Participants in a group photograph
Government and stakeholders in the agricultural sector have been urged to provide adequate security at the country’s borders to ensure that agro-chemical products and fertilizers transiting through the country are properly documented.
This is to ensure that farmers obtain approved products for farming.
Frederick B. Boampong, Programmes Manager of Croplife Ghana, an association for agrochemical importers and distributors in Ghana, affiliated with CropLife Africa Middle East (CLAME), made the call during a day’s workshop for security officers, including the Ghana Police Service, GRA-CEPS and other regulatory agencies in Wa.
Mr. Boampong hinted that there had been several complaints from neighboring countries about the porous nature of Ghana’s borders which encourage the smuggling of agrochemical products mostly labeled ‘Not for sale’ and other unregistered agrochemical products to their markets
They, therefore, called on the security operatives to check the canker to ensure that farmers in the sub-region, especially Ghana, engage or use only approved and registered pesticides and fertilizers for farming in Ghana.
CropLife AME, through CropLife Ghana Association, ensured the provision of stewardship (safe-use training) to farmers, input-dealers, the general public, security bodies and the regulatory agencies.
He said the plant science industry is committed to promoting practices that encourage responsible, safe and efficient use of its products and also to sensitize stakeholders on current issues being tackled by the agrochemical industry to curb or minimize issues on counterfeiting especially along the borders of Ghana.
Mr. Boampong said similar workshops had been held in the Volta, Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Greater Accra Regions all in a bid to ensure that security officers, especially GRA-CEPS officers.
Joseph Edmund, Deputy Registrar of Pesticides of CCMC/EPA, made a presentation on the overview of the legal framework for pesticide management, pesticide registration, labeling and importation of pesticides into the country.
A business desk report