should use agricultural biotechnology solutions to boost crop productivity and overcome environmental challenges, a leading expert told a meeting in Accra of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), GhanaWeb reports.
“Some critical challenges facing farmers including weeds, pests and diseases, spoilage due to over-ripening, inadequate irrigation and lack of mechanization can be addressed through effective application of biotechnology,” Professor Josephine Nketsia-Tabiri, Director of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), told the session.
The forum gathered over 100 Ghanaian farmers with scientists and policymakers to discuss the recently passed Biosafety Law, which enables the application of biotechnology in Ghana’s food crop production after four years of consideration by Parliament. With Ghana’s recent approval, there are now 30 countries planting biotech crops worldwide. Read more.
Scientists in Ghana say biotechnology will contribute to socio-economic development
Ghana’s government pointed out support from local scientists who said biotechnology could help reduce poverty and improve the country’s food security at the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) conference in Accra. Former Ghanaian president, John Agyekum Kufuor, won the World Food Prize this year for implementing initiatives that included technology solutions to alleviate hunger in Ghana.
Dr. Yaa Difie Osei, Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, said, “This approach will enable Ghana enhanced nutritional values and increase the life shelves of produce to sustain socio-economic development of the country.” Read more.
China supports GM corn to boost domestic corn output
According to All About Feed, China is testing genetically modified (GM) corn technology to boost domestic production, which has failed to meet the demand over the past two years. “We have approved one type of GMO strain and we’re testing to see if they can be applied to boost production,” said Chen Xiaohua, a vice agricultural minister. He added, “GMO technology is the strategic choice of the country in the future.” Read more.
