Wrongful application of chemicals on farm produce killing Ghanaians & Businesses - UN

Excessive use of chemical spray on our farm produce is causing harm to human health and having a significant effect on human body system whiles products are being rejected in European markets and elsewhere killing many Ghanaian businesses.

Recently, European Union banned Ghanaian produce from entering their market because of the high chemical content in the foods supply. What then happens to our local consumption where no test is conducted before the food or other farm items are sold in the market for consumption? Can you imagine what goes into our systems daily as we eat from homes, chop bars and restaurants?

Imagine the competence of our illiterate brothers and sisters in the remote communities who cannot read instructions before applying the chemicals on the produce before supplying to the markets? The situation is prevalent in vegetable production such as tomatoes, okro, garden eggs, and cabbage.

Others such as pineapples, mangoes, poepoe and many more. Centre for Scientific Research Institute (CSRI) blew an alarm on this sometime ago and called for a national campaign.

To this end, the United Nations has seen the need for global campaign against the use of the chemicals as far as it is needful to live in good health.

Mr. George Ortsin, the National Coordinator for Small Grants Projects of the United Nations has cautioned farmers to desist from the act since that can cause many problem to the society and looking for solutions begins another global but fatal problem. He said the time has come now to turn to the use of organic farming to save lives rather than the persistent use of the chemicals.

Mr. Orstsin said this at the at a training workshop at Kpeve in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region for 80 participants selected from various farming groups in the Afadzato South, Ho West and South Dayi Districts with its stakeholders. It was organised by the Sky Platform, a local non-governmental organisation in collaboration with South Dayi District Assembly and Prathista Industries from India.

He mentioned the numerous benefits of changing to the organic farming which the West have gone far with its use in order to save their citizens from health implications.

He said, the workshop was aimed at educating the farmers on the use organic fertilisers and effective applications, building networks, smart climate change agriculture and effective land management. He also said, his outfit is targeting 10 farmer groups and 20, 000 farmers by the end of the year across the country.

Mr. Venkat, the Vice-President of the Pathista Industries in charge of Africa/Europe said his company has 300,000 tonnes capacity plant and had distributed 180,000 tonnes last year adding, they are operating in 20 countries worldwide. He said, his company is willing to locate to Ghana to begin local production for African market as soon as land is acquired.

The District Chief Executive for South Dayi, Mr. Kafui Semenu Bekui lauded the programme stating that organic farming is the way now to keep the country from adversities adding that government will soon take a position on the matter to invest meaningfully into the project.

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