President Mahama has opened Horticultural Expo 2025, designed to bring together all stakeholders in the horticulture ecosystem.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3-Day event in Accra on Wednesday, President Mahama endorsed the program stating that horticulture is central to government’s vision of national economic transformation.
“with year round sunshine, fertile sols, waters and hard working farmers, Ghana is already a global leader in yam exports and a growing force in tropical foods and vegetables”, he emphasized.
The president explained that the expo feeds into government’s flagship program dubbed”Feed Ghana” which operationalize the broader agriculture for economic transformation agenda.
He added that Feed Ghana is government’s response to rural unemployment, food insecurity and overdependence on imports.
“For the Agriculture sector, this includes the vegetables development project christened ‘yeredua’ [we are planting] to scale green house cultivation and institutional competitive farming”, President Mahama stated.
The President later announced that the 24hour economy would be operational on July 1, to provide a framework for continuous production processing and logistics in horticulture.
According to him, It would allow perishable goods pineapples mangoes chilies and eggs to move swiftly from the field to Ports and International shelves minimizing losses and maximizing values.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and industry and the Ministry of Transport are working together with the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority the Ghana Shippers Council and Stakeholders to soon declare the Tema and Takoradi Ports 24hour ports.
This he said will not only be about working longer hours but would be about building the infrastructure the energy, security, the transport and digital platforms that enabled round the clock agro industrial activity.
“It is a strategy of hope rooted in efficiency and scale”, the President said.
Source:www.senaradioonline.com
