The government intends to set up a fertiliser-producing factory to cater to the needs of the country’s agriculture sector and beyond.
President Akufo-Addo who dropped the hint said the administration has kick-started processes aimed at establishing the fertiliser-producing facility in the country to ensure that future disruptions in the global supply as a result of the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war, do not affect the country’s food system.
This was during an interaction with a delegation from the Norwegian embassy in Ghana and officials of Yara International (Ghana Representative, one of the world’s leading crop nutrition companies and a provider of environmental and agricultural solutions, at the Jubilee House.
According to him, the proposed facility would not only serve Ghana’s fertiliser needs but the entire African continent.
“Our main concern is that we want to be able to make these fertilizers here in Ghana ourselves. I am sure you are aware of plans that are ongoing with my office and the Ministry of Agriculture to establish a fertiliser facility here in Ghana.
We think that it will make a lot of sense even in terms of the West African and the larger African market. I don’t know to what extent we can associate you [Yara International] or get you involved as a partner” he said.
“It will make a lot of sense for us to be able to establish a really big facility here in Ghana that would supply our domestic needs and at the same time for the regional and continental markets” he emphasised, whilst insisting “we can’t be in the situation were anytime there is a major upheaval anywhere in the world, we are left scrambling and having to depend on the generosity of people. I think that is not a sustainable way of going down the future.”
The Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, Ingrid Mollestad and the delegation were there to introduce the “Grow Ghana Initiative” of Yara Ghana, which is the local representative of Yara International, a Norwegian company to the President.
Norway, she said was committed to food security on the African continent and will continue to support every effort aimed at securing Africa’s food reserves.
“You know that Yara International is the biggest producer of nitrogen fertiliser in the world and I am very pleased to note that we have a very long and outstanding cooperation with Yara Ghana here through its CEO and the ”Grow Ghana Initiative” is also an outstanding example of what governments and private sector can play together in partnership to alleviate the crisis that we are in” Ambassador Ingrid Mollestad said.
On his part, West Africa Regional Director of Yara, Danquah Addo-Yobo said due to the challenges that have bedevilled the globe in terms of availability of fertilisers resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war, Yara has decided to commit $20 million to provide fertilizers to farmers in Ghana for free.
“That is what “Grow Ghana” is about; its Yara’s commitment to support farmers in Ghana. What that is going to do is it will make more fertilisers available because the group is more committed to bringing more fertilizers, particularly for smallholder farmers” Danquah Addo-Yobo said.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent