Govt urged to leverage technology to boost agric productivity

 The Government would recoup higher returns through its flagship agricultural policies, especially planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), by taking advantage of modern mechanisation opportunities.

Coupled with the availabil­ity of arable land, Ghanaian farmers are bound to reap higher dividends if agricultural technol­ogy becomes government’s top priority, says the Director, Sales and Marketing, KNZ, Mr Zafar Yab Anjum.

He made the remarks when he led a four-member business del­egation to pay a courtesy call on the Pakistan High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Farhat Ayesha, in Accra last Friday.

The visit was to formally apprise her of the setting up of KNZ Enterprise Ghana Limited, a company to deal in a wide-range of modern agricultural machinery.

The others included Muham­mad Yasir, Rehmatullah Kashif, both directors, and Mr Ali Nuhu Abeka, the Ghanaian Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company.

Mr Anjum encouraged the government and Ghanaian busi­ness entities to tap into economic opportunities in Pakistan to promote mutual cooperation in trade and business.

He said Pakistan was also an agrarian country where agricul­tural universities were creating advanced knowledge and human resources necessary for the prog­ress of the agricultural sector in this technological age.

He said by prioritising farm mechanisation, Ghana could un­lock its agricultural potential and pave way for sustainable develop­ment in the years to come.

According to him, Pakistan has made significant advancement in the field of agricultural technol­ogy, especially in areas like irri­gation, mechanisation and crop management, and Ghana could benefit from adopting these tech­nologies to improve the fortunes of agriculture by partnering with Pakistan.

He said sharing knowledge, expertise and best practices between the two countries could lead to improved agricultural techniques, crop varieties and pest management strategies.

Collaborative research projects, he said between the two coun­tries could lead to the develop­ment of crop varieties better adapted to local conditions in both countries.

On her part, Ms Ayesha said there was a lot of potential for the future of both countries as far as trade in light machinery, surgical instruments, sports goods and textiles were con­cerned, adding that the textile industry remained a backbone of Pakistan’s economy.

According to her, the presence of a Pakistan High Commission in Ghana was ample evidence of the warm relationship between the two countries.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries, she said dated back to 1958, adding that the embassy had been in Ghana since 1964.

“We want to promote and take this relationship to another level in all spheres of cooperation,” she said.

Mr Abeka, who had a lengthy period of his education and stay in Pakistan, in his remarks, described the country as hos­pitable with warm people and full of economic opportunities unknown at face value to most people.

He said Pakistan had some of the best agricultural universities in addition to organising profes­sional training.

 BY TIMES REPORTER

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