Deputy Ashanti regional Minister Joseph Yammin has strongly condemned Ghanaians’ ever increasing taste for foreign products.
“There is no way our country can derive maximum benefits from our agriculture sector if we, as a people do not eat what we grow and grow what we eat”.
The Minister who was speaking during the 30th National Farmers’ day celebration emphasised the importance of the theme; “EAT WHAT YOU GROW” saying “Ghana imports between Two Hundred Million (US$200) and Four Hundred Million US Dollars (US$400) worth of rice annually. In the same vein, about GH¢206,810 tonnes of poultry products costing between US$350 million to US$400 million is imported into the country annually. Such a situation provides ready market for the foreign products and our continuous consumption of such products provides foreign farmers the capital needed for expansion and growth. All these happen at the expense of our local farmers who are often denied the full benefits of their hard work and thereby render them poor”.
He extolled farmers and their contributions to the nation’s economy saying “agriculture apart from the foreign exchange it brings, also provides over 60% of the employment opportunities available in the country.
The Ashanti regional minister promised government’s continued support to the agricultural sector and called for strong media advocacy to drive home the need to “Eat what you grow”
