Mr. Clement Eledi the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture has reported that the national production of plantain increased from 1.1 million metric tonnes to 3.6 million metric tonnes per annum between 1992 and 2005, an increase of about 230 per cent.
He said since the inception of the national agricultural research programme, the annual production had increased and attributed the improvement to the dynamic work of Ghanaian science researchers. Speaking at a “validation workshop” on "Using the Agricultural Science Technology and Innovation (ASTI) System to Improve Production, Processing and Marketing of Plantain in Ghana", the Deputy Minister said Ghana had since 2001 remained the largest producer of plantain in West and Central Africa with the current per capita consumption standing at 101.8 kg.
He said plantain contributes about 13.1 per cent of the agricultural gross domestic product and 90 per cent is consumed locally and ranks high in food preference in Ghana.
Mr. Eledi noted that the production of plantain provided substantial employment for women and the youth in most plantain growing rural communities in the Eastern, Volta, Ashanti, Western, Brong Ahafo and Central regions.
He said only a small percentage of the total production was exported to Europe, United Kingdom, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger though the demand was high in these markets and attributed this to the fact that apart from those consumed locally, quite a number of the plantain got rotten on the farm gate or markets at the production centres.
"If there were strong linkages among stakeholders and the value chain was intact, this situation would not have occurred", he said.
The Deputy Minister said there was the need for all sectors of the economy to be scientifically and technologically innovative to ensure that all stakeholders knew and understood the roles expected of them.
He called on ASTI to build strong local capacity to understand the strengths and weakness of local science, technology and innovation system in the plantain sub-sector of the agricultural sector.
"It should also provide one set of inputs into future policies governing agriculture and science, technology and innovation and demonstrate to all stakeholders the need to focus science and technology developments on the agricultural sector and more specifically as they relate to agricultural trade, competitiveness and food security".
Mr. Eledi called on stakeholders to strategise, forge stronger linkages and understanding to ensure that the plantain industry grew and contributed to achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
Dr. Irene Egyir, a researcher and a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon who presented the findings of the study said agricultural policies had not adequately maintained the country's competitive position in the world markets for a number of agricultural commodities, which included plantain.
Plantain, the study revealed had also not been targeted adequately and had no specific budgets to the sector as well as the sector not being clearly demarcated.
"The results should also provide information on the nature of the system as well as alternative approaches that might be considered, with regard to complementary policies, programmes and support organisations that could contribute to strengthening the ASTI with regard to the plantain sub-sector".
The study identified major constraints such as low farm gate price, high tax rates from district assemblies, high cost of transport, seasonal market price instability, irregular visits by researchers, breaches of informal contracts between traders and farmers, poor handling of produce, lack of processing machines and lack of product standardisation.
The study recommended innovations in the areas of policy, capacity building, of actors, business finance, strengthening of horizontal and vertical linkages as well as market infrastructure.
Professor Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah, Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) called the bridging of the gap between the knowledge generation and diffusion of the knowledge.
He said researchers generated knowledge "and the knowledge does not get to the people on the ground and it is necessary to bring the key players together to form a platform and modernise agriculture".
Prof.Owusu-Bennoah said plantain was a staple crop of considerable importance so far as food security was concerned and needed strong innovation through continuous learning and interactions among different enterprises, organisations and other related sectors.
He urged stakeholders to tap on innovative ideas and pathways, associations and strong linkages that could lead to growth for the nation.
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